Sixteen local non-profit groups received a total of $37,000 from the Flower Mound Rotary Club during Thursday’s Celebrating Service luncheon, where Paula Kratohvil (pictured) was named Rotarian of the Year.
Members of the Flower Mound Rotary work all year to raise money for the various local non-profits that receive their grants, with most of the money being raised at one of two main fundraisers, the Cross Timbers Classic Bike Rally and Vine and Dine.
Flower Mound Rotary President Randy Pope welcomed Rotarians and visitors alike to the luncheon at Celebrations Grand Ballroom in Highland Village and pointed out that members don’t just give money, but also time, to local charities.
Pope said members serve on the boards of many of the groups, and they are also committed to working each year in the CCA Toy Store and for Habitat for Humanity, just to name of a few of the local causes they support. Also, rotary members have been involved in everything from planting 312 trees in Denton County to sponsoring over 75 exchange students and making a contribution toward a wheelchair lift at the Flower Mound Pool. Recently, members helped Hearts for Homes with building two houses for low-income elderly homeowners in Denton County.
That willingness to serve others is precisely why President-Elect Kratohvil was chosen as the club’s Rotarian of the Year, according to Pope, who noted her contagious energy, enthusiasm and passion for helping people.
Most recently, Kratohvil spent countless hours heading up the 23rd Annual Cross Timbers Classic Bike Rally. She told the group that everyone has their own unique challenges, and she sees people finding a way to rise above it and give back. “We just weren’t born to breathe,” she said, “but to work and to help others.” Kratohvil exemplifies that quality in her own life as she has been involved in numerous local efforts to help others and in February was named Citizen of the Year by the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce. She is the creator and co-owner of Complete Interior Solutions, an interior design firm and gift boutique in Old Town Lewisville.
Others that received awards at Thursday’s luncheon were Tom Calvaneso, Jane Foster, and John Klaiber, who were presented with President’s Awards, and Cecil Dalton, David Elliot, and Chris Young, who received Paul Harris Fellows awards.
The sixteen non-profits that received 2009-2010 grants received checks ranging from $1,000 to $3,500 a piece, included: Bridges Outreach of Denton County, CASA of Denton County, Children’s Advocacy Center of Denton County, Christian Community Action, Communities in Schools in North Texas, Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre, Friends of the Family, Friends of the Flower Mound Library, Hearts for Homes, Lewisville Education Foundation, Lewisville Lake Symphony, New Horizons Ranch for Children, PediPlace, Texas HOPE Literacy, Inc., Cross Timbers YMCA, and Youth and Family Counseling.
The representatives from each group expressed their appreciation for the grant money and told those in attendance how the money would be used to help people right here in our community.
Dana Slater, Executive Director of Youth & Family Counseling, said they will make the most of the donation, making sure every nickel is used until it squeaks.
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