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Club #69

Serving the Richmond Community

Since 1913

The Tabasco

March 2026 Volume 26 Issue 3

Since 1976, Project W.A.R.M. has been warming homes and hearts in Richmond, Virginia. The all-volunteer organization was founded when Lou Wilson heard a news story about a mother who was burning clothes to keep her family warm. When Lou said “someone needs to do something”, it meant that Lou would do something to make a difference. Within weeks, he and wife, Mary Ann, began to collect firewood to deliver to families in need, so they could warm their homes. Since that time, many Project W.A.R.M. volunteers have worked to collect, chop, split, and deliver wood to warm the hearts as well as the homes of those in need. When 98-year-old, WWII veteran, Ralph Lett, had a tree taken down, he wondered how he could get rid of the wood pile in his front yard. Enter Mary Ann and Joe Kelleher from Project W.A.R.M. They collected and loaded Ralph’s wood to pass along to Project W.A.R.M. families – warming the heart of the donor and the home of the grateful recipient.

Click HERE to read more.

Final Reminder: Grant Applications Open February 15 - March 31, 2026

How The Rotary Club of Richmond is Making a Difference

The Rotary Club of Richmond (RCR) seeks to support local non-profit organizations in our community who are making a difference in the critical needs of citizens in the city of Richmond, VA and surrounding areas. 

We encourage local non-profit organizations to apply for grants February 15 - March 31, 2026.

The Rotary Club of Richmond Project-Grants Committee and its recommendation will be made to the Rotary Club of Richmond Board of Directors during the RCR April Board meeting. 

FAQs:

How will Rotarians participate and how will the RCR be recognized: RCR seeks to fund organizations where our club members can actively participate by volunteering with the organization or where the club is recognized by the grantee on social media and/or the Annual Report distributed by the non-profit.

Organizations are invited to apply every year and will be evaluated using the criteria set forth herein. 

The RCR will expect a report from the grantee at the end of the one-year funding period. This will include data from the organization as to how the funds were spent and their performance. Please include a story showing the impact of your work. If no report is produced, the grantee will not be considered for another year of funding. A site visit may be requested. 

Full Grant Procedures and Criteria

Whether you are relatively new to the club or a long-serving member, The Rotary Club of Richmond has been serving Richmond for more than a century; do you have your copy of this history? Copies are now available; $20 soft copies; $30 hard copies.

Thanks to Arlen Penfield of Towne Bank for sponsoring

our February Rotary Means Business!

March 3

Club Assembly

Tuesday, March 10

Matthew Saxton, VP Development. ShelterBox USA

"ShelterBox and the Rotary Partnership"

Matthew Saxton is Vice President, Development at ShelterBox US and oversees all fundraising efforts including individual giving, foundations, corporate, events and Rotary relationships. Founded in 2000, ShelterBox has helped over 3 million people across 100 countries, delivering shelter solutions. The global support from the Rotary International network is the cornerstone upon which ShelterBox is built.

Matt brings more than 20 years of experience mobilizing resources for global health and emergency relief. He has led fundraising strategy and donor engagement, built robust donor pipelines, and cultivated transformative support at organizations such as Save the Children, Pathfinder International, and Management Sciences for Health.

He has an MSc in International Health Policy and Management and an MBA in Social Policy and Management from Brandeis University. He is also a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Philippines), a father of three, and lives in Northern Virginia. 

Tuesday, March 17

Joe Casey, Chesterfield Co. Administrator

"Building Our Future: Partnerships & Progress in Chesterfield County"

Dr. Joseph P. Casey has been the Chesterfield County Administrator since July 2016. Casey holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Richmond, a master’s in public administration and a doctorate in Public Policy and Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Casey is a CPA who began his career as a senior accountant with KPMG. A New Jersey native, Casey started his career in public service in Hanover County in 1990. He later held the same position in Henrico County before becoming Chesterfield’s county manager in 2016, where he currently oversees 4,000 full-time employees and a $2.4 billion budget.

His professional affiliations have included leadership roles with Virginia Local Government Management Association, Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association, the Executive Board for the national Government Finance Officers Association, Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Virginia Equal Housing Foundation, United Way and Henricus Historical Park.

Casey announced his retirement effective July of this year. He and his wife, Suzanne, have three sons and live in Midlothian.

Tuesday, March 24

Jeff Fitch, PGA Tours Corporate Partnerships Manager

"The 2026 Richmond PGA Korn Ferry Tour Championship"

Jeff Fitch serves as a Corporate Partnerships Manager for the PGA TOUR and the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. In this role, he is responsible for building community and corporate support for the Tour Championship, which will take place in October at The Federal Club in Hanover County.

Jeff was recognized by the PGA TOUR as its Salesman of the Year in 2017. In 2018 and again in 2022, he and his peers in Richmond were honored with the Sales Award on PGA TOUR Champions in recognition of the corporate community’s strong support of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

Prior to joining the PGA TOUR, Jeff served for 11 years as the Director of Development and Corporate Sponsorship for the Sports Backers. Working alongside his colleagues at the nationally recognized sports commission, Jeff helped build corporate support for events including Dominion Energy Riverrock, the Richmond Marathon and the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.

Tuesday, March 31

Emily J. Cole, Managing Director ATLAS Partnership.

“ATLAS Partners: Safeguarding the Legacy of Professional Theatre In Central Virginia”

She has spent more than two decades building community connections and leveraging millions of dollars in support of nonprofit organizations both in the RVA community and in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Emily served as Associate Managing Director and previously Director of Development at Virginia Repertory Theatre, where she worked for a cumulative 12 years.

For six years, Emily served as a senior consultant with Fox Advancement, a national fundraising consulting firm based in Minneapolis, and other fund development officer roles in Minnesota.

She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where she also serves as Treasurer/Secretary on the Central Virginia Chapter board of directors. She also is a member of the National Grant Professionals Association. Emily is a frequent grant reviewer, serving on grant panels for the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (Twin Cities). She also served on the boards of directors of Beyond the Barriers Minnesota and the Minnesota Sinfonia, where she was Corporate Secretary.

She received her BA from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD and afterward attended the Art Institute of Minnesota. She is an award-winning visual artist, as well as a musician and actor. She lives in Bon Air with her husband, Robb, and their rescue dog, Indie Anna.