The Rotary Club of Thomasville continues to support the Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) at the highest per capita level in District 6900. For the 13th year in a row, the club was honored with the Jake Cheatham Award at District Conference, recognizing the club as the number one club in per capita giving for clubs of its membership size. GRSP was founded by Thomasville Rotarian William A. Watt in 1947. Watt served in the military in Europe during World War II and saw the destruction war causes. He founded GRSP to help promote world peace by bringing college age students to Georgia to study in Georgia colleges and universities for one year. 

Each year the club's Board of Directors sets the amount of GRSP funds; for 2022-23, club members met and exceeded the goal - raising a total of $27,471. This brings our total GRSP giving since the 1987-1988 Rotary year to $612,946.

This Rotary year, a total of 27 Club members and one honoree were recognized for reaching new or first levels for their giving to GRSP. Ten members were recognized in October an 18 more in May as follows: Teri White was recognized as a Hart Joiner Fellow, the first in the Club, and the first person in GRSP to receive the Hart Joiner Fellow recognition since fellow awards began to be presented. Rankin M. Smith, Jr. was recognized as a new Jake Cheatham Fellow. John A. Brown, Mary Beth Donalson, and Richard S. Vann were recognized as new Kendall Weisiger Fellows. Receiving Hue Thomas Fellow recognitions were Danny Braddy and Terry Rouse. Retta Rouse received the Hue Thomas Fellow recognition honoring her deceased husband, Terry Rouse.

Members Anna Lee and Charlene Parrish and GRSP host parent, Suzanne Dixon all received Will Watt Fellow recognitions. Charles and Suzanne Dixon served as host parents for the year for Thomasville Rotary Club’s GRSP student scholar Julie Larson from Denmark. The Past President’s Club honored Charles and Suzanne Dixon by making Suzanne a new Will Watt Fellow.

Receiving Governor’s Associate recognition were Hinson Arwood, John A. Blackmon, Philip Leabo, and Joseph Tarver. The newest Sustaining donors are Lindsay Clay, Darcy Craven, Jimmy Hone, and Rich Massa.

Pictured with awards and participants in the ceremony were: Seated first row are Charlene Parrish, Mary Beth Donalson, Julie Larson, Suzanne Dixon, and Retta Rouse; Standing second row are John A. Blackmon, Teri White, Anna Lee, Katheryne Fields (GRSP Program Director), and Debbie Goodman (GRSP Committee Co-chairman); and Standing back row are Danny Braddy (Club President), Richard Vann, Will Watt III, Joseph Tarver, and Charles Dixon.