Since its founding in 1972, Rotary Club of Carmel has been making a positive influence in the community and surrounding area, through volunteer work, community outreach, grant programs and international services. Rotary has more than 1.2 million members worldwide in 45,000 clubs, and Rotary Club of Carmel is proud to be among an elite group of individuals who strive to put – as Rotary’s principal motto says – service above self.
Rotary Club is a service club whose primary mission is to serve local and international communities. Rotarians are committed to giving their time and their resources to accomplish these goals. Rotarians serve their communities locally and all around the world with the mantra of, “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?” This Rotary Four-Way Test builds the foundation of how Rotarians service the community.
The 139 Carmel Rotary members, consisting of business, professional and community leaders, strive to create a lasting impact for Carmel and beyond, through volunteer service for a variety of local and regional nonprofits. Currently they assist Crooked Creek Food Pantry on Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., the Merciful Help Center Food Pantry on the fourth Tuesday of every month, as well as the Monon Greenway Cleanup quarterly. Carmel Rotarians also volunteer for Hamilton County Meals on Wheels, Good Samaritan Network, Holiday Adopt-a-Family, and Habitat for Humanity.
Throughout the years, Rotary Club of Carmel has created a lasting footprint in Carmel with the participation the first concept plan for the Monon Greenway, the Rotary amphitheater at Carter Green/the Palladium celebrating Rotary’s 100 birthday in 2011, the recently reinstalled Rotary clock at Main Street and Range Line Road, and the picnic shelter at Flowing Well Park. The Rotary Plaza on the Monon Greenway annually recognizes an outstanding citizen who is not a Rotarian for their service to the community with the Rotary Outstanding Service Award.
CarmelFest, an annual Fourth of July parade and festival, is Carmel Rotary’s biggest contribution to the community, and also functions as a fundraising event that endorses their community work.
Twice a year, through proceeds including those from CarmelFest, Rotary Club of Carmel awards thousands of dollars in community grants to several organizations that help provide services to the underserved in Carmel, Hamilton County and central Indiana. Past award recipients have included Assistance League of Indianapolis, Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Best Buddies Indiana, Prime Life Enrichment, Carmel Community Players, Carmel Education Foundation, Damar Services, and Fields Market Garden. The next round of grants is under consideration.
The Carmel Rotary’s Leadership Connection connects today’s leaders with the next generation to build awareness of the importance of community service. This forum for local high school students explores ways they can positively impact their communities.
The Leadership Connection Community Service Day on October 24 assisted high school students in volunteer efforts with local nonprofits including Mission to Connect, Homeless Hygienex, STEM Connection, and Paws & Think. Carmel Rotarians and high school volunteers helped Mission to Connect and Harmanize Communities serve warm meals to those suffering from homelessness, and assisted Homeless Hygienex with creating and distributing 200 essential hygiene kits filled with necessities like toothbrushes, soap and more. They also helped STEM professionals create educational kits, which will be distributed to schools and churches that currently lack STEM access for youth, and helped to create blankets and essential supply kits for the Paws & Think therapy dogs.
November’s Leadership Connection Community Service Day is slated for November 15 at the Carmel-Clay Public Library.
Carmel Rotary also has a Youth Exchange Program, hosting incoming high school students from abroad and sponsoring outbound local high school students from the area to countries around the globe. Currently they are hosting an exchange student from Brazil.
Upcoming fundraising events include a Christmas holiday luncheon at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael to support their international projects. The primary focus of Rotary International and all clubs is the eradication of polio from the face of the earth. Carmel Rotary’s international projects have also provided clean water for schools and kidney transplants in the Mexico City area. The next trip to Mexico will be in January 2025.
The Rotary Club of Carmel meets for lunch at 11:45 a.m. on Fridays at Woodland Country Club.
