Projects
3rd Annual World Polio Day Cornhole Tournament
On World Polio Day, Roswell Rotary hosted its Third Annual World Polio Day Corn Hole Tournament! Over 50 members, kids and friends took part in the single elimination tournament at Lucky's Burger & Brew. All funds collected with be given to Polio Plus in this now yearly event.
RUMC Job Networking Project
The Mission: There is no greater stress on a family than when the breadwinner is out of work. RRC proudly supports the work of Roswell United Methodist Church - Job Networking
Facebook - Roswell Rotary After Hours Club
The Roswell Rotary After Hours Club (Roswell Rotary's satellite club made up of young professionals) uses Facebook as the primary means of communicating with its 28 members. Everything from upcoming meetings, Thirsty Thursday happenings, and reports on projects and meetings.
RR After Hours - Unity Garden Volunteer Day
After Hours Group along with Roswell Rotary volunteered Saturday, Sept. 23rd and October 21st at the Unity Garden at the Chattahoochee Nature Center! It's always a great time breaking a sweat, getting a little dirty and contributing around the garden and greenhouses.
RR After Hours - Adopt a Road Clean Up
After Hours adopted Mansell Road, a major highway in Roswell, and had a clean up day.
Roswell Rotary After Hours (RRAH) conducts quarterly trash pick- up and environmental maintenance efforts along the verges/embankments of Mansell Road. Volunteers pickup trash and debris in order to keep Roswell clean and sustainable for wildlife.
9/11 Public Safety Cookout
The Roswell Rotary Public Safety Cookout took place at Roswell Firehouse Station 24 on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event welcomed all public safety personnel, including members of Roswell Fire, Police, E911, National Park Service Rangers, and American Medical Response. The menu featured hamburgers and hot dogs, accompanied by chips, cookies, and beverages. Public Safety Staff had the convenience of a drive-thru service, while those available to stay enjoyed engaging conversations.
American Red Cross Blood Drive:
Roswell has persevered with our blood drives, aware that 2 out of 3 individuals cannot donate due to medical reasons. With only 4% of the general population donating blood, Roswell has transformed our donation program from merely raising awareness to establishing a consistent schedule throughout the year. This change has led to a 600% annual increase in donations, from 29 pints in 2019 to 180 pints in 2024. The success is partly due to Variant Brewing's "Pint for a Pint" promotion, Coastal Grill's provision of meeting room space, and the American Red Cross's management of blood collection.
Rivers Alive
On September 21, 2024, the Roswell Rotary joined forces with Keep Roswell Beautiful and the City of Roswell for a statewide initiative aimed at protecting Georgia's 70,100 miles of rivers and streams. Alongside the river cleanup, the City of Roswell organized volunteers for various beautification efforts, such as litter collection, removal of invasive plants and shrubs, mulching, planting native species, and marking storm drains in multiple city parks. Roswell Rotary volunteers took charge of supervising sections along Riverside Drive and the Chattahoochee River.
Sweep the Hooch
For years Roswell Rotary has supported this joint event sponsored by the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Trout Unlimited, Keep North Fulton Beautiful and several other organizations. In 2022, more than 2,300 volunteers collected almost 60 tons of trash across the Chattahoochee.
Roswell Day of Hope
Hope Roswell organized the 15th Annual Day of Hope on Saturday, September 21st, at the Roswell City Hall. The event was well-attended with 1,100 guests, offering a variety of attractions for all. Numerous visitors relished the open air, tasting local coffee varieties as they perused the art displays. Artwork from local artists and students was available for purchase, with all proceeds supporting Hope Roswell.
Scarecrow Fundraiser on Canton Street in Historic Roswell
A Roswell Rotary Scarecrow was displayed during the month of October in Historic Roswell benefitting The Roswell Women's Club supporting
Roswell Rotary Relays
Roswell Rotary Club will host the 27th Roswell Rotary Relays, March 16th in conjunction with Roswell High School. This invitational track meet provides a high-profile opportunity for high school track & field teams from throughout Georgia to compete against the best in the state.
Interact partners With the Governors Office to Combat Human Trafficking
Taking amazing students to meet Governor and First Lady Kemp from innovation Academy and The International School, interact club and Andi-human trafficking clubs. The Kemp’s were so impressed by the students, they inspiring to me every time I’m with them. Thanks to Principal Kent and Veronica for your leadership and investing in young people.
Be The Voice
BE THE VOICE, born in the Rotary Club of Roswell in 2014, supports both Students and Staff. The heartbeat of our initiative revolves around a 12-week video series that showcases diverse peer social influencers sharing personal experiences of how they inspired change within their school and community.
Topics range from bullying, exclusion and peer-conflict to anxiety, race, stereotyping, ethnicity and serving the community. Post program survey we collect from students determine the messaging for the next year. Visit our videos page
Youth Day Parade
For over 70 years the City of Roswell has celebrated its youth with an annual Youth Day parade. This is a unique and great tradition like none other in the country. This annual parade is always the 2nd Saturday in October.
For many years the Roswell Rotary Club has sponsored and participated in this city ritual by building a float, tossing candy to the kids along the route and so much more. Each year Rotary volunteers help the Roswell High School Interact club decorate a float to ride in the parade. Hundreds of children participate and we estimate 2000 or more citizens come to watch the parade that winds down Roswell streets and shows off Rotary and our causes.
Gary Garrets Farm Day
The reason the Roswell Roswell Club does so much good in the community and in the world is because we are truly a family of members pulling in the same direction. Part of the secret sauce is making it fun to be a Roswell Rotarian.
Gary Garrett's Farm Day has become an annual tradition of the club. Before the beer flows, we bring out the shotguns to kill clay pigeons. Burgers and dogs come off the grill and everybody pitches in to bring lots of tasty side dishes. Some get a little crazy!
Printed Directory
Each year a small but dedicated group of volunteers take headshots, update member data, sell ads and layout a printed directory for our club to use to get in touch with each other. The directory is full of useful information about all of our committees, our members and is a great way to do business with a club member. In addition, the directory is a nice fundraiser the helps offset some of the expenses of running the club which keeps our quarterly dues low.
Rotarians read kindergarten classes around the city on Friday, February 28th. Roswell Rotarians bought 35 books to be shared with the students. Each Kindergarten class received a copy to the book at each Roswell elementary school in the Roswell High School cluster. It is then tagged as a "Roswell Rotary donation to the school library" and left for the students to enjoy.
Running of the Turkeys 5K
The Running of the Turkeys 5k with the Friends of Roswell was a GREAT success with over
1700 runners participating. The atmosphere was very festive. Roswell Rotary was able to provide volunteers
to assist in the event in directing, registering, etal. We also were able to have members included in
the field of runners.
"Attack of the Meth Gator" Preview Showing
Great time was had as we joined together to celebrate our own member, Bruce Peoples who was featured as Sherriff Williams in the movie "Attack of the Meth Gator". Gate City Brewery generously allowed the use of the backyard screen for the viewing by Rotarians and the Public. Pat Rains of Gate City helped promote Roswell Rotary's involvement in the International Polio Project by including the Polio Foundation QR code, allowing any participants to help with the cause.
1st Annual Fishing Derby
In collaboration with the City of Roswell Rec Department we were able to successful host our first Annual Fishing Derby. The whole event was spearheaded by Becky Nelson. The project entailed using a pond at the Roswell Rec Center for the fishermen. Roswell Rec Employee Craig Fuller was able to secure the bamboo fishing rods by harvesting them from the pond. Jim Savage and Rich Austin prepared the poles so that the young fishermen could use them. Each student was provided a rod, fishing line and bait to get started. Any student that didn't have an adult with them were paired with a Roswell Rotarian. The Interact students canvassed the fishing field awarding tickets to participants. Each participant was given a tackle box that they could fill with awards from a table featuring stickers, fishing gear, etc. Nourishment was included for the participants. New Member, Priya Crumpton coordinated the sign up and pairing participants with guidance. Many of the participants caught fish, turtles and were rewarded accordingly. Kathy Igou headed up the public image committee. Jim Savage was lead on the actual fishing and educating the participants on preparing their gear.
1st Annual Friends & Family Fall Extravaganza
North Fulton Senior Services (Roswell location) invited Roswell Rotary to join in the fun of their 1st Annual Friends & Family Fall Extravaganza. Our responsibilities included welcoming guest, distributing gift bags, serving lunch, leading the dance party, among other things. The festivities included magic shows, Pilates classes, art exhibit of members artwork, vendors booths and dance off. Lunch was served. The event was intended to showcase the abundant opportunities provided through the center to the Senior community.
2nd Annual Christkindl Market
Many Roswell Rotarians participated in decorating (and takedown) at Bulloch Hall beginning in early November ,decorate the exterior of Bulloch Hall, and the property. Many Rotarians stepped up to volunteer at the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe which was maned by 1-2 volunters during the full month. Several
47th Aubrey Greenway Golf & Hagan Classic Tennis Tournaments
Our annual Aubrey Greenway Golf and Hagan Cup Classic Tennis tournaments are all hands on deck and almost every member of Roswell Rotary Club participates by volunteering, donating or sponsoring the tournament. This year we enjoyed a great day at Brookfield Country Club with two flights of golf and two tennis tournaments and many silent auction sales. We had 187 golfers and 72 tennis players combined playing in both morning and afternoon flights. As in the past, our traditional ball drop from the local fire department's ladder truck was a big hit.
Adopt a Platoon
Roswell Rotary collected and packed over 60 Boxes for our Servicemen and Women. Thousands of supplies were collected from gift cards, snacks, protein powder, crossword puzzles, toiletries, to hygiene and feminine products.
AED Fundraiser
As result of an event with North Fulton Rotary member, Richard Matterly experiencing a life-threatening, this event was born. It is the intent of the clubs to provide lifesaving AED (Automated
Alive In Roswell is Alive & Well
The excitement persists at the Alive in Roswell Street Festival, with Rotarians and guests converging at the Roswell Rotary Tent on Canton Street. Al Greensmith takes on the role of Grill Master, skillfully preparing a robust spread of hotdogs and hamburgers. Refreshments are available for sharing among members and guests. The event emphasizes the camaraderie among Rotarians as they gather to unwind, savor the moment, and foster closer relationships.
Board Orientation & Team Building
Roswell Rotary held a board orientation and team-building session ahead of the new leadership installation to prepare incoming members for their roles. The meeting focused on understanding job functions, learning more about Rotary, and fostering collaboration. Participants also discussed plans for the upcoming year and key service projects to strengthen the club’s impact.
Building of Small House at Roswell High School
This program is being led by Darrell Bartlett with assistance from Ken Briggs and John Ross of Drake House. Roswell High Schools Shop Program with instructor, Kevin Squires, is used this program as a means to educate the student to build a house. The students were guided to build plans and do the analysis to complete the house. Consideration of cost, amount & type of materials needed was part of the program's educational inclusion. Analysis of each step was detailed to educate the students so that they could implement the same steps should they build something in the future. Once the home was completed, it was moved for the children at Drake House to be used as a playhouse, Preliminary construction plans have been provided. This is another opportunity to educate and promote students on the benefits of trade schools to learn a skill set that would enable them to support themselves in the future.
Caroling on Canton Street
CNC Picnic Tables at Chatahoochee Nature Center
On November 7, 2024, Roswell Rotary and its members and guests went “On the Road” to hold its
Comedy for a Cause
The Roswell Rotary "Comedy for a Cause" event is an entertaining fundraiser aimed at supporting the local nonprofit Giving Grace. This lively event takes place at Rock 'N' Taco, a popular venue in Roswell known for its vibrant atmosphere. The evening features a lineup of comedians, bringing laughter and joy to attendees while raising funds for a meaningful cause. Guests can enjoy delicious food and drinks from Rock 'N' Taco while being entertained by talented performers. The event not only offers a fun night out but also serves as an opportunity for the community to come together and support those in need. All proceeds from the event go to Giving Grace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing assistance to individuals and families facing homelessness and other hardships in the community. The funds raised help support the various programs and services offered by Giving Grace, making a positive impact on the lives of those they serve. Overall, "Comedy for a Cause" is a memorable evening of laughter, community spirit, and giving back, all set against the backdrop of Roswell's vibrant local scene.
Cops & Cars
Spend a delightful afternoon at the annual Cops 'N Cars Show at Roswell City Hall. This event boasts a day brimming with dazzling vehicles and law enforcement entertainment. The Roswell Rotary participates to showcase the advantages of their numerous local service projects to the community. By providing leis, beach buckets, and balls to the children, we successfully engaged adults with the aim of expanding our membership.
Cottage School Educational Garden (Grimes Bridge)
Cottage School includes programs that teach children the art of gardening and growing food. The Greenhouse had deteriorated and became dangerous to use. We were asked to revitalize the greenhouse so that the program could be implemented again. Several members of the Roswell Rotary were able to meet and rehab the greenhouse. Chattahoochee Nature Center was able to assist with their gardening expertise. This is a very impactful project in that it teaches elementary and middle school students the art of gardening.
Cottage School Sensory Garden (Holcomb Bridge)
Cottage School was able to secure a second location to educate their ever-expanding roster of students. The grounds at the new location were in run down shape. Roswell Rotary Members along with the guidance are still coming in. This project will
be coordinated with Chattahoochee Nature Center to bring in their gardening skills in developing a Sensory Garden for the benefit of the students.
Decorating Morning Room at Bulloch Hall
Roswell Rotary decorated the Morning Room at Bulloch Hall with a festive Santa’s Workshop theme for Christmas. The room featured vibrant holiday décor, toys, and whimsical touches to capture the magic of the season. This effort helped bring holiday cheer to the historic site and its visitors.
Dinner for Veterans
Drake House Ms Mary's Ice Cream Festival
Drake Houses’ major fundraiser of the year, Roswell Rotary hosted a booth for the first time this year. We provided 6 gallons of homemade ice cream. In an endeavor to boost maximum club interest and participation we made tester ice creams and served before club meetings. We had teams: Logistics (setup ~ take down), Ice Cream Makers and Servers. We won the award for Best Booth Display This event has full coverage in the local Appen print newspaper and local TV coverage.
Fishing Derby
The Fishing Derby was a collaboration with the City of Roswell Parks & Recreation, Roswell Interact, Senior Services and Members of Roswell Rotary. This is the brainchild of Becky Nelson and promises to be a repeatable event. Each child was provided a bamboo fishing rod and supplied tackle box. The bamboo rods were harvested from the Roswell Park and cut to size by the City of Roswell Staff and Roswell Rotarians. We were able to get local merchants to supply the items needed for the tackle box. Interact students were on hand to sign in the children and their adult partner. Awards were given for biggest, smallest, prettiest fish. We had refreshments available to all children and adults. Roswell Rotarians were able to assist Interact Students and other children to learn the art of Fishing.
Foster Care Center Cleanup
Roswell Rotarians gathered at the Foster
Care center to assist in organizing the inventory of clothing, shoes, toys, toiletries. Foster parents and children come to the center to pick up items that may be needed for daily living. Many of the items being sorted have been provided as contributions from the surrounding community. The items of intended to lift the financial burden on the fostering family.
Free Medical Equipment for those in Need
Roswell Rotary has joined forces with Stone Mountain
Rotarian, Chris Brand and his nonprofit Fodac Medical Equipment and American
Legion Post 201 in Alpharetta. Roswell
Rotarian, Jonathan Crooks, with the intent of making medical equipment more available
to residents of North Fulton, contacted American Legion Post 201 in Alpharetta
with the idea of placing a Medical Pod on their property. This will allow an ongoing opportunity to collect,
repair and redistribute medical equipment to the North Fulton community at
large and veterans specifically free of charge.
Groveway Community Group Clothing Drive
Groveway Community Group in their quest to serve the needs for clothing in the Roswell Community organized a clothing drive. Realizing the need for transporting the clothing items from the storage facility to Waller Park for the event they contacted Nancy Alterman to fill the need. Roswell Rotary immediately collected a team of members to help in the transportation of the clothing from storage to Waller Park. Due to Hurricane Helene, the logistics had been compromised. The Roswell Rotary Team swooped in at 7:30am and transported all items to the event location. The Team, seeing the need, set up the room and prepared the clothing for proper display. Groveway Community Group was able to have the clothing drive as planned to the benefit of those in need in the community.
Hats, Gloves, Scarves & Socks for Star House Children
Roswell Rotary received $2k through a District Grant to fund the purchase of hats, gloves scarves and socks to 218 STAR house children. After purchasing the items, we packaged the items into Christmas gift bags for the children. The bagging was done after a luncheon meeting so that 100 members had the opportunity to volunteer. Another group of Roswell Rotarians assisted in the delivery of the bags to Starhouse for distribution to needy children in 3 Roswell elementary schools. We were thrilled to be able to provide necessary items to children to keep them warm during the cold season. By delivering these essential winter items children, we were able to keep them warm and comfortable during the winter season.
Holidays Gifts for shut in Seniors
Through a very generous donation by one of our members,
Roswell Rotary was able to gift 35 Shut-in Roswell Seniors 2 gift bags, one to
include essential household items and a second to include paper goods (toiled
tissue, paper towels, etal). In addition
to the items, the donor requested that each senior be given a $50 Walmart
gift card to help them with medication cost.
The Seniors were selected through North Fulton Senior Services
Roswell. Roswell Rotarians teamed up
to make the deliveries to the designated seniors.
Huskies helping Huskies
Putting compassion into action to help students thrive. In this aspect of Huskies Helping Huskies the primary focus is to assist students, families in urgent need with school supplies. We are partnered with Crabapple Middle School to fulfil the basic needs of students. With the collaboration of Temple Beth Tikvah we were able to secure backpacks that included all of the school supplies suggested by the school administration for these students.
Junior District Attorney & At-Risk Kids
The primary aim of this program is to provide at-risk middle school students with an opportunity to learn about the basic workings of the criminal justice system.
The program transports the students by bus to the Chattahoochee Nature Center, where they received a tour of the park and can observe its natural residents. The Roswell Rotary supplied lunch for the 45 participants. During lunch, Rotarians had the chance to engage with them and discuss the joys of Rotary and the concept of Service Above Self. The Roswell Police explained their role in addressing legal system violations and introduced the students to their service dog.
KBeam Reading Project with Alpharetta Rotary
Roswell Rotary has partnered with Alpharetta Rotary to support the KBeam reading project, contributing $10,000 to purchase 100 reading wands. These tools will help children in kindergarten through 3rd grade in North Fulton improve their literacy skills. The initiative underscores both clubs’ dedication to fostering education in the community.
Laws of Life
Our club has been and will continue to be a strong supporter of the Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest. Members of our club have served on the Board of Directors the Georgia Rotary Districts Character Education Program, which governs the contest.
We sponsor two high schools and one of our meetings to the award winners from Roswell High School and Independence High School. Students read their essays to our club and are with their medals during the meeting. There is usually not a dry eye in the room.
Luncheon & Holiday Gift Bags for Seniors
Through a very generous donation by one of our members, Roswell Rotary is able to gift 35 Roswell Seniors 2 gift bags, one to include essential household items and a second to include paper goods (toiled tissue, paper towels, etal). In addition to the items, the donor requested that each senior to be given a $50 Walmart gift card to help them with medication cost. The Seniors were selected through North Fulton Senior Services Roswell. President Nancy Alterman, dressed as an Elf, Distributed the gift bags to the very excited Seniors. Refreshments were served as music played as many seniors got up to enjoy some dancing.will be bringing the holiday cheer to distribute the bags and gift cards to those in attendance on the December 20th
Meals on Wheels
Working through North Fulton Senior Services, Roswell Rotarians deliver nutritious meals Monday-Friday to the homes of older adults who have trouble preparing, accessing or affording food for themselves. For those who need weekend meals, two additional meals are delivered on Friday and may be kept in the refrigerator and heated over the weekend. In addition, all seniors who receive Meals on Wheels will receive 3 “shelf stable meals” throughout the year, which are kept in their pantry for use on days when inclement weather makes it impossible for volunteers to deliver.
Memorial Day~HONORING THOSE THAT SERVED
A DAY TO REMEMBER THOSE THAT SERVED
The Mission: To honor those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the country and the American citizens. Thousands of people from Roswell and the surrounding areas join in that honoring those men and women who bravely fought so that we can enjoy the freedom that they fought for. This event is held at Roswell City Hall.
Nancy Lovejoy as we Walk with the Doc
Health coach Nancy Lovejoy will speak about eating better than less. Nancy shares simple healthy food swaps and other tips for optimally fueling your body.
New Member Social
Patsy Wolff Scholarship
This is exciting! The launch of the Patsy Wolff Scholarship is for 2025 Roswell Area HS female graduates. This scholarship, for $1,500, will honor the qualities of Patsy Wolff as one of the first female Roswell Rotarians and a generous philanthropist in our community. The candidate will need to show her sense of community spirit and how her contributions exemplify the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self"
Polio Kennel Club
Welcome to the Kennel Klub, Millarky! Millarky is an adopted 2 year old mix who is in training to be a therapy dog with Happy Tails Pet Therapy Inc.
Revision of Roswell Rotary By Laws
The Bylaws committee made up of Lee Patrick (chair), Leslie Bassett, Katie Anderson, James Stone, Cheryl Greenway, Michael Curling, and John Carruth met on August 1 for about 1-1/2 hours to start the rewrite process.
Roswell Art Festival
This year, the Roswell Rotary contributed to the event by funding the security expenses. Additionally, we set up a tent in a prominent location to demonstrate our support and to showcase the extensive outreach of the Roswell Rotary to the community. Our tent was manned by enthusiastic members ready to provide information about our club and to extend an invitation to attendees interested in joining the Roswell Rotary.
Roswell High School Career Day
Over ten Roswell Rotarians shared their work experience about their careers to all Career and Technical Education at Roswell High School. Each Roswell Rotarian discussed their career, including educational requirements, future opportunities, and compensation details. The students had the opportunity to ask questions and network with local professionals.
Roswell Police Department Assistance
When Roswell Police Department lost an officer in the line of duty, Roswell Rotary immediately stepped up.
Roswell Rotary has supported our first responders since inception. When we got the call today asking for help, a few Past Presidents, Rotarians and their significant others didn’t bat an eye. They stocked Roswell Police Department with snacks, drinks and BBQ from Slopes.
Rotary Afterhours Joins Beer Fest in Support of Star House!
The STAR HOUSE Foundation is a local Roswell non-profit organization that provides after-school tutoring & mentoring for at-risk children throughout North Fulton. They currently serve children in three North Fulton schools, with a growing unmet need. Their summer camp extends the after-school program, bridging the gap for elementary students by focusing on academic retention to combat summer learning loss. Providing strong foundation local children in need opportunity to aim for success.
RRAH Adopts a Family of Five for Christmas
RRAH partnered with Giving Grace to adopt a family of five, including a mother, a 1-year-old boy, a 2-year-old boy, a 5-year-old girl, and a 6-year-old girl. The initiative provided $1000 worth of gifts to bring joy and support to the family during the holiday season.
Running of the Turkey 5K
The Running of the Turkeys 5k was a GREAT success with over
1700 runners participating. The atmosphere was very festive. Roswell Rotary was able to provide volunteers
to assist in the event in directing, registering, etal. We also were able to have members included in
the field of runners.
Sneaker Recycle
Partnering with Recycle Sneakers as a means to provide sneakers to those in need and to avoid adding unwanted sneakers to landfills
Trummie Patrick Jr. Scholarship
Roswell Rotary has established the Trummie Patrick Jr. Scholarship, awarding $1,500 to a Roswell High School senior attending the University of Georgia. This scholarship honors the legacy of Trummie Patrick Jr. and supports students pursuing higher education. It reflects Roswell Rotary’s commitment to empowering local youth.
Walk with a Doc
This monthly walking program combines health education with the numerous physical, mental and social benefits of walking. September’s walk had 18 people hear from a wellness coach about myths foods and how to identify smarter foods. For our October walk, we had 15 people hear from a physical therapists about proper breathing to support exercise. For our November walk, we had 13 people hear a mental health therapist talk about establishing boundaries during the holidays to both reduce stress and enable you to have time for self-care, like walking, and enjoy the holidays with the family.
Women in Rotary
An opportunity for Women Rotarians from other clubs and
guest, to socialize in a festive holiday environment, sharing ideas, promoting
good will, and organizing service projects for the good of the community. This particular event is open to non-Rotarians
with the possibility of securing new members.
It is being held at another project we are involved with, the Christkindl
Market which highlights that event.