Today's Rotary Club of Peachtree City luncheon brought together everything that makes our club special: great fellowship, exciting announcements, recognition of outstanding Rotarians, and an inspiring message about making a difference in our community and around the world!
President Tammy Soulakos opened the meeting with a preview of upcoming activities, including special service projects, an event at Legacy Theatre, our Callaway Gardens trip, and many more opportunities for fellowship, community involvement, and service.
Janette Norris offered a thoughtful opening prayer, while Dale Phenicie shared details about Friday night's Peachtree Jazz Edition at Trilith LIVE. Charles Felix kept things entertaining with our club raffle, sending plenty of lucky Rotarians home with golf balls!
And what would our luncheon be without David's always entertaining Foundation Football update? The big news: fundraising has now exceeded $11,000! A little friendly football competition is making a big difference for The Rotary Foundation!
Celebrating Our Future Rotary Leaders!
Club members nominated and approved our 2027–2028 Board of Directors! Congratulations to these dedicated Rotarians who have stepped forward to serve and lead our club.
President: Mandy Timmons Secretary: Ryan Peurifoy
Treasurer: Rich Thompson Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles Felix
President-Elect: Cyndi Plunkett Vice President: Will Garner
Foundation: Fernando Duenas New Generations: Kathy Halpin
Public Image: Andy Borders Club Administration: Amy Benton
Membership: Steve Ivory Community Service: Kay Shoaf
We appreciate their willingness to share their time, talents, and leadership as we continue building a stronger club and making a positive impact through Service Above Self!
Recognizing Generosity That Changes Lives!
One of today's most meaningful moments was recognizing fellow Rotarians whose generosity continues to support Rotary's mission of doing good in the world.
We were especially proud to recognize Mary Chapman for her exceptional financial commitment to Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio. Her generosity reflects the extraordinary impact one Rotarian can have in helping protect future generations from this devastating disease.
We also celebrated Jim Mothorpe, Ryan Peurifoy, and Chris Thornton for their Paul Harris recognition and generous financial contributions to The Rotary Foundation. Their continued support helps make Rotary's humanitarian and community service initiatives possible.
Congratulations to these Rotarians, and thanks for demonstrating what Service Above Self truly means!
Our Featured Program: Ending Polio for Good!
We concluded today's luncheon with an inspiring and informative presentation from our guest speaker, Paddy Sharma, who shared Rotary International's remarkable progress and continuing commitment to eradicating polio worldwide.
In recognition of Rotary's commitment to ending polio worldwide, Paddy highlighted the important role of The Rotary Foundation in supporting the global fight against polio. She discussed the accomplishments achieved to date, the partnerships that have made this progress possible, and the strategic action plan needed to finish the job.
Her presentation reminded us that Rotary's commitment to ending polio is one of the most ambitious humanitarian efforts in history. When polio is eradicated, it will become only the second human disease, after smallpox, to be eradicated worldwide.
Paddy's message was both educational and inspiring, reinforcing the importance of continued financial support, global cooperation, and the determination of Rotarians everywhere to see this mission through.
Thanks, Paddy, for reminding us that when Rotarians unite behind a common purpose, extraordinary things can happen!
This Is How We Rotary!
From planning exciting service projects and preparing our future club leaders to celebrating generosity and supporting the worldwide fight against polio, today's luncheon demonstrated that Rotary is much more than a weekly meeting.
It's about building friendships, creating opportunities to serve, and turning generosity into meaningful action.
We serve locally. We make an impact globally. And together, we make a difference. That's How We Rotary!