Rocky Mount Rotary Club Presents $22,000 to ECC

The Rocky Mount Rotary Club has presented Edgecombe Community College with $22,000 to support scholarships for local students. Shown from left are RM Rotary and ECC representatives Robert Lachapelle, Garry Hodges, Sherlock McDougald, Neill Nelson, Dr. Greg McLeod, Michael Jordan, Tyshun Powell, Mark Lorence, Lynwood Roberson, Kristen Brabble, and Lyn Brown.

The Rocky Mount Rotary Club presented Edgecombe Community College with $22,000 on Monday to support student scholarships.

The presentation took place during a Rocky Mount Rotary Club meeting, during which Rotary leaders presented $66,000 in scholarship funds to support local students attending Edgecombe Community College, Nash Community College, and North Carolina Wesleyan College.

The funds were raised through Tackle the Tar, a 5K obstacle course race and family fun day sponsored by the Rocky Mount Rotary Club.

“This is an opportunity for students to be educated in our community and help expand our workforce now and in the future,” said Neill Nelson, president of the Rocky Mount Rotary Club.

“We are very grateful for this generous support from the Rocky Mount Rotary Club,” said ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod. “This gift means a great deal to our students and our community. Since most of our students are from here and remain here after graduation, this gift is not only an investment in our students, but it is also an investment in the future of our community.”

Tackle the Tar has quickly grown into a major fund-raising event and a competitive obstacle race. Since the first race in 2016, the event has raised a total of $153,000. Six hundred runners participated in this year’s race, including a team of students, faculty, and staff from Edgecombe Community College.

Next year’s Tackle the Tar is set for May 18, 2019.