Club events
26 November - 31 December | Rotary Club of Lake Country-Hartland, Wisconsin
Yule Feed Families
This holiday fundraiser and food drive was founded in 1991 by longtime club members Gary Jasiek and Scott Peterson and for many years was organized in partnership with the newspaper they both worked for. Since its inception, the annual campaign has collected more than $1 million in donations and tens of thousands of grocery items for five food pantries in the Lake Country area of Waukesha County. This year, the club hopes to raise at least $55,000.
28 November-31 December | Eight Rotary clubs in District 6250 (parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota)
Holiday Light Show
Since 1995, Rotary clubs in and around La Crosse, Wisconsin, have put on an extravagant display of lights that draws thousands of people to Riverside Park each holiday season. Opening night is the day after Thanksgiving and includes a parade and fireworks. Santa and his reindeer roam the park nightly through 23 December, and carriage rides, hayrides, and a live nativity are offered on select evenings. Admission is free; organizers encourage donations of cash and nonperishable food items to benefit local food pantries.
1 January | Rotary Club of Fair Lawn-Sunrise, New Jersey
1st Day 5K
Since 2003, the club has held a New Year’s Day 5K run to promote healthy habits and community spirit, with last year’s race attracting more than 400 participants. This year’s doubles as the kick-off event for Fair Lawn’s celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States. Those who prefer a more leisurely experience can take part in a 1-mile walk. Proceeds from the event benefit local projects, nonprofits, and scholarships.
Tell us about your club’s upcoming event: Write to magazine@rotary.org and put “calendar” in the subject line. To be considered for inclusion in Rotary magazine’s print edition, submissions must be received at least five months before the event.
10 January | Rotary clubs of Daytona Beach West, Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, and Southeast Volusia Golf, Florida
Ride to End Polio
Originally organized by the New Smyrna Beach club, this annual bike ride to raise money for End Polio Now is now a joint effort with three other clubs in District 6970. The ride begins at a park sponsored by the Edgewater club and continues along the scenic East Central Regional Rail Trail. Cyclists can choose among routes of 6, 20, and 30 miles.
24 January | Rotary Club of Cypress-Fairbanks, Texas
Bourbon and Brisket
Held at a renovated barn on a 10-acre pasture, the club’s second annual barbecue dinner features mouthwatering brisket alongside a range of bourbons and other libations. There will also be music, backyard games such as horseshoes and cornhole, and live and silent auctions. Proceeds benefit Guns to Hammers Construction, a nonprofit that remodels the homes of military veterans with disabilities to make their living spaces more accessible.
24 January | Rotary Club of Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Chilly Chili Challenge
This chili cook-off is part of Blowing Rock’s four-day WinterFest celebration. There are separate divisions for home cooks and professional restaurant chefs, with the chefs partnering with local nonprofits to raise awareness of the organizations’ missions. Celebrity judges name the overall winners, while chili-sampling attendees determine the People’s Choice Award by donating money to their favorite chef’s nonprofit partner. The chef who raises the most wins. Event proceeds benefit local nonprofits and Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (CART Fund).
24 January | Rotary Club of Whitnall Park, Wisconsin
Sheepshead Tournament
Sheepshead is a trick-taking card game that derives from the Bavarian game Schafkopf (“sheep’s head” in German) and is especially popular in Wisconsin. This tournament takes place at the Greenfield Community Center and includes three rounds of play, a 50/50 raffle during each round, and lunch and drinks for a $25 admission fee. Cash prizes are awarded to the players who come in first, second, and third place. Proceeds benefit local projects.
30-31 January | Rotary Club of Skaneateles Sunrise, New York
Skaneateles Winterfest
The centerpiece of the club’s annual midwinter celebration is the Taste of Skaneateles, featuring samples of food and drinks from about 20 area restaurants. Attendees can also stroll past ice sculptures, watch an ice carving demonstration, go on a scavenger hunt, and participate in an ice-cold plunge into Skaneateles Lake. The event kicks off Friday night with the ceremonial lighting of a bonfire inside an ice block chimney. Proceeds support local and international projects.
31 January | Rotary Club of Lake County Golden Triangle, Florida
Sixth Annual Tri-City Fire Department Food Drive Challenge
Three fire departments in the cities of Eustis, Mount Dora and Tavares engage in a friendly annual competition to see which agency can gather the most food donations. Over the past five years, the Lake County Golden Triangle club has coordinated collections totaling more than 120,000 pounds of food which provided over 101,000 meals to community members struggling with food insecurity. Other partners include Lake Technical College, Chick-fil-A Mt. Dora and the Leesburg Elks Lodge. The food is donated to Lake Cares Food Pantry, which provides food and other necessities directly to people in need in Lake County. The club also has become a member of Club 500 to help meet the capital campaign goal for the pantry’s new building.
7 February | Rotary Club of Mathews, Virginia
Chili Cook-Off
For the 10th year, this event invites nonprofits in the Mathews area to serve their best batch of chili the night before the Super Bowl. The organization whose chili is deemed the most delicious by a panel of judges earns $200; the same amount is given to the winner of the People’s Choice award. There are also prizes for the best decorated booth and the most tickets sold. Each chili booth will sell quarts to take home — perfect for the next day’s parties.
13 February | Rotary Club of Maryville, Tennessee
Rotary Night on the Red Carpet
The evening includes music and dancing, as well as silent and live auctions. For 30 years, the club has hosted a fundraiser, using the proceeds to fight food insecurity, provide assistance for returning college students, join with Habitat families to build homes, and deliver dictionaries to every third-grader in the county.
13 February | Rotary Club of Fredericksburg, Texas
Cupid's Bow Bash
This year's Cupid's Bow Bash is the club's 12th annual Valentine's Day party. It features a multicourse catered dinner and live music performed by Bob Appel, a traditional country singer based in Austin, and his band. There is also a door prize and a silent auction. Organizers expect more than 200 people to attend, with proceeds supporting local and international projects and scholarships.
14 February | Rotary Club of Dahlonega Sunrise, Georgia
Wimpy Mile
The course for this annual mile-long race in the Blue Ridge foothills runs mostly downhill along Wimpy Mill Road, with a steady 178-foot drop in elevation between the start in downtown Dahlonega and the finish line at a riverside picnic area. Participants of all abilities are welcome. Serious runners can try for a personal record, while others can go at their own easy pace. Music, snack booths, and an awards ceremony await finishers. The event benefits local nonprofits and scholarships.
14 February | Rotary Club of Duncan, British Columbia
Heart of Gold Gala
This gala event at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre is the culmination of a nearly monthlong online auction set to launch 19 January. Bidders can expect a bounty of auction items; last year’s included framed artworks, tickets to a country music festival, a year’s supply of eggs from a local farm, and more. The evening celebration includes entertainment and a traditional silent auction, with proceeds benefiting local projects.
19 February | Rotary clubs of Southport and Southport Evening, North Carolina
Chefs of Brunswick
More than a dozen restaurants and other vendors in Brunswick County offer samples of their finest food and drinks at this annual social event, first held in 2023. A raffle offers attendees the chance to win up to $500 in gift cards to some of the participating restaurants. Organizers expect 600 people to fill the venue. Event proceeds benefit local nonprofits and projects.
21 February | Rotary Club of Signal Hill, California
Mutt Run
At this dog-friendly race, humans can run or walk alongside their four-legged friends on a course that follows the scenic Long Beach shoreline. All finishers receive a medal and a T-shirt. Past the finish line, Long Beach Animal Care Services, a municipal shelter that cares for about 4,000 animals each year, puts on an adorable showcase of adoptable pups. Proceeds from the event benefit the animal shelter and local projects.
28 February | Rotary Club of Independence, Missouri
Mardi Gras
The club gets into the carnival spirit with this festive New Orleans-style celebration, featuring a zydeco band and Louisiana cuisine such as jambalaya, catfish, gumbo, and king cake. A second line parade into the banquet hall gets the party started, while games and live and silent auctions add to the merriment. This year’s beneficiary, Blue Valley Activity Center, is a local organization that offers recreational sports programs for children.
28 February | Rotary Club of Des Moines AM Foundation, Iowa
Bingo Bash
Now in its fifth year, this family-friendly event runs four sessions between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. and has grown to over 1,000 attendees annually. Each year, the club votes on three nonprofits to benefit, one in each of the following areas: food insecurity, human trafficking, and mental health. The event was created to build the club’s foundation to $1 million, so more funds can be donated annually to those in need.