POULSBO — Poulsbo-North Kitsap Rotary Club President-elect Donna Strep’s main emphasis will be on youth once she assumes the reins of the North End service organization from outgoing President Brad Camp.
After Saturday’s 25th annual auction at the Sons of Norway concluded, an elated Strep couldn’t thank the community enough for its support of the club’s scholarship program.
“Our goal was set at $30,000, which was more than last year,” she said. “We raised $35,000.”
Last year the auction brought in more than $25,000 in scholarship money, so this year was a continuation of that effort, she said.
“Having Melanie Mohler (North Kitsap School Board president) in attendance was very moving,” Strep said. “It was just great to see the support for that program.”
That means even more students will receive scholarships from the club to help them pursue their educational goals, she said.
Not only did the auction set a new record for scholarship money, it did so with fewer people in attendance, she said.
“The amazing thing was that we had about 24 less people in the audience,” Strep said. “I reduced the tickets from 225 to 200, so the room was less crowded.”
The ever increasing level of giving for scholarships is a reaffirmation of the community’s belief in and support of educational endeavors for its youth, she said.
“I think they appreciate not only that, but what we do locally and internationally,” Strep said.
In addition to the $35,000 for scholarships, the auction reaped another $60,000, which will be distributed throughout the community, she said.
“We will still be working at the transition house, which is an important project for all of us,” she said.
The house provides transitional housing for victims of domestic violence and their children as they rebuild their lives.
North Kitsap Fishline will be another beneficiary of the community’s generosity as Rotarians will be assisting in the remodeling of the food bank’s 3rd Avenue building, she said.
“We’re going to get their back area fixed up, so they can make better use of it,” she said.
As far as any concrete plans for the next year, Strep said she and her board are in the process of exploring potential activities and events, but no final decisions will be made in the immediate future.
