Fairfield Rotary Club Hosts Paddle Fest On Saturday

Information from the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce:

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield Rotary Club will host its 4th Annual Paddle Fest on Saturday, September 7th at Jennings Beach, Fairfield, CT. The family-friendly paddle event features four opportunities for Stand-up Paddlers (SUP) and Kayakers to compete, or simply enjoy time paddling on the lovely Long Island Sound. For elite paddlers, there will be a 6-mile competitive race to test their skills; for recreational paddlers, there is a 3-mile course, a 1-mile fun paddle, and ½ mile course for youth to try out their skills and have fun. Registration opens at 8:00 am and races start at 9:30 am and there will be music and fun for all ages. For more information and to register, visit: https://paddleguru.com/races/FairfieldPaddleFest2024

“Paddle Fest is a chance for folks to have a great day and do some good. Funds raised here are put right back into the community. We award grants to local non-profits, and scholarships to local high school students, and use some of the proceeds to support international goodwill projects. It’s a win-win,” said Jay Tini, the event chairperson. This year’s Paddle Fest event will benefit Operation Hope.

The Fairfield Rotary Club has a long legacy of supporting our community. “Service above Self” is more than a motto, it is the Club’s core value that drives all its’ efforts. Since 1990, the club has provided over $450,000 in community grants and donations to local non-profits and continues to support local area high school seniors with scholarships. Additional each year, the Rotary Club awards $8,000 “Service Above Self” scholarships to three high school seniors, and two $1,000 scholarships for students pursuing Nursing degrees.

Internationally, the Fairfield Rotary co-sponsored grants to support six international service projects in Haiti, Uganda, Syria, Liberia and Guatemala. The funds supported COVID-19 relief efforts, water projects for villages without access to clean drinking water, sourcing computers and supplies for schools and providing a playground for an orphanage. Fairfield Rotarians not only provide financial support, but many take part in the projects themselves, as part of a larger Rotary Action team. In July of 2022, Rotarians from the Fairfield Club traveled to Uganda to support water well projects, help build a school, and work with a local hospital.

The Club is looking for new members who want to make a difference in their community and have fun doing it.

To find out more about the Fairfield Rotary Club, visit FairfieldRotary.org.

— Flyer from Fairfield Chamber of Commerce