Barbara M. and Donald L. Thomas Peace Award

Barbara M. and Donald L. Thomas Peace Award

Don and Barbara Thomas were always strong supporters of the Georgia Rotary Student Program. Through the years, they helped entertain our club’s GRSP students and were always been special friends to them.

Barbara and Don were Will Watt Fellows, Hue Thomas Fellows, and Kendall-Weisiger Fellows.

In June of 1992, Don and Barbara created a Charitable Remainder Trust of $100,000 to be given to the Georgia Rotary Student Program. Then a year later, they put forth a challenge to the rest of the clubs in District 6900. If other District Rotarians would raise $100,000 for GRSP, Don & Barbara would match it again for a 2nd $100,000 into the trust. Because of their leadership, the money was raised and matched!

Then in June of 2001, they moved forward to establish the Barbara M. and Donald L. Thomas Peace Award so that each year a deserving GRSP student would be awarded $1,000. For years and years to come, this award will make it possible for Georgia Rotarians to financially help deserving GRSP students.

In 2005, they generously increased the amount of the award to $2000.

Sadly, on December 30, 2005, Don Thomas passed away after a long illness. Mrs. Thomas and their two sons, Don, Jr. and Rhys have continued to enthusiastically support this program, and the annual award is presented to a GRSP student who exhibits the spirit of the GRSP program and who is in need of additional financial assistance. It has been an honor for the Roswell Rotary Club to handle the administration of the Barbara M. and Donald L. Thomas Peace Award. A committee of past presidents and past GRSP host Rotarians oversees the selection process each year, a challenging task since so many worthy applications are submitted.

Congratulations to this year’s awardee, Ranjita Nair from Fiji, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Buckhead.

Peace Award Recipients