The Exchange Club of Springfield, Ohio was presented with The Best New Community Service Project Award for 2022-23, The Yates Memorial Bench Project, by the Ohio-WV District Exchange Clubs’ at the recently concluded District Convention in Findlay, Ohio..
Research into recycling for environmental stewardship and to provide benches for the citizens of Springfield and Clark County was in progress by Club Board Members. Around that time, Clark County Deputy Sheriff Mathew Yates lost his life responding to a domestic violence/shooting report. A proposal to use this project to honor his heroism was decided upon by the Club Board A committee was formed and it was decided that a bench would be created and engraved with his name and placed near the Youth Building at the Clark County Fairgrounds where Deputy Yates spent so much time engaging with the children he cared so much about. The club needed to collect 250 lbs of caps and requested funds from the Club’s Foundation to have an 8ft bench made by Green Tree Plastics of Evansville, IN. The Committee created a flyer explaining the project and hoped for the best. The public response has been overwhelming! To date, approximately 8,000 lbs of caps have been collected. The club has ordered and received not one but two 8ft benches and the committee is planning how to utilize the remaining caps, perhaps by partnering and mentoring local groups who wish to have benches made in memory of local family, friends, or historical individuals. A Dedication Ceremony is being planned at this time.
Committee members pictured from L-R, Bev Sewell, Melissa Tuttle, Chair Karen Lotz, and Skip Warner. Committee members Mark Lotz and Larry Sewell not available.