North Reading Rotary Club Holds Awards Night at Kitty’s

The following was submitted by the North Reading Rotary: 

Rotary District 7930 Governor Subbiah Doraiswami presented Paul Harris Awards to Dave O’Neil, Debbie Birkmaier and Priscilla Gottwald who received the honor for the second time at on June 20.  He also had the honor of presenting the award to Janice Wood for her contributions to the Rotary Foundation and to John Norton for his dedicated service to the Club as president for two terms and for his service to the community and Rotary International.  

In a touching tribute to the late Police Chief Hank Purnell, Past District Governor Steve May, a North Reading Rotarian and close friend of Hank, and North Reading Rotary President Peter Majane bestowed the award to Hank posthumously to Johanna, Hank’s wife, for his dedicated service to the Rotary Club, the community and Rotary International.  Hank was a Rotarian for over 25 years.

 “It is because of gifts like yours that the Rotary Foundation is able to carry out an array of programs that achieve beneficial changes in our world – improving living conditions, increasing food production, bettering education, availing treatment and rehabilitation to the sick and disabled, creating new channels for the flow of international understanding and giving brighter hopes for peace,” Doraiswami told the recipients.

Named for the founder of Rotary International, Paul Harris was a Chicago attorney in 1905 when he and three other business associates started the organization.  A Paul Harris Award recognizes club members for their humanitarian and educational contributions and who support Rotary’s commitment to peace and life opportunities for people of the world.