The rain did not keep thirsty customers away from the 2016 Troy Strawberry Festival. The Troy Rotary Club had another very successful year of selling their freshly made strawberry lemon shake-ups during the June 4-5 event. “Even with the rain, we had over 2,200 drinks sold during the festival,” said Rotary booth co-chair Lisa Winterhalter, noting that sales have been rising steadily in the past several years. “We are very thankful to everyone who stopped by and purchased a Rotary shake-up,” she said. The festival brings out a true spirit of community as Winterhalter also expressed appreciation to global management consulting firm, TriVista, for making a truck available to Rotary volunteers as they transported booth properties and drink supplies throughout the weekend.

It takes many volunteers to mix and sell the shake-ups during the festival. Rotarians and Interact students from Troy High School worked together to satisfy the thirst of the more than 2,000 customers. This project is Rotary’s biggest fundraiser each year. Proceeds will be put back into the community through scholarships, support for the Interact Club and programs that benefit Troy students during the 2016-17 Rotary year that begins on July 1st. The funds also enable the club to respond to unforeseen community needs.

In addition to the festival booth, Troy Rotarians and the Troy Rotary Foundation support several community projects annually. In 2014-15, more than $16,000 in scholarships and community aid was distributed from the fund, including the annual Shoe Project, Troy After Prom, scholarships, and sponsorships to summer camps at Brukner Nature Center and WACO Air Museum. The Troy Rotary Club is a member-involved, goal-oriented service club focused on socio/economic issues that have an impact both locally and internationally. Follow their activities on Facebook at Troy Rotary Club. To learn more about Rotary and membership, please visit www.troyohiorotary.org.