Lee Dyer

EVANS CITY — Lee Dyer, former Rotary District Governor and borough council president, has received the highest honor awarded by Rotary International.

Dyer last week received the Service Above Self award. He is only the second Rotarian from Rotary District 7280 to receive the award.

He is a member of the Evans City Rotary Club.

District 7280 is a 1,900-member, 42-club district that covers most of northwestern Pennsylvania.

“There are lots of deserving people for this award,” Dyer said. “Rotarians are just people who keep their heads down and their mouths shut and do great, great work.”

Dyer said he learned of the honor via an e-mail from outgoing District 7280 District Governor Ruzhdi Bakalli, who nominated Dyer for the award.

“I was very surprised, and wondering why I was chosen instead of many other deserving people,” he said.

Dyer said each year, the 431 Rotary District Governors around the world can nominate a Rotarian for the Service Above Self award. He said 370 of those district governors did this year, and he is one of 150 Rotarians who received it.

“I am very humbled and honored,” Dyer said.

He joined the Rotary in 2000 after moving to Evans City. At that time, a landscaper doing work at his then-new home suggested he join the club.

“When I moved to Evans City, I had long wanted to do some volunteer, service kinds of things,” Dyer said.

As his children were grown and he had free time, Dyer took that advice and joined the club.

“I wanted to get connected and be connected to Evans City,” Dyer said.

When he was eventually named president of the club, Dyer attended training sessions and witnessed a presentation on a water well dug in Africa by Rotarians. The presenter showed a photograph of small African children who were permitted to line up for one cup of water every other day.

“I knew at that instant that I was with the right people in the right place, doing the right thing,” Dyer said.

Dyer said he encourages young people and businesses to join Rotary.

“If you want to enrich your life, if you really want to feel fulfilled and have a heart to do good things, come visit Rotary,” Dyer said.

Bakalli is elated that Dyer won the Service Above Self Award.

“Congratulations to Lee for this well-deserved award,” Bakalli said in an e-mail. “This proves that District 7280 is a great district.”

A presentation event will likely occur in February or March, said Dyer.