Rotary Club honors late rotarian with donation to youth sports

WALLACE — The Wallace Rotary Club presented a check for $1,725 to the Wallace Parks and Recreation Department at its meeting last Wednesday at the Mad Boar. The check was given in memory of a longtime Rotarian, Ken Williams.
“Last year we had a raffle to raise money for equipment for the Wallace Recreation Center,” Wallace Rotary Club president Paul Izzo explained. “It was in honor of one of our former Rotarians who passed away. Ken was an incredible Rotarian for over 25 years. We wanted to honor him.”
Izzo said the Wallace Parks and Recreation Department would decide how to spend the money.
Williams’ wife, Joan, was in attendance at the meeting to see the check presented in her husband’s name.
“I’m just so overwhelmed,” she said. “He would be so grateful. He was a wonderful man and loved sports.”
Williams said she and her husband moved to the Wallace area after living in Ohio. Her husband and a longtime friend provided high school football play-by-play in Ohio for 19 years.
David Bizzell, director of the Wallace Parks and Recreation Department, accepted the check.
“It’s great the Rotary shows support for the town and the parks,” Bizzell said, adding the money would go to the football program. “Football is one of the most expensive sports. Helmets and equipment for safety are very expensive. That’s our main concern during football season, keeping everybody safe.”
With football season around the corner, Bizzell said the check presentation was very good timing for the department.