Selectmen name Rothbergs Citizens of Year.

Sharon - On September 11, 2001, 39-year-old Michael C. Rothberg lost his life in the terrorist attacks in New York City. His parents, struck with grief, decided to cope with their pain through giving.

Every year, Iris and Jay Rothberg give the Michael C. Rothberg September 11 Memorial Scholarship to one Sharon student. This award of $10,000 sends a senior to college. The fund, which was started in 2004, also gives $1,000 each to two other seniors.

In response to donating these scholarships and making many other gifts, the Sharon Board of Selectmen on July 19 voted unanimously to name them Citizens of the Year. 

Iris Rothberg said that she felt honored to receive the award, but said the focus should be on her son.

“The things we do are all in Michael’s name,” she said on July 20.

Her husband, Jay, agreed, saying that their actions were a way to honor their son.

“It’s very rewarding,” he said. “And it’s a special way to celebrate Michael’s life.”

The couple, who moved to Cape Cod, will be given the award at a ceremony on Aug. 17. Speaking at the event will be Recreation Director Brett MacGowan and Robert Sondheim, athletic director at Sharon High School.

At the time of his death, Michael was a successful financier, who graduated from Sharon High School in 1980 and McGill University. On the day of the terrorist attacks, he was working as the director of program trading at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of Tower 1.

The Rothberg family created the scholarship to both honor their lost son and to help students with likeminded ideas about peace and community service. Each year, seniors enter two essays, one describing how they’ve been inspired by Michael’s legacy and the other about ideas to stop terrorism.

On May 26, the eighth-annual scholarship was given to Sharon senior Divya Bhatia. A dedicated student, Bhatia received the award for her activities, serving underprivileged children in India.

Other than the scholarship, the Rothbergs have also given money to Sharon students for numerous needs, from athletic equipment, to summer camp fees, to beach passes. They’ve also had many structures erected in Sharon to honor Michael’s life, including a clock built outside town hall.

MacGowan said that the Rothberg family has been inspirational in the way they have donated so much time and money to the children of Sharon.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I wish there were more people like them.”

Jay Rothberg said that the scholarship was something that he felt good about. He and his wife said that they would continue to give them to students, as long as they could afford the costs.

“It feels better to give then to receive,” he said.

Selectman Richard Alan Powell said that approving the Rothbergs as Citizens of the Year was an easy choice because he said they have done a lot for the community.

“We’re just very appreciative for what they do for the town of Sharon,” he said.
Evan Koslof
7/24/11

Originally Posted: http://www.wickedlocal.com/sharon/news/x1009570682/Selectmen-name-Rothbergs-Citizens-of-Year#axzz1T9RwwvAW