Sponsorships and tickets to our third annual award banquet on May 1, 2024 will benefit our club’s local non-profit arm, the RCDW Foundation. At the banquet, we will honor three local leaders who have changed our community for the better.
About the awards
The Leaders in Service Awards will recognize top leaders of enterprises (either employee or volunteer) in three categories — business, non-profit, and government — who have helped their organizations contribute to improving our community and the world. We are asking for nominations from the public.
Criteria for these awards are that nominees 1) have held a leadership position in their organization; 2) have made outstanding contributions to the community in one or more of the Rotary Areas of Focus; 3) have led a life and business governed by the Rotary Four-Way Test; and 4) have demonstrated strong leadership skills including a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, personnel development and collaboration with other community leaders.
Elected officials are not eligible.
About the fundraiser
Sponsors make tax-deductible contributions to the Wilmington Rotary Club’s foundation, RCDW Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Our foundation makes grants to support charitable projects in the Wilmington area, as well as contributing to global projects through our International Projects Committee. In return for their support of the foundation, sponsors get recognition — both at the awards banquet and in public media advertising — and tickets to the banquet.
We will present the awards during the event on May 1, 2024, at the UNCW Burney Center, which will include a reception, dinner, excellent wines, background music, and other entertainment. Guests will receive a colorful commemorative program and we will show video interviews with each of the award recipients. Speakers will introduce the honorees, each of whom will make a short acceptance speech. See our sponsorship levels here.
Where the money goes
Funds raised through the 2023 Leaders in Service awards will be allocated during the 2023-24 Rotary year, which begins July 1. To give an idea of how we use our financial resources, what follows is a partial list of projects and grant recipients the RCDW Foundation has supported during the past three years (2019-22).
- Long-term support for education and literacy in New Hanover County schools that serve high-poverty student bodies.
- Our club’s long-term “Legacy Project” at Williston Middle School, supporting such needs as science, math and reading competitions; fitness programs for students; a clothing closet to help low-income students meet school uniform and “dress for success” goals; a school store; and other needed supplies and equipment.
- Nutrition assistance and a dental clinic for the families of low-income public school students.
- Cash awards each year for five outstanding rookie public-school teachers.
- Research to combat Alzheimer’s disease.
- Training assistance dogs for people with disabilities
- Construction of a Habitat for Humanity house.
- International health, water supply, and economic development projects in Sierra Leone, Honduras, Guyana, Moldova and Ukraine.
For more on causes Wilmington Rotary Club supports, see Our Projects page.
