ROTARY CLUB: Giving the gift of literacy

Local News

Related Photos

James Neiss/staff photographer DICTIONARY PROJECT: Joey Foucha, 8, is all smiles as Marsha Emmons, of the Rotary Club of Niagara County Central, presents him with his own personalized dictionary. The Rotary Club recently handed out dictionaries to all third-graders at the Colonial Village School as part of the Rotary International Dictionary Project.

November 6, 2009

By Amy Wallace The Niagara Gazette Fri Nov 06, 2009, 11:36 PM EST

Look up “enlighten” in the dictionary and you probably won’t see a picture of Joseph B. Emmons — but you’ll get an idea of what he was all about.

A program that started from his passion has now expanded to help more than 600 students throughout Niagara County.

Emmons, a Niagara County Central Rotary member, started a dictionary project in 2006. The idea was to get dictionaries into the hands of area students free of charge.

He started with a donation of less than 100 dictionaries, giving them to third-grade students at Thomas Marks Elementary School and W.H. Stevenson Elementary School in the Wilson School District.

It was Emmons’ wish to help enlighten third-graders with educational skills that they could carry with them throughout their school years, explains Niagara Central Rotary Club Public Relations officer Jim MacPhee.

Shortly after that first donation, Emmons passed away.

Months after his passing, his wife, Marsha, joined the Rotary Club and took over his position of chairperson of what later became the Joseph B. Emmons Dictionary Project.

In 2007, the program was expanded and dictionaries were distributed to third-graders at the Starpoint Intermediate School along with Wilson third-graders.

In 2008, the project expanded even further to include the Errick Road, West Street, Tuscarora and Colonial Village elementary schools of the Niagara-Wheatfield School District.

Why third-graders? Bob Graczyk, Niagara Central Rotary president, can explain.

“Third grade is the year in which dictionary skills are taught and critical thinking begins,” he said. “They learn more by looking up a word in the dictionary instead of the computer. They get more of what the meaning of the word unlike with a Word document.”

The children are enticed and challenged by the thought if they learn every word in the book they will be able to read, write and spell and succeed in what ever they want to do, he added. When someone from the community comes into the classroom and hands a student a personalized dictionary, the Rotary is conveying, we care about your education, we care about your future and we care about your success, according to MacPhee.

“We do a lot with the schools,” he added. “We give out scholarships to Niagara-Wheatfield, Wilson and Starpoint school students.”

This year the Joseph B. Emmons Dictionary Project expanded again to also included four private schools and home-schooled third-graders. Over 600 third-graders have received a dictionary from the organization.

“It is the goal of the program to present each child with a personalized dictionary to introduce young minds with interesting facts and support years of learning,” MacPhee said. “The project has been so successful the Niagara Falls Rotary Club has adopted the project and has provided dictionaries for all Niagara Falls Elementary School third-graders.”

The Niagara County Central Rotary Club consists of 25 members serving the communities of Wheatfield, Wilson and Sanborn through fundraisers for 34 local charities.

One of the club’s biggest fundraisers is Old Sanborn Days in July. This year will be the 20th annual Old Sanborn Days with all funds going to charity. The club is also hosting the Fall Niagara Craft and Antique Show Nov. 21 and 22 at Post 1451, 6526 Ward Road, Sanborn. All proceeds will go to help victims of domestic violence.

Rotary Club International is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million men and women of business, professional and community leaders.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Local News

Child run over be car on Niagara Avenue
Falls Traffic Division investigators said an 11-year-old boy was struck after he darted into the street, in front of a car as it pulled away from a stop sign.

February 9, 2012 2 Photos
Militello paid $50K to leave Niagara-Wheatfield
Former Niagara-Wheatfield Superintendent Carl Militello is receiving a $50,000 from the district, according to a separation settlement agreed to on Feb. 1.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
Autopsy unable to determine cause or time of Judith Burr’s death
An autopsy by an Erie County Medical Examiner has failed to determine either the time of death or the cause of death of Judith Burr.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
Gerber resigns from SPCA board; calls for adding veterinarian to staff
A Town of Niagara veterinarian and long-time member of the SPCA of Niagara Board of Directors has stepped down.
Dr. William Gerber submitted his resignation on Tuesday. It was effective immediately.

February 9, 2012
Has NYPA relicensing agreement led to a revival?
A state senator is calling for an audit of the low-cost power and cash used in the last seven years by Niagara County entities that have shared in the benefits of the 50-year relicensing agreement with the New York Power Authority.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
Joseph Davis State Park gets some green
Officials in the Town of Lewiston received approval Thursday to spend a significant portion of the community’s incoming greenway funds on the redevelopment of Joseph Davis State Park.

February 9, 2012 5 Photos
Search continues for Falls jumper
State Park Police were still searching Thursday for a Falls man who jumped from the rapids bridge at Goat Island on Wednesday morning.

February 9, 2012
NU gets helping hand for campus projects
A new county entity formed to help organizations secure bond financing agreed on Wednesday to assist Niagara University in the development of its new science center, a proposed refurbishment at Meade Hall and other campus improvements totaling $48 million.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
One Niagara tax break denied
It’s a no-go for a proposed tax break at One Niagara.
At least for now.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
County IDA adds local hiring clause
From now on, applicants seeking assistance through the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency will be expected to demonstrate their “best efforts” in hiring local workers for subsidized projects.

February 9, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Do you think cigarette sales to non-Native American customers should be taxed on reservations?