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Several members of The Rotary Club of Polk County/Mena passed out dictionaries last week to all of the county’s third grade students. Rotary President Linda Rowe said, “The dictionary project is one our club has done for at least 12 years. It is one of our favorite projects as we personally deliver the dictionaries to the classroom and get the opportunity to interact with the students.”
The dictionaries also include quite a bit of reference material such as information about each state and each U.S. president. “Teachers and students welcome us to their classrooms and we get the opportunity to spend a little bit of time with them. High school teachers have told us that they have students who still have, and use, their Rotary dictionary. It is very rewarding for us to provide a book to each child and to know they are well used,” Rowe said.
The Rotary Club of Polk County/Mena also celebrates its 15th anniversary this month. The club was the first Rotary club chartered in the new millennium, January 1, 2000. The club is part of Rotary International, the oldest and largest service organization in the world. More than 1.2 million Rotarians in over 34,000 clubs in 170 countries join together to promote literacy, education, peace and humanitarian projects.
In addition to the dictionary project, the Club also provides classroom grants to teachers, scholarships, and support to projects to improve the lives of people in the community. “We honor a volunteer of the year, citizen of the year and law enforcement officer of the year, and annually contribute to the Single Parent Scholarship Fund,” said Rowe. Rotarians can be found volunteering at Special Olympics, working in area school concession stands, supporting Chamber of Commerce activities and much more. Their signature fundraiser for the year is Wheel A’Mena – Tour to the Top, a bicycle ride that leaves Janssen Park and gives riders the option of a 30-mile ride up the north side of Rich Mountain, or a 70-mile ride into Oklahoma and returning to Mena on the Talimena Scenic Drive. 2014 marked the third Wheel A’Mena event and where the Rotary hosted more than 80 cyclists from six states.
In celebration of their anniversary, they will host the Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce Coffee on Tuesday, January 27, from 10 to 11 am at Papa’s Mexican Café. Everyone is invited to come out and learn more about Rotary and visit with the group.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.
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