Rotary Club honors Jerome Pawlak
Grocer recognized for years of community service
Photos by Tom Rivers – Jerome Pawlak, left, accepts a Paul Harris Fellow Award from Albion Rotarian Nathan Lyman at the end of today’s Albion Rotary Club Golf Tournament.
ALBION Jerome Pawlak and his family have accumulated a half century of service to Orleans County. Today, the Albion Rotary Club honored Pawlak with a Paul Harris Fellow, the highest honor the club can give.
Pawlak isn’t a member of the Rotary Club, but his decades of good works are noticed and appreciated, said Albion Rotarian Nathan Lyman, who presented Pawlak with the club’s award at the end of today’s golf tournament.
Pawlak runs a grocery store, video station and beverage center in Albion. Last year he opened a grocery store in Holley after the community there was without a grocery store for about five years.
Pawlak has donated his time serving on the boards of the Orleans Economic Development Agency, Chamber of Commerce, and United Way. He is the current vice president of the Albion Main Street Alliance.
Jerome Pawlak is pictured with one of his hole sponsor signs at today’s Albion Rotary Club Golf Tournament. Pawlak supports numerous community organizations.
He donates to numerous community causes and organizations. The Albion club will give $1,000 to Rotary International for the organization’s humanitarian work.
(I was part of Pawlak’s team in today’s golf tournament. Jerome is a good athlete. He also has been active at Notre Dame High School in Batavia, serving on the school’s board of trustees.)
Today’s golf tournament likely raised about $5,000 to help fund scholarships and other community projects, said Cindy Perry, the club president. There were 72 golfers at Hickory Ridge in Holley for the tournament.
“We figured we’d have some fun and raise some money,” Perry said.
The Rotary Club lost one of its most spirited members with the July 13 death of Erling Maine, who owned a hardware store, lumberyard and a car wash in Albion for many years. He was in the Rotary Club for 48 years.
Erling, 75, was an enthusiastic member of the club, and often led Rotarians in singing at their weekly meetings on Thursdays.
