Bragging on Carpet City Rotary by Werner Braun

Werner Braun: Bragging on Carpet City Rotary

In his August 12, 2011 column titled "Bragging on Carpet City Rotary" for the Dalton Daily Citizen, Carpet and Rug Institute president Werner Braun discusses the benefits of belonging to the local Rotary Club, lists what the local service group gives to the Dalton community.

“…my decision to join Rotary 11 years ago is directly related to my family’s move to the United States. We emigrated from Germany and, because of the move; we were able to realize the American dream. I spent many years looking for ways to pay back, and in the end, Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self,” articulated what I was looking for.

I’d like to share with you what Carpet City Rotary is all about.

I’m proud to say that 80 percent of our funds go towards Special Olympics events in Whitfield County. We put on a summer track and field event, bowling event and a basketball skills competition. We will also be the event sponsor for the upcoming golf event at the state Special Olympics that are coming to Dalton in October.

During the local Special Olympics events we support an average of 250 to 275 kids and the state games will have 1,500 kids. In addition to funds, we provide 10 to 15 club members as volunteers.

Every school year, we give six $500 scholarships to Dalton State College (DSC) and two for each high school in the area. The Carpet Capital Rotary also sponsors an exchange student from the Georgia Rotary Student Program and provides a one-year scholarship to DSC. Last year our exchange student was from Sweden, this year she is from Germany.

Every Christmas we do a toy drive for Providence Ministries and average more than 100 new toys for needy children each year. This May will be our seventh anniversary for our annual fundraiser called “Swing for the Green,” a hole-in-one competition for $1 million. And most recently, we have partnered with the city of Dalton to create a new park across from Harmon Field. We’re in the process of getting signs up, as it will be called Carpet City Rotary Park.”

Thank you, Werner.

~ Bethany