The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry recently put together a Food Drive for needy families in our area of Beaufort and Port Royal and the surrounding Sea Islands.
Members were asked to provide non-perishable food items and drop them off on Tuesday, November 10 so they could be donated. We are happy to report that we were able to deliver 4 overflowing shopping carts full of groceries to HELP of Beaufort, a local non-profit that provides a safety net for thousands of people in Beaufort County. This food will be distributed to those in need over the coming weeks. Donations are still coming in and we will be accepting non-perishable food items for a second drive to be finalized soon.
The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry announced this week they are ranked the number one club in Rotary District 7770 in annual giving per capita to the Foundation.
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry's total contributions to the annual fund of The Rotary Foundation reached $19,152.50, or $456.00 per member. This amount includes donations by individual members as well as a portion of net fundraising activities.
Additionally, the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry contributed $1,543.00 to fight polio in the world, an effort that is matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Rotary District 7770 is comprised of 79 clubs and almost 3700 members.
The Rotary Foundation, Rotary’s charitable arm, issues grants each year totaling over $86 million to support projects both locally and around the world focusing on 6 key areas: Preventing Disease, Providing Clean Water, Supporting Education, Growing Local Economies, Saving Mothers & Children, and Promoting Peace.
Hey just because we're not getting out to Golden Corral doesn't mean that we still can't connect! Keep up to date with what our club is doing through our use of ZOOM Cloud Meetings. Check your email each week for the meeting link. Download the app on your phone or computer and join the meeting each week!
Hey Club Members! We here in mid-February and that means we're gearing up for the Port Royal Crab Race as well as several other opportunities to help meet our goals! Please help us get sponsors for the Crab Race, which will be held on April 18, 2020 in Battery Creek Port Royal, SC. This event is held in partnership with the Port Royal Soft-Shell Crab Festival which goes on for most of the day on Paris Avenue in Port Royal.
Also on our schedule is helping the Beaufort Charities organization with their fund-raiser Oyster Roast in Live Oaks Park on March 7, 2020. Sign-up sheets have circulated at our meetings but there is still space left for volunteers at the beverage tent for shifts from 4-7 and 7-10 PM. Please help us fill up this list.
Additionally, don't forget to do your part if you have signed up to clean up our adopted section of the Spanish Moss Trail (weekly) or our Adopt-a-Highway on March 21.
Let's keep our club active in the midst of Winter her in the Lowcountry!
This Holiday Season was a very busy time for Lowcountry Rotary and our Satellite Club. We started off by helping lay wreaths at Beaufort National Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America effort. This was a record year at Beaufort National Cemetery with over 21,000 wreaths layed on graves to honor those service members interred here.
Next, it was bell-ringing time at the Cross Creek Walmart. A tried and true indicator that Christmas is around the corner. Also, our members adopted the residents at two local assisted living facilities and took gift bags to those staying at Helena Place and Sprenger. The residents had made lists of things they could use like blankets, socks, shirts, tissues, cough drops, doggie treats for their pets, and of course candy! Our Satellite Club added to the effort at Sprenger by getting students from Port Royal Elementary to help deliver the gifts and to sing some carols.
The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry recently finalized the proceeds for the 14th Annual Memory Links Golf Tournament. We added in our quarterly Blue Bucket contributions and the Grand Total is $10,091.00 !! Thanks to all our sponsors and golfers, and of course to all of our members and friends who helped put the tournament together. This event is a ton of fun for a great cause, so if you missed it this year mark your calendar for June 6, 2020.
For those who may not know, the CART Fund is an effort started by Sumter Rotarian Roger Ackerman to fund cutting-edge research for early detection, treatment, and cure of Alzheimer's Disease. Every penny donated to the CART Fund goes directly to a research grant. No donations are spent on administration or overhead. For more information on the work being funded, go to CARTFund.org
Take one Rotary Club of 47 members. Add an enthusiastic partner--a school full of energetic students, teachers, and parent volunteers. In less than 6 hours, The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry, in partnership with Riverview Charter School, helped fill and pack 50,000 meals in an effort for Rise Against Hunger.
Rotarians, students, parents, and teachers all worked together in shifts throughout the day on Friday, November 8 until the total was reached. The gymnasium was a blur of activity as students cycled in and out for their shift. One student, Gabby, was heard to say “This is my favorite day of the Year!” After the plastic bags were filled with the flavor packet, freeze-dried vegetables, soy, and rice, they were taken to be weighed and sealed. Then the bags were packed into boxes and loaded onto the waiting truck. From there who knows where the meals will be consumed, but this is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable service projects our club will do this year! For more pictures from this event, please click on the Photo Albums tab labeled “Rise Against Hunger 2019”
Be sure to get your tickets for this year's Oyster Roast! Tickets are $30 in advance and you can pick them up at the Port Royal Police Department, Bay Street Jewelers, or Lowcountry Insurance. Here's a link to our ad which can be seen on WHHI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOWiaGoef3c
The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry installed their Free Little Library Saturday morning at the Southside Dog Park in Beaufort. The library was completely crafted by hand by members Matt and Cheryl D'Angelo, who did a wonderful job building, painting, decorating and installing the library ---- the results are stunning and we hope folks of all ages enjoy the library for a long time to come. 
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry recently presented a check in the amount of $12,800 to United Way of the Lowcountry to be distributed among several groups. Representatives from Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail, Adaptive Gold Experience, Habitat for Humanity, HELP of Beaufort, Hopeful Horizons, CAPA, YMCA, Special Olympics, SMILE Mobile, Friends of Hunting Island, Wreaths Across America and Team Beaufort member and weightlifter Dade Stanley were in attendance.
Money is raised by Rotary Club members through yearly fundraisers including Port Royal Charity Crab Race held in conjunction with the Port Royal Soft Shell Crab Festival and the Annual Family Oyster Roast held the first weekend in November. Rotary International is a service organization who values service above self. Rotary Club of the Lowcountry meets Friday morning at 7:30 am at Golden Corral on Robert Smalls Parkway. The club always welcomes people interested in becoming members.
Team Beaufort weightlifter Dade Stanley pictured with his mother and Team Beaufort weightlifting coach Ray Jones.
Club President Cliff Mrkvicka presents the check to United Way of the Lowcountry Philanthropy Specialist Mae Armoly Young.
Rotarians from the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry recently sent off our contributions to the CART Fund and Celebrated with a giant commemorative check! This amount is the total we collected through our blue buckets on the tables at each week's meeting, money donated in honor of our weekly speakers, plus proceeds from our annual Memory Links Golf Tournament. AS you may know, CART is an acronym for Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust. Every dollar donated to CART Fund goes to cutting edge research to find ways to cure, prevent, or treat this debilitating disease. Great Job, Lowcountry Rotary. Shown in the picture are District 7770 Governor David Tirard, Club President Cliff Mrkvicka, Immediate Past President Scott Klumb, and Area CART Fund Coordinator Steve Lanier.
And don't forget the CART Fund gala on November 1. Contact Steve Lanier for details.
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry received the District 7770 Club of the Year award for medium size clubs at the District Conference held in Myrtle Beach recently. This is the first time the club has earned this distinction. The award was given for outstanding commitment to excellence, impactful leadership and unparalleled service to the ideals of Rotary and Rotary District 7770. The theme of Rotary for 2017-2018 is “Rotary: Make a Difference.” Rotary Club of the Lowcountry is proud to have “Made a Difference” in the Beaufort community.
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry members attending the District Conference include Paula Bunton, Kathy Crowley, Michelle and Cliff Mrkvicka, President-elect, Assistant District Governor & Past Club President Charlotte Gonzalez, Kathryn Parker and Past President Kerry Bunton.
The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry celebrated an extra busy day of fun, fellowship, and music on December 16th, starting the day early with Adopt A Highway, and braving the bone chilling cold weather along with our wonderful Beaufort High School Interact Club.
Immediately after, our members took different shifts ringing the bell for Salvation Army. Santa’s elves were out in full force, complete with a singing, guitar-playing elf leading both volunteers and shoppers in Christmas carols and holiday songs. Our club always has a heartwarming time ringing the bell enjoying smiles and collecting donations for the bucket.
Lastly, on the busy agenda was our participation in Wreaths Across America at the Beaufort National Cemetery. Volunteers joined together to place a wreath on a veteran’s grave to say that veteran’s name aloud and take a moment to thank them for their service to our country.
We thank everyone who participated in the busy day and continue to be amazed at the incredible generosity and service of our club members!
Look for more photos in our Photo Albums.
Saturday, November 4th, Rotary Club of the Lowcountry is hosting it's 21st Annual Family Oyster Roast in Port Royal's Live Oaks Park on Paris Avenue. Gates open at 6 pm. Tickets are $30 and include all you can eat oysters, hot dogs, chili, beer and non-alcoholic beverages. Children under 12 are free. There will be a live and silent auction with lots of door prizes to be awarded. Music will be provided by Mike Kavanaugh. Last year the event saw record attendance levels.
Tickets can be purchased at Port Royal Police Department, Bay Street Jewelers, Palmetto State Bank and Lowcountry Insurance on Lady's Island. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate. All monies raised benefit charities that help our neighbors here in the Lowcountry. Rotary Club of the Lowcountry is all about neighbors helping neighbors. Come out and support our community and enjoy some of the first, freshest oysters from our wonderful friends at Sea Eagle Market.
Tickets can be purchased at Port Royal Police Department, Bay Street Jewelers, Palmetto State Bank and Lowcountry Insurance on Lady's Island. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate. All monies raised benefit charities that help our neighbors here in the Lowcountry. Rotary Club of the Lowcountry is all about neighbors helping neighbors. Come out and support our community and enjoy some of the first, freshest oysters from our wonderful friends at Sea Eagle Market.
Have you seen us on the Big Screen at the Beaufort Water Festival? Do you recognize some of our members? Would you like to learn more about the best Service Organization in Beaufort County (and in the World)?
Get in touch with one of our 40 members and come for a visit. We meet almost every Friday morning at the Golden Corral on Robert Smalls Pkwy. Oh, and if you saw the video in Waterfront Park but didn't get the sound, you can watch it and listen in by clicking the YouTube link below.
Terri Stokes ran a great program on the last Friday in August with a focus on membership. Several members spoke on who introduced them to Rotary, what Rotary means to them, and why they stay in the club. The words we heard several times were about giving back to our community, volunteering, and how we have become a family! We can truly accomplish more together than any of us can on our own.
Kathy Crowley put together a wonderful slide show of our members and families recently. If you have any doubts that we are the "Fun Club" just watch this video. Let's keep doing good things and having fun doing them!
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry presents a check for $12,250 to United Way of the Lowcountry. Left to right: Rotary Club of the Lowcountry President Alan Beach, United Way of the Lowcountry President & CEO Tina Lamb Gentry, Rotary Club of the Lowcountry Past President Jeff Althoff.
Committed to the Beaufort community, Rotary Club of the Lowcountry raises thousands of dollars each year which is reinvested in numerous non-profits supporting a variety of programs including anti bullying, homelessness, domestic violence and Alzheimer’s research.
Almost half of our club (and several spouses) showed up to cook hamburgers and hot dogs for more than 100 volunteers who cleaned Hunting Island State Park on Saturday, May 30. We also hosted 14 kids from the CAPA shelter for a fun beach outing.
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Look for more photos in our photo album on the home page of Lowcountryrotary.org.
On Friday, April 24, we gathered in the morning for a very informative meeting on DragonBoat Beaufort, but right after work we got down to business. We landscaped our 2 entrances of the Spanish Moss Trail. Lowcountry Rotary adopted this section of the trail from Brotherhood Road to Riverside Drive last year and we spent a little time adding some plants that should make these two trail-heads more attractive. Be sure to take a look at the Photo Album on this event on our home page.
Then, we moved on to Alice and Gene Howard's house for a social and another element to a service project. Our club is donating about 140 books to the Beaufort County School District to support our Anti-Bullying initiative. We took a little time out from the social to put some "Donated by Rotary Club of the Lowcountry" stickers inside the front cover of each book.
Paula Bunton, spouse of Rotary Club of the Lowcountry's member Kerry Bunton was honored with Rotary International's Spouse Service Award last night. Lou Mello was on hand at Area 5's Joint Installation Dinner to present the award which is one of only 100 given worldwide. We are so very proud of her and truly appreciate all she does for our club.
