Grills Family Scholarship

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The Grills Family Scholarship

   The Rotary Club of Chariho is honored to be the stewards of the

   Grills Family Scholarship. Established by Richard Grills, an

   honored member of the Club, this is Scholarship is a $5,000 award,

   and it is renewable for four years, provided that the student has 

   maintained his or her grades. His genorousity and his continued

  support of Rotary is only exceeded by his adherence to our creed,

  "Service Above Self".

                  2010 Scholarship Award

                                                         2009 Scholarship Award     

   The Scholarship committee recognized 

   Nathan Gengarella as the 2009 recipient of

   this prestigious scholarship. He is the son

   of Patrick and Jackie of Hopkinton.

   Nathan will be studying architectural

   building design at New England

   Technical School.

              Past Recipients of the Scholarship include:

              2008  Andrew Devereaux           St. Joseph's College of Maine

              2007  Nadia Simmons               The Florida Institute of Technology

              2006  Erica Schaefer

              2005  Leah Brennan

              2004  Christopher Anderson

              2003  Matthew Haney

Richard Grills is the former owner of The Bradford Dyeing Association, a textile plant located in 

Bradford, Rhode Island. BDA  specialized in the printing, coating and finishing of camouflage and

other specialty fabrics.

Established in 1911, BDA has printed over 15 million yards of fabrics, mostly for the military. In 1995, it established Bradford Fabrics Inc. to market its products to the military, law enforcement, hunting and health care sectors.

     In November of 2003, Richard Grills sold an extensive 482 acre parcel to the Westerly Land Trust.The 482-acre Grills Preserve has more than 2½ miles of frontage on the Pawcatuck River. It consists of extensive fresh water wetlands, and extensive lagoon, upland forest, and a high hill with exposed bedrock and extensive scenic views.

     On December 21, 2007 The Nature Conservancy, the Hopkinton Land Trust and the Department of Environmental Management announced the purchase of 670 acres of important ecological open space and riverfront land owned by the Richard along the Pawcatuck River in Hopkinton.  The property contains six contiguous miles along the Pawcatuck riverside and includes Phantom Bog, known locally as Nate Barbers, and considered one of the most environmentally significant bogs from Maine through Virginia.  It will be dedicated as a nature preserve, with specific areas to be designated for hunting, fishing, passive recreation, and to provide river access for canoes and kayaks.

“We are extremely happy to have reached a sale agreement with Richard Grills, the owner of this valuable property, who is to be applauded for guaranteeing it will be preserved for the use and benefit of the public now and in the future,” said Janet Coit, R.I. state chapter director of The Nature Conservancy.  “Maintaining its riverside buffer zone will also assure the protection of the water quality of the Pawcatuck River, which has added value as it is the largest provider of clean freshwater to Little Narragansett Bay.”

"I was very pleased to have the chance to make this sort of contribution to my community and the entire region and state,” said Richard.  “The Pawcatuck River and Phantom Bog are natural treasures, and this will ensure they remain that way forever.”  He added, “When I look down, the only changes I wish to see are the trees growing larger.”   The conservation of this land had been his goal for over 25 years.