Rotary Supports the Victims of the Tragedy in Newtown, CT

Posted by Penny Jett

on Dec 31, 2012

The Newtown Rotary Club has established the "Newtown Rotary Sandy Hook School Fund" to help victims and their families with both short- and longer term needs. Please refer to the club website, http://www.newtownctrotary.org, for contact information and progress reports. Connecticut's District Governor Brian Amey, a member himself of the Newtown Rotary Club, writes, "Sandy Hook School is a wonderful school and we have worked with them over the years with such things as the Dictionary Project and we hope it will not be too long before we are visiting the school again, distributing books."

NEWTOWN ROTARY SANDY HOOK SCHOOL FUND

The Newtown Rotary Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, has set up the Newtown Rotary Sandy Hook School Fund. This fund is dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook School tragedy, their families and those in the Newtown community who have been affected, to help support both their short term and long term needs. The specifics of the Fund are as follows:

Who Will This Fund Help?

i.) The families of the slain students, faculty and administration

ii.) Sandy Hook School students and their families

iii.) Sandy Hook School faculty and administration

iv.) First responders to the tragedy

v.) Counseling agencies providing free or reduced cost services to the parties noted abov

How Will the Funds Collected Be Used?

Funds will be directed using the following priorities and will be dependent on the availability of the funds over time

A) Immediate Needs

Funeral and related expenses

Counseling and medical needs

Emergency family living expenses

B) Continuing & Longer Term Needs

Counseling and medical needs of the persons noted in i-iv above

Supplemental needs of persons noted in i-iv above

Supplemental needs of Newtown Schools

C) For the Broader Community

Residual funds, if any, may be used to name scholarships in memory of the victims

The Newtown Rotary Foundation generally does not expect to disburse funds directly to those in need, but to direct funds as needed, to vendors and through local agencies Rotarians have worked with that are well qualified. We will also further refine this strategy as we better understand the needs of those affected and other available resources. The Board of Directors of the Foundation will have oversight on ensuring that all funds are spent per the structure defined here.

The Newtown Rotary Club has been active in the Newtown community since 1939. Our youth leadership programs have brought us close to many students and teachers over the years. In this time of need, we are working to provide for the community's both short and long-term needs. Please help us by making tax-deductible donations payable to Newtown Rotary Foundation. Visit newtownctrotary.org if you would like to make your gift by Paypal.