Rhode Island

 Our Essay Contest committee works closely with area middle schools to encourage participation in this program which teaches young people about the basics of philanthropy.

Through participation in this essay contest, students choose a local 501 (c) 3 organization in which they have a personal interest. They write an essay that explains what inspired them to choose that local charity and how that organization supports our local communities.

Committee members read and rank over 150 such essays each year and cash awards are given to the three top student essay winners to present to the representatives of those non-profits.

The winning students not only author outstanding essays, but they also read them aloud, articulately and with a passion for the organization they had chosen, before a large group in attendance at our club’s Spring general meeting.

In 2026, students from Broad Rock Middle School, Monsignor Clarke Elementary School, Narragansett Pier School and Wickford Middle School submitted essays for this contest. Committee members selected the winners from 176 submissions, and cash awards of $350 were presented by each student to the representatives of the charities they wrote about. Go here to read this year’s winning essays.

The awards were given to the following students:

Lucia Hubbard – Broad Rock Middle School, Awarded to the So. County YMCA Rock Steady Program

Sydney Allen – Wickford Middle School, Awarded to the Dorcas International Institute

Kiera Wiggins – Narragansett Pier School, Awarded to the local chapter of the American Red Cross


Essay contest winners were also given award certificates from the club and $20 gift cards for ice cream at Brickley’s Ice Cream. Their teachers also received a cash donation from the Club for their classrooms. This year’s Honorable mention certificates were also given out to 11 other students from Broad Rock Middle School and Monsignor Clarke Elementary School.

The Essay committee is chaired by Terry Schimmel; other members of this year’s Essay Contest committee were Peggy Noble, Rosann Evans, Carla Andronowitz and Mary Finnegan.