Watertown Rotary Club Hands Out Community Service Awards to Russo's, Dunkin' Donuts

The following information was provided by the Watertown Rotary Club:

At a recent meeting of the Watertown Rotary Club, Tony Russo, President of A. Russo & Sons Inc. and Duke Carvalho and Arthur Rodrigues of Dunkin Donuts were honored for their commitment and generosity to the Watertown Community.

Mike DelRose, chairman of this event introduced the recipients: Tony Russo began his education in the family business that was founded by his grandfather, Antonio Russo, more than 75 years ago when he was only five years old. He learned every facet of the business from the ground up. The business was previously located on Lexington Street before moving to its new and expanded facility on Pleasant Street. From its inception, Russo’s was committed to providing only the finest and freshest produce to their customers. The spirit of family, support of the local grower and commitment to quality remains as strong today as it was when it first opened.

The next Community Service Award was presented to Duke Carvalho, CEO and President, and Arthur Rodrigues, COO, of Dunkin Donuts for their extraordinary support of many organizations and charities. Duke and Arthur are brothers-in-law and came to this country in the 1960’s from the Azores. They held a variety of positions in several industries until Duke opened his first Dunkin Donuts in Roslindale in1978. Shortly thereafter Arthur joined the business with Duke and they opened a second location in Allston. Today, they own and operate 16 Dunkin Donuts in Watertown, Belmont, Cambridge and Newton. Allof the stores operate under the umbrella of Riverside Management Group. David Carvalho, CFO, also accompanied his dad and uncle to the Rotary meeting. Participating, supporting and being a part of the local communities in which they operate is critical to this family team.

In addition to recognizing Tony Russo, Duke Carvalho and Arthur Rodrigues with Community Service Awards, these three men were also made Honorary Rotarians. Other Honorary Members were also invited guests today. Citizens are elected by the Board of Directors of the Watertown Rotary Club to be Honorary Members. The criteria to be chosen for this designation include a demonstration of unselfishness by citizens who give freely of their time, talent and resources in a variety of ways to improve the quality of life in our community. In attendance today were the following Honorary Members: Gertrude Chakamian, Ellice Lund, Charles Morash, Russ Morgan, and Clyde Younger.

The Rotary Club of Watertown is proud to recognize these community minded citizens who enrich the lives of so many.