At the North Atlanta Professional Alliance Rotary Club, we talk a lot about Service Above Self. On July 30, we showed what that looks like in practice.

NAPA members gathered for our Pack It Forward Back-to-School Backpack Project — a community service initiative organized in partnership with the NAPA Foundation to ensure local students head into the new school year with the supplies they need to succeed. From 11AM to 1PM, our members rolled up their sleeves, sorted supplies, packed bags, and showed up for kids in our community.

205 backpacks. That's 205 kids walking into middle schools in and around Johns Creek with everything they need and nothing standing between them and a great first day.

What started as a packing line turned into one of the best days we've had all year. A special thank you to Manish A. Shah for hosting and bringing the energy — he ran the games and activities that turned assembly-line work into genuine fun, and it showed on every face in the room.

None of it would have been possible without our generous donors. We are so grateful for the members and supporters who made the backpacks possible before a single marker was picked up. And to those who sourced supplies, coordinated logistics, and delivered the backpacks where they needed to go — the packing is the fun part. You made it possible.

To our volunteers: you showed up, rolled up your sleeves, and stayed until the last bag was zipped. This doesn't happen without you.

Watch the recap here. 

NAPA was chartered on March 23, 2026. We are only a few months old, and we are already planting roots in our community that will outlast any single event. Pack It Forward is just the beginning. This fall, NAPA has three signature events on the calendar — the Atlanta Dragon Boat Race and Family Day on September 12, the Financial and Health Wellness Summit on October 10, and the International Special Needs Dance Party on November 7.

Service Above Self isn't a tagline for NAPA. It is our standard.

To learn more about NAPA and upcoming events, visit georgianaparotary.org or follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/joinnapa.