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The Rotary Club of Lexington continues its dynamic leadership rotation with Jim Richardson taking the helm as President for the second quarter of the 2025-26 Rotary year. A past president (2000-2001), Jim returns as part of this year’s leadership team known as the “Fab 4” alongside Jamie Schrader, Bill Wilson, and Dean Hammond – all past presidents committed to guiding the club forward. Following Jamie Schrader’s Q1 term, Jim brings his trademark energy and service driven spirit to the role. When asked about his goals Jim shared some wisdom from his grandfather: “Leave the camp in a better place than when ...

ROTARY WOMEN TEAM WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FOR SOME TOOL TIME!  Several women Rotarians recently joined forces with female students from the University of Kentucky to help with a Kentucky Habitat for Humanity (HFH) building project.  This was part of a HFH building project as part of its “Women Build” initiative. The house under construction is located off Russell Cave Road. Rotary Participants were Mary Ellen Fifles, Kim Johnson, Judy Worth, and Susy Basham.  Work including lifting trusses, ripping plywood, and installing outside weatherboard. Why a “Women Build” initiative?  HFH notes on its webpage Women are more likely than men to ...

We at the Wheel Horse are thrilled when the rest of the world tumbles onto the fact that Rotarians truly live the motto of “Service Above Self”.  Case in point:  our own Brigitte Blom, who on September 23 was named the 2025 Humanitarian of the Year by her alma mater, the Haile College of Business at Northern Kentucky University.  This annual award is given to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to the university and community through their time, talent, and treasure.  Sounds like a Rotarian! In presenting the award, it was noted that “Blom’s unwavering commitment to ...

Ready, set… dink! Our brand-new fundraiser, Pickle ‘N Pints, hits Saturday, November 15 at PKL LEX, the city’s newest pickleball hotspot. Picture rally-after-rally energy, music, and a crowd that’s there to play hard and cheer harder. With at least six courts going at once, it’s wall-to-wall action and a full-on party vibe. We’re running two tournaments so everyone can swing at their level: Beginners at 4:00 PM, Advanced at 6:00 PM. Entry is $50 per person (doubles teams) and every participant gets a pint glass plus a beverage token—thanks to our friends at Country Boy Brewing. We’ll also crown a King ...

While global initiatives such as Polio Plus understandably garner much attention, it is good to be reminded that Rotary’s reach extends to our own backyards. For several years our Club has been involved in a global grant to improve sanitation in Leslie County, Kentucky. The committee overseeing that project, composed of Jack McAllister, Sharon Reed, and Gerry van der Meer, is proud to provide an update on that project. In early August, Jack and Sharon, accompanied Dale Gray from the Rotary Foundation Office for the Cadre of Technical Advisors (CADRE), headed to the mountains and hollers of Leslie County, Kentucky, to ...

And your Rotary Club of Lexington was there.  After ten years of planning, fundraising – to the tune of $45 million – and construction, Gatton Park at THE Town Branch opened to the public this  Saturday, August 23.  Recall that our Club has played an important part in making this generational event happen through A five-year commitment to contribute $100.000 for the landscaping at the Adventure Playground.  In addition to a restored Town Branch Creek, a founding but formerly buried feature of Lexington, the park includes the aforementioned play area, public art, a dog park, and an amphitheater for outdoor concerts.  ...

The Rotary Club of Lexington presented a $25,000 check to Baby Health Services, which was the featured beneficiary of the 2025 Dancing with the Lexington Stars fundraiser. The presentation took place during the Club’s August 8th weekly meeting and recognized the impact of this year’s event, which raised critical funds to support free healthcare for uninsured children across Central Kentucky.   Accepting the check for Baby Health are  Mette Daily and Ann- Phillips Mayfield with Dancing with the Lexington Stars co-chairs Kim Johnson and Bret Anderson.  Photo by Jaron Johns 

RYLA MARKS A DECADE OF INSPIRING FUTURE LEADERS RYLA is one of the most important annual programs that takes place within District 6740.  While it took place in April and is only being reported on now is only a function of available space]. On Saturday, April 26, the District 6740 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) 2025 program took place at the Life Adventure Center in Versailles. This milestone event marked the ninth RYLA program sponsored by District 6740 and orchestrated by the Rotary Club of Lexington since 2015. Rotary Clubs from Morehead, Pikeville, Richmond, and Lexington supported 8th graders in experiencing ...

June 20 - Rotarians Gather to Learn About Food Insecurity  The issue of food insecurity in Lexington has been on our Club’s radar screen for some time and has been identified as a possible subject of our next transformative mission.  To learn more about the issues, last Thursday, fifty Rotarians and guests heard from God’s Pantry CEO and Rotarian Mike Halligan and his team in a gathering at the God’s Pantry operations center. Also, we had a report from Harry Richart, chair of our Club’s Food Security Committee on our own Food for Families effort.   Rotary’s efforts were acknowledged by God’s ...

ROTARIANS SHOW UP FOR SCOUTING AMERICA AND CAMP MCKEE! On June 26, 2025, members of The Rotary Club of Lexington Scout Committee attended the Dinner Meeting of the Blue Grass Council-Scouting America Board in Keeneland Hall (old dining hall) at McKee Scout Reservation during summer camp to see the Scouts in action using the camp facilities. Camp McKee is another landmark of which our club can be proud. It has served thousands of youths and changed lives for over sixty-five years. Proceeds from the sale of our Camp Offutt were used to develop Camp McKee, and Rotary President W.T. Bishop led ...