The Hershey Rotary Club recently presented its annual Community Service Award to local Hershey business owners Phil and Kveta Guarno and Chuck and Sara Kray for their support of the community throughout the pandemic.

The Guarnos, owners of Fenicci's, Phillip Arthur's, Uncle Filber's, and Aunt K's on Chocolate Avenue, foresaw issues in the food service industry when COVID-19 began. Since local restaurants faced profound challenges and closures, the Guarnos found a way to help local restaurants and feed first-line responders at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. They created an online fundraising effort for people to contribute funds that allowed the Guarnos to request food from restaurants. The Guarnos would then pick the food up at those restaurants and deliver it to employees at the hospital. The community raised over $37,000 to help local restaurants support the frontline workers.

Early in the pandemic, the Krays, owners of the Hershey Pharmacy, recognized the impending need for COVID vaccines in the community. They procured vaccines and offered walk-in vaccination sites at both their pharmacy and at mass vaccination sites that were set up at The Hershey Lodge. Chuck helped to inform community residents and ensured that thousands of doses were made available to local residents.

The Community Service Award is presented annually to a person or service organization whose volunteer public service, community outreach, philanthropic activities, or community activities represent an unselfish contribution to the communities of Derry Township or surrounding communities.

Each recipient was presented with a certificate and a $500 donation from the Rotary Club of Hershey to a local charitable organization of their choosing. For more information on the Hershey Rotary Club, visit http://www.HersheyRotary.org.