Having demonstrated the fundamental tenant of Rotary International of service above self, John Kramb was named recipient of the 2019 Dwight D. Eisenhower Humanitarian Award.

Presented by the Rotary Club of Gettysburg, this award is given to residents of Adams County who demonstrate a lifelong commitment to the local community and to the world community.

After retiring from the United States Army in the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1995, he and his wife, Katherine, purchased the Adams County Winery in 1998. Together they built the winery into a thriving tourist attraction and venue for weddings, family gatherings and other events. Kramb’s trusty four-legged friend, Rusty, hosted an open invitation to his birthday party each year benefitting the Adams County SPCA. The winery is currently the fifth oldest winery in Pennsylvania and is home to the award winning wine, Tears of Gettysburg.

John has been a member of the Rotary Club of Gettysburg since 2005 and served as club president during 2009-2010. He also served in a number of district offices, including membership coordinator, assistant governor for Group I, the district budget committee, two district conference planning committees, Rotary UN Day coordinator and chair of the District Grants Committee. He was elected District Governor for 2015-2016. Kramb is a member of Rotary Leadership Institute and has traveled throughout the zone training Rotary leaders. He has attended eight International Conventions, during which he learned of an opportunity to participate in National Immunization Day in Dhanbad, India. He traveled to India in 2012, 2017 and 2018 to participate in the immunization distribution for polio. It is Rotary’s goal to eradicate the world of polio. Having had polio as a child, John knows first-hand the effects of this terrible disease. John has made it his mission to assist in all ways possible in reaching this goal. Also close to John is his desire to see that schoolchildren Vijiyawada, India have sanitary facilities at school. John has participated with Rotary’s partner in Vijiyawada with installing toilets and handwashing facilities in schools. As Americans take this for granted, the young girls see this as a gift as they are now able to continue their education much the same as young boys.

When John is not traveling, he can be found at the Historic Fairfield Inn. In 2013, John became the 27th innkeeper since the Inn’s founding in 1757.
First presented to Dwight D. Eisenhower by the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce, the award was transferred in 2003 to the Rotary Club of Gettysburg because of the club’s links to Eisenhower.

Kramb will be honored at the Rotary’s Luncheon meeting on Oct. 21 at the Gettysburg Hotel, on Lincoln Square, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Reservations for the luncheon and award presentation are $14 and can be made by emailing Chris Kimple at cjaj1984@hotmail.com by Oct. 16. Please include Eisenhower Humanitarian Award in the subject line.