Projects
9/11 Memorial at Milton High School
Each year, Milton High School has a display of flags for every person who died on 9/11/01. The Milton first responders place the flags in front of the high school. Rotary Club of North Fulton partnered with the 9/11 Memorial Committee at Milton High School to provide Chick fil a sandwiches to these volunteer first responders.
Bike Assembly for the CDA
Children's Development Academy (CDA) is a non-profit preschool that provides a high quality education to children who would otherwise not receive any prior to entering kindergarten. CDA helps the families in other ways too, such as having a toy drive for their Santa Shop so that parents can select holiday gifts for their children. A very popular gift is a bicycle. CDA needed to get approximately 50 bikes assembled in a short time period and members of Rotary Club of North Fulton showed up to help with this bike assembly.
Bikes & Books
Rotary Club of North Fulton started their year of 'focusing on youth" with our first project of the year, Bikes and Books. The event was held in conjunction with the Bike Unit of Alpharetta Department of Public Safety at Wills Park on Saturday, August 6th. Children from the community were encouraged to bring their bikes and scooters to ride with officers from the Bike Unit, read with officers and then select a book to take home with them. The book station was set up near our Rotary-themed Little Free Library to highlight its location near the playground.
Birthday Books for Children's Development Academy
Children's Development Academy is a non-profit preschool in Roswell, GA that provides a high quality education for children who would not otherwise get any education prior to entering kindergarten. Rotary Club of North Fulton has a long standing relationship with this school. One way we support this organization is by donating books for their birthday box. Our guest speakers all sign a book that is then donated to the Children's Development Academy. On their birthday, students select a book from the Birthday Box to take home with them. Many of these children have very few books at home and our club members are so happy to be able to provide these.
Books for Blessings in a Backpack
Blessings in a Backpack is a non-profit organization that feeds school children who currently are fed during the week on the federally funded Free and Reduced Meal Program and are at risk of going hungry on the weekends. Volunteers donate food items and pack the bags, which are then distributed to relevant schools and put in the backpacks of qualifying children.
CDA Treasure Hunt
Rotary Club of North Fulton has a long history of supporting the non-profit preschool, Children's Development Academy (CDA). Located in Roswell, GA, CDA provides a high quality preschool education for children whose families could not otherwise afford one.
Clean Water for Jackson, MS
When flooding in Jackson, Mississippi wiped out their water treatment plant and eliminated their clean water supply, Rotary Club of Roswell initiated a response to get a truckload of water delivered to Jackson. Working with both Rotary Clubs of Jackson and North Jackson, a plan was made for delivery of the water so it could be distributed through the local city school system.
District Governor Visit
District Governor George Granade visited with Rotary Club of North Fulton on July 25-26. Members of the Board socialized with George on July 25th for dinner at South City Kitchen in Avalon. On July 26th, George participated in Rotary Club of North Fulton's first board meeting of the year, followed by the club's regular lunch meeting. George explained his background in agriculture and presented Coins of Excellence to President Lisa Gelber, Secretary Mike Mudd, and Membership Chair Joy Manbeck. After the meeting concluded, President Lisa and Mike Mudd showed George a couple of the projects the club has completed over the years, including the all access playground and our Reflection Garden (complete with peace pole), both at North Park. It was a wonderful visit!
End Polio Now Program
Rotary Club of North Fulton was honored to have esteemed Rotarian, Robert Hall, speak to our club about the End Polio Now campaign during the month of November. Robert advised our club on the history of the disease, Rotary's efforts to end polio and how to become Polio Plus Society member. We added two members to the Polio Plus Society and made a donation to Polio Plus in the amount of $1276.00
Family of Rotary at Bobby G's
A Family of Rotary event was held on March 10, 2023, immediately after packing 15,000 meals with Cambridge Interact for Rise Against Hunger. We gathered at Bobby G's for food and drink to celebrate a job well done and to enjoy each other's company.
Family of Rotary at Deep Roots
Rotary Club of North Fulton is a small club with members that enjoy each others' company. Our first Family of Rotary event was held at Deep Roots Wine Tasting Room on August 4th. Many members attended (some with significant others!) and it was a great first Family of Rotary event for the rotary year.
Family of Rotary Football
Rotary Club of North Fulton gathered together on a fall Saturday to share a Saturday evening of football watching and fellowship. Rotarian Richard Matherly and his wife, Susie, hosted club members in their lovely home. Almost everyone's favorite team won that day!
Family of Rotary Holiday Gathering
Rotary Club of North Fulton joined at the beautiful home of member Susan Cammack and her husband Chris, in early December to celebrate all the good works the club had done in the first half of the Rotary year. We were pleased that our Assistant Governor, Rory Robichaux, and his wife Mary, were able to join us for the festivities!
Family of Rotary Picnic
Rotary Club of North Fulton has planned a family picnic at North Park for June 24, 2023, to celebrate all the good work done in the Rotary year with our loved ones. We are holding the event at North Park because it is the 10 year anniversary of the dedication of our Rotary Reflection Garden. We have plans to enhance this area of the park to make it more welcoming to the community and plan to share these plans with club members at the picnic.
Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest
The Georgia Laws of Life Essay Contest is a signature program of the Rotary Clubs in Georgia. The contest takes Rotary's emphasis on ethics, education, peace, and literacy into schools and classrooms. Students are encouraged to select a "law of life", reflect upon their lives, and express their personal beliefs through a writing assignment.
Interfaith Prayer Breakfast
Rotary Club of North Fulton's signature event is an Interfaith Prayer Breakfast for the North Fulton Community on the National Day of Prayer. This year's event is on May 4, 2023 and will be held at the Fellowship Hall at St. David's Episcopal Church in Roswell.
Literacy Night at Children's Development Academy
Rotary Club of North Fulton is sponsoring a Literacy Night at Children's Development Academy on March 23, 2023. The sponsorship includes providing dinner for families at the school, supplies for an art project, literacy packs and the cost of an artist/performer. Members of the club will serve dinner, clean up, lead art projects in the classroom, read to students, and then set up for the entertainment. The families and students always look forward to these evenings of fun at their preschool!
Mardi Gras Bingo for Milton Seniors
Rotary Club of North Fulton organized a fun Mardi Gras-themed event of Bingo and lunch for seniors in Milton, GA on Fat Tuesday. The participants were festive and were excited to wear hats and beads for Mardi Gras. Rotary Club of North Fulton provided bingo prizes of small toiletry items and packages of cookies, and provided lunch as well. Dessert was, King Cake, of course! A fun time was had by all.
Miss Mary's Ice Cream Crankin"
The Drake House started in 2004 to address the growing number of homeless women and children in North Fulton county. The Drake House transforms the lives of single mothers and their children by facilitating financial security and housing stability.
Polar Plunge Fundraiser
Rotary Club of North Fulton participated in the Polar Plunge hosted by Rotary Club of Alpharetta on February 4, 2023 at Wills Park Pool. Our Rotarian, Richard Matherly, (a founding member of our club!) took the plunge to raise money for our club to fund our good works in the community. Club members asked for donations in support of Richard's plunge and many members attended the event to watch Richard take the plunge. It was a cold morning (42 degrees at the time of Richard's plunge)!
Promise 686 - Support Children in Foster Care
Promise 686 is a non-profit organization that mobilizes church communities to care for vulnerable children in foster care. Rotary Club of North Fulton committed $3500 to support the needs of children in foster care (basic hygiene needs, school supplies, clothing). Rotary Club of North Fulton will purchase the hygiene items and package them for children, and will also purchase the book bags and school supplies needed as well. This project will be ongoing from March 20, 2023 to June 30, 2023.
Public Safety Appreciation Lunch with Culinary Students
North Fulton Rotary honored the members of the Alpharetta Public Safety Department by hosting lunch for them on January 31, 2023. To continue the club's focus on working with youth this year, the culinary students from Alpharetta High School were engaged to plan, prepare and serve the lunch alongside members of the Rotary Club. It was a great way to connect two parts of the North Fulton community with each other. The food was delicious and everyone enjoyed interacting with each other. North Fulton Rotary was also able to make a donation to the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation, which helps first responders in times of unexpected need.
Reflection Garden Work Day
Rotary Club of North Fulton installed a Reflection Garden (complete with a peace pole) at North Park in Alpharetta, GA in 2013. Each year, we schedule a day to work in the area around our Reflection Garden, adding mulch and new plantings when needed. In addition, we also have a brick campaign to honor or memorialize members. This year's work day appropriately falls on Earth Day, April 22nd and we have invited the Cambridge High School Interact Club to help us refresh this area.
Rise Against Hunger with Cambridge Interact
Rotary Club of North Fulton partnered with Cambridge High School Interact Club to host a food packing event with Rise Against Hunger on March 10, 2023. The mission of Rise Against Hunger is growing a global movement to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies. One of the ways this is achieved is by working with interested parties to stage meal packaging events to create fortified, dehydrated, shelf-stable meals that are transported by Rise Against Hunger to identified areas of food insecurity. Rotary Club of North Fulton funded the packing of more than 15,000 meals with the help of Cambridge High School Interact Club, Public Safety personnel from Milton, GA, and volunteers from Rotary Club of Alpharetta, Rotary Club of Johns Creek-North Fulton, and GRSP Student, Emilio, from Rotary Club of Roswell. It was a very rewarding service project, bringing together different parts of the community to help the food insecure.
Roswell Rotary 9/11 Drive Thru BBQ
The Roswell Rotary Club asked Rotary Club of North Fulton to participate in their annual 9/11 Drive Through BBQ for Roswell First Responders on September 11th. Rotary Club of North Fulton provided homemade desserts for the First Responders and members attended the event to help serve the First Responders. Interact students from multiple schools attended the event as well. This event started in 2020 and was designed as a drive through event due to Covid. It was such a success that it has been continued!
Rotary Run for FBLA
Rotary Club of North Fulton partnered with the Future Business Leaders of America at Alpharetta High School for a 5K race on September 25, 2022. The FBLA students needed to raise money to offset the cost of traveling to state and national level competitions. The FBLA club at Alpharetta High has over 300 members. The students were tasked with creating the marketing materials and soliciting sponsorships for the 5K. The Rotary Club of North Fulton arranged the location, the timer, as well as t-shirts and medals. A couple of months after the race, several FBLA students attended a club meeting to inform members about the activities of their club, and to thank the club for helping them raise approximately $2000.00. Our members enjoyed the enthusiasm and energy of the students and the FBLA club learned about Rotary and the good works we do in the community. In addition, members of the FBLA were able to refine their marketing and organizational skills by helping to plan and host this event.
Rotary Spooktacular
Rotary Club of North Fulton came together for a Family of Rotary Spooktacular at the beautiful home of club member, Mike Mudd, and his wife Rachel on October 27th. Many Rotarians showed up to enjoy each other's company and three former Rotarians were also able to come and visit with club members. In addition, a prospective member attended the event with his wife.
Rotary Youth Leadership Award
Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) is a conference that helps to develop leadership skills in high school students. RYLA is held in June of each year and all Rotary clubs in Georgia are able to select and sponsor students. Applicants are selected based on character, leadership qualities, personality and leadership potential.
School Supplies for Holcomb Bridge Middle School
Although the North Fulton area of Georgia is generally affluent, there are pockets of poverty throughout and Title 1 schools. Holcomb Bridge Middle School is one such school and Rotary Club of North Fulton supported them again this year by purchasing the most needed school supplies of middle schoolers and providing to school counselors for distribution. These supplies included 3-ring binders, pocket dividers, highlighters, pencils and earbuds. We love supporting the local schools when we can.
Supporting Little Free Libraries
Rotary Club of North Fulton has a long history of supporting literacy efforts and one of the ways this is done is by providing books to the Little Free Libraries (8) in City of Alpharetta parks. Several of these libraries were built by a member of the club and another member is the official "steward" of the libraries. Our club provides books for readers of all ages with a special effort made to provide books written by diverse authors. You may notice that some are built in the Rotary theme, and our steward loves to share the Rotary story with library visitors!
Toy Drive for North Fulton Community Charities
Each year, North Fulton Community Charities solicits donations of toys and other gift items from the community so that underprivileged families can shop for gifts. Many of these families don't have enough money for food, so gifts are definitely not something they can afford. Our club held a toy drive in November and early December to be able to provide toys and gift cards for these families. Our members collected more than 65 individual items and several hundred dollars worth of gift cards too.