27th Annual Oyster Roast
Be sure to mark your calendar for our upcoming Oyster Roast!
It's a great time and all proceeds go to support our local and international service activities.
Stories
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What does R O T A R Y mean to you?What does Rotary mean to you? R = Regular attendance - attend weekly meetings, and/or Board Meetings, events, service projects O = Outlook - arrive with a great outlook, and remember to be fair to all T = Truth (Is it the truth?) A = Attitude - bring your best attitude, so that it will be beneficial to all R = R you ready to build goodwill and better friendships? Y = What is your “why”? Why are you a Rotarian - where do you want to make a difference? We are Rotary! We are the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry! By, Terri Stokes |
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Better to give than receive“It’s more blessed to give than receive.” Thanks to the generosity of Johnny Harvey, of the Beaufort Rotary Club, five members of our community were recognized as Paul Harris Fellows.
 First time honorees include Kay Keeler, Jean and Richard Norris( a Rotarian in the Sea Island Club); Doug Crowley with his 7th Paul Harris and Bob Bible with his 5th. It’s in this spirit that you may want to donate points to a deserving recipient…for more information, see Kerry Bunton our Foundation Director. As Pastor Steve Keeler says, you never know who’s watching what good deeds you are doing. Our meeting had a very entertaining program by our very own Peggy Bartz, introduced by Kathy Crowley.  Peggy is a fairly new member who has immediately gotten involved. |
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Change of WatchChange of Watch Social was a huge success! We enjoyed libations, a wonderful meal of salad, shrimp and grits, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a variety of pies. President Bob Bible named two members as Rotarian of the Year - Doug Crowley and Terri Stokes (always an honor and a very humbling award).  Kerry Bunton, Assistant District Governor installed Pinky Harriott as our Incoming President, along with the new Board of Directors.  We had a terrific year with many committees recognized by their Chairs. We had several big accomplishments to be proud of with much participation from club members.
 Happy Trails to Bob and Cheers to Pinky!! |
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Beaufort National CemeteryThank you to Louis Brown for such an interesting program on the Beaufort National Cemetery. He has been with the National Cemetery Administration for 14 years and is retired from the U.S. Army. The cemetery is open daily to the public from dawn to dusk.
 “It is one of the earliest US national cemeteries designated by President Abraham Lincoln who authorized establishment in a letter dated February 10, 1863.”Stop by their office for a self guided tour book and enjoy our very own “National Treasure.”  Kudos to Doug Crowley for inviting Lewis and for Kathy Crowley for filling in as president for our meeting. |
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Rain Didn’t Damper SpiritsThe Show Must Go On! Despite the rainy weather, the Interact Club and the Rotarians had their year end trash pick up and picnic at Whitehall Park. Under the leadership of Cindy Lewis, the Interact Sponsor, and Dick Deuel, Rotary Sponsor - the Beaufort High School had a very active club.
 The officers were engaged and dependable, active in our community and their school. Bob Bible, President, presented the annual Scholarship winner to Annabelle Nelson - a big congratulations to Annabelle! |
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Things Are Happening, Try to Keep UpDon’t stop and smell the roses or you will get left behind, as the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry is busy!! We welcomed new member Daniel Thomas into our club April 26th.  (Pictured Susan and Daniel Thomas, President Bob Bible and Membership Chair, Neil Lipsitz). Welcome Daniel!! Lori Opozda, Executive Director of HELP of Beaufort, presented a very interesting program including an update on their new facility being built in Port Royal. Thank you Dana Bolden for inviting Lori to our morning meeting.  (Pictured Dana, Lori and Bob)And thanks to Scott Klumb for organizing the annual Buckets for Brackets challenge! Always a lot of partipation and fun (at least for the winners who get bragging rights). All monies go to the CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust) - don’t forget, we are Club of the Year for the Cart Fund (again). 🎊🎉  (pictured Kerry Bunton, Foundation Chair and Scott Klumb, Secretary) |
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2024 Memory Links Tournament |
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Service Above SelfService Above Self! Serving beer at the Annual Soft Shell Crab Festival is always fun!
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So You Think You Can Garden?We were so fortunate to have Wendy Hilty, Master Gardener, speak to our club recently about flower gardening for our area. She had such an informative and interesting program that many Rotarians said they could have listened for hours!
 The good news is she writes a column for Island News and has written a book entitled Lowcountry Gardening for Newcomers. Also, you might see her often at the Clemson Ext booth at the Port Royal Farmers Market. Thanks to Terri Stokes for inviting Wendy! |
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Tooting Our Own Horn!!Tooting Our Own Horn!!! Congratulations to our Rotary Club of the Lowcountry-Beaufort,S.C. USA for winning the: Drum Roll please.....District 7770 CART FUND club of the Year!  We're #1, we're #1. Thanks to all members for donating every week into the little blue Cart Fund buckets on the tables. Thanks to Paula and Kerry Bunton for rolling coins and counting the monies diligently. As always, we are a small club, but a mighty club!! Be proud!  Photos taken and award presented at the District Conference in Charleston, March 22-24th. |
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Interesting and Informative ProgramWe had a very interesting program led by Rebecca Burgess, the Executive Director of the Beaufort County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Dept. It was very eye-opening to learn about drug overdose, and fentanyl, etc and how this can possibly happen to anyone! We also learned about Narcan and how to use it. We are so fortunate to have the prevention program available to our residents - I encourage you to ask them to come speak to your club! It could be lifesaving.
 Thanks to Jeff Althoff for inviting Rebecca to share this valuable information.The Rotary Club Magazine had a very interesting article on this timely topic in the January 2024 edition. I encourage you to read it. |
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Presenting “Winston Churchill” !Did you have to do a double-take?  Our awesome club member, Randy Otto, performing as Winston Churchill for our regular meeting recently. Bravo!! 👏👏
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New Member!Great things are happening with the Rotary Club of the Lowcountry!
 Welcome to our newest member, Peggy Bartz - she was a member of a Rotary Club in Clarkston, Michigan for 16 years (they also met in the morning). Our member, Peach Morrison, presented a wonderful program for us - she is the Executive Director of the SC Lowcountry Tourism Commission.  We are so fortunate to live, work and play in a beautiful location! |
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First FridayFirst Friday in February was Fantastic! The Interact Club Board Members joined us for our breakfast meeting.
 Dana Bolden was installed as our newest member  , and two members (Andy and Doug) were recognized with Paul Harris pins. |
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Rotary ReaderScott Shipsey is having so much fun with Rotary Reader!!
 Scott has been actively reading with the school children at not one but three different schools — St Helena, Lady’s Island and Coosa Elementary Schools.  If you would like to be a volunteer, see Scott for more information- it’s easy to sign up and so rewarding! |
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National Giving MonthDick Deuel, Past President, chose Dec 22, to present checks to the Lowcountry Rotary 2023 Fundraising Recepients. How appropriate as December is National Giving Month! There were 14 organizations selected this year and only 3 weren’t available to attend our morning meeting.
 Congratulations to all and thank you for your service to our community. |
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Celebrating Connie!
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Volunteer Saturday!Volunteer Saturday!! Thanks to all of our members who donated their time this past Saturday for the annual “ringing of the bell” for the Salvation Army!
  Kathy & Doug and Jeff and Valerie had the perfect weather day! #givebacktoyourcommunity #volunteer #salvationarmy |
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Club Awards
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And, That’s A Wrap! 2023 Oyster Roast Hugely Successful!Congratulations to Oyster Roast chairperson, Pinky Harriott and the committee for a fantastic event! The weather was great; the crowd was big; the oysters, hotdogs and chili were plentiful; the drinks were cold; the music was perfect; and the auction items were exciting!! Bringing the community together to raise awareness of our Rotary club’s mission and to raise funds for local charities is so rewarding! 🌭🦪🍻🍷 Thank you to our Sponsors, Club Members, Spouses, Interact Club and Attendees for your support!!
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26th Annual Lowcountry Rotary Family Oyster RoastOur 26th Annual Lowcountry Rotary Club Family Oyster Roast is coming up on Saturday November 4th, 2023 from 3-7 PM at the Live Oaks Park in Port Royal, SC.
 Tickets are available at Palmetto State Bank on Lady's Island or Bay Street Jewelers in downtown Beaufort. A limited number of tickets will be available at the gate for $45 on Saturday. Don't miss it! |
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Wreaths Across AmericaYou're invited to participate! Thank you to David Edwards, local Coordinator for Wreaths Across America at the Beaufort National Cemetery for sharing his message and enthusiasm for this wonderful program. This year approximately 3,900 locations will participate across the U.S. in Wreaths Across America; 3.8 million wreaths were placed at gravesites last year.  David has been involved with the program for 17 years and said it's a way to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. On December 16, 2023, about 300 motorcycles and 4-5 freight trucks will enter the Beaufort National Cementery as a convoy to kick off the event, starting at 11:00 am. You are invited to donate by sponsoring a wreath and/or come out and help to lay wreaths on the graves of the veterans (over 26,000 internments). Please go to their website www.wreathsacrossamerica.org for more information.  |
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Inspiration = Polio PlusWhat an inspiring program! Meet Fil Acker who shared his story about being diagnosed with polio at the age of 5 years old - he was in the hospital in Greenville, SC - in an Iron Lung 24/7.  Fil was able to leave the hospital after 3 months of treatment and lots of PT, encouragement and love from friends and family. He thanked the Rotarians their continued support of Polio Plus. Kerry Bunton and Bob Bible recognized Chuck Raynor and Terri Stokes for contributions to the Polio Plus Society.  World Polio Day is Oct 24. |
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Friday Mornings are Great!Oh what fun we had on Friday morning, Sept 21st. We were graced by Bonnie Hargrove, the Director of the Center for the Arts for USC-B, along with Elaine O'Connell Lake. Bonnie filled us in on the upcoming shows and events - how lucky are we to have Broadway shows, Children's Theatre, Adult Theatre, gallery exhibits, etc. right here in Beaufort...the list goes on with Beaufort Film Festival, Dancing with the Stars, Books Sandwiched in.  Elaine, aka Mother Abbess, ended our meeting with her beautiful voice singing, Climb Every Mountain from the Sound of Music - she was remarkable and touched our hearts! Check out their website at www.uscbcenterforthearts.com  Sept 29, 2023 we had the opportunity to hear the very moving story of two young people, Madison (18) and Jon Paul (19), who were tragically killed in an auto accident on 12/4/21… by a repeat offender who was driving at a high rate of speed while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. James and Jennifer Klepesky, Madison’s parents, shared their vision to keep Madison and Jon Paul’s memories alive through creating Madison’s Miracles, Inc. Their hearts are full of compassion. There are so many ways you can get involved: www.Madisonsmiraclesinc.org Provide Educational Scholarships, Safe Driving Education, Assist with the Cost of Prom for Underprivileged Students just to name a few.
 Thank you to Julianne Clark and Randy Ott for teaming up for the very meaningful program. |
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Did You Know?Did You Know - Beaufort has a National Park? Chris Barr, the Chief of Interpretation at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in Beaufort, was our guest speaker this past Friday. Chris has only been in Beaufort since 2019, but he is a wealth of information! He has the passion, energy and knowledge to keep you on your toes - Chris filled us in on our very different National Park as it’s not in one location but several including Craven Street Visitor’s Center, Camp Saxton in Port Royal, Darrah Hall at Penn Center, and others. This may call for a field trip! Pictured above are President Bob Bible, Park Ranger Chris Barr and Rotarian Terri Stokes. |
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BUSY
Sept 11, 2023, we had 10 members and one spouse participate in the Patriot Day event in the Beaufort Waterfront Park.  They volunteered to be flag bearers for our Club along with the Exchange Club, Lions Club, Beaufort Rotary Club, Boy Scouts and the Sea Island Rotary Club.  It was a very touching and moving community event to honor and remember those who died on 9/11.On Saturday, 9/16/23, we had 4 Rotarians, 1 spouse and 62 Interact Club members participate in the Walk for Water held in Port Royal at the Live Oaks Park. This is the 7th annual Walk in Beaufort and we are so proud of those who gave of their time raising money for this mission and of their time to walk.  Pictured from our Club is Dick Deuel, Bob and Colleen Bible, Doug and Kathy Crowley.  |
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End Polio Now!Doug Crowley was recently recognized as a Charter Member of the Polio Plus Society. Kerry Bunton, Foundation Chairman, presented Doug with a pin for his commitment to making an annual contribution to Polio Plus.
 See Kerry if you are interested in becoming a Charter Member - join the effort to End Polio Now! |
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Welcome DG Lou Mello!Oh Happy Day!! We had the pleasure of District Governor Lou Mello visiting our club on Friday, August 18th. He has his priorities in order to make this a great year for District 7770: from Membership to Foundation, to Public Image, and many other initiatives such as Service Projects. We were energized from just reading his tremendous Rotary bio, but now we are ready to meet the challenge he has put before us!  Foundation Chairman, Kerry Bunton, had the distinct privilege of awarding 3 Paul Harris Fellows: Scott Klumb, a Paul Harris Society member, received his 4th Level Pin; Doug Crowley was recognized as a 5th Level donor; and Steve Keeler for his tremendous heart of Service Above Self with his first PH Fellow. We are so proud of all of these outstanding Rotarians!  We are looking forward to an interesting program August 25th - William Fugate is the Business Development Manager for Skydrive. Please come join us! |
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WELCOME times 2 !!Friday, August 11th brought a lot of excitement to our club with a new member and a new incoming Exchange Student! Welcome to Randy Otto, who recently moved to Beaufort from Wisconsin (where he was a Rotarian for 23 years) - Neil Lipsitz, Membership Chair, had the honor of inducting Randy into our club. Randy said he really enjoyed our club as it reminded him of his previous club, and we are a lot of fun!  Thank you to Kate Samuel, who serves on the Dist 7770 RYE Committee, for introducing our inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Eliza (aka Liza) Tymburib from Brazil. She will be attending Beaufort High School this year. Kate was our Rotex to the Canary Islands, Spain several years ago. Abby Chiaviello attended our meeting as well, as she was our Rotex to France (attending Clemson now).
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New Rotary Year is Already Very ActiveIn June we celebrated our new Rotary year with a Change of Watch Ceremony, welcoming Bob Bible as our incoming President for 2023-24 ensuing year. He has a wonderful slate of officers to help guide and lead our Club: President Elect - Pinky Harriott Secretary - Ron Bridges Treasurer - Doug Crowley Past President - Dick Deuel Sgt-at-Arms - Scott Klumb Foundation Chair - Kerry Bunton Public Image Chair - Pinky Harriott/Terri Stokes Membership Chair - Neil Lipsitz Service Projects Chair - Kathy Crowley Youth Exchange Officer - Laura Fanelli We are so proud of Kerry Bunton to be named Assistant Governor! We kicked off our volunteer activities with the Annual Beaufort Water Festival in July with serving beer for two nights: Motown Monday and the Talent Show (where our very own Jeff Althoff is the MC); we always enjoy teaming up with the other two local clubs to serve Lowcountry Boil on Thursday night. Chuck Raynor keeps us motivated with our monthly Adopt-A-Highway - we look forward to Interact Club joining us again soon. Spanish Moss Trail Trash Pickup is weekly - Combining the Speaker Assignment with Spanish Moss Trail has been a win /win - so easy to remember when your turn has arrived. Terrific, Informative, Entertaining Speakers - Wow a great variety of speakers for July! James Nutt - Beaufort Water Festival Commodore Pamela Courtney - Port Royal Historic Society & Museum Stacey Applegate - Freeman Arts District Thanks Scott Klumb and Neil Lipsitz for a fun program August 4th in honor of Rotary Membership Month. The Rotary Club of the Lowcountry welcomes visitors to our club! Please join us on Fridays at 7:30 am at Sea Island Presbyterian Church on Lady's Island. Questions?? - contact our President, Bob Bible at reconmc@aol.com. Our next program is August 11th. Check out our Facebook page, Rotary Club of the Lowcountry - Beaufort. |
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Welcome to Lowcountry Rotary!Welcome to Lowcountry Rotary Club! Rotary Club of the Lowcountry is known as the little club that could. Although a small club we are very active in the community giving our time and funds we raise to local non-profit organizations. We gave over $30,000 in the 2021-2022 year to local non-profits as well as to the CART Fund for cutting-edge research to prevent, Treat, and cure Alzheimer's disease. We have also applied for and received Rotary District Grants for such things as the “Good Neighbor” Free Clinic, training materials for Lowcountry Habitat for Humanity, and for the Beaufort County School District 6th Graders Anti-Bully Program materials. On an international level, our members personally donated and raised funds totaling over $15,000 collectively for The Rotary Foundation to support peace projects, maternal and child health, basic literacy, disease prevention, and clean water and sanitation. Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.4 million members in 45,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.
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2023 Memory Links Tournament a great success!Many thanks to our tournament sponsors and volunteers for making this year's tournament the best ever! We raised over $12,000 to battle Alzheimer's disease through the CART Fund for cutting edge research, and also will provide help to the local Alzheimer's family support agency, AFSGB. Thanks also to the 23 teams who came out to Fripp Island's Ocean Creek course for a beautiful day of fun and fellowship, all for a wonderful cause.
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2023 Golf TournamentOur 18th Annual Memory Links Golf Tournament is scheduled for June 3, 2023 at Fripp Island Ocean Creek Course. To register a golfer or a team of golfers, or for sponsorship opportunities, please email us at LowcountryRotary@gmail.com or call 843.252.8535 . Click "Read More" to get a copy of this year's Registration Form and Flyer.  |
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17th Annual Memory Links Golf TournamentPlease join us for our 17th Annual Memory Links Golf Tournament at the Ocean Creek Golf Course on Fripp Island.  |
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Oyster Roast Rescheduled!Ok Mother Nature wins and we call an audible. We have rescheduled our epic oyster roast until TOMORROW, Sunday, November 7, from 1-5pm.  Auction, music, beverages, oysters, and all the fun--except without the clouds, cold and rain! Join us tomorrow at Live Oaks--relax and enjoy some great food and fun.
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24th Annual Family Oyster Roast
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16th Annual Memory Links Golf Tournament |
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Food Drive a Big Success!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.  |
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WE'RE #1 in Rotary District 7770The 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. |
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CRAB RACE WINNERS!! |
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CRAB RACE DAY!! |
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WE'RE STILL MEETING!! (with ZOOM)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!
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Late Winter HappeningsHey 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!
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Lowcountry Club Hits a Long Drive for CART FundThe 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 |
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Happy New Year!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.
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Lowcountry Rotary Recipe for 50,000 Meals!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” |
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23rd Annual Family Oyster RoastBe 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  |
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Little Free LibraryThe 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.  |
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CART FUND DonationsRotarians 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.
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Lowcountry Rotary Supports United Way in a BIG Way!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. |
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Next Big Fundraiser November 3rd |
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We're #1Rotary 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. |
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Tis the Season--For Service!!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. |
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LOWCOUNTRY ROTARY CLUB At the Water Festival 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. |
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14th Annual Memory Links Golf Tournament |
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2nd Annual Brackets for BucketsCongratulations to Alice Howard for winning the 2nd annual Brackets for Buckets competition. The competition raised $85.00 to be donated to the CART fund in Alice's name. Thank you to all who participated in this fun event!   |
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12th Annual Memory Links GolfJoin Rotary Club of the Lowcountry at the 12th Annual Memory Links Alzheimer’s Benefit Golf Tournament. The tournament will be held Saturday, June 4, 2016 at Ocean Creek Course on Fripp Island. The entry fee of $85 includes cart, beverages, prizes, goody bag and lunch immediately after the tournament. Bring a team of friends and help us continue to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. Rotary has been a strong supporter of funding grants to research.
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The Four Way TestFour Way Test
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Important DatesImportant Dates
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agendaAgenda for January 7, 2016
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Focus on Jones Boxing AcademyRotary Club of the Lowcountry is proud to be a supporter of Jones Boxing Academy. The Club recently provided much needed cleaning supplies and financial support that will help the Academy meet their mission.
  The future goals that Jones Boxing Academy would like to achieve are being able to provide after school care/training, camps for at risk children, and camps for obese children. Anyone that is interested in Boxing Fitness (any age), Amateur (start at age 8) and Professional (18-35) Boxing Management can sign up by going to 17 A Eastern Road Beaufort SC 29906, email at jonesboxingacademyllc40@yahoo.com, or call (843)476-1868
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Great Day at the Beach!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.
.jpg) Look for more photos in our photo album on the home page of Lowcountryrotary.org.
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2 Service Projects and a Social--In ONE Day!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.
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Lowcountry Rotary sponsors New Years FireworksLowcountry Rotary is sponsoring a new event in Downtown Beaufort this year! Founders' Night Fireworks in Waterfront Park, a joint effort with the City of Beaufort, the Beaufort Tricentennial, and the Lollipop Shop. From 5-7 PM our club will be serving hot chocolate and around 7 PM we want you to sit back in your lawn chairs and look to the sky for the fireworks show!
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Nocturnal Animals Education
Rotary Club of the Lowcountry was excited to have Nancy Owens educate us on the owls and bats that live in our beautiful part of the world. It was wonderful to have a chance to see these nocturnal animals up close.
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Beach Sweep 2014 Fall EditionWith a beautiful overcast sky as a backdrop, 18 Rotarians, spouses, friends and family gathered at Hunting Island.
 We cooked delicious hot dogs and hamburgers for 160 hard-working volunteers who cleaned up litter from the beach, hiking trails, and the marsh boardwalk. Be sure to go to the Photo Album tab to see all the pictures! As you will see, it was a little bit of Rotary and a whole lot of fun! |
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Ice Cream SocialOur ice cream social was a cool event on the hottest day of the year! With the temperature at a sweltering 98 degrees, we found several ways to cool off. After inducting our newest member, Cliff Mrkvicka, members and guests chilled by enjoying ice cream with loads of delicious toppings. And if that didn't do the trick, about a dozen members took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
 Welcome Cliff and Michelle! Look for all of the pictures in our photo gallery. |
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Lowcountry Supper at Water Festival 2014 |
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Rotary International Spouse Service AwardPaula 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.
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Alzheimer's Benefit 10th Annual Memory Links GolfLowcountry Rotary's 10th Annual Memory Links Golf Tournament was our biggest ever!
 With 27 teams competing for prizes and having great fellowship at the Ocean Creek Golf Club on Fripp Island, this event has become the "funnest" golf tournament in Beaufort County. But most importantly, all of the proceeds from this event go to two great organizations. First, we donate to the CART Fund which was started by a Rotarian in Sumter and uses 100% of donations to fund cutting edge research to seek early detection, promising treatments or cures for this awful disease. The CART Fund has been the largest non-governmental provider of grants for Alzheimer's research in the USA. Second, we also donate funds to the local support agency, Alzheimer's Family Services of Greater Beaufort (AFSGB). Currently, AFSGB offers 3 days of group respite care; a maintain your brain group for those recently diagnosed, or anyone wanting to stimulate and promote a healthy brain; home education and training programs for the community and for medical personnel are also available by special arrangement.Our tournament would not happen or be successful without local companies and individuals stepping up to help sponsor our event. Many thanks to Hargray, Hanna's Day of Hope, and Gene Rugula for being our major sponsors. Also, our putting contest was sponsored by Bay Street Jewelers and they provided a beautiful necklace and earring set AND a matching ring that was the prize for the Ladies' Longest Drive Contest.
Individual hole sponsors were Crowley Wechsler & Associates LLC, Jatin J. Patel CPA, Trask & Lynn CPA, Paula Bunton & Jerry Mott, Stokes Brown Toyota, Complete Air LLC, O C Welch Ford , Benjamin Kolb, Smoak Morris Hughes LLC, and Michael Bestwick for the YMCA, and our local PEPSI distributor.
Here is a list of our winners:
 Look at pictures from the event in our Photo Album. We should have the final numbers soon and get the funds out to our two recipients soon.
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Beach Sweep Fun, Food, and Fellowship As one of our past District Governors would say, we had "a little bit of Rotary and a whole lot of fun!" About 1/3 of our club showed up on Saturday morning to cook Hamburgers and Hot Dogs for the many volunteers at the semi-annual Beach Sweep at Hunting Island State Park. At last count we cooked 160 burgers and 120 hot dogs for the hungry crowd, who cleaned hundreds of pounds of litter from the beach, trails, roadsides, and marshes around the park. From Boy Scout Troops to a large group of Wade Hampton High Schoolers, the volunteers worked all morning picking up litter before the start of the summer season.Many thanks to Jeff, Alan, Dick & Gayle, Kerry & Paula, John & Rena, Frank, Bill E., Bill G., Charlotte, Elliot & Pam, Jerry, Chuck, and Alice for pitching in for this event.
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Thanks for supporting the Crab Race!Thanks to all who supported the Crab Race at the Port Royal Soft-Shell Crab Festival on Saturday, April 19th.
For more info on the results, go to www.PortRoyalCrabRace.com
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Adopt-A-HighwayOnce a month the Lowcountry Rotary, partnering with the Interact Club of Beaufort High School, cleans up a section of Sea Island Parkway and Youmans Road near the two entrances to the school. We normally schedule this on the 3rd Saturday of the month at 8:30 AM during the school year and 8:00 AM durng the summer months. We meet at the Seaside Vineyard Church parking lot (the former Lady's Island Cinema).
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Quote of the Week - Who Said It?
We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.
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Thought for the Week - Who Said It?
An optimist is the human personification of spring.
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Anti-Bullying CampaignRotary Club of the Lowcountry partnered with Beaufort Country School District who worked with Beaufort High’s Performing Arts Theatre Group to put on an assembly that every 6th grader in Beaufort County was invited to attend. Beaufort Middle, Lady’s Island Middle Robert Small’s Middle and Whale Branch Middle Schools all attend presentations at Beaufort High’s Performing Arts Center. The Theatre Group put on thought-provoking skits and involved the students and the teachers. Beaufort High’s Theatre Group and Rotary Club of the Lowcountry then traveled to Bluffton Middle and Hilton Head Island Middle to put on the same presentation. The teachers were in attendance at the assembly as well since they are seeing some of these bullying behaviors taking place but unaware of the really harm being caused and may be turning a blind eye to the situation. The program was designed for the teachers to take action, let the victim know they don’t have to tolerate being treated this way, encourage bystanders who see something to say something and to let the bully’s know that this sort of behavior is not to be tolerated. Rotary Club of the Lowcountry distributed anti-bullying activity books and bookmarks to each student as they exited the assembly. The school district also had the Rotarians distribute arm bands that had an anti-bullying message and telephone number listed in case they wanted to speak with someone outside their school. Last year, the drama group performed in front of all the 6th graders in the entire school district, at the Rotary District 7770 Conference in Myrtle Beach, and at the Zone 33 Rotary Peace Symposium in North Carolina.
For a clip of the skits, see the link below:
Check out their article in Bluffton Today: |
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Ice Cream SocialRotary Club of the Lowcountry celebrated the beginning of the Labor Day weekend by hosting an at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club. In attendance were club members, past members, friends of the club and potential members for a fun-filled evening of ice cream and swimming
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Integrated eBulletin for Easier CommunicationClubRunner makes it easy to publish your weekly Club eBulletin, and send to all members and friends of the club, by incorporating home page stories and events with the push of a button.
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Security and Integrity of Your DataData on the server is protected by TCP/IP filtering, firewall and anti-virus software that protect against any unauthorized intrusion. Backups of data are made daily and stored off-site.
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Many of the Rotarians in our Club are graduates. We are proud that Connie is a Honorary Member of the Lowcountry Rotary Club. Thanks for the meeting introduction Bill Gossett. #leadershipbeaufort 
and the Rotary International Presidential Citation, as well as the 5 star Rotary Foundation award. 
🏆🎉👏 #givebacktothecommunity #rotaryclub #smallclub
