Rotary Club of Wheeling, West Virginia

09/02/2026

We were joined by Mary Hess from the Unity Center for yesterday’s weekly meeting. The Unity Center is a unique space providing a place where those in recovery can feel safe. 18 groups hold meetings there regularly including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Pictured with Mary are Rotarians Stephanie Grove, Jim Spanner, and Cory Barack

08/26/2026

Dolly was a Rotarian 🩷

From the President: Knowing all the good things Dolly Parton embraced and embodied -- from kindness and integrity to health and education for all -- AND, knowing the motto of Rotary is "Service Above Self," googled: "Was Dolly Parton a Rotarian?"

It turns out, she was an honorary member of several clubs and partnered with Rotary clubs around the country and world to deliver books to children through her Imagination Library program. I probably should have known this, but my excuse is I didn't join Rotary till 2019. 😇 Below is a link to her interview with Rotary International that was printed in the Rotary Magazine in 2010. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

She is pictured here during her appearance at the Rotary International conference in 2010.

08/25/2026

Continuing the string of interesting speakers, today we hosted Mike Lemon, Ohio County Magistrate. Mike is also married to Rotarian Danae DeMasi-Lemon.

08/22/2026

Our Rotarians enjoyed a wonderful evening of food and fellowship at the Oglebay Institute Board Benefit! Thank you to our webmaster Lisa Olson for sharing this great video by .

08/18/2026

Tessa Weisenborn from Laughlin Memorial Chapel was our speaker today at the Rotary Club of Wheeling. Pictured with Tessa are Rotarians Roger Warren and Cory Barack. It was great to hear about all the great things happening for kids at the Chapel. Keep up the good work!

08/17/2026

Meet our president, Betsy Bethel-Mcfarland! Betsy is dedicated to making an impact in the community by growing club membership, revitalizing club meetings, and encouraging meaningful service. For more information about Wheeling Rotary, visit our website or message us. Rotary District 7545 Rotary International

👏 Meet the Club President Monday!

This week, we're featuring Betsy Bethel-McFarland, President of the Rotary Club of Wheeling, West Virginia.

A fourth generation Rotarian and the fifth member of her family to serve as a club president, Betsy brings a passion for service, leadership, and community engagement to her role. She serves as Director of Marketing and Development at Easterseals Rehabilitation Center and is excited to lead her club through a season of growth and meaningful impact.

Fun fact: Betsy is also an accomplished bagpiper and has been a volunteer leader with the Macdonald Pipe Band of Pittsburgh for more than 20 years! 🎵

Thank you, Betsy, for living Rotary's mission and inspiring others through service.

08/12/2026

Rotary District 7545 Governor Julie Sawyer visited the Wheeling Rotary Club today to share her goals for the district and her intention to help clubs and members ignite a “Rotary Revolution” that results in membership growth and increased impact in our communities. One of her goals is to raise $100,000 across the 50-county district to provide the polio vaccine to 500,000 people worldwide.

Pictured with DG Sawyer, center, are Vice President Jim Spanner and President Betsy Bethel-McFarland.

For information about joining Rotary, visit rotarywheeling.org.

08/04/2026

Today we heard from Jeanne Finstein, president of Friends of Wheeling about the success of their Loan Guarantee program. Friends of Wheeling is the oldest historic preservation organization in the state of West Virginia.

07/28/2026

At today's lunch meeting, we welcomed Roberta Raymond from The Wall That Heals, which will be coming to the Belmont County Fairgrounds Oct. 1-4. This is only one of 31 communities in the U.S. that were chosen to host the 3/4 replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall this year, and it is the only stop in the tristate area. The wall is 375 feet long and 7 1/2 feet tall at its apex. There will be programming and school tours available. The wall is free to visit 24/7. Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks, from security to tour guides, and financial sponsors are needed. More information is available at https://wallthathealsohio2026.com/

On hand Tuesday during the presentation were, from left, Brandi Waligura and Roberta Raymond from The Wall That Heals, and Rotary President Betsy Bethel-McFarland and Vice President Jim Spanner. Rotary meets every Tuesday at noon at WesBanco Arena. For information, visit rotarywheeling.org.

07/27/2026

Well done to everyone involved in doing this important work! Ohio County Solid Waste Authority