Rotary Club of Jacksonville #3227

06/17/2026

Thanks so much to Petefish, Skiles & Co. Bank for sponsoring FREE RIDES on the Big Eli #17 Ferris Wheel in Community Park on Sunday, June 21! The Ferris Wheel will operate each Sunday (weather permitting) through the summer, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

06/15/2026

Deadline for pre-registration for 4th of July Parade is June 26 at 5:00 p.m.!

The Rotary Club of Jacksonville invites businesses, organizations, groups and individuals to participate in its Fourth of July Parade on Saturday, July 4, 2026!

This year the parade’s focus is "Celebrating Freedom, Service and Impact," honoring those who willingly unite to build strong connections within our local and regional communities, creating a significant, positive, and lasting impact.

Rabbi Rob and Lauren Thomas, Jacksonville residents and philanthropists, will be our Parade Marshals. McQuillan said, “Please join us in celebrating all those who willingly support and engage in local and regional community service. Their efforts to network and collaborate are creating opportunities and positively impacting our community.”

The parade route will form up and originate at the Morgan County Fairgrounds. The route will proceed on Grand Avenue (Morgan County Fairgrounds gate) headed east on West State Street, around the square, exit on North Main, and disperse at Douglas Ave.

On the morning of the parade, registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 9:45 a.m. Registration entry point is on Westgate and Horsebarn Road at the Southwest Gate of the Morgan County Fairgrounds. Parade lineup numbers will be assigned the day of the parade. The order of the parade line up is determined by the order in which entrants check in with registration staff; the first checked in will be the first placed. Lineup will be along Grandstand Road on the fairgrounds. Floats and long vehicles must arrive by 9:00 a.m. One person with each entry is required to check in to receive a parade number and last minute information. For entries with multiple vehicles, all vehicles must check in together.

Anyone who hasn’t pre-registered for the parade cannot be guaranteed a place in the parade, but may be offered an opportunity to form up at the end of the parade.

All vehicles and drivers must be properly insured. Drivers must be 25 years old or older and have a valid driver’s license. Registrants must abide by any public health or safety guidelines of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville or local authorities.

The deadline for pre-registering is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2026. Parade entrants can register online or find registration forms to download at http://jacksonvillerotary.org/independence-day-parade. Questions may be directed to (217) 370-2145 or [email protected].

Rotary unites people from all continents, cultures, and occupations. Rotarians are leaders in their fields and communities. Rotarians’ diverse perspectives help them to identify and solve problems in communities throughout the world. For more information about the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, its service initiatives, and how to become a member, visit http://jacksonvillerotary.org/

06/15/2026

Thanks to these Rotarians who provided Ferris Wheel rides to 87 people today! And thanks so much to Spradlin Auction & Real Estate for sponsoring FREE rides!!

Thanks to everyone who came out - we couldn’t have had better weather.

06/12/2026

The Rotary Club of Jacksonville recently honored five people for their service and volunteerism by naming them Paul Harris Fellows. Lauren Thomas, Steven Albers, and Rotarians Trevor Huffman, Justian Corliss, and Matt Moore received awards.

The Paul Harris Fellowship, named for the founder of Rotary, is an honor established by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in 1957 to honor individuals who, though not necessarily members of Rotary, carry out activities that exemplify the humanitarian and educational objectives of the Rotary Foundation. Members of Rotary earn the ability to designate either themselves or others a Paul Harris Fellow upon making a contribution of $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.

Awardees were recognized for their service to the community. The Fellowship recipient was presented with a certificate, pin, and medallion, with one of the Rotary members responsible for awarding the Fellowship explaining why the individual was selected.

President Kelly Pool also recognized two Rotarians with Paul Harris Plus awards, signifying their additional donations to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Sharon Zuiderveld received a Plus 8 and Trent Cain received a Plus 4. Thanks to Sharon and Trent for your sustained support for the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International!

06/10/2026

Thanks so much to Spradlin Auction & Real Estate for sponsoring FREE RIDES on the Big Eli #17 Ferris Wheel in Community Park on Sunday, June 14! The Ferris Wheel will operate each Sunday (weather permitting) through the summer, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

06/10/2026

We Hope to see you tonight from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. in Community Park by the Ferris Wheel

4:00 p.m. - Drive Thru Food Distribution (courtesy of Central IL Foodbank & Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois/Hy-Vee)

4:00 p.m. - Jacksonville Drumline Institute performance

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. - Physical Fun with Ryne Turke, Fitness World

* Local organizations will be present to share opportunities for youth summer activities and camps

* Vision and hearing screenings provided by the Lions Club, along with other health and wellness opportunities

* Free booster seats provided by Think First, SIU SOM (limited number available)

* Free meals from the Salvation Army Food Canteen in collaboration with Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen

* Ferris Wheel rides and Bike Rodeo in Chamber parking lot

06/10/2026

Thanks so much to Rotarians who volunteered to staff the Big Eli Ferris Wheel in Community Park on Sunday, June 7!

And thanks to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier for sponsoring free rides for all those who attended! 

06/07/2026

Come out to celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth!

June is finally here and our countdown to our Juneteenth celebration has begun! In just 19 days we will be celebrating a day of unity we are so pleased to announce that vendors have been locked down!

🗣️At this time we are NOT accepting anymore vendors for the event just for sake of time crunch and space. But good news we have an amazing 2026 vendor list:

Food vendors: B & S Grub, Lazy Lakers, Sugar & Ice, Baby Soul bang bang, and Double D's

Crafts & more: Aj's Krafty Korner, Mis ElanEous Stuff, No BS Crafts, Seasonal Crafts, Family Blends, PRK Jewelry More than just flowers.

Info & Resources: NAACP, JAAHM, CCF, Jville Public Library, Jville Police Dept, MCS, The Pointe, Cass County Health Dept, Sage Project, Morgan County Helath Dept, Humble Begginings, Scouts of America, The Democrats, Jacksonville Promise, The Veterans Affair, Il dept human services, JAFL, Resource Recruitment, Il Epilepsy, Division of rehab, and many more

Come check us out June 20th @ 10:30am!!!

06/06/2026

Our program on 6/5 was our Rotary Exchange Student from Sweden, Tobbe. He is concluding his exchange experience in the U.S. this summer. He was joined by members of the two families who have hosted him this year, the Leppers and the Leonards, and he was cheered on by the many Rotarians who have been so honored to become his friends during his exchange year.

Rotarians Karen Walker and Noel Beard presented Tobbe with a Paul Harris Fellow award, in recognition of all he has done to build goodwill among the people of the world.

Tobbe, we will miss you! Please come back to visit whenever you can!