What Does Rotary Do?

There are almost as many ways to answer this question as there are Rotary clubs, and a better question might be “What Doesn’t Rotary Do?”  But, quite simply, Rotary is about Service and Fellowship.  Rotarians know that these two ideas go hand-in-hand because, through the fellowship of our service projects, we build our friendships that last a lifetime.

While the clubs around the world tailor their own service projects to one or more of Rotary International's Six Areas of Focus, all clubs are united in one common goal - the global eradication of polio.  So, when you see the slogan "We are this close" to polio eradication, you will know that 1.2 million Rotarians are working tirelessly to make that happen.  At the Rotary Club of Madison, we proudly support this effort with our Change for Change Campaign and contributions to Rotary International's Polio Plus Fund.

We also provide humanitarian relief in southern Honduras.  Every February, you can find our team's boots on the ground in the surrounding communities of Choluteca, operating our own dental and vision clinics, supporting our EcoStove Project, and distributing clothes, vitamins, and school supplies to the local families.

Locally, through our Done-in-a-Day Projects, you can find us just about everywhere else.  These projects keep us busy in just about everything you can imagine. We never know what the next project will be or where it will take us.  Oh, and the other good part?  Non-Rotarians can give Rotary a test drive by participating in one of these projects.  So, if you would like to learn more, contact us, and we will fill you in on our next project.

As part of our Vocational and Youth Services projects, Madison Rotarians co-host the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) at the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center.  This annual 3-day event provides leadership and vocational training to over 100 area high school students with team-building activities, dynamic speakers, and leadership workshops.  We also honor our local firefighter, police officers, and city employees with annual recognition awards.  Madison Rotarians proudly support our Military Veterans by sponsoring the annual Veteran’s Prayer Breakfast, recognizing a local Veteran of the Week, and supporting Still Serving Veterans.

You can learn more about these and our other service projects under Avenues of Service.