FITCHBURG — Without the support and charity of the Fitchburg East Rotary Club, the city would have many bare walkways and empty traffic islands.
That’s because for the last several years the club has been dedicated to planting hundreds of flowers in wooden boxes downtown, each of which is currently overflowing with vibrant blossoms.
“They help beautify the city,” said Bob Campbell, vice president of the club. “When you drive through the city, you can see flowers blooming everywhere. It adds a nice touch.”
Each spring, Fitchburg East Rotary Club works hard to plant, fertilize, weed, and water the flower boxes around Fitchburg. There are currently 92 flower boxes planted in the city, but Campbell hopes have an even 100 boxes soon.
Those flowers also do more than make people smile, they help make a difference in the world.
According to Campbell, through sponsorship of the boxes and a club hosted Super Bowl Brunch, Fitchburg East Rotary is able to provide scholarships to local high school students and financially support non-profits.
The club, which was established in 1981, offers scholarships to local students every year and provides the tuition for a handful of students to attend a Rotary Youth Leadership conference each year.
Campbell said it’s important for the club to work with local schools to promote volunteerism and charity, which are the fundamental ideals of the organization.
The club also raises money to support projects both locally and abroad.
“We do a lot of good things with the money we raise with the flower boxes,” said Bill Walsh, past president of the club. “If a student wants to do an internship abroad, they can come to us with a proposal. We’ve also contributed to things internationally like with mobile dental care in South America.”
Campbell said a club member recently returned from assembling stoves and digging wells in Guatemala to help some of the locals.
Through its Polio-Plus initiative, he said the club is also dedicated to eradicating polio, which remains endemic in three countries — Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
In the past, the Fitchburg East Rotary Club has had a hand in dozens of projects around the city. It helped refurbish the gazebo in Stanley Park, painted the gazebo of the upper common, and built a Habitat for Humanity dwelling in the city.
Campbell said the Fitchburg East Rotary Club soon hopes to help the city in constructing a handicap accessible playground at Coolidge Park.
“In a city like ours, as with many cities, there are agencies that need help to help people in need,” said Campbell. “That’s why we do it.”
To sponsor a flower box in Fitchburg, contact Bill Walsh at 978-660-7364. For more information about Fitchburg East Rotary Club, visit fitchburgeastrotary.org.
