McKenzie Rotary Club

08/30/2026

Happening in McKenzie Rotary
This week, we welcomed Kimberly Kraft McLemore, Executive Director of The Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center, as our guest speaker. Kimberly shared her connection with the Nashville Symphony, previewed the exciting lineup of artists booked for the upcoming year, and explained the flexibility of the new season ticket plan, which allows patrons to choose the shows they would like to purchase.
We are pleased to welcome Kerrigan Estes as the newest member of the McKenzie Rotary Club. Kerrigan was officially sworn in this week. Welcome, Kerrigan—we are glad to have you as part of the Rotary family!
Matt Arid was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow, presented by Misty Arid. This recognition is one of the highest honors awarded through Rotary International. Congratulations, Matt! Pictured Jason Martin, Matt Aird and Misty Aird.

08/18/2026

This week’s Rotary meeting:
McKenzie TCAT hosted us today. We thank Jan Latimer and John Penn for hosting us today. We had the opportunity to learn what is new at the TCAT McKenzie location. Dr. Latimer shared the types of training offered at this location and gave us a tour of the new building.
If you or someone you know is interested in hands-on training and career opportunities close to home, we encourage you to learn more about the programs available at TCAT McKenzie!
Pictured R-L: TCAT President John Penn Ridgeway, Armand Hebert, President, McKenzie Rotary Club, Dr Jan Latimer, VP, TCAT, and Jason Martin, VP, McKenzie Rotary Club.

08/15/2026

Rotary at work this week. We are excited to have the City of McKenzie support this much-needed Food Pantry! Thank you, City Council members, Mayor Ryan Griffin, and everyone who has supported this vision of eradicating hunger in our city.

FOOD PANTRY FINDS A HOME — After living primarily in McKenzie City Hall for several months, the McKenzie Rotary Club's food pantry has officially found a home.

During Thursday night's meeting, the McKenzie City Council agreed to house the food pantry in the city's former police station, located in the rear of United Neighbors.

Continue reading ⬇️

08/11/2026

Today the McKenzie Rotary Club proudly introduced three new members. Pictured (L to R), Rotary President Armand Hebert, Jan Nelson, Terry Wilcox and Mary Wilcox.

07/31/2026

07/31/2026

This week at McKenzie Rotary, we were honored to welcome Stacie Freeman with Bethel University’s Global Studies program as our speaker.
Stacie shared the exciting opportunities available through Bethel University’s Global Studies program and the meaningful impact that travel, service, and cultural learning can have on people of all ages.
We were also proud to celebrate a very special moment as Stacie was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow recognition by an anonymous donor in honor of her continued global mission. This recognition is Rotary's highest honor and reflects a heart for service that reaches far beyond our local community.
Congratulations, Stacie! Thank you for sharing your passion, your work, and your commitment to making a difference around the world.

07/31/2026

McKenzie Back-to-School Program
On July 25, McKenzie Rotary had the blessing of serving our community in a very special way. We were able to deliver more than 100 family bags of food to help local families facing food insecurity during the summer break. Because of our wonderful partnership with E.W. James & Sons Supermarkets and the generosity of their shoppers, we also collected enough snacks to provide 150 snack bags for children.

The smiles on these children’s faces were truly indescribable. Moments like these remind us why this work matters so much.

Families also had the opportunity to choose new back-to-school clothing, shoes, and backpacks for their children, helping students begin the school year feeling supported, prepared, and cared for.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible. Whether you donated, volunteered, shopped, organized, or simply encouraged this effort, you helped show our families that they are not alone. We are deeply grateful to be part of a community that comes together with kindness, compassion, and love for our students and families.

07/22/2026

Rotary women at work! 💙
McKenzie Rotary Club would like to give a heartfelt thank-you to our Rotary ladies, Sandi Roditis and Kim Bell Webb, for taking time out of their Sunday last weekend to help prepare for our upcoming Back to School event.
After attending early church service, they headed out to shop for much-needed clothing for local students. We are grateful for their servant hearts and dedication to making a difference in our community.
Pictured: Sandi Roditis and Kim Bell Webb

07/16/2026

07/15/2026

This Week’s Speaker
This week, the McKenzie Rotary Club welcomed Donna Vick, Donor Relationship Manager – West for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, located in Camden. Donna shared important information about food insecurity in our area, including the eye-opening fact that 1 in 5 children in McKenzie, TN, faces food insecurity every day. This need often increases during the summer months when children are out of school.
We are proud to share that the McKenzie Rotary Club has been recognized as a Community Partner with Second Harvest. Through this partnership, Second Harvest will help support our food pantry efforts as we continue working to fight hunger in our community.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact Donna at 617-213-5203.
If you or someone you know is in need of food, bags are available for pickup at the McKenzie Police Department, located at City Hall.