Ruth Parsons, presidentelect for the Rotary Club of Lexington Sunrise, was among those who attended a three-day training seminar for president-elects in Rotary District 7570 in March.
The training was held at Hotel 24 South in Staunton and at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave.
Two weeks prior to the training seminar District Governor Andy Vanhook held a Zoom call with all the presidentelects of the district clubs and paired each with another president-elect that they had not met.
Parsons was paired with President-elect Kristie Young Bentley of Stuart Rotary Club. The two had dinner together, and discussed fundraisers their clubs sponsor. They have plans to collaborate as they lead their clubs in 2025-26. Parsons also sat with the Botetourt President- elect Adam Dove and they talked with the assistant governor for Area 6, Anita Aaron, about opportunities to collaborate on grants and service projects.
Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club members will be participating in a Rotary global grant by distributing special wheelchairs to Guayaquil, Ecuador, in November along with other district Rotarians.
In the month of March, Rotary District 7570 celebrated women in Rotary. The Rotary Club of Lexington Sunrise has had eight women presidents in the club: Vickie Huffman (1997), Carol Wheeler (2000), Dianne Herrick (2001), Lori Sadler (2006), Elaine Nelson (2013), Liz Moss (2018), Barbara Clowser (2019-20), and Grace Crickenberger (2021). The club was started in 1994. Ann Albin is currently the president of the Buena Vista Rotary Club.
Past president of Lexington Rotary Club Julia Van de Water mentioned years ago to Parsons that she ought to think about serving some day as a president of a Rotary club. Past presidents Van de Water and Liz Moss of Lexington Sunrise both had fathers who were dedicated to Rotary and inspired them to get involved in the Rotary family.
Rotary Club of Lexington Sunrise meets twice a month at Grace Episcopal Church on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7 a.m. Guests, newcomers to the community, students, and community members are welcome to attend and learn more about Rotary and the clubs in our area.
Club members are active in the community. Rotarian Ron Perkins, who recently joined the club, will be involving the area Rotarians with the Wreaths Across America program honoring veterans at Christmas. Lexington Sunrise Rotarian Dennis Bussey cleans historic headstones in graveyards in Lexington and Rockbridge and Club Rotarian Monty Kennedy delivers weekend backpacks with food to area schools in cooperation with W&L Campus Kitchen. The club volunteered at the Rockbridge Area Health Center’s Bull and Oyster Fest on and sponsored the mobile medical units to the schools with grant funds.
The Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club’s Foundation has grants available. Its biggest fundraiser is the annual Road and River Relay, which will be held this year on Saturday, May 5. Rotarians Clay Devening and Grace Crickenberger are in charge of the relay and registration is now open at lexvaroadandriverrelay.org.
For more information on the Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club and service/leadership opportunities or to partner with the club, go to www.sunriserotarylexva.org or email [email protected] or contact Parsons at ruthaparsons07@gmail. com.
