Roswell Rotarians, if you ever wonder whether “Strengthening Connections” is just a theme on a banner, this week should settle it for good — because this week, our connection with the City of Roswell showed up in almost everything we did. Dozens of us laced up and completed the Jeremy Labonte Memorial 5K alongside our City's own first responders, Mayor Robichaux, City Council, and Senator Albers — a race that reminded us our club isn't just adjacent to this City, we're woven into it.

We also got to wish happy birthday to Mayor Robichaux, and we officially dedicated the painting Roswell Rotary sponsored at last year's Roswell Arts Festival, which will now hang permanently on the walls of City Hall — a small but lasting piece of Rotary in the building where Roswell's decisions get made.

And this week isn't done with us yet: Mayor Robichaux herself is at our meeting to address the club directly. That's four separate moments, one week, all pointing the same direction — the ties between Roswell Rotary and the City of Roswell keep getting stronger, and they show no sign of slowing down.

That same spirit of partnership is exactly what powers one of our favorite traditions as we count down to the Golf, Tennis & Pickleball Tournament: the Ball Drop. Once again, the Roswell Fire Department is rolling one of its trucks right onto our tournament grounds, hoisting a bin of numbered golf balls — purchased by club members and tournament participants — and dropping them onto a green far below. Whichever ball finds the hole wins the jackpot for its owner. It's equal parts theater, fundraiser, and love letter to our partnership with the City, and it never fails to draw a crowd and a whole lot of noise.

So here's my ask — step up and buy some chances to win. The Ball Drop is one of the most fun, most communal parts of our biggest day of the year, and it only works if everyone leans in and buys a ball or three. Come watch the truck roll in, cheer for your number, and celebrate a tradition that only exists because the City and Roswell Rotary keep choosing each other. Strengthening Connections isn't just what we're building this year — this week, it's what we're living.

Yours in Service,

Leslie