Reston Rotary Club Donates $2,500 to Local Elementary School

School may be out for summer, but that didn’t slow the Reston Rotary Club from slowing down its efforts to promote the value of education in the community.

Earlier this week, the Rotary Club announced it donated $2,500 to Aldrin Elementary School in Reston in June to support programs including music education, teacher development and more. The funds were raised through a raffle — which included a grand-prize trip to Europe — as well as donations from Rotary Club members and other members of the community.

“The club and its members see the value in helping support education in the community,” Sonia Castillo-Smith, President of the Rotary Club, told Patch. “Whether contributing food on a weekly basis or dollars to support school programs and curricular needs, or support for professional development for teachers, it all contributes to making a better future for all of us.

“We feel obligated to help provide what students and teachers need to provide more than a basic education. Reston is a great community — it deserves a great education opportunity for all students.”

Funding throughout Fairfax County is not as readily available as it once was. The school district took on a modest budget reduction of about $7 million for the coming school year, but it faces the possibility of a $100 million budget cut for the 2016-17 school year, adding even more value to donations like the one made by the Rotary Club.

“The Reston Rotary Club members believe they can truly be a gift to the world, but they can rest assured that they truly have been a gift to Aldrin,” said Aldrin Assistant Principal Barbara Gist. “They are making a difference, one child at a time, by giving not only monetary support, but most importantly, by giving the greatest gift of all — their time.”

Image credit: Reston Rotary Club

Image caption: (from left) Michael Woodring (Aldrin — Head of Band of Brothers), Gist, and Daniel Flavin (Rotary Club member — Foundation Treasurer).