Rotary Club of Bellingham Bay

06/10/2026

The Bellingham Bay Rotary Club is sponsoring two short-term international exchange students this summer (6 to 10 weeks, half spent overseas and half spent here with their international counterpart). One of these students, Sydney Hansen (daughter of longtime BBRC Rotarian, Eddie Hansen and wife Rhonda), was matched with a student and family in Alcamo, Italy. Sydney departed for Italy this weekend and was warmly welcomed by members of her Italy sponsor club, the Alcamo Rotary Club, along with her host family and her exchange sister, Dalila.

Sydney and Dalila will return to the United States together for the remainder of their exchange in July.

We are proud to have Sydney representing the United States, and the Bellingham Bay Rotary Club, and we look forward to meeting Dalila in a few weeks!

06/09/2026

We had an amazing group of people gathered for our weekly Rotary lunch meeting today! Thanks, everyone, for making it a memorable and fun lunch!

We also got to hear from Ryan Greigg and his impressive story of a double ascent of Mt Kilimanjaro (that fell just short of a Guinness world record).

05/20/2026

Our speaker today was Rachel Vasak from the Whatcom Land Trust. It was great to hear about the history and the many wonderful programs or the Land Trust. We are fortunate to have them here making Whatcom County a better place to visit and live!

05/06/2026

Today the Bellingham Bay Rotary Club heard from Janka, an exchange student here from Hungary, and from Louisa, a local student who will soon be heading to Normandy, France on a short-term exchange. We also heard from Debbie Kiene and Felicity Dye, two superhero youth exchange volunteers. Thanks to all of them for an interesting and informative program!

And who knew that Hungarian sour cream and cottage cheese are so much better than out American versions?!?!

05/02/2026

Miss Vicky (the car) is at the Rotary District 5050 Conference this weekend. If you aren’t familiar with Miss Vicky, it’s a story worth learning about. She has gone from Peking to Paris, as well as on several other long-distance, rugged trips, raising funds to fight Polio. So far, she has raised over $200,000 for Rotary’s Polio Plus program.

05/02/2026

Some of the wonderful Rotary Youth Exchange participants at the District Conference this weekend (this is only half of them - the other half were on the other side of the room)

04/27/2026

Congratulations to Squalicum High School students of the month for February and March Calla Friedman and Soren Shekel.

04/26/2026

Several members of the Bellingham Bay Rotary were at Animals for Natural Therapy today to help make some improvements to the chicken coop (ie “The Fluffy Butt Hut”). It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and we had a lot of fun helping this wonderful organization that also happened to be one of our small grant recipients.

Oh, and the chickens seemed to approve of the job we did!

04/19/2026

The four way test is right at the core of Rotary. It’s interesting to learn a bit more about where it comes from.

Many clubs have adopted a fifth test “Will it be FUN?” We support this, as fun is a key element to Rotary.

When we recently updated our Mission, Vision, and Strategy Stayement, we also added a fifth test: “Can you explain it to an 8-year-old and to your mother, and would they both approve?”

Haresh Ramchandani explores the enduring relevance of The Four-Way Test, a moral framework created by Herbert Taylor during the Great Depression. This concise ethical guide, consisting of four key …

08/17/2024

🎉 Today’s the Day! Join Us at Wines of Whatcom Grand Wine Tasting Tonight! 🍷

Looking for last-minute plans? We've got you covered! Join us tonight at Bellewood Farms & Distillery for an unforgettable evening of live music with Kelsey Cooper Music, abundant tasting options, and exciting auction and raffle options. There’s still time to grab your tickets online, or you can purchase them at the door!

Event Details:
🕔 VIP Reception: 5pm-6pm
Enjoy early access with delicious charcuterie, exclusive reserve wines, and take home a commemorative glass.
🎟️ VIP Tickets: $70

🕕 Main Event: 6pm-8pm
Savor 10 tastings from our incredible wine selection, enjoy live music, and participate in our silent auction.
🎟️ General Admission: $40

Why Attend?
Every dollar raised supports Blue Skies for Children's programs, helping local kids in need. Plus, you’ll have the chance to bid on amazing silent auction items and purchase your favorite bottles to take home!

Get your tickets here: https://event.auctria.com/726cd2bb-362a-4016-829a-6a2bd225246c/ or at the door tonight!

Don’t miss out on an evening of great wine and a great cause. We can’t wait to see you there!