At Summer Celebration on July 12, the Rotary Club of Mercer Island had an information table that we staffed for several hours.

It’s always surprising to me how many people stop by and ask: “What is Rotary anyway? What do you guys do?”

Well, we explain, Rotary is the largest service organization in the world, with 46,000 clubs in 200 countries all over the globe and a total of 1.3 million members.

Our club (mirotary.org) has been around since 1963 and now meets twice a month at noon (first and third Tuesdays) at the Community and Events Center. Guests may join us anytime and we’re always glad to welcome new members.

We used to sponsor the annual Rotary Half Marathon run around the island, but that was suspended due to Covid and we can’t do it again. This year we are sponsoring a golf tournament and a pickleball tournament to raise funds that the race used to provide. (To register, see our website.)

“What do you do with the money you raise?” people ask. Answer: Every year, the Rotary Club of Mercer Island invests in programs and projects that create positive change — locally and globally.

Here’s a look at the organizations and initiatives we have supported over the past few years.

Local grants

• Benchmark Literacy Program for Multilingual Learners: Supporting literacy development for students learning English as an additional language.

• City of Mercer Island Parks Department, Dragon Park: Raising funds to help renovate beloved Dragon Park to make it accessible and inclusive for all, as we did for Mercerdale Train Park.

• Community Day of Inclusion: A day to celebrate children of all abilities and strengthen community connections. Hosted by the PTA’s Special Services and Learning Differences (SSALD) group.

• Covenant Living at the Shores Benevolent Care Fund: Helping senior residents who need financial assistance to remain in the community.

• DADS Fatherhood Program: Empowering fathers to become positive role models and active participants in their children’s lives.

• Mercer Island Farmers Market: Sustaining a vibrant local farmers market that brings fresh food and neighbors together.

• iReady Assessment Tools for Islander Middle School: Providing tools to track student progress and support individualized learning.

• Mercer Island Summer Celebration: A beloved community tradition filled with music, games, and fun for all ages.

• MISD Leadership Development, Structured Studies Curricula and Training: Enhancing leadership and structured learning programs in Mercer Island schools.

• Pies Against Cancer: A creative fundraiser that turns delicious pies into cancer research funding.

• Shakespeare in the Park: Bringing live, outdoor theater performances to Mercer Island for all to enjoy.

• The Friendship Circle of Washington, U-Matter: Promoting inclusion and friendship for children and teens with special needs.

• Mercer Island Visual Arts League (MIVAL) Summer Art Exhibit: Showcasing local artists and celebrating the visual arts in our community.

• Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) Family Assistance Fund: Providing financial assistance to Mercer Island families facing hardship.

• MIYFS Mental Health Program: Offering mental health support services for youth and families on Mercer Island.

• Mercer Island High School Booster Club, Senior Night: Supporting a safe, drug- and alcohol-free celebration for graduating seniors.

• Mercer Island High School Senior Scholarships: Awarding scholarships to deserving seniors pursuing higher education.

International grants

• Bukobero Phase 3 Community Clinic, Uganda: Providing a solar generator and fuel tank for a rural health clinic. Mercer Island Rotary has served as a lead club on this project for the past two years.

• West African Vocational Schools (WAVS), Guinea-Bissau: Supporting carpentry and machinery training for young adults.

• Kiran Anjali Project, India: Advancing girls’ education in Bengaluru, India.

• Hebron Tech Hub, Ukraine: Delivering tech training and career development for Ukrainian youth.

• Natun Guatemala: Strengthening indigenous education and youth leadership development.

• Fundación Niña María, Colombia: Building a domestic wastewater treatment plant in Bogotá to improve community health.

• Simunye ePap Nourish to Flourish Project, South Africa: Providing nutrient-dense ePap porridge to malnourished communities.

• Malaria Project, Guinea: Supporting malaria testing and screening for students in Guinea.

In addition, Rotary does many hands-on service projects including building tiny houses, feeding the homeless through Operation Nightwatch, overseeing a kids’ clothing drive with the SJCC and MISD, helping Harvest Against Hunger, planting trees to reforest lands, and cleaning up local parks. We regularly maintain Rotary Park near the MI Library and last fall did a “Leaf Raking Artwork” project there that was lots of fun for everyone. (We’ll do that again in October, date TBD.)

Some people seem to think Rotary is still a mostly male, white and aging organization, but those days are long gone. We are now increasingly diverse in gender, age, race, ethnicity, and ideology. Rotary is non-political and does not take positions on candidates or issues. We like to hear all sides and look for common ground. We may disagree, but are always civil and respectful of each other’s views.

Our club has a terrific mix of folks, including longtime Rotarians like me and many newer members, especially moms with young children. Several City Council members and other local leaders are Rotarians. Our new MI Police Chief, Michelle Bennett, plans to join. Our current president, Todd White, is a Boeing test pilot. He is lining up super guest speakers for the weeks ahead.

If you support such local and/or international efforts, please consider joining our club. Or check out the new “Happy Hour” club that meets in the evening for those who can’t make a lunch meeting.

Rotary always welcomes new members. Our motto is “Service Above Self.” Glad to answer any questions anytime.

Rotary rocks!

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John Hamer (jhamer46@gmail.com) has been a Rotary Club of Mercer Island member for 8 years and previously was a member of downtown Seattle Rotary for almost 20 years.