Rotary Breaks Ground on Park District Pavilion

(THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED IN TUESDAY'S ROTARY PAVILION PROJECT GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY, left to right: SHARON BOERNGEN OF NOON ROTARY, CARRIE CRIPPEN OF NOON ROTARY, MONTE BARTELS OF NOON ROTARY, NORMA LANSING OF NOON ROTARY, JOEDY HIGHTOWER OF SUNRISE ROTARY, PARK DISTRICT DIRECTOR JEFF ALTHOFF WHO IS ALSO A MEMBER OF NOON ROTARY, EFFINGHAM PARK DISTRICT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR STEVE BOSWELL, ROSIE GIBBONS OF NOON ROTARY WHO WORKED FOR GRANT FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT DURING HER TERM AS CLUB PRESIDENT, JERRY JANSEN OF SUNRISE ROTARY, AMANDA McKAY OF SUNRISE ROTARY, BECKY BROWN OF SUNRISE ROTARY AND HEIDI DONALDSON OF SUNRISE ROTARY)

Effingham Rotarians joined Effingham Park District officials Tuesday morning for a groundbreaking ceremony for a pavilion to be placed at Community Park.

The Effingham Noon and Sunrise Rotary Clubs have been working for several months to raise funds to pay for the new pavilion that will replace an aging pavilion on the east side of the park.  The new pavilion, measuring 22 by 54 feet, will be placed once the concrete floor is poured.  Effingham Park District Director Jeff Althoff said he expects the pavilion to be in place for the Memorial Day weekend.

The groundbreaking was held as part of Rotary Week activities in Effingham for 2014.  The two Rotary clubs are raising the approximately $26,000 needed to pay for the pavilion.  Norma Lansing, who was Noon Rotary Club President when the project began, said the pavilion was a need expressed by the Park District and is a tangible way to demonstrate Rotary's work in the Effingham community.