By David Rogers. September 20, 2011. BLOWING ROCK -- Continuing to allocate grants to selected non-profit agencies from the past 12 months' fundraising campaigns, The Rotary Club of Blowing Rock's Vernon Dunn (left) presented Jennifer Grubb of the Western Youth Network (WYN) with a check for $1,000  on Monday, at Chetola Mountain Resort & Spa in Blowing Rock.

In presenting the check to Grubb in front of club members at its regular Monday lunch meeting, club president Vernon Dunn lauded the great work of WYN in saying, "It is an honor to represent our club and its fundraising efforts to present you with this check for $1,000, so that we might contribute in even a small way to the WYN mission. By focusing on children just coming of age and at risk of falling prey to the wrong influences in society, such as drug abuse, WYN is helping to insure the future of this part of the country."

"We truly appreciate Rotary's contribution to our efforts to have a positive impact on the lives of High Country youth," said Grubb in accepting Rotary's check and telling the club members about the work of WYN and its goals to provide students with enrichment activities in a structured setting, with a special focus on middle school youth "...to keep them focused and out of trouble."

WYN was first organized in 1985 as Watauga Youth Network, but was expanded in 2002 to offer after school programming to middle schoolers in Avery County. As the programs were merged, the name changed to Western Youth Network.

"We dare kids to discover what is possible," Grubb told the assembled Rotarians.  "We are helping the young people of the High Country challenge themselves, learn about others, and find their place in our community and in our world."

In other Rotary business on Monday, members received a report on the upcoming Jerry Burns Memorial Charity Golf Tourmament hosted by the club at Blowing Rock Country Club on October 5th; heard a report by Kitty Lumpkin on the highly successful High Country Women's Fund event, Power of the Purse on Friday, September 16, at Blowing Rock Country Club; a second report by Lumpkin on the 2011 Fur Ball benefit for the Watauga Humane Society; and a preliminary pitch by visiting Rotarian Nick Friedman of Boone Sunrise Rotary, thanking Blowing Rock members for their support of the Boone club's citrus sale and hoping that the support will be on-going this year.

The next meeting of The Rotary Club of Blowing Rock is Monday, Septmber 26, 2011, 11:45 am, at Chetola.

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