Donna Lominack
                                Contributing Columnist

Donna Lominack

Contributing Columnist

You must make a choice, to take a chance, or your life will never change!

“Why be a member of the rotary Club of Newberry?” I asked myself that question in 2011 after a current member of the club approached me to join. For the past twelve years, the fellowship and feeling of belonging to a group of talented and enthusiastic people has been the most rewarding thing for me. Our club consists of sixty to seventy dedicated members, working to make our community and the world a better place.

On July 1, 2023, I was honored by our members to become president of the Rotary Club of Newberry. I met with board members and am most encouraged by their knowledge and understanding of the mission of Rotary. Rotary is a service club that has a wide variety of vocations represented by its membership. Each member has a story to tell and something to contribute to the greater good of our community.

Each year the president of the club has a service project that is funded by a matching grant and fundraising by the members. The club’s main fundraiser is Rotary Radio Day. Members go out in the community and sell ads for different spot announcements, at a predetermined cost to be aired on WKDK. For my service project as president, I chose The Free Medical Clinic of Newberry. The clinic is vital to the residents of Newberry County who cannot afford medical care. The clinic opened in 2004 and has served thousands of residents who lack access to professional healthcare due to low income or inadequate health insurance.

This Rotary project will provide necessary funding for plumbing, electrical and other mechanical problems that need to be fixed. New lighting, painting and décor will make the clinic a brighter, more inviting place for both patients and volunteers. The project is scheduled to be completed at the end of my term and we will have a ribbon cutting when the project is completed. Hopefully, you can attend! The Rotary Club of Newberry sponsors other community projects too. Each November, a prayer breakfast is held, and a “Layperson of the Year” is recognized. In December, a Christmas Party for the children of Boys Farm and Thornwell is held with a meal provided and a visit from Santa. Our club sends students to RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), we also sponsor Scout Troop One, Little Free Libraries and Meals on Wheels. The Newberry club meets bi-monthly for lunch at Community Hall in downtown Newberry. We usually have a highly informative guest speaker. Many of our guest speakers are experts in their field with years of experience to share. At designated meetings, we honor “Students and Teacher of the Month” from our local schools.

Membership in a service club is not for everyone. It requires a certain amount of commitment and obviously some expense. Membership is worth the time, effort, and money it costs to participate because of everything you get in return. We invite you to join us because the friendships you make, the relationships you build, the people you help and the community you serve are all worth it.

Donna Lominack is the president of the Rotary Club of Newberry.