By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
As the North Attleboro/Plainville Rotary Club celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Distinguished Service Awards, members reflected, not only on four decades of tradition, but on the steady work that continues to shape both communities.
“This is no small milestone,” club President Sean Carroll told attendees at the ceremony on Monday, March 23. “Rotary’s motto, ‘service above self,’ is more than a phrase — it’s a way of living. It’s the quiet work done without fanfare, hours volunteered without expectation, and the belief that when we lift others, we all rise.”
This year, the banquet added six honorees across five categories to a list of more than 200 past recipients, recognizing service in education, public works, youth leadership, volunteerism and community life.
A first in the youth category
A standout moment came in the Outstanding Youth category, where the club honored two winners for the first time in the award’s history—North Attleborough High School seniors Bhavishnu Mood and John Thomas.
Presenter Nicholas Estrella said the pair exemplify Rotary’s motto through the North Attleborough Senior Technology Program, which they launched as sophomores to help older adults navigate technology through free one-on-one training sessions.
What began as a small idea has since grown into a regional digital literacy effort serving 12 senior centers and housing authorities across six communities: North Attleborough, Attleboro, Franklin, Seekonk, Sharon and Plainville.
Since 2023, the pair and the 30 student volunteers they recruited have contributed more than 500 hours through weekly sessions and workshops, helping seniors use devices, online tools and artificial intelligence. Estrella said the program has also produced a library of educational slide decks and materials to support participants and staff, while a grant helped provide 50 Chromebooks to Richards Memorial Library.
Rotarian and event organizer John Barone later shared that when the students learned they had been nominated, they sent an email asking whether, if selected, they could receive the award together.
“They’re inseparable,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of both students, Mood said service has become an essential part of their lives.
“Community service is an integral part of our lives, and we’re extremely grateful to serve our community,” he said.
Service that keeps a community running
Two North Attleborough honorees recognized during the evening reflected different but complementary forms of long-term service — one through public infrastructure and the other through youth sports, civic boards and volunteer leadership.
Mark Hollowell, the town’s director of public works, received the Outstanding Public Employee Award for nearly two decades of leadership overseeing roads, bridges, potable water, sewer systems, snow removal and trash and recycling operations.
Presenter Domenic Longobardi described Hollowell as a problem-solver whose impact stretches far beyond budgets and job titles. He said Hollowell helped the town address a potentially serious water contamination issue before it became a larger public health problem and played a key role in securing more than $8 million in loan forgiveness and grant funding benefiting both North Attleborough and Plainville.
Longobardi said Hollowell also leads by example, whether managing major infrastructure work or getting behind the wheel of a plow during a snowstorm.
Accepting the award, Hollowell shifted the credit to his staff.
“Something we say in public works quite a bit is if you’re thinking about us, we’re probably not doing a good job,” he said. “It really is the 70 people who work for us who allow me to look good in the things we do every day.”
That same spirit of steady, often behind-the-scenes service was reflected in the Outstanding Citizen Award, presented to Paul Rofino for more than 25 years of volunteer work in North Attleborough.
Presenter Ken Nally said Rofino is known to many families through youth sports, but his impact reaches well beyond the playing field.
“He teaches fundamentals, but more importantly he teaches confidence, teamwork, accountability and character,” Nally said.
Rofino has coached football, baseball, basketball and girls softball in town for more than two decades and was inducted into the North Attleborough Youth Football Hall of Fame in 2021. Additionally, Rofino served 14 years on the North Attleborough Junior Football board, including seven as president, along with his continued service as chairman of the North Attleborough Park and Recreation Board and president of the North Attleborough High School Gridiron Club.
To Rofino, his work has always been rooted in giving local children the same positive experiences his own family found in the community.
“Why do I do all I do? Why do I volunteer?” he said. “It’s so every kid can have the experience that my children had.”
Plainville honorees recognized
The evening also recognized two Plainville women whose contributions have touched classrooms and community groups for years.
Laurie Durand received the Outstanding Educator Award for a career spanning nearly three decades in Plainville Public Schools, where she has taught primarily kindergarten through second grade since joining the district in 1997.
Plainville Police Chief James Floyd, who presented the award, said Durand fully immerses herself in the experiences she creates for students, bringing both enthusiasm and discipline to the classroom.
He described a teacher who might dress as an elf during the Christmas season or wear a colonial outfit during Thanksgiving week, using creativity and performance to make lessons memorable for children at an early and formative stage.
Durand, accepting the award, thanked Plainville Public School administrators, the School Committee and her principal for allowing her to go beyond simply being a music teacher.
“Whether it’s simply watching a first-grade play or attending an annual Thanksgiving feast, it takes a village,” she said. “If I’ve made any impact as an educator, it’s because I stand on the shoulders of people who believe in me and challenge me.”
Plainville resident Brenda Watkinson was recognized as Outstanding Senior for a long record of volunteerism that has continued throughout retirement.
Presenter Sandy Vandette described Watkinson as “a giver, pure and simple,” saying she has woven herself into the fabric of town life since moving to Plainville in 2008.
Watkinson has volunteered at the library, the Living Bread Food Pantry, the Council on Aging and elsewhere, with Rotary officials describing her leadership and generosity as part of what has made the community stronger, kinder and more connected.
“Volunteering is so important,” Watkinson said. “Without volunteers, a lot of good work wouldn’t be accomplished.”