Danvers Rotary Camperships and History of the Danvers Y Campership Fund.
Rotarians, John Somes and Richard Vincent presented a Campership check to the Danvers YMCA Board of Directors for $2500. This donation will allow 3-5 Youth whose families are experiencing financial hardship – to attend the YMCA Stiles Pond Summer Camp in Boxford MA. $$ is collected from Happy Dollars and Fines throughout the year during Rotary luncheons from Rotary members to support this need. This program was started by Bob Raiche in the early 1980’s.
Robert “Bob” Raiche (1928–2014) was a prominent longtime Danvers resident, local business owner, and highly honored Rotarian best known for his global peacebuilding efforts. As an active member of the Rotary Club of Danvers and other regional clubs, he blended community service with international activism, earning some of the highest accolades in the global Rotary community. Impact and Connections Friends Forever International: In 1986, Bob founded Friends Forever International, an organization dedicated to building trust and empathy among youth from conflicting cultures. It began as a joint effort between the Rotary and the YMCA, originally bringing together Catholic and Protestant teenagers from Northern Ireland. The program later expanded to help Arab and Jewish youth in Israel. https://www.ff.international/
Major Accolades: Due to his extensive peace work, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. Rotary International also awarded him two of its most prestigious honors: the Service Above Self Award and the Donald MacRae Peace Award
The Danvers Community YMCA provides financial assistance and “camperships” to ensure that no child is turned away from summer camp due to an inability to pay. Funded through community donations and events like the Y’s Annual Campaign and partners like the Danvers Rotary Club, these scholarships lower the cost of summer programs. If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties to provide a Summer Experience – please reach out to the Danvers Y. www.DanversYMCA.org or call 978-774-2055
Photo L2R: David Thomson (Y BOD Vice President), Cheryl Macdonald (Y BOD), Arthur Skarmeas (Y BOD), Richard Warren (Y BOD), John Somes (Rotarian and Y CEO), Pam Anderson (Y BOD), Richard Vincent (Rotarian and Y BOD President)