2025 was a busy year for the Rotary Club of Jamestown.During the final noon meeting of the year, Michelle Jones (PHOTO LEFT), 2025-26 club president, provided a thorough end-of-year report for members.
This year, guided by Rotary's theme “Unite for Good,” our club truly became a force for positive change in our community and beyond.
We successfully completed several community-based projects, including:
Highway Clean Up in both the spring and fall, along a section of Interstate 86 between the Jamestown and Falconer exits – as well as cleaning up a mile-long stretch of North Main Street during the city’s annual “Hands on Jamestown” cleanup day.
Planting and maintaining a community garden in front of Love Elementary School, prominently located at the northern entrance to the city’s downtown.
Voter Registration at Jamestown Community College.
Representing the club at the city’s LatinX and Hispanic Heritage Festival, presented by the YWCA of Jamestown.
Members donated an estimated 40+ hours of time to the Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign.
Participating in various literacy projects, including reading to students at local elementary schools and also donating books to give away at Halloween and filling various mini libraries.
The club also welcomed three new members with a fourth expected to join at the start of 2026, strengthening our club and bringing fresh energy to our mission. We have also updated our membership to add the corporate membership option, which allows businesses to serve as members and have multiple representatives participate in our meetings, adding to the value of our club.
The club’s fundraising efforts, including our annual golf tournament and a special winter indoor miniature golf event at local restaurants, raised approximately $8000. We also had weekly happy bucks and 50/50s, as well as the help of Doug Conroe, our Sergeant at Arms, to help our club meet our funding needs and to support us in meeting our funding goals. These weren't just numbers; they were real stories of connection, growth, and service.
The Jamestown club continued to fund our international projects including the Matacabo school in the Philippines with the guidance of member David Troxell and his wife, and the water filtration project in Mexico, overseen by members Greg and Sue Jones. We also welcomed two exchange students during the year through the Rotary Youth Exchange program. They were Heath Bounday from Australia and Jan Steinmann from Switzerland.
The club also deepened our commitment to unity, bringing diverse perspectives together for common good with Ruth Lundine and Patricia Graves leading the way in our community to support DEI initiatives.
“My sincere thanks to every member, committee, and volunteer for your dedication. You are the heart of our club,” Michelle said as she closed her report. “As we look ahead, let's continue to ‘Unite for Good,’ innovate, and build on this strong foundation and the future of the Jamestown Rotary club.
PHOTOS
TOP LEFT: In January 2025, the Rotary Club of Jamestown welcomed youth exchange student Heath Bounday (center) from Tasmania, Australia – pictured with host Rotarian Chris Anderson and 2024-25 club president Marion Beckerink.
TOP RIGHT: In the spring of 2025, the Jamestown Rotary Club planted a Welcome Garden at Samuel G. Love Elementary School to help beautify the northern entrance into downtown Jamestown.
BOTTOM LEFT: Several Rotarians from Jamestown took time out in the spring and fall to help with Highway Cleanup along a section of I-86, just outside of the city.
BOTTOM RIGHT: More than a dozen Rotarians, including David Troxell and his wife Marissa, volunteered their time to help with the Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign during the holiday season
