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Rotary Honors Denise Bohn & Nancy Racine

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It has been nearly a year since the tragic death of noted radio and television journalist Denise Bohn, but as the Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor celebrated its 99 years of service to the community this week, they also honored Denise and restaurateur Nancy Racine with Paul Harris Fellow Community Leadership Awards.

Rotary’s second annual Celebrate Rotary community event was held back on Monday, March 20 at Shadowland Ballroom in St. Joseph.  At the event, the club awarded its 2017 Paul Harris Fellow Community Leadership Award to Nancy Racine, and posthumously awarded a second Paul Harris Fellow Community Leadership Award to Denise Bohn, honoring her work in the community.

The Paul Harris Fellow is among one of Rotary’s most prestigious awards. Established in 1957, it was named after Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris. The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor annually chooses a community member who is not a Rotarian, but whose service to the community embodies the principles of Rotary, to receive this award. This is the first year that two community members have received the award.

Criteria for the award include:

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  • Embodying the values of Rotary, Paul Harris, and the 4-Way Test, and relying on these principles for guidance in dealing with community challenges
  • Embracing “Service above Self” in work and personal lifestyle
  • Approaching all endeavors with an aim to build goodwill, friendships, and benefits to all concerned
  • Giving generously of one’s time and expertise to make a lasting difference in the lives of others
  • Inspiring and mobilizing others to action and teamwork.

Nancy Racine was cited for her quiet approach to community service, and her support for numerous projects including annual fundraiser dinners for the Readiness Center in Benton Harbor. To date, the annual dinner sponsored by Racine and the Grand Mere Inn restaurant of Stevensville has raised nearly $700,000 for the Center.  Other projects benefiting from Racine’s community service include cooked turkeys provided for Thanksgiving Dinner at the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen since the early 1990’s, hosting All God’s Children Choir and their families as a thank you to the kids for what they do in the community, and providing technical assistance and training to youth and their advisors who want to start a café in their church.

Denise Bohn was recognized posthumously for her avid support for breast cancer research, work with Relay for Life, fundraising efforts for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and her service on their Board of Directors.

Rotary Club President Stephen Smith says, “Rotarians are dedicated to being of service to our communities.  As such, we are keenly aware of others in our communities who exhibit the same dedication.” He adds, “The Award is a way for us to let non-Rotarians know that we recognize and celebrate their commitment to the same principle of ‘service above self’ that motivates Rotarians here and around the world.”

To learn more about the Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, Paul Harris Fellow awards, or ways to get involved in community service through Rotary, visit SJBHrotary.org.

In the photo above, Denise Bohn’s parents prepare to receive the Paul Harris Fellow Community Leadership Award on behalf of their daughter and in the photo below Nancy Racine is presented her award by Rotarian Mary Kynast.