For the Cleveland/Bradley County Greenway to be successful it has had to rely on the generosity of many groups and individuals. In a previous column I mentioned how Phase One of the Greenway had to be funded by a combination of city and county matching grants, a gift of land and a monetary gift from Bank of Cleveland to purchase the first pedestrian bridge which crosses over Mouse Creek near Kingsway Press.

This week the spotlight of this column shines on the Rotary Club of Cleveland, one of the community’s oldest civic clubs which was established in 1924. The club has a long record of giving to city and county projects, scholarships and conducting events to benefit and fund these projects.

Six years ago Rotary International celebrated 100 years as an organization. Founded in Chicago in 1905, Rotary took the occasion in 2005 to encourage the more than 34,000 local clubs around the globe to identify a need in their city and plan toward a project — a gift — to their community in honor of the Rotary Centennial. The Greenway benefited that year as Rotary leaders chose to install a portal on Willow Street. The club worked with Greenway leaders and invested more than $15,000 for the stacked-stone pillars which serve as the southern gateway to the Greenway. The project also included two stone picnic table and bench combinations with concrete pads that equip Rotary Park just north of the Willow Street entrance.

That same spirit of giving by Rotary was displayed earlier this year when the club funded the first water fountain on the Greenway, just a few yards away from the recently completed restroom facility at the Harris Circle trailhead parking area. The new fountain is designed to withstand the occasional overflowing of Mouse Creek and is ADA-accessible on a beautiful stained concrete pad. The club plans to dedicate the fountain on July 19 following their weekly meeting that day at noon.

I am proud to say I have been a member of the Cleveland Rotary Club for the past 19 years and take pride in the manner in which the club has supported the Greenway. In addition, individual members of Rotary have recognized the value of the Greenway by personally funding benches, distance markers and other enhancements along the way. Like other organizations (which will be highlighted in a future column), Rotary’s commitment is not complete and will continue as needs and improvements present themselves.

Thank you, Cleveland Rotary Club for being an example of giving to the Cleveland/Bradley County Greenway.