My fellow Rotarians,
As we reflect on May, Rotary International’s Youth Service Month, our Club partook in opportunities to celebrate youth leadership while continuing our commitment to service, fellowship, and community investment throughout Springfield.
This month, we proudly recognized our Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students as they received their scholarship certificates. Through RYE, students gain the opportunity to study abroad, experience new cultures, and build lifelong friendships while serving as ambassadors of goodwill. We congratulate Juliana, Thien, Addie, and Lilly and thank our members and the Bellatti-Kincaid Rotary Exchange Fund for making these experiences possible.
We also celebrated the 25th Rotary Family Day at the Ballpark. Numerous Rotary leaders were recognized before the game (lead image, from left to right) including leaders from District 6460: Rod Buffington (Past District Governor and founder of Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park), Brian Barstead (Past District Governor), Bill Knake (Current District Governor), Musonda Kapatamoyo (District Governor Elect), as well as special guests Jill and Larry Lunsford. Jill and Larry of the Rotary Club of Kansas City, MO are Major Donors, Bequest Society Members, multiple Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation (TRF), and Sustaining Members. Larry has previously served as a District Governor, an RI Director, and as a Trustee and Vice Chair of TRF, and has received their Distinguished Service Award and Citation for Meritorious Service and the RI Service Above Self Award. He has been selected to serve as the 2027-2028 Rotary International President. He had the distinct honor of throwing the first pitch before the game (image below).
At a special Meet and Greet in the stadium before the game (image on left), our Youth Exchange students, Interactors, and chaperones (first and second images below) and other Rotarians (third image below), including our President Elect Ken Gilmore and his sister Brooke and brother-in-law Steve (both are Rotarians from Rogers, AK) had the opportunity to hear from and meet Larry Lunsford.
Despite our mixed allegiances between the Cardinals and Cubs, Rotarians from across District 6460 came together in fellowship (images below) to support the District’s literacy initiatives. This occasion is a wonderful reminder of Rotary’s ability to unite us in service.
We will transition into June being inspired by remarks from Eva Pan, our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student from Taiwan. At our June 1 club meeting, she will share her reflections and observations on her time in Springfield and the United States, hopefully including her high school prom in Springfield (image below). This presentation will be a meaningful reminder of Rotary’s power to build global understanding and connection.
May also reflected our Club’s ongoing investment in the Springfield community.
Through our Rotary Flag Service Program, volunteers once again placed flags and solar lights across Springfield ahead of Memorial Day (images to left and below), helping both celebrate patriotism and fund community grants that support local nonprofits. Members also continued supporting Ridgely Elementary School, our adopted school since 1991, by restocking the school’s MicroPantry for students and families facing food insecurity (2nd image below).
During the month, we were honored to recognize fellow Rotarian Tim Granzeau with Emeritus Status for nearly 40 years of dedicated service to our Club and community. Tim’s leadership and compassion exemplify Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.” For more information, see the article by Randy Erford in this Newsletter.
May also provided meaningful opportunities for fellowship and community connection, from our social gathering at Gabatoni’s Italian Restaurant (first and second image below) to attending the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s season finale (third image below), celebrating Springfield’s vibrant arts community.
As June, Rotary International’s Rotary Fellowship Month, begins, we look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationships and partnerships that make our Club and community so special. Our June 8 Club meeting will feature our annual grants night, when we will proudly recognize the nonprofit organizations receiving support through our Club’s yearly fundraising efforts. It is always inspiring to see the impact these organizations make throughout Springfield and how Rotary’s spirit of service continues to improve lives across our community.
As we move toward the close of the Rotary year, let us carry forward the same energy and optimism with which we began it and continue to make a meaningful difference together.
John Webb, President