Christiana Rotary Golf Tournament to Benefit Orphans

Online, April 12, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Christiana Rotary Club is planning its 18th Annual Golf Tournament and Silent Auction, which benefits the Club's TOUCH program and other charities. The event is scheduled for May 17th at beautiful Newark Country Club. Foursome's are still available. Details can be found on the Club's website: www.christianarotary.org or by calling Mark Muddiman at 302/966-0138.

The Club's "TOUCH" program (Transform One Unique Child's Heart) began with gifts for four orphans at Christmas 2004 and has grown to serve 142 children last year. The Rotary Club hopes to extend the program to all orphans throughout the state.

In cooperation with the State of Delaware
Christiana Rotary works with The Delaware Office of the Child Advocate which contacts the attorneys who are the legal representatives of the children. The attorneys ask each child for a wish list of their needs and wants...clothing, toys, etc. Rotary members then work with local merchants and organize shopping groups to purchase and wrap the gifts, which are delivered by the attorneys. The children specify sizes, colors and types of clothing on their lists and, of course, their hopes for a toy or two. A typical list might include a winter coat, scarf and gloves, underwear, a new dress, and a doll.

Who is served?
The children served range in age from 18 months to 18 years and are the benefactors of many peoples' efforts. Whether it's for Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanzaa, the program brings holiday cheer where there often would be none due to poverty or other difficult circumstance. "We found that many of these orphans would not have a Christmas or holiday without our intervention," says Frank Alteri, a Rotary Club member who helped develop the program. "Many of these kids are in foster care and have very basic needs such as a set of clothes to wear," says Frank.

"The big bag of gifts last year helped 12-year-old Kailey feel that somebody out there cares," said Tanya Pino, Esq. who is the legal representative for Kailey. "When I delivered the gifts, she was ecstatic. She could only say 'Wow.'"

"One severely handicapped child who received a blanket and other gifts through the program several years ago, still carries that blanket everywhere he goes. It provides comfort for him in a scary world," said Tanya Culley, Esq., Delaware's Child Advocate.

Volunteer attorneys submit wish lists to the Rotary Club for the children they represent. The Rotarians raise funds and purchases gifts to fulfill both basic needs, such as a nice outfit to wear, but also a toy or two.

Photo Captions:

Christiana Rotary members (l-r) Bobbie Brooks, Vessa Fulton, and Carol Brindle prepare to transport gifts after one of the many shopping trips made by Club members to buy gifts for orphans last December. The Club brought holiday cheer to 142 children last year.

Christiana Rotary members (l-r) Bobbie Brooks, Carol Brindle, and Vessa Fulton had great fun picking out gifts during one of the many shopping trips made by Club members to buy gifts for orphans last December. The Club brought holiday cheer to 142 children last year.

Christiana Rotary members (l-r) Vessa Fulton and Carol Brindle had a fun time picking out shoes for a 2-year old orphan during one of the many shopping trips made by Club members to buy gifts for The Club's TOUCH program last December. The Club brought holiday cheer to 142 children last year.

About the Christiana Rotary Club
The Christiana Rotary Club was formed in 1971 and is just one of over 33,000 clubs worldwide that make up Rotary International. Rotary is the largest service organization in the world with the guiding motto of "Service Above Self."