THE NED MARCH / BUD PURDY AWARDS
Recognizing St. Petersburg Police Officers
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(l-r) St. Petersburg Police Chief, Chuck Harmon, Sgt. Ed Borrelli,
Bud Purdy, Club President, Chris Finch and Det. Nancy Pillucere |
History
Ned March had two great loves: the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg. In 1941, Ned joined our Club; he served as President in 1948-49 and then became Sergeant-at-Arms. He knew every club member, most of the regular visitors and was master of the art of making everyone feel welcome. In 1952, Ned brought the Police Department into Rotary by establishing (and personally funding for ten years) the Ned March Awards to recognize worthy police officers. Nominations are submitted by immediate supervisors and the winners are selected by the Police Chief and staff. When Ned passed away in 1963, the Club decided to carry on the awards (with Bud Purdy heading up the program) and we have honored Ned and the St. Petersburg Police Department with more than 100 awards to police officers – our continued faith in our Police Department.
The Ned March Awards were renamed the Ned March/Bud Purdy Awards to recognize longtime Rotary member and former St. Petersburg Police Chief E. Wilson “Bud” Purdy, a member of the Rotary Club since 1955. Bud had chaired the Ned March Awards Committee for many years and in recent years, co-chaired the awards committee with his daughter, Pam Mesmer.
