“Service above self” is the mantra that all members of the Rotary ascribe to, so the Edmonds Rotary Club is always looking for new and creative ways to give back to the community we live in and love.

Even though Edmonds Rotary has been part of the city since 1951, in some ways it remains one of the hidden jewels in our community, as many don’t know or understand who we are – and what we do.

Well let’s start with the basics. Edmonds actually has two Rotary groups – ours meets at lunch every Tuesday at the Salt and Iron. Every week we feature guest speakers from the local community that help keep us better engaged in Edmonds and learn about new opportunities for us to contribute to it. For those who are early-risers, there is also the Edmonds Daybreakers group, which meets at 7 a.m. at Anthony’s every Tuesday morning.

I’m proud to say that the Edmonds Rotary is comprised of a diverse, energetic group who posses a “can-do” attitude and spirit that has helped drive it to be the fastest-growing chapter in the region. Twenty-five of our 55 members are women — and the age of our members ranges from 25-80!

We’re a vibrant, powerful, representative, non-political and non-religious team that is committed to improving our world and community. We raise money through fund-raisers such as the Edmonds Waterfront Festival and distribute these funds to worthy local organizations and individuals — including local student scholarships.

What kind of impact do these scholarships have? Honestly, sometimes it’s hard for us to know but we recently received a powerful reminder in the form of a letter sent to us from a woman who received a scholarship from our club when she was a high school senior. One excerpt seemed especially poignant:

“Having seen the tremendous way in which Rotary International has blessed my own life and the lives of so many around the globe, I wish to take this opportunity to once again thank you for the gift you gave me so many years ago. The contribution that is made to the lives of those receiving these scholarships is often unknown and the outcomes often immeasurable. I hope you will know that you are indeed making a difference in countless lives, and I thank you for it!”

We are proud of the partnership we’ve formed with MyEdmondsNews to provide ongoing updates about improvements in our community – as well as tips and ideas for those interested in contributing – whether its part of our group or on their own. With its commitment to providing residents with updated local information, MyEdmondsNews serves an important role for all us committed to keeping Edmonds such a great place to live.

If you’d like to learn more about the Edmonds Noon Rotary group, feel free to drop by one of our lunches (we’ll treat!), visit our website (EdmondsNoonRotary.com) or Facebook page. We’d love to see you!

— By Doug Loftstrom
Edmonds Noon Rotary Chapter President