Arnold Rotary Club will celebrate its golden anniversary next week.
The organization will commemorate its 50th anniversary during its weekly meeting at noon Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Wesley Roger’s Steak and Buffet, 3601 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold.
“That is a big milestone,” said Margie Sammons, who has been an Arnold Rotary Club member since 2000 and is the past District 6060 governor.
“A lot of organizations do not last 50 years. In District 6060, which our club is in, out of the 50 clubs there are not a lot of clubs that can say they are celebrating 50 years. A lot are in the 30-year mark; we are one of the few in 50 years.”
Don Wilson, the only remaining original member of the Arnold Rotary Club, is expected to attend the event with his wife, Marilyn.
The Wilsons owned and operated Arnold Animal Hospital before selling the practice and retiring. Don Wilson helped form the Arnold Rotary Club in 1972 along with 25 other local businessmen, according to an article about the club’s formation.
Julie Leverenz, current District 6060 governor, also is expected to be part of the celebration, which will include a group photo of current and past members.
Wally Lionberger, 58, of Festus said he is looking forward to the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration.
“The most impactful thing of being part of Rotary is being able to meet so many people, and the feeling of being part of the community,” said Lionberger, who has been a member of the group for 15 years.
Steve Smith, the club’s executive secretary, said there currently are 48 Arnold Rotary Club members, down from 70 before the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020.
“We are rebuilding since the pandemic,” said Smith, 65, of Fenton, who joined the group 28 years ago. “In addition to Rotary being a service organization, it brings together people in our community. It provides an opportunity for community leaders to serve together and to have fellowship together.”
“We are always looking for new members,” Sammons added. “Anyone who is interested in joining can come when we meet on Wednesday at noon. They can have a free lunch on us and check us out.”
The Arnold Rotary Club holds a pancake breakfast, duck race and Rock ‘n’ Roll bingo event every year to fund its charitable efforts throughout the community, and on Thanksgiving morning, the group prepares and delivers about 1,000 Thanksgiving meals for families in the Fox C-6 and Windsor C-1 school districts.
Smith said Arnold Rotary uses the money raised at its annual events to provide scholarships to students at Windsor, Seckman and Fox high schools as well as contribute to other charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army, Arnold Food Pantry, BackStoppers, Kids Against Hunger, Focus On Missions, Brenden’s Friday Backpacks, Boy Scouts, Pony Bird and Living Well Village.
“Through donations, we help other clubs thrive,” Lionberger said. “It can be the glue that helps hold other clubs together.”
A tangible example of Arnold Rotary Club’s contribution to the community is a gazebo outside the Arnold Recreation Center, 1695 Missouri State Road.
The gazebo was built in 2006 after the club started raising funds for the project in 2002.
Arnold Rotary paid about $42,000 for the 28-foot, steel, hexagon-shaped gazebo. Arnold city government paid about $13,500 to build the concrete pad and ramp for the gazebo.
A Rotary emblem is featured on the gazebo’s concrete floor.
“I think it is important for us to have a structure that we have our name on, and we can say the Rotary raised the money for it, donated it and now it is for the community to use,” Sammons said. “We see a lot of groups in there getting photographs, or just hanging out there from time to time.”
Smith said while the group is celebrating its first 50 years, it also will be looking ahead to the next half-century.
“I hope the Rotary will continue supporting local charities and international work,” he said. “Numbers-wise, it would be great to be at 100 to 150 members.”