There is no doubting the contributions Paul Bartell has made to the Wesley Chapel community.
His yearly appearances as Santa Claus, where he makes sure there is a small gift for every child who visits his family’s Wesley Chapel home on Christmas Eve, has thrilled thousands of kids; he has been a high-level participant and even the chair of the American Cancer Society (ACS)’s Wesley Chapel/Wiregrass Ranch Relay for Life; and, in the memory of his son Sean, he has helped raise enough money in the past year to award four high school seniors $1,000 scholarships (story on previous page).
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon (which meets Wednesdays at noon at Quail Hollow Country Club) decided to honor him on March 8 with a Paul Harris Fellowship, which almost always has been reserved for Rotary Club members who donate $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, which funds various grants, services and the organization’s “End Polio Now” programs.
“We decided that even though he is not a Rotary member, Paul exemplifies what Rotary is all about, and that’s putting service before self,’’ said Rebecca Smith, the club’s Foundation Chair and district area representative.”
During the club’s first “Foundation Dinner,” which was held at Hunter’s Green Country Club in New Tampa, the club broke tradition by honoring Bartell. Rotary District 6950 governor Will Miller presented the Paul Harris Fellowship to Bartell, and District 6950 Foundation Chair Carl Treleaven was the keynote speaker.
“It’s a great honor,’’ Bartell said. “It feels funny being honored for just doing what I do.”
Bartell, a vacuum sales engineer for Innovative Vacuum Solutions in Tampa, is as well known in Wesley Chapel for his long Kris Kringle white beard as he is for his generosity. When Smith opened up the award to a community member and asked club members to nominate someone, she said, “his name came up a lot. He is an excellent example of giving back to your community.”
The Paul Harris Fellowship was established in 1957, and Bartell said it was nice to be included on a long list of notable honorees.
“I was reading a little about it and saw that Jimmy Carter and a few other people (like U.S. Astronaut James Lovell and Polio cure inventor Jonas Salk) that have gotten it before me, some important people,’’ Bartell said. “It is very nice to be recognized.”
Other community nominees included Jackie Sayles, Yvonne Perkins, Joel Eason, Dr. Micah Richardson, Ronald Parks and Ernesto Fuentes.
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