By John I. Carney

Staff Writer

"It's an exciting day to be a Rotarian," said Lewisburg Rotary Club President Nancy Pruitt, as the club handed out contributions to local non-profit agencies based on the proceeds of last year's Festival on the Rocks.

The club's total donations, including four scholarships and a roof replacement at the Rotary Shelter serving local soccer fields, were $14,000, and individual club members who made presentations clearly took pride in the club's civic involvement.

"I am just stunned at what this club has done today," said Peggy Hubbard, who was present as both a Rotarian and as a representative of Marshall County Imagination Library, one of the donation recipients.

Pruitt noted the hard work done by club members to make the Festival on the Rocks happen each year.

The 2013 festival will take place later this month at Rock Creek Park, with the carnival opening on Tuesday, May 21, and other festival activities kicking off two days later.

The Mayfest Music Festival, to benefit the Cops for Kids program, which had been scheduled for this weekend has been rescheduled to May 25 due to predicted bad weather. It will now be held in conjunction with the Festival on the Rocks, possibly causing some changes to the Festival on the Rocks schedule, according to chairman Tony Beyer.

Festival on the Rocks will include the annual Miss Lewisburg pageant on Thursday, May 23, a 5K run and a barbecue cookoff on Saturday, May 25, with live entertainment as well.

Beyer said the club hopes to make at least $8,000 to $10,000 from this year's festival, but if more is raised, more will be available to distribute to agencies for the coming year.

Contributions announced Wednesday:

* Imagination Library, $3,000. The program, founded in Sevier County by entertainer Dolly Parton, provides books for young children starting at birth. The cost per child is just $2.25 per month due to support from the Governor's Books From Birth program and Parton's Dollywood Foundation. Marshall County's program mails out 940 books a month, and has distributed 115,000 books since it was first started, with no local overhead costs.

* Mary Farley Center, $2,000. The center offers support and resources for those in financial crisis.

* Marshall County Education Foundation, $1,500. The foundation has helped 183 students apply for and receive a total of $2.8 million in scholarship money, a return of $35 for every dollar spent on its operation.

* Marshall County Care Kitchen, $1,500. The program serves a hot meal each Thursday night to those in need.

* PAWS Now, $1,089. The group works with the local animal shelter to promote animal welfare. The contribution will be used to purchase a scale, which is necessary to determine the appropriate dosages for an animal's medications.

* Junior's House Inc. Child Advocacy Center, $1,000. Junior's House is a Fayetteville-based center which provides services to Marshall County as well. The contribution is to support the Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. CASA recruits and supports court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children.

* Marshall County High School Concert Choir, $1,000. The choir had 80 members this year and hopes for 100 next year.

* Wee Care, which provides quality, affordable child care, $1,000. The contribution has enabled the center to keep from raising its fees to parents.

* Boy Scout Troop #173, $250.

More information about this year's Festival on the Rocks is available at festivalontherocks.com.