Rotary aid

It is encouraging to see, in these wobbly economic times, that community organizations are finding creative and generous ways to lend their financial support. This month the Cape Girardeau West Rotary Club gave $92,000 for Southeast Missouri State University scholarships. The donation represented the proceeds from the club's annual golf tournament.

The Cape West Rotary scholarships are designated for students at the university who have jobs and are based on financial need rather than grades. The recipients are likely to be "married students who have children and sometimes single parents who have gone back to school," said Bill Holland, vice president of university advancement.

A good deal of the money raised by the golf tournament comes from corporate sponsors. And this offers another twist in community benevolence: The sponsors also nominate students for scholarships.

This is the 11th year for the Cape West Rotary tournament. A total of $595,000 has been raised for university scholarships since 1999. This is a truly remarkable effort on the part of the Rotarians who organize this major fundraiser. Hats off to the members of the club for their support and to the remarkable corporate sponsors who give so much back to the community.