The Rockingham Rotary Club awarded more than $48,000 in community award grants to about 30 non-profit organizations last summer, and this summer they’re hoping to outdo themselves.

The deadline to apply is May, and applications must be sent to Rotarian Anne Edwards at Rockingham Rotary Club, P.O. Box 1262, Rockingham, N.C. 28380.

Grants will be awarded prior to June 1.

Edwards explained that last year 53 organizations applied and the majority of the applications were approved. This year, she hopes to see even more applications.

“We’ve sent out letters to the 53 organizations that applied for funds last year,” Rotary President Anne Edwards said. “They’re all invited to reapply this year and we’d also like to open the invitation for applications from other organizations that have projects that are community-based.”

Each year the Rockingham Rotary Club donates money it raises through its barbecue and auction to community-based projects that improve conditions in Richmond County.

For the last five years Edwards said the fundraiser has consistently brought in more than $50,000 a year.

As a matter of fact, with only $75,000 to go, this may be the year the organization eclipses $1 million in charitable donations since its inception more than 50 years ago.

“We have everything from kids who need money to do a special school activity, to Habitat for Humanity, to Richmond County Hospice,” Edwards said. “It’s just a conglomerate of different things.”

Last year, Rotarian David Harling was the president of the club and presided over the awards.

“We try to fund organizations on some special projects that improve the community,” Harling said.

He used examples of programs the Rotary has supported in the past, such as the L.J. Bell reading program, an effort to provide every third grader in the county with a dictionary and the Rockingham Police Department Police Academy, as the type of projects the organization is looking for.

“Unfortunately, we can’t give everyone money, but last year we had about 50 organizations apply and we funded about 30 of them,” Harling said. “That works out to about 60 percent.”

“We’re looking for projects that we can partner with to do positive things for the community,” Edwards said.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.