Springfield Rotary honors Carla Alves as Paul Harris Fellow

The Rotary Club of Springfield spent the day awarding people who demonstrate outstanding commitment to service and community impact. 22 News reporter Sarah Bien-Aimé joins us live in studio to reveal the recipients and the awards they were given. Exactly, Nicosia. Every year, the board members of the service club nominates a Paul Harris Fellow, one of the Rotary's highest honors, named after the founder. This individual is someone who embodies the Rotary's motto of service above self. And so the board chose the name Carla Alves as the 2026 Paul Harris Fellow. She serves as the vice president and business banking loan officer at Country Bank, as well as the treasurer of the organization. She was once a part of the Rotary Club of Palmer. Many people showered her with love today at the Paul Harris Luncheon. She works with a lot of small business owners in the community, making sure that they have access to capital for growing their business. She also is a tremendous volunteer with Rotary. As a team, as a club, we've done a lot of great things for the community, but certainly it wasn't just on me. Six nonprofits were also awarded today. The Springfield Boys and Girls Club, along with I Found Light Against All Odds, were just a few. Thanks to a 15-year partnership with the Basketball Hall of Fame, $8,500 was raised through the annual Service Above Self Luncheon for grants. The club invites the public to attend their meetings every first and third Thursday of the Working for you, Sarah Bianame, 22 News.