SINCE 1958, the Rotary Club of Kent, and the Rotary Club of Kent Foundation, have been serving the greater Kent community in the spirit of Rotary International.  We are one of more than 34,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide.  Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self,” but we also end every meeting asking ourselves together “Is it fun?!”  Because that is what we do; we have fun serving others. 

We meet once a week as most Rotary clubs do, but we also get together for social events and work parties that benefit the community.  Our biggest activity is one of the social highlights of the City of Kent: Escapades.  At this annual dinner auction, we raise the money that we will use the following year to help where we can.  We now regularly raise more than $100,000.  And yes, we have lots of fun doing so.

Veterans Dreaming of a College Education

The government pays for veterans’ education, but not ancillary expenses like lodging, books or travel.  Green River Community College’s Veteran’s Initiative  is building an endowment to allow it to fund up to $20,000 annually in assistance grants for veterans trying to get an education. The grants will allow the college to assist veterans with these additional expenses and provide a resource to advise veterans of what is available to them.

Kent School District Students Dreaming Of A College Education 

This year, we will give more than $30,000 in college scholarships to KSD students who either finish among the top 5% of their graduating class or pursue vocational degrees.


Dictionaries For Third Graders Dreaming Of Success

The Kent School District is one of the most diverse in the nation with more than 160 different languages spoken by its students.  Providing a dictionary to every third grader in the district helps them be more successful in their education.

Meals Through Food Banks And Community Dinners For People Dreaming Of A Better Day

Rotary First Harvest  collects food from sources around the country that would otherwise be wasted.  That food is then packaged for use by local food banks.  The Hungry Soul Café provides a community dinner to feed those who wish they had more to eat.

Clean Water And School Facilities For A Village In Ethiopia Dreaming Of A Better Way Of Life

Project Ethiopia  digs water wells and builds schools for villages in Ethiopia that don’t have the things we take for granted.  Clean water and education are proven requirements for social progress.

Children Dreaming Of Catching A Fish

If you teach a person how to fish, they learn to provide for themselves and their families.  The Rotary Fishing Experience gives children under 14 the opportunity to learn what it is like to catch a live trout. The next event is May 18, 2013.

Other Non-Profit Organizations Dreaming Of Helping Others

We share our success with others by evaluating requests for grants to local non-profit charities that do great things in our community.

You  can help others achieve their dreams by attending or donating to the  auction.  We accept just about  anything of value that is legal to sell, though we prefer experiences.  We also accept cash donations.  The auction is run through our  501(c)(3) foundation (tax ID#  91-1522960).
 
We Also Volunteer Our Time In A Variety Of Endeavors:

Recognizing high school students of the month and their families.

Mentoring high school students in ethics using Rotary’s  4-Way Test.

Collecting school supplies for needy elementary school students.

Collecting warm clothing for the Kent Food Bank.

Collecting supplies to help disaster victims.

We would love to share our story with you.  Be our guest at lunch.  We promise not to recruit you, but if you are interested, you are certainly welcome to apply to join our club.  We love being Rotarians, but especially Rotary Club of Kent Rotarians.

 

Click To See More Fishing Photos