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Rotary warms up Harding students
Photo
Diamonique Washington, a Harding Elementary School student, shows off the new coat, gloves and scarf she got from the Rotary Club of Youngstown. The club raised nearly $18,000 to buy coats and scarves for all the students at the Youngstown school. Youngstown State University’s Rotaract Club raised money to buy the gloves.
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
A smile brightened Tawnyce Talley’s face as she tried on her new coat from the Rotary Club of Youngstown.
“I think it might just be a little bit OK,” said the shy fifth-grader, as she held the pink-lined aqua coat tucked under her arm.
It’s a warm coat, Tawnyce, 10, said.
The Rotary raised nearly $18,000 to buy coats for the children at Harding Elementary School through Operation Warm.
Scott Schulick, Rotary Club of Youngstown president, said the club has had a relationship with Harding since 1998, mentoring students, taking students on field trips and other endeavors.
“It’s nice with this project they were able to get a coat for every student,” said Principal Susan Koulianos.
They started in June with a $10,000 goal.
“The members looked at me like I was crazy with a $10,000 goal, but they went way beyond that,” Schulick said.
The project spread through the whole Rotary district and its 47 clubs in 10 counties at the urging of Debbie Esbenshade, District 6650 governor.
The Rotary project also bought scarves for each child while Youngstown State University Rotaract Club bought gloves through a project it dubbed Project Phalanges.
The fundraising was so successful the club was able to buy winter wear for children at the Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown, Betty’s Angels in Warren, St. Joseph the Provider School and the Salvation Army, too.
The coats, gloves and scarves came in a variety of colors.
The club worked with parents to take orders, ensuring that each child had the right size. There was even an area for exchanges in case a student went through a growth spurt.
“It’s nice because all of the coats are different,” Koulianos said. “They’re all custom-made.”
Watching the students select the gloves and scarves to go with their new coats, it looked like they were shopping, she said.
Fifth-grader Yasser Jaidi, 12, mixed up his color selection, opting for a blue coat and yellow gloves because he liked the assortment. He gives high marks to his new coat.
“I like it a lot,” Yasser said.
Vincent Steel, 10, and also in fifth grade, opted for a more-monochromatic motif: gray coat, gloves and scarf.
“I like it,” he said. “It’s snuggly.”
Fifth-graders Morgan Boyd and India Dabney, both 10, each opted for a neutral tan coat.
Morgan chose to dress hers up with a blue scarf and red gloves.
“I had an all-black coat before, but the zipper broke,” she said.
India went with tan because there was no more gray, but she, too, brightened her outdoor ensemble with red gloves.