MARYSVILLE — Marysville Rotary recently awarded community service grants totaling $25,668.48 to 15 different organizations, in the Marysville service area. With these awards, Marysville Rotary has awarded a total of $48,668.48 to some 20 different groups over the last year.

Some of the groups to benefit from these awards were YMCA, Snohomish Co. Arts Council, Providence Hospice, Marysville Pilchuck High School Mock Trial Club, Special Olympics, Marysville School District, Marysville Food Bank, and Little Red School House.

Gary Baker, chair of the community service committee, said “Given the economy, we were pro active with these second half awards and sent out over 150 post cards to groups in the area letting them know that we had grants available. As a result of that we got back 27 requests, totaling $46,000 showing a real need in the community”. Baker’s committee went through the applications to come up with the 15 that received money.

Baker wanted to thank the Marysville Rotary board for dipping into reserves to fully fund the community service grants, after this year’s auction revenues were less that expected. The board wanted to fully fund the amount budgeted to the community services committee given the economy, but if the auction fund raiser this year doesn’t do better than last year it will most likely mean less grants for the upcoming year, at a time when it is needed most.