Burton-Middlefield Rotary Wraps Up Its Biggest Week of the Year
The week of July 6–12 marked the busiest and most impactful stretch of the year for the Burton-Middlefield Rotary Club (BMR)...
The week of July 6–12 marked the busiest and most impactful stretch of the year for the Burton-Middlefield Rotary Club (BMR).
The club began with its annual leadership changeover at its regular Wednesday meeting at the Welshfield Inn. Jeff Pascoe was installed as the new club president, taking over from outgoing president Larry Fox. After exchanging leadership pins, the two presented awards to outstanding club members, followed by the installation of 11 new board members.
With leadership in place, focus shifted to the 2025 Maple Splash Raffle Festival (MSR), which kicked off Friday and ran through Saturday. Set-up extended into Saturday morning ahead of the 2 p.m. start.
The event featured a larger tent and stage to help shield attendees from sun and rain. Despite the heat and a passing shower, excitement remained high. Musical performances by Rockability and headliner Todd Meany and the Ace Molar band kept the energy going with dancing and singing.
Last-minute ticket sales were strong, especially for the event-only 50/50 raffle, which raised over $2,000. The grand prize—a new Ford F-150 pickup provided by Preston Ford—was drawn at 8 p.m. and won by a Florida resident who was ecstatic upon being notified. A Rotarian will deliver the truck in person.
Additional raffle prizes and four more major drawings maintained the crowd’s enthusiasm. Many winners were present, while others were notified by phone.
The raffle basket area proved to be a major draw again this year, with 75 themed baskets creatively assembled by the raffle team. Attendees could use the Plinko board for extra entries. The basket raffle raised record-breaking funds for the club.
The Century Village ground were filled with food trucks and booths hosted by local nonprofit organizations. Attendees were encouraged to visit each nonprofit’s table through a “passport” program. Completed passports were entered into a drawing for a $1,000 prize basket filled with gift cards, lottery tickets and more.
A children’s version of the passport program was also a hit, with kids earning free ice cream from Cowboy Creamery.
The BMR club and event committee reported another successful year for the Maple Splash Raffle fundraiser, which runs annually beginning in January. Proceeds will allow the club to increase its nonprofit giving and expand support to additional organizations in the coming year
Organizations not currently partnered with the Rotary are encouraged to reach out. Community members of all backgrounds interested in service and fellowship are also invited to learn more at burtonmiddlefieldrotary.com.
(Submitted by Bob Johnson, secretary, Burton-Middlefield Rotary)
