The Olean Rotary Club presented its sixth-annual "Service Above Self" Award jointly to the Enchanted Mountain Garden Club of Allegany and Olean Gardens and Beautification Committee at a dinner on Tuesday, April 30. Rotary is dedicated to causes that build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to promote peace and end polio forever. During the 1911 Portland convention Ben Collins, president of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, talked with Seattle Rotarian J.E. Pinkham about the principle his club had adopted: Service, Not Self. Paul Harris asked Collins to address the convention, and the phrase Service, Not Self was met with great enthusiasm. In 1989 the Council on Legislation established Service Above Self as the principal motto of Rotary, because it best conveys the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.Enchanted Mountain Garden Club of Allegany and Olean Gardens and Beautification Committee will jointly become the sixth recipients of the annual Rotary award. Previous winners have included Meme Yanetsko; Olean Area Service Club with the Exchange Club, Lions Club, and Zonta; Allegany American Legion Ritual team; and Crandall's family Curt, Cathy, and Cory, and last year’s winners, Dan Evans, Linda O’Brien and Dan Spring.
- Paula Fidurko
Olean Presents Service Above Self Award
The purpose of the Enchanted Mountain Garden Club of Allegany is to encourage civic interest in the beautification of the village and town of Allegany, NY. Their objectives include designing, planting, and maintaining flowers in planters and subways; interfacing with municipal entities and local businesses to build relationships aiming towards creating a sustainable business section and researching viable opportunities to offer stakeholders in the community applicable grants.
The purpose of the Olean Gardens and Beautification Committee is to perseverance and dedication to the community, as they have worked hard to add color and texture to Olean’s North Union streetscape.