Wood County Rotary Club

09/03/2026

PARKERSBURG — After 36 and a half years of responding to disasters, organizing blood drives, raising money and supporting volunteers, Sharon Kesselring is retiring from the American Red Cross. Friends, family members, colleagues and volunteers gathered Wednesday to recognize Kesselring, who has se...

09/03/2026

This morning, Tammy Ketchem, , Region II Advovate from Legal Aid of West Virginia and John A. Williams, Supervising Attorney from Legal Aid of West Virginia, spoke to The Wood County Rotary Club at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. Legal Aid helps people with civil, non-criminal issues, like personal safety(domestic violence), rental housing,, child custody, and access to services like education and benefits like Medicaid and Food Stamps. If you qualify, their help may range from legal advice to representation in court. Legal information, free online legal forms, educational videos, and other resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on their online Legal Information page at www.LegalAidWV.org. There are two ways to find out if you are eligible for free legal help from Legal Aid of WV. Interested individuals can cal 1-866-255-4370 or apply online on their website. Legal Aid of West Virginia acts as an umbrella covering a variety of programs and many are not income based. They are located 327 Ninth Street in downtown Parkersburg. They will partner with Big Sandy Furniture for a “Fall Family Resource Event” on Thursday, September 10 from 3 PM to 6 PM in the Big Sandy parking lot . It will feature local community agencies that will offer resources to assist local families and have activities to encourage positive family development. They are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that covers 7 counties in WV through various grants they receive. For more information on the services they provide, check out their website for complete details.

09/02/2026

We would like to extend our congratulations and best wishes to fellow Rotarian Sharon Kesselring on her retirement as Executive Director of the American Red Cross Ohio River Valley Chapter. Thank you for your dedication and service for 36 1/2 years and being an advocate and help for so many people in their most difficult times of life. Truly, you embody the Rotary motto of “service above self”.

Wishing you and Dave a very happy and healthy future in retirement! Spend time with your family and enjoy life. You deserve it! We love you, Sharon!

Your Wood County Rotary Club Family.

08/27/2026

This morning, Chad Emrick, Mayor Of Vienna, spoke to the Wood County Rotary Club at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. Mayor Emrick spoke about his tenure as Mayor and his goals of information management, customer service and taking care of the citizens of Vienna and the city’s employees while keeping citizens informed of the various changes through updates with social media. The city is currently growing and with the addition of the WVU Parkersburg Technology and Innovation Center, many students are finding new opportunities for learning. The new elementary school is also a great new addition and the property around the area will also open up new housing growth opportunities. The new riverfront area includes a kayak launching area and will also add a boat launch in the future. Spencer’s Landing has a potential for additional growth and hosts the Freedom Festival each year. Mayor Emrick would like to see a stage area built and continued improvements to this area continue to make this area a destination point for many people and additional events. Infrastructure improvements within the city are continuing to be upgraded to guarantee services for future generations to come. Vienna continues to be a beautiful city that still has potential for growth in many areas. We wish Mayor Emrick and his team much success in all they are doing to improve the quality of life for their residents. We extend our best wishes to Mayor Emrick and his wife on the new addition to their family, Aria Lyn!

08/26/2026

Planning is officially underway for the 2027 Rotary District 7545 Conference! 💙💛

Our District Conference Planning Committee met today at Stonewall Resort to kick off preparations for what is sure to be an incredible weekend of Rotary fellowship, learning, service, and fun.

There’s a lot more to come, but for now, get those calendars out and SAVE THE DATES:
Annual District 7545 Conference
📍 Stonewall Resort
📅 June 18–20, 2027

We can’t wait to bring Rotarians from across District 7545 together for another memorable District Conference!

08/25/2026

08/21/2026

🌍 World Polio Day is October 24

Rotary has been leading the fight to eradicate polio for nearly four decades, and together we are closer than ever to a polio free world. While tremendous progress has been made, the work is not finished.

This World Polio Day, take your commitment to the next level by joining the PolioPlus Society. Through annual support of the PolioPlus Fund, members help ensure Rotary can continue protecting children around the world from this preventable disease.

💜 End Polio Now
💧 Join the PolioPlus Society
🌎 Help Rotary finish the job

Learn more about the PolioPlus Society:
https://www.rotaryzones3334.org/polioplus-society/

Sign up today:
https://rotarydistrict7545.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/polioplus-society-form.pdf

Questions? Reach out to Jane Stout at:
📧 [email protected]

Together, we can create a world where no child ever has to suffer from polio again.

08/20/2026

This morning, Tony Morrison from the Wood County Prevention Coalition, spoke to the Wood County Rotary Club at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. Tony spoke of their concerns for drug prevention among our youth and their efforts to join forces with other local organizations that have that same desire. Their mission is to serve youth living in Wood County by promoting youth wellness through positive youth development, and increasing positive youth behaviors, thus reducing at-risk behaviors, including harmful substances. As a recently established 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, they are seeking grants and partnerships with 12 sectors in our county to further their goals and support the youth of this area to live happy, healthy and productive lives. Monthly open meetings are held on the third Friday each month at 9 AM at the Vienna Police Annex and a Zoom option is available for those who cannot attend in person. Their desire is to bring many local community organizations together to work toward their common goals of raising awareness of youth needs and providing them with positive direction. For more information, contact [email protected]. Thank you for the work that you are doing to make a difference in the lives of many young people in Wood County.

08/18/2026

This past Saturday, members of the Wood County Rotary Club attended the Community Resource Fair held in Spencer Park in Vienna. Chris Poe, Chris Truman and Michelle Curtis (also Executive Director with The Arc of the Mid-Ohio Valley) were on hand to share information about Rotary and the impact that it has serving in our community. Our club meets Thursday mornings beginning at 7:30 AM at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. We welcome potential members to join us as we enjoy a weekly speaker and learn of ways to serve in our community. . 

08/13/2026

This morning, Ammie Rasmussen, EF International Exchange Coordinator for EF High School Exchange Year and Habitat For Humanity Volunteer/Coordinator and Resource Development Associate, spoke to the Wood County Rotary Club at the Vienna Community Building in Jackson Park. Ammie spoke about the six exchange students coming to the Mid-Ohio Valley through the exchange program that began in 1979. Since its inception, the organization has conducted for that 60,000 international students with caring host families across America. Rotary Youth Exchange also is involved with similar programs and goals that contribute to diplomacy, create multinational friendships and enrich student life. As a world leader in international education, EF Education First offers cultural experiences, educational tours, language courses and academic achievement programs that transform dreams into international opportunities. Their global presence spans 100 countries and over one million people experience their programs annually. They offer language courses, academic and degree programs, cultural experiences and educational travel opportunities that add value to the lives of many young people. EF, Habitat and Rotary are all involved in helping others have opportunities to build a better life and future. Helping people is a common thread that reflects that real change happens through relationships. For more information about becoming a host family, contact Ammie at 304-916-6701 or go online to www.efechangeyear.org.