The Rotary Club of Jamestown honored Randall J. Sweeney, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation executive director, with its Service Above Self Award at its recent annual recognition dinner at the Ney Renaissance Center.
Sweeney, who has been the foundation's executive director since 1997, has ben a member of the Rotary Club of Jamestown since 1999 and was honored for his many years of work guiding the Rotary Club's Wendy Sharp Handicapped Camp Fund with the foundation. Wendy Sharp, daughter of former Rotarian Bill and Kathy Sharp, was killed in an automobile accident while returning to Grove City College after Thanksgiving break. Wendy was studying to become a special education teacher. The fund was established in her name to help handicapped individuals have a camping experience at Onyahsa.
The fund had been slowly accumulating funds over the many years of its existence and has also been the recipient in the past of annual earnings from the Rotary Club's Golf Tournament. Several years ago the fund was a recipient of a large gift when Rotarian John Abrahamson passed away and then an even more significant gift when Abrahamson's wife Lois passed away. The Abrahamson's gift to the fund was a result of Sweeney's expertise in helping them to find the perfect place to leave their legacy incorporating Rotarian ideals and their fondness for young people.
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From left are Sue Jones, outgoing Rotary Club of Jamestown president, and Rick Sterne, Rotary District 7090 governor from Brantford, Ontario, congratulating Randy Sweeney, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation executive director, on receiving the local Rotary Club’s Service Above Self award at its recent recognition dinner.
"Sweeney took off his professional hat so to speak," said Sue Jones, retiring Rotary Club president, "and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to meld the objectives of the Sharp Fund, the Sharp family's wishes, the Abrahamson's goal for their legacy with the needs of Camp Onyahsa and the Resource Center's New Horizons clients. The Rotary Club today has a wonderfully funded handicap camp program."
Each year the endowment from the fund will underwrite a part of a week at Camp Onyahsa for handicap individuals.
Mrs. Jones congratulated Sweeney and thanked him for his work for the Rotary and the community. Sweeney was also congratulated and presented his award by Rick Sterne, new District 7090 governor.
Sweeney is also a member of the board of directors of the Robert H. Jackson Center, serving as secretary. He serves on the board of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation as co-chair and is president of the R.E.A.D. Committee.
He serves as secretary/treasurer of the Greater Chautauqua Region Estate Planning Council and is a member of Jamestown Church of Christ.
Sweeney received the Distinguished Service Award from Rotary in 2003 and is also a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary. He was honored in 2007 with the Community Service Award from the Jamestown Chapter of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce.