OUR PROJECTS

Discover how Lakewood Rotary is making a difference in our local community and communities worldwide.
Here are some of our recent local and international projects.

Lakewood Police Department Thank You Campaign

Lakewood Rotarians and Partners of Lakewood Rotary headed by Jan Gee, organized a special thank you for the Lakewood Police Department. There were around 20-30 police officers, including Rotarian and Police Chief, Mike Zaro, who were on hand to receive our cards and letters of thank you along with delicious desserts from the Partners and mini sandwiches from fellow Lakewood Rotarian, Monica Cordell. Let us not forget the generosity of John Warner, who donated $600 to buy Starbuck gift cards and Mike Stevenson who rallied the Rotary Club of Tacoma South to purchase $900 in gift cards for the police department. Also, a very special thanks to Print NW who printed and donated the awesome outdoor Thank You banner.
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Providing Meals to Essential Workers

On April 25, 2020 the Rotary Club of Lakewood had planned to have a celebration of 64 years of community service at the 50th Annual Sportsman’s Dinner and Auction. Although the event was unable to be held the celebration could not be postponed.

To celebrate the Rotary Club of Lakewood sent 70 meals to the night shift nurses at St Clare Hospital. Jonz Catering delivered 70 lunches at ten pm, right near the normal “lunch break”. So instead of cleaning up after our guests at the auction we stood in St Clare’s parking lot and waved support. Special shout out to Jonz for jumping in to help!

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Making A Difference To Tacoma Youth

We work closely with the Tillicum Life Center to help provide resources. The Tillicum Life Center wants to help all Pierce County kids and families who are voiceless, overlooked, and in need of hope for a brighter future.

Recently, we helped organize bags so that over 20 kids received school supplies and clothes last night. We have provide the Center with a community concerns grant to help replace the Center’s basketball hoop.

Bikes For Girls In Nepal

Our Club sponsored and provided funding for Bikes for Girls in Southern Nepal. Two bicycles were presented to students Radha Kumari Paswan & Nitu Thakur of Shree Janata Adharbhut School to encourage them to get and stay in school. In many communities in Southern Nepal, parents do not give priority to a daughters education. This leads to many girls getting married before reaching the age of 16. It also contributes to the literacy rate of females in this Dharampur area is around 10%.

Poetry in the park

10 poems are displayed on small white signs placed around Waughop Lake for trail users to read as they make their way along the nearly 1-mile path in the heart of Lakewood’s 350-acre Fort Steilacoom Park.

A $500 grant from the Lakewood Rotary Club made that possible for the Poetry In The Park to develop and grow. With the Rotary money, volunteers selected 10 poems to be printed on signs and placed around Waughop Lake where they would be most visible.

The Rotary Club of Lakewood is proud to have supported the Poetry in the Park initiative by sponsoring several poems.

Volunteering with the Emergency Food Network

On April 25, 2020 the Rotary Club of Lakewood had planned to have a celebration of 64 years of community service at the 50th Annual Sportsman’s Dinner and Auction. Although the event was unable to be held the celebration could not be postponed.

To celebrate the Rotary Club of Lakewood sent 70 meals to the night shift nurses at St Clare Hospital. Jonz Catering delivered 70 lunches at ten pm, right near the normal “lunch break”. So instead of cleaning up after our guests at the auction we stood in St Clare’s parking lot and waved support. Special shout out to Jonz for jumping in to help!

Restoring South Sound Wildlife area

The South Sound wildlife area is open to the public for hiking, wildlife viewing, dog walking, and other outdoor activities. This 100 acre area had fallen into disrepair due to lack of funding. So Rotary adopted it.

Lakewood Rotary club members along with members from the Rotary Club of Clover Park and Pierce College students set about Restoring the public access to the wildlife area.

The final goal is to restore the area to be a public recreation and education facility where people can come and learn about the unique prairie we live in here in Lakewood. Future projects will include a wood rail fence along Phillips road, picnic tables, benches and interpretative signage for the area.

Restoring South Sound Wildlife area

We partnered with the Rotary Club of Tulum to help improve the lives of women living in the Mayan village of Yaxche. We donated a sewing machine which was won in a raffle by Dona Alejandría Camal, part of our ladies embroidery project supporting women in the Mayan village of Yaxche to create embroidered articles of clothing sold to tourists in Tulum and Akumal.

The proceeds of the sales go back directly to the women who are then able to better care for their families. Some women have already built additions on their homes, others have used the money for health care and things that they were previously unable to purchase. Partnerships with other clubs around the world are one of the great things Rotary allows you to do. The Rotary Club of Tulum is doing amazing things and we are happy to be a little part of this progress.

Supplies For Deaf School In Nepal

We were able to help the Purwanchal Deaf School Hostel in Dharan, Nepal by supplying dining room tables and chairs, pots and pans, plates and glasses, a gas cook top and refrigerator, bunk beds and carpeting, bookcases and books.

We also provided the electrical and plumbing for the new building. What a difference we can make in the lives of others in need!

Volunteering at Courage

Our club is proud to volunteer at the Courage event. This is a weekend cycling adventure benefiting children served by Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network.

100% of donor contributions to Mary Bridge Children’s Courage support patient care and family support at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Fundraise for the Child Abuse Intervention Department (CAID) or Where The Need Is Greatest.

Our club helped provide volunteers for the lunch rest stop along with our partners the Rotary Clubs of Puyallup and Tacoma south. Tacos were served and very much appreciated. We also volunteered by running the legendary root beer float and hula hoop rest stop for the Courage!