President's Message, October 20, 2026
Submitted by President Dan Jenkins
Hi All,
Our next Rotary meeting is Tuesday, October 27th, and we're excited to welcome Mary Robichaux, Mayor of Roswell, as our guest speaker! We'll also hear briefly from VetBuds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of our veterans. VetBuds supports veterans in need through reliable transportation, monetary gifts for student veterans, and partnerships with other nonprofits to help provide essential needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. As a coincidence, Mayor Robichaux is closely involved with VetBuds and is helping secure funding for a healthcare facility dedicated to serving our veterans. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the important work being done in our community to support those who have served our country and other initiatives that will be transformative in the years to come.
Please plan to join us for what promises to be an informative and inspiring meeting! Let's have a great turnout as we welcome Mayor Robichaux and learn more about how we can support these important community efforts.
Looking forward to seeing everyone Tuesday!
Service Project Recap: ER Nurse Appreciation Dinner
Our club was happy to show appreciation for the dedicated Emergency Department nurses at Wellstar North Fulton hospital on Thursday, October 15th. Spearheaded by Steve Cory, our members delivered a delicious dinner of meat and vegetarian lasagne, Caesar salad and homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (courtesy of Wendy Cory).
Beyond sharing a meal, the evening gave our members an opportunity to connect with these hardworking healthcare professionals and personally thank them for the compassion, dedication, and care they provide to our community every day. A special shout out to Mazzy's Sports Tavern in Milton for providing the delicious dinner at their cost.
As an added treat to those members who were there to serve the dinner, Steve Cory had invited some of his GSU young classmates to help us serve the nurses. These two young women, Esmerelda and Fatima, were certainly a pleasure to spend time with and they jumped right into helping out!
Membership: Spotlight on Steve Cory
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: STEVE CORY – A HEART FOR SERVICE!
Some Rotarians jump right into service after joining a club. Others, like Steve Cory, start making a difference before they even become members!
Steve's Rotary journey began on September 5, 2023, when he met then President Lisa Gelber at Milton High School. Steve was volunteering with the Milton Fire Corps, and North Fulton Rotary was there providing Chick-fil-A sandwiches to the first responders who helped place memorial flags in remembrance of 9/11.
Just one month later, Steve showed up to volunteer at our Greenway Mural project. And before he was even officially a Rotarian, he was already rallying our members to contribute funds to purchase a Solo Stove for one of Milton's firehouses. Clearly, Steve had found his people!
Steve officially joined the Rotary Club of North Fulton on January 9, 2024, and he hasn't slowed down since! He has devoted countless hours to our community service efforts, with a special passion for supporting first responders and helping grow our CPR/AED training program.
And then there's Happy Dollars! We can always count on Steve's boundless energy, enthusiasm, and creativity to encourage members to open their wallets for a good cause. During District Governor Cynthia Edwards' visit, Steve spearheaded a fundraising effort for a nonprofit close to her heart, inspiring generous contributions from our members and a matching gift from the club.
Remember when Steve promised to wash a member's car in exchange for a donation? Well, he wasn't kidding! He followed through by washing and detailing Regina's car, and according to Regina, he does excellent work!
Whether he's lending a hand at a service project, championing our first responders, raising money for a worthy cause, or simply bringing his infectious enthusiasm to a club meeting, Steve embodies Rotary's motto of Service Above Self.
Steve, your generous heart, can-do attitude, and willingness to go above and beyond make our club and our community better. We are so grateful that your path crossed ours back in September 2023 and even more grateful that you chose to make North Fulton Rotary your Rotary home!
Thank you, Steve, for all that you do!
North Fulton Rotary: First Annual Fall Gala
Save the Date: Fall Gala on October 24th
Our Gala is this Saturday and it's not too late to buy tickets!
Proceeds from the event will support Areté Scholars and HomeStretch, two organizations dedicated to making a meaningful difference in our community.
If you cannot attend, perhaps you'd like to peruse the Silent Auction items: Silent Auction
Tickets can be purchased using this link: Fall Gala Tickets
You can also use the QR code on the flyer. If you have any questions, please reach out to Rick Clark, Fundraising Chair (704) 807-0083.
Red Cross Blood Drive with Roswell Rotary
North Fulton is proud to once again partner with the Red Cross Blood Drive hosted by Roswell Rotary on October 28th at Roswell Junction. We have also added one of District 6900's newest Rotary Clubs, North Atlanta Professional Alliance (NAPA) to our volunteer efforts! Please see the flyer (thanks to Kathleen and her team for cleaning up the Blood Drive flyer!) for full details about the event.
Why this matters
Since the American Red Cross launched an emergency blood shortage appeal on July 13th, thousands of people have stepped up to help. Unfortunately, donations are still not keeping pace with hospital demand. Their inventory of type O blood is especially dire. Right now, they have less than a one-day supply of type O positive blood. In just the second time in their history, The Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis and escalated their appeal efforts on Monday, July 27.
How you can help
- If you are healthy and eligible, please consider donating; every donation helps.
- Share the event information with friends, family, and neighbors to encourage broader community participation.
- Refer to the flyer for details on times, eligibility, and any steps needed to participate.
To register to donate blood use the QR code below or click here: Donate Blood
To volunteer to help at the blood drive, sign up here: Volunteer at Blood Drive
Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse that delivers shoeboxes filled with gifts to children around the world as a tangible expression of God’s love through the hands of local partners. Many are received in remote villages in locations that are hard to reach. These gifts are often the only ones these children receive during the year, and for many of these children the only one ever received. The program began in 1990, and in 2025 more than 11 million shoebox gifts were collected! Our Club donated 32 boxes last year, which was awesome - thank you for your generosity!
We will have shoeboxes to pick up at our luncheon on October 27 and ask that all boxes be returned at our November 10 luncheon or delivered to Joy during the week of November 16. Attached to each box will be a label with instructions on “How to Pack a Shoebox” and will include a QR code so you can follow your box.
Choose whether you will pack a box for a girl, a boy, or one of each, and the age category: 2–4, 5–9, or 10–14, and add that information to the adhesive label on each box. Visit this webpage for ideas:
A very reasonable $10.00 donation per donated shoebox is requested to support the shipping cost (often to remote locations in the world!). This can be paid online using the QR code on the shoebox adhesive label which is provided with the box or speak with Joy about other ways to contribute.
Have FUN! This can become a very worthwhile & enjoyable family project! And thank you so much for contributing to this wonderful cause!
Questions: Joy Manbeck (770) 715-5422
Peace Garden Cleanup & Brick Installation — Nov. 14
North Fulton members invited to help at North Park starting at 10 a.m., followed by lunch at 'Cue Barbecue.
We invite North Fulton members to join us on November 14th at North Park to work together on the Peace Garden. This is a chance to care for a special community space and to install the bricks ordered by members.
Plan
- Date: November 14th
- Time: We will get started at 10 a.m.
- Location: North Park, Peace Garden
- Activities: Garden cleanup and installation of member-ordered bricks
- Afterwards: When we finish, we will head over to 'Cue Barbecue for lunch
A sign-up link will be shared in the next newsletter and via email from our Peace Garden Chair, Steve Siders. We hope you can join us for a productive morning and some fellowship afterward!
Let's Score for the Foundation
Football for The Foundation
For some of us it was a disappointing football weekend. For me, I was at sports bar for an Arizona State watch party and had the opportunity to watch the UGA and Alabama games as well. Needless to say the company and refreshments were the best part of the afternoon as all three of my teams came up short. However, that’s the great thing about Foundation Football, our teams don’t have to win for the Foundation to win . That being said, there were some very happy campers among us. I’m sure Brad was elated with UT’s win over Bama, taking them to 6-1 for the season, the same as UGA and Kentucky. Mike’s Wildcats had their second in a row win by one point in OT. As Mike, would say, win by an inch or win by a mile, a win is a win! Speaking of wins, President Dan continues to be our big winner so far with $602 pledged. So, in my book, the Dawgs are definitely winners! In second place is Jonathon and his Falcons with $500, and third is Bob and the Rams at $350. Remember, the NFL season is longer so I would expect this gap to grow tighter. Will post season decide the winner? Stay tune, same bat time, same bat channel to keep up on the latest results and Go Foundation!
Companion Club
The next meeting of the Companion Club will be on October 22nd at 6:30 pm, at Thrive, 44 Milton Avenue, Alpharetta (above Minnie Olivia Pizza)
The activity for this meeting will be to compile transitional housing kits from all the supplies that have been donated over the past few months. Please consider joining to lend a hand!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Joseph Powell, (912) 662-2246.
Club Branded Items Available to Order
Show Your North Fulton Rotary Pride!
Our new North Fulton Rotary online store is officially open! Members can now order branded clothing and gear to show off their Rotary pride wherever they go.
Orders will ship every two weeks, so take a look and see what your wardrobe might be missing. Your closet could probably use a little more Rotary!
Order Here: North Fulton Rotary Merch
