Issaquah Rotary

05/30/2026

Attention Runners! (and walkers, and...) Our beloved Run With The Fishes race is back for 2026 - and better than ever.
Now held at Sammamish Lake State Park, we've added a beer garden, live music, and food trucks! With a 5k, 10k, and 1k Kids' Race, this family-friendly event will feature running along the Issaquah Creek for a stretch, where the salmon will be returning.
Join us on Sunday, September 27th and share in a proud Issaquah tradition while supporting your local community hand-in-hand with the Rotary Club of Issaquah.
Be The Good - and have fun along the way!
Register now @ Run With The Fishes – Annual 5K, 10K & Kids' Fun Run in Beautiful Issaquah, WA
(IssaquahRunWithTheFishes.com)
We had so much fun with fish hats and fish costumes last year, that we’re doing it again – wear a fish themed outfit to run in, and we’ll set a record for the most running fishes anywhere, ever!

05/30/2026

Announcing (drum roll please)...Riya Jonnala is one of our terrific Scholarship winners, 2026!
Riya is a graduating senior who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania to study Business at the Wharton School this fall. During her time at Issaquah High, she’s been involved in DECA for the past four years, winning 1st place internationally and serving as Issaquah DECA’s Former Vice President and Area 4 President! She’s also really enjoyed serving as Issaquah’s ASB Class Treasurer during her junior and senior year and leading Issaquah’s National Honor Society as President. In her free time, she loves to bake, workout, practice taekwondo as a 2nd degree black belt and instructor, travel, and spend time with her family and friends. She’s very grateful to the Rotary Club for supporting her future academic pursuits.

05/29/2026

We are thrilled to announce that Lily Phillips is one of our wonderful Scholarship winners for 2026! Lily says: I am currently a graduating senior at Liberty High School, and I plan to attend Oregon State University next fall, studying biology and joining the Honors College. I pride myself in being endlessly curious, both in and out of the classroom, a trait I plan to bring into my higher education. I also consider myself a community oriented person, never one to forget where I came from and who helped me get there. I’ve completed over 100 hours of community service, working with Food Lifeline and a local rescue farm. In the future, I hope to explore biological research, working to find solutions to common human problems.

05/28/2026

Congratulations to Lars Hill, one of our 2026 scholarship winners! We are proud to present Lars with a little boost to their educational career, and here's what Lars has said in response: Hello! My name is Lars, and I am a 2026 graduate of Gibson Ek High School and a recent recipient of the Issaquah Rotary Scholarship. In the fall, I will be attending the University of Washington to study Marine Biology in the College of the Environment. I have also been a member of Issaquah Interact throughout all four years of high school, serving as the club’s co-president this year. This summer, I look forward to serving as a facilitator at RYLA (The Rotary Youth Leadership program). In college, I look forward to getting involved in research, underwater photography, Rotaract, and more! Thank you for all the opportunities Issaquah Rotary has provided to me throughout high school.

05/26/2026

Please join us tomorrow for one of the most inspiring meetings of the year!

Tomorrow, May 26 at noon (at the Issaquah School Admin Building) we will celebrate this year’s three scholarship recipients. We’ll have the opportunity to hear directly from these outstanding students as they share their plans, goals, and next steps for the coming year.

This celebration is always a meaningful reminder of the impact our Club has on the next generation, and I hope you’ll join us for this special occasion.

We will be serving lasagna and salad from Tutta Bella, and we would greatly appreciate your support by purchasing lunch this week.

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Nadia & Brenda

05/18/2026

Please join us tomorrow, 5/19, 5:30pm at Big Block Brewery to hear Praveen Mantha give his Classification talk! Praveen recently joined our club, and we look forward to learning more about him.

We have a few upcoming meeting schedule changes to note so here is the schedule from now until June 30th.

May 26 - Regular afternoon meeting at the Issaquah School District Bldg, 12pm
June 2nd - No regular meeting scheduled due to the Food Lifeline work party 6pm - 8pm
Please note the following if you want to attend this event:
Each attendee MUST register at this special link → https://vhub.at/FLLIssaquahInteract
Registration closes tomorrow. Please register!
Bringing someone under 18? A Parent Consent Form is required (attached; valid all year; also available on-site).
Wear closed-toed shoes and dress in layers — the warehouse can be cool.
📍 815 S 96th St, Seattle, WA 98108
⏰ Arrive a few minutes early — doors lock shortly after 6 PM. We'll coordinate carpools closer to the date (parking is limited).

June 9th - Regular afternoon meeting at the Issaquah School District Bldg. 12pm
June 16th - Regular evening meeting at Big Block Brewery 5:30pm
June 23rd - NO MEETING
June 30th - Turning of the Wheel at Big Block Brewery. More details to come.

05/12/2026

Please join us tomorrow (tuesday, May 12) in the Issaquah School District Admin Building for our noon meeting. We will have the honor of hearing from Adam Pinksy, Founder & President of Issaquah Spotlight. The Issaquah Spotlight is an independent, community-funded digital newspaper coming to the greater Issaquah area. They are focused on transparent, credible reporting about the people, places and issues that shape our community.

05/08/2026

05/08/2026

To our club members:
If you were in attendance last night at Grape Escape, you experienced a truly special evening. It came together through thoughtful planning, strong leadership, and a tremendous team effort.

A heartfelt thank you to Lauren, Kristen, Claud, and the entire Grape Escape planning committee. The countless hours you invested were evident in every detail, and the event came together beautifully !

To everyone who volunteered, whether setting up, working the event, or staying late to tear down, thank you. We loved how so many of you stepped in wherever needed, with energy and a positive spirit. That willingness to pitch in is exactly what makes this club so strong.

I also want to recognize our incredible Interactors. Their enthusiasm, initiative, and readiness to help without hesitation is something we should all be proud of. They are a powerful reflection of the impact we are making and the future of service in our community.

Our guests experienced an engaging, welcoming, and memorable evening, and our ability to give back will be stronger because of it. Hats off to all of you who made this event such a success!

I am truly grateful to each of you for your time, your effort, and your commitment. This is what Rotary looks like at its best.

I’m proud of what we accomplished together. Thank you all.

-- President Nadia

05/08/2026

Did you know that there's a "Troubled Teen Industry" that often goes unregulated and often crosses the line into abusive tactics and subjects "troubled teens" to abuse? The fantastic Issaquah Interact Club is doing a fundraiser (and an awareness-raiser!) Friday evening for this cause that doesn't get a lot of attention. Give it a look....