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Davis Journal

Rotary Club announces Citizen of the Year

Jul 07, 2022 02:17PM ● By Linda Petersen

CENTERVILLE—The members of the Centerville Farmington Rotary Club recently gathered to honor a Citizen of the Year and install new officers.

Shelley Davies, creator of the Friend to Friend program, was honored as the club’s 2022 Citizen of the Year. The 13-year-old Friend to Friend program provides opportunities for special needs youth to participate in the performing arts. The program stages two productions a year at CenterPoint Theatre. Currently 90 students are enrolled there. Along with Davies, 20 coaches volunteer hundreds of hours of their time to bring the productions to life.

Davies is also a co-creator of Power of Positive at Stewart Elementary and was part of the staff for Viewmont High’s annual musical productions. She served for many years as a seminary and institute teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has also been active as a county and state delegate for her political party and has helped several candidates with their political campaigns.

At the June 2 installation banquet, Rotary Club members installed their board which included new president elect Dick Leatham. Other board members include Bryce Peterson, president; Bruce Holt, youth committee chair; Lowell Steele, club programs committee chair; Dennis Knoles, international committee chair; Steve Thacker, community service chair; Dale Thomas, membership committee chair; Norma Lloyd, treasurer and Matt Eddington, public image chair. 

The Centerville Farmington Rotary Club which was organized in 1978 primarily focuses on community service with an emphasis on the children. Along with national Rotary Club projects, such as donating dictionaries to all third graders in the area and sponsoring a service scholarship and the Viewmont Interact Club (a Rotary youth service club), the local club has provided a great deal of service to the local community. It sponsors the annual July 4 Family Fun Run and provides funds to help offer pantry packs to local students who might otherwise go hungry.

Past projects have included construction of the Freedom Memorial in the Centerville Park and made a major contribution to the establishment of the pioneer monument in Centerville Founders Park. Members have also provided labor and funds to construct restrooms and a bowery at Centerville Park.

Currently, the club, which is open to both men and women, has close to 40 active members who meet weekly on Thursdays at 6:50 a.m. in the council chambers at Centerville City Hall. While many of the members are retired, the club is open to all ages, said Eddington who is 28. 

“Rotary Club is a great way to connect and meet with new people,” he said.

“We do a really good job of having people there from all different backgrounds and all different skill sets,” Eddington said of the club’s success. “Our leadership is really well-organized. We meet and connect with a lot of different parts of the community and that helps us just really grow and keep growing and keep connections.”

More information may be found on the Rotary Club’s website at https://www.cfrotary.com/. λ