Rotary Dubs Fred Fischer ‘SIR’

The Rotary Club of Cincinnati presented Fred Fischer with its SIR award for being a “Super Involved Rotarian” at the April 24 Rotary meeting. Fischer, of Indian Hill, owns Fischer Special manufacturing Co. in Cold Spring, Ky. He joined the Rotary in 1983 and has exemplified the Rotary ideal of Service Above Self over 25 years of community involvement, said Rotary Club President Jay Schuermann, who presented Fischer with the award.

Fischer also chairs the board of Stepping Stones Center, which serves children and adults with disabilities at the Rotary’s Camp Allyn facility in Batavia.

The Rotary Club of Cincinnati has been a longtime supporting partner of Stepping Stones Center, which is a United Way partner agency. Schuermann also serves on Stepping Stones board.

             Fischer joined the Rotary’s Camp Allyn committee shortly after joining Rotary, and was named chairman of the committee within months. He rejuvenated the committee and helped rebuild and expand the camp. Fischer joined Stepping Stones Board that same year, and is in his fourth term as president.

“He has been so involved in both organizations …we couldn’t count all of the committees, task forces and campaigns he has led for both organizations.  And that doesn’t even include his service to his church and to other organizations in our community,” said Schuermann. “His passion for Rotary has shown in so many ways. He has chaired numerous committees including the Condon School Christmas Party and the Picnic and served as a vice president of our club and as a foundation trustee. He raised funds for the Polio Plus campaign and for Camp Allyn and is a Paul Harris Fellow.”

             Fischer’s involvement with Stepping Stones extends far beyond the board room. He is a hands-on activist.  “Once I got my foot in the door, I couldn’t leave,” Fischer said. “It’s the faces of the participants and their families. You focus on the kids when you’re remotely involved,” Fischer said. “When you really get involved you see it’s much larger than that. You see how much this helps the whole family. When you start working with the families, you realize you are making a difference.”

             Schuermann surprised Fischer with the award, noting that Fischer “has lived out the ideal of ‘Service Above Self’ in so many quiet ways that we almost take him for granted.” A SIR award is presented to Rotary members who exhibit exceptional service and community involvement.

The only other SIR award presented this year went to Jane Birckhead of Indian Hill, in February. Birckhead is owner of Hukill Hazlett Harrington insurance agency in Deer Park. She is the new Rotary Club representative on Stepping Stones board. Birckhead, who has been a Rotary member since 2002, spearheaded the Day at the Diamond fundraising campaign at Great American Ball Park. The campaign raised $200,000, which was split between the Rotary Foundation and the Miracle League Baseball Field project in Western Hills – constructing a handicapped-accessible baseball field for the Miracle League players, who have disabilities. Day at the Diamond was a fund raising project of The Rotary Club of Cincinnati and the Reds Community Fund. Jane Birckhead is on the Rotary Board of Directors, a Rotary Foundation trustee and secretary/treasurer-elect of the Rotary Foundation.

April 2008