The Fairfield Rotary Club announced it will host Paddle Fest on Saturday, September 9 th 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, and ½ mile course for youth to try out their skills and have fun. New this year is a one-mile “Paddle For Fun” event. Check-in/registration opens at 8:30 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: www.paddleguru.com/races/FairfieldPaddleFest2023.
“This is our third year for Paddle Fest. Last year we had more than 120 registrants of all ages and experience levels. Everyone had a great time – whether they were racing, or just hanging out enjoying the beach, the good weather or the fun atmosphere,” said Jay Tini, the event chairperson. “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,” he said.
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. In 2022, the Rotary Club awarded three $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 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.
