This Saturday will bring the 100th anniversary celebration for the Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor. Local Rotarians will gather at the Mendel Center in Benton Township for a reception featuring Rotary International President Ian Riseley, who’s coming in all the way from Australia. Chapter President Rick Villa tells WSJM News the Rotary is all about serving the community.
“The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor is mostly about the youth,” Villa said. “Youth initiatives, helping the youth in mentoring programs, through scholarship programs, through our essay contest, our Rotary Track Meet, which has been around for 61 years, and general community involvement.”
Key local Rotary programs include the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Foundation, which was established in 1980 and has awarded more than $830,000 in grants, the Rotary Essay Contest, and the Rotary Track Meet. The organization’s motto is “Service Above Self.”
