Fort Mill Rotary Club

09/03/2026

🌟 Fort Mill Rotary Weekly Meeting Recap 🌟

This week, the Fort Mill Rotary Club had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate one of our own — Birju Shah, our Rotarian of the Week — and hear an inspiring story of service from his father, Dipak Shah.

Birju is an active member of our Rotary family, and it was especially meaningful to have him introduce us to his father and share a little of the story behind the work Dipak has dedicated himself to in our community.

Dipak shared his journey of immigrating from India to the United States, putting himself through college, and ultimately turning his own experiences into an opportunity to serve others. He is the founder of the Carolinas Indian Senior Group, an organization focused on creating community, friendship and connection for Indian seniors in our area. The organization has grown to more than 200 members — an incredible testament to the need he identified and the community he has built.

His story was a perfect fit for Rotary. Whether through Rotary or organizations like the Carolinas Indian Senior Group, meaningful change often starts with one person recognizing a need and deciding to do something about it.

And this week, we were reminded that service runs in the family. 💙💛

Congratulations to Birju Shah, our Rotarian of the Week, and thank you to both Birju and Dipak for sharing their stories and their commitment to building stronger communities.

Service Above Self in action!

09/01/2026

08/26/2026

🐝 It was the bees’ knees at Rotary this week! 🐝

Our Fort Mill Rotary Club meeting was buzzing with energy as we learned about Beyond Bees, a community-based organization in Lancaster working to build better beekeeping skills, stronger communities — and so much more.

The presentation gave us a fascinating look inside the hive and a whole new appreciation for just how important bees are to our everyday lives. 🐝🍯

From learning how beekeepers monitor the health of a colony to understanding the role of the queen, worker bees, honey, beeswax and even the beekeeper’s smoker, we got an up-close look at what it takes to keep a hive healthy.

And the impact of bees goes far beyond honey.

🌻 Beyond Bees educates communities about bees and pollinators
🍯 Provides honey products and tastings
🌱 Supports pollinator gardens and opportunities to sponsor a hive
🐝 Helps people develop practical beekeeping skills
🌍 Works to expand beekeeping education and opportunities internationally, including efforts in Uganda and Somaliland
🤝 Uses beekeeping as a way to strengthen communities and create opportunity

One of the biggest takeaways? A healthy hive is a community — and every bee has a job. There’s a lesson in that for all of us, folks! 😉

We also learned about the serious challenges bees face, including exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides, which can affect bees’ ability to navigate, groom themselves and return to the hive — ultimately impacting the entire colony.

And, of course, there was the reminder that a world without bees would look very different at the picnic table. Think no tomatoes, no berries, no watermelon, no guacamole… and no PB&J. 😳

We even got a hands-on look at real honeycomb and learned how beekeepers determine the health of a colony by paying attention to things like sound, smell and movement.

🐝 ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK: ANDREAS SCHUHMACHER

We also recognized Andreas Schumacher as our Rotarian of the Week! Andreas grew up in Germany, lived in Mexico and moved to the U.S. in 1999. He shared a little of his story with the club. We are grateful for Andreas and all of his contributions to our community! 💙💛

From fascinating facts about pollinators to sticky fingers and sweet honey, this week’s meeting was a great reminder that small things can make a BIG difference.

That’s Rotary in a nutshell — learning, connecting, serving and building stronger communities.

Service Above Self. 💙💛

08/24/2026

🐝 part of something 🐝-ger this week and join us for lunch and a sweet time!

08/20/2026

🍽️ So…what did YOU have for lunch on Wednesday?

Because if it wasn’t lunch at the Fort Mill Rotary Club, you missed out! 😋

Our Wednesday meeting at the Fort Mill Golf Club came with an incredible meal, great fellowship, and an even better reminder of why Service Above Self matters.

⭐ Congratulations to Tracy Thomas, our Rotarian of the Week! We’re grateful for the energy, commitment, and service Tracy brings to our Rotary family. Thank you, Tracy, for making a difference in our community!

💙 Our program this week featured Kory and Michael Pennington with The ROB Foundation , an organization dedicated to helping NC and SC students who have experienced the loss of a parent or legal guardian. The foundation provides scholarships and support to help students overcome financial barriers and pursue college or trade school opportunities.

Their mission is beautifully summed up in three words:

❤️ REMEMBER — Honor the memory of the parents students have lost and keep their legacy alive through their children’s dreams.

🏔️ OVERCOME — Help students overcome financial burdens and pursue their educational goals with confidence.

🌱 BUILD — Invest in education and opportunity so students can build a bright future.

And their impact is already significant:
📚 47 students supported
🎓 3 years of scholarships awarded
💙 $77,500 in scholarships provided

We’re grateful to the ROB Foundation for sharing their mission with us and reminding us that sometimes the greatest way to honor someone’s legacy is to help the next generation achieve their dreams.

And yes…we’re also grateful for the fortmillgolfclub kitchen. 😂🍽️

Great food. Great fellowship. Great service. That’s a Wednesday well spent.

Interested in learning more about Rotary or joining us for lunch? We’d love to have you! Send us a message and come see what Service Above Self is all about.

08/17/2026

Join Tracy Thomas and the Fort Mill Rotary Club on Wednesday for a great lunch, an amazing speaker and a Sergeant-at-Arms who will surely make you smile!

08/13/2026

What a wonderful Wednesday with the Fort Mill Rotary Club! 💙💛

We were honored to welcome Rotarian of the week AND Town of Fort Mill Mayor Guynn Savage, who shared an update on the incredible growth and transformation happening in our community.

Fort Mill has grown tremendously over the past decade, and Mayor Savage highlighted the work underway to thoughtfully manage that growth while continuing to invest in the people and places that make Fort Mill special.

A few highlights from her update included:

🏘️ Planning for the future – The Town is updating its comprehensive plan with opportunities for public input and a focus on creating a vision that reflects Fort Mill’s unique community.

🌳 Parks & recreation – Exciting improvements, including updates to Water Elisha Park and Millstone Park, along with continued planning for future parks and community spaces.

🏢 New community facilities – A new community center is expected to be completed later this year, and the Town is preparing to break-ground on an operations center on Banks Street in September.

🚒 Public safety – Fort Mill’s commitment to its first responders continues, including new fire department equipment and a new ladder truck that took three years to hand-build.

🎓 Education partnerships – The Town is working with the Fort Mill School District on traffic management, signals and other initiatives, while also partnering with Winthrop University to bring higher education opportunities to Fort Mill.

🚦 Transportation & infrastructure – From street paving and Fort Mill Stormwater Department stormwater improvements to congestion mitigation and adaptive traffic signals, the Town is working on infrastructure that keeps pace with growth.

We also celebrated Kim Dent as a Paul Harris Fellow, recognizing a meaningful commitment to Rotary’s mission of service.

And, of course, we were reminded of why we do what we do: Service Above Self. ❤️

Our club is made up of people who care deeply about Fort Mill and want to make a positive difference in our community. If you’ve ever thought about getting more involved, meeting new people, serving others, and being part of something bigger, we’d love to have you visit!

Interested in joining Fort Mill Rotary Club? Reach out to us—we welcome new members! We meet Wednesdays at noon at the Fort Mill Golf Club, and guests are always welcome.

08/07/2026

This week, Fort Mill Rotary was reminded of the power of Service Above Self through two very meaningful moments.

💙 Celebrating Our Rotarian of the Week: Debbie Salman

We were proud to recognize Debbie Salman, our Rotarian of the Week. Debbie is someone who embodies the spirit of Rotary through her commitment to serving others and making a difference in our community.

🎤 Speaker: Sherry Nims

Our guest speaker, Sherry Nims, shared the important work of the American Foundation for Su***de Prevention (AFSP) and the York, Lancaster & Chester County communities.

Sherry shared her deeply personal connection to this mission. Her son, Andrew, died by su***de in 2023 at the age of 30. Through her grief, Sherry has made a commitment to turn Andrew’s story into purpose by helping others understand that mental health matters, conversations matter, and every life matters.

She reminded us that su***de doesn’t discriminate. It affects people of every age, income level, career, and walk of life. And su***de prevention isn’t someone else’s issue—it belongs to all of us.

One message that really stood out was the importance of simply listening. We don’t always need to have the right words or know how to fix someone’s problems. Sometimes, being willing to listen without judgment can be the moment that helps save someone.

Sherry also reminded us about the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline—a free, confidential resource available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.

🌅 Out of the Darkness Community Walk

Sherry invited our club to participate in the York County Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at The Print Shop in Fort Mill.

The 0.9-mile walk is a day of remembrance, hope and healing and welcomes families, survivors, supporters, businesses, schools, first responders and community members.

Thank you to Debbie for continuing to demonstrate Service Above Self, and to Sherry for sharing such an important message with our club.

Sometimes making a difference starts with simply asking, “How are you doing?” — and being willing to truly listen. 💙