Olentangy Rotary Club

09/22/2026

✌️ Spreading Peace & Love Close to Home! ✌️

The Olentangy Rotary Club planted a brand-new Peace Pole at the Delaware County District Library - Liberty Branch (Home Rd & Steitz Rd)! 🌍✨

What is a Rotary Peace Pole?

A Peace Pole is an internationally recognized symbol standing in silent prayer for peace on Earth. Originating in Japan in 1955 through the vision of Masahisa Goi, Peace Poles carry the universal message and prayer: "May Peace Prevail on Earth" written in multiple languages on each side.

Rotary Clubs worldwide sponsor and plant these poles in central public spaces like schools, parks, and libraries to serve as constant reminders of harmony, unity, and conflict resolution within our everyday spaces.

Next time you’re returning a library book or enjoying a family outing at the Liberty Branch, stop by, take a moment to reflect, and help us spread the message of peace across Powell and Delaware County!

Rotary International

09/22/2026

They say coffee is for closers, and based on the turnout at our last meeting, our room was packed with them! ☕ 💼

We had a fantastic Joint Networking Breakfast hosting the Powell Area Chamber of Commerce. Beyond making great connections and sharing a few laughs over breakfast, we were proud to present donation checks to two incredible local organizations: The Alpha Group and The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

Thank you to everyone from Rotary and the Chamber who came out to support our community and make the morning a success!

09/09/2026

Olentangy Rotary Club + Powell Chamber of Commerce... Did we just become best friends?! YEP! 🎬☕

Networking, local leaders, potential new members?!……Maybe You!

We're hosting Coffee with the Chamber Thursday morning from 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM. See you there!

☕️ Just 3 days away! ☕️

A friendly reminder to join us for Coffee with the Powell Chamber this Thursday! Start your morning with great coffee, local connections, and an opportunity to network with fellow Chamber members. 🤝✨

📅 Thursday, September 10
⏰ 8:00–9:00 AM
📍 Olentangy Rotary Club
7383 Scioto Pkwy, Powell, OH

Haven’t registered yet? Be sure to register on the Chamber website!

We’ll see you there! 💙☕️

09/04/2026

A huge THANK YOU to our guest speaker, Robin McAllister-Zaas, Founder & CEO of The Mirth Project, for sharing your incredible passion and the vital work you are doing in Central Ohio. 🌟

Robin shed a necessary light on the invisible challenges facing young adults who "age out" of the foster care system. Without a traditional safety net, these “Former Foster Youth” face staggering risks that most of us can’t imagine:

📉 25% experience homelessness within two years of aging out.
📉 Only 3-5% earn a 4-year bachelor's degree by age 26.
📉 71% of young women are pregnant by age 21.

These aren't just statistics; they are roadblocks to a stable life for resourceful, resilient young people.

The Mirth Project is stepping in with The Net, an agile program that provides a financial safety net for urgent needs, practical life skills training, and employment opportunities. It was also inspiring to discuss solutions like Scholar House, a transformative model that combines affordable housing for student parents with dedicated on-site support, ensuring that pursuing an education doesn't mean risking homelessness.

Please consider supporting organizations like The Mirth Project that prove that with the right support, turning 18 can be a beginning of possibilities, not uncertainty.

Learn more about how Robin is changing lives and how you can get involved: www.themirthproject.org/thenet

09/01/2026

Congratulations Brian Folwarczney on Paul Harris Fellow + 2!

08/31/2026

Join Olentangy Rotary Club in the Fight to End Polio

For more than FOUR decades, Rotary International has been leading one of the most successful public health initiatives in history through the PolioPlus program. What began as a bold vision to eradicate polio worldwide has helped reduce cases by 99.9% since 1988, bringing the world closer than ever to ending this devastating disease.

When the Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched in 1988, more than 350,000 children were affected by polio each year across 125 countries. Today, wild poliovirus remains endemic in only Afghanistan and Pakistan, thanks to the commitment of Rotary and its global partners. As of the end of August, Afghanistan and Pakistan had a combined 22 cases.

Rotary members have helped protect more than 3 billion children through vaccination efforts, contributed over $2.9 billion to eradication initiatives, and helped secure more than $11 billion in government support to finish the job.

Now, the Olentangy Rotary Club is bringing that mission to our local community.

Throughout September and October, we will be raising awareness and funds leading up to World Polio Day on October 24th. Our goal is simple: engage our community, educate others about the importance of vaccination, and help ensure that no child anywhere has to suffer from a disease that is now preventable.

Powell-area businesses, we need your help!

If your business would like to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to partner with us during our PolioPlus campaign. Whether through sponsorships, fundraising events, customer donation matching, in-store promotions, or awareness campaigns, your support can help us amplify our impact locally while contributing to a global cause.

Together, we can showcase the generosity and leadership of the Powell community while helping Rotary finish one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in history.

If your business is interested in partnering with the Olentangy Rotary Club, please send a message here, or reach out to Jenise Lefevre at 740-833-6704 to learn more about how you can help!

Together, We End Polio. Together, We Make History.

08/31/2026

🥞 Have breakfast with us and hear our guest speaker, Robin McAllister-Zaas with The Mirth Project this Thursday!

08/28/2026

At our meeting yesterday, we had the honor of listening to a powerful presentation from Jim Rogers, District 6690 PolioPlus Chair. Jim reminded us of the incredible progress Rotary has made, and the crucial final stretch ahead of us.

When Rotary committed to ending polio in 1988, there were over 350,000 cases recorded every year; that’s nearly 1,000 children paralyzed every single day. Today, thanks to global vaccination efforts led by Rotary and its partners, cases have been reduced by over 99.9%, with wild poliovirus now active in only two remaining countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. So far this year, only 19 cases have been reported worldwide.

But as Jim pointed out, "eradication is zero." Until polio is completely eliminated everywhere, unvaccinated children in every corner of the world remain at risk. If we stop now, estimates show the disease could easily surge back, paralyzing hundreds of thousands of children each year.

The good news? We have a massive opportunity to finish the job. Every single dollar raised by Rotary for polio eradication is matched 2-for-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, turning every $1 donated into $3 for global immunization efforts.

Our club has officially accepted Jim’s challenge to raise $3,000 by World Polio Day on October 24. https://www.endpolio.org/ We are proud to be part of the legacy to end polio forever. Visit the End Polio website for details on how you can support our upcoming World Polio Day initiatives! 🔴

08/25/2026