Rotary Club Bearden

10/13/2026

Huge thanks to Drew Griggs, founder of Freedom 4 Founders, for joining us last Friday! Drew challenged our club to eliminate time-wasters and focused what is actually important in our lives.

Following our club tradition, he also signed a copy of If We Were Dogs for the Pond Gap Elementary library. Thank you, Drew!

10/06/2026

What’s good for the heart is good for the brain! 🧠💙

The Rotary Club of Bearden was honored to host geriatric specialist Dr. Monica Crane from the Tennessee Memory Disorders Foundation. She shared how dementia care is rapidly transforming through:

• Breakthrough biomarker testing for earlier, more accurate diagnosis

• New disease-modifying therapies targeting underlying biology

• Proactive lifestyle habits that protect long-term brain health

Thank you, Dr. Crane, for bringing world-class care, research, and hope to East Tennessee families!

Read the full meeting recap in Knox TN Today:

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Dr. Monica Crane brought a message of both urgency and optimism to the Rotary Club of Bearden, outlining major advances in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment while emphasizing that East Tennessee continues to face a significant shortage of dementia-care providers. Crane is founder and med...

10/05/2026

We were honored to welcome Dr. Monica Crane as our guest speaker this past Friday! Dr. Crane is a nationally recognized expert in dementia care trained at Yale and Penn, and currently serves as Medical Director of the Tennessee Memory Disorders Foundation and Clinic and Clinical Assistant Professor at the UT Graduate School of Medicine. Thank you, Dr. Crane, for sharing your vital work and insights with our club!

10/01/2026

This past Tuesday, members of the Rotary Club of Bearden rolled up their sleeves at the Mission of Hope to label canned food destined for local families and individuals experiencing homelessness across our community.

Thank you to every member who showed up to lend a hand!

09/29/2026

Many of you know Steve Kopman as our retail banker and past club president, but did you know he’s called square dances around the globe since he was a kid?

Knox TN Today just published a fantastic profile on Steve’s life, career, and community work. Give it a read below:

If you tried to guess Steve Kopman’s career from his résumé, you might need more than one try. Banker? Yes. Swimming pool salesman? Yes. New York garment district? That, too. And then there’s the part about calling square dances around the world. Kopman, a past president of his Rotary club, ha...

09/28/2026

The Peace Pole is a beautiful reminder that, while we may speak different languages, we are all part of one community. We’re proud to have the eight languages represented as a reflection of the families and cultures that make Pond Gap so special.

09/22/2026

What started as a simple pair of shears and a desire to give folks dignity through a haircut has grown into a life-changing movement in Knoxville.

This week, Bearden Rotary had the privilege of welcoming Janet Burgin from CareCuts of Knoxville. Janet shared how CareCuts evolved from offering basic grooming services into a comprehensive outreach organization which connecting our homeless population with essential resources, critical support, and pathways to permanent housing to help them get back on their feet.

Restoring dignity is often the very first step toward transforming a life. Thank you, Janet, for exemplifying "Service Above Self" right here in our community!

👉 Learn more or get involved: https://carecutsknox.org/

09/21/2026

This weekend, members of the Rotary Club of Bearden gathered at Pond Gap Elementary to install a new Peace Pole on school grounds!

We are incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership with Pond Gap and grateful for the opportunity to leave hopefully leave an impact on every student, teacher, and family who walks these halls.

A huge thank-you to our hardworking Rotarians and volunteers who made the installation happen: Joe Keathley, Paul Jaeger and his son Drew, Don Manley, and Doug Kose.

Special thanks as well to Principal Mercer for your leadership, warm hospitality, and dedication to this wonderful school community.

Swipe through to see the team in action! 📸👇

09/15/2026

Square dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”? Longtime Bearden Rotarian Sam Carey gave it a shot this week with the Little T Squares—and proved you’re never too old to learn some new moves! 🕺✨

Read the full story on Knox TN Today:
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Sam Carey joined dozens of first-time square dancers Tuesday evening at the War Memorial Building in Lenoir City to answer a simple question: Can I do that? By the end of the evening, he had his answer. “I joined dozens of other first-timers Tuesday evening at the War Memorial Building in Lenoir C...

09/14/2026

At our meeting this past Friday, the Rotary Club of Bearden had the distinct privilege of hearing directly from FBI Special Agent and Morristown native Jason Pack. He shared powerful reflections on his service at Ground Zero following September 11th and his career answering the call of duty.

Following his talk, WATE 6 On Your Side featured Jason's story, highlighting the quiet courage and dedication rooted right here in East Tennessee. We are deeply grateful to Jason for spending time with our club, and to all the investigators, first responders, and service members from our region who step forward when our nation needs them most.

Read the full story:

Morristown native, Jason Pack, reflects on the six weeks he spent in New York City, days after the 9/11 attacks.