May 19, 2026
Heather Macy, head women’s basketball coach of Georgia Southern University, paid us a visit this week. She talked about her coaching philosophies, many of which are applicable to her team’s life off the court as they grow into impactful contributors in society.
Please support our two big fundraisers in the works – the Duck Race and our Far, Near, and Here raffle – our biggest fundraiser of the year. Check out the Keyway for details on these and other upcoming events and schedules.
To join an upcoming Zoom meeting, use this link and the passcode: Rotary.
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Cody Callarman gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Walker Rice introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
May 26, 2026 | Issue 5194| President: Karla Combs UPCOMING EVENTS
- 5/26 – NO ROTARY (Happy Memorial Day!)
- 5/30 – Duck Race & Bikes for Africa Breakdown/Packing
- 5/31 – Bikes for African Breakdown /Packing
- 6/2 – Historical Tour
- 6/9 – Taylor Jackson, Maritime Assoc.
- 6/9 – Adopt a Poll Volunteer. Sign up here
- 6/16 – NO MEETING
- 6/23 – Dr. Anya Benitez, MUSC, on Alzheimer’s
- 6/30 – End of Year Transition Happy Hour
NEWS BRIEFS
Reminder … NO Meeting this Tuesday, May 26
The club is not meeting this Tuesday, May 26. We hope everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend. “This Memorial Day, may we stand united in gratitude for the heroes who made our tomorrow possible.”
Reminder … Guest RSVP by 5pm on Monday
If you are planning to bring a guest to Rotary, it is important that you let Carroll know no later than Monday at 5pm. There is some preparation that needs to be done for all guests prior to the meeting. Guest fee is $30 paid at the door. First-time prospective members are free.
Unfortunately, 2 out of the 2 host families we had lined up to host our incoming Youth Exchange student from Finland contacted us yesterday to let us know that they need to back out of hosting this year. As a result, we are in urgent need of a first host for her beginning in early August for 3–6 months. Please note that we can likely arrange temporary coverage for a week or so, if you have plans that would conflict with your ability to host during your committed hosting period. The Rotary Youth International Exchange Program offers teenage high school students ages 15–19 an opportunity to make new friends, learn new ways of living, open themselves up to different ideas, a new culture, traditions, experiences, and to adapt and gain fresh perspectives while attending high school in another country and living with 2- 3 host families arranged through a local Rotary Club. Typically, the exchanges offer the same benefits to host families. Our Club’s inbound student Sara, from Finland, will attend a local Charleston high school that is convenient for their hosts (we currently have approval from Wando and the Charter School for Math & Science and can approach others if necessary). Please contact Karen Clark at 301-412-8692 or Richard Kelly if you can help us and will consider hosting or have other interested contacts.
Adopt A Poll- Volunteer opp/Fundraiser: June 9
Election season is upon us and we are partnering with Charleston County to Adopt-A-Poll! Similar to prior years, we need volunteers (Rotarian’s, family, and friends) to come together to staff two (2) locations on June 9th. This year we will be supporting polling locations at Burke High School and James Island Charter School. We need eight (8) volunteers per location. These eight (8) volunteers will work on split shifts evenly; meaning that four (4) will work on first shift (6AM – 2PM) while the remaining four (4) will work second shift (12PM – 8PM). Note this requires advanced training and certain other eligibility requirements. More information can be found here on the sign up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-64138037-adoptapoll#/
Last Call for January 2026 Dues Payments
We still have a few members who have not paid January dues (and you know who you are!), please be sure to take care of making payment as soon as possible. This Rotary year is quickly coming to an end and July-December 2026 dues statements will be issued next month. If you have an outstanding balance and have recently received a past due notice or been contacted by club leadership, please make good on your payment by June 1.
Board Transition Social – Mark Your Calendars
To celebrate the end of this Rotary Year and the beginning of our new Rotary Year, a Happy Hour Social event from 5-7pm is scheduled at Hall’s Signature Events on Tuesday, June 30 in lieu of our lunch meeting that day. There will be a “brief” meeting, but mostly it will be a fun time to celebrate the year, ring in the new Rotary year and catch up with our Rotary friends. We hope you will plan to bring your spouse or guest and join us!
RCCF Spring Grant Recipients Recognized
On behalf of the club and the RCCF Committee, Past President and RCCF Chair Paul Stoney recognized four local organizations with RCCF Grants.
Fellow Rotarian, Leah Donaldson represented Charleston Friends of the Library. Our funds will be used to fund 2 initiatives aimed at increasing literacy and engagement with reading in our community.
- Teacher Raffle at THAT BIG BOOK SALE – Provide 30 local teachers with a $25 gift card each.
- Summer Books for Kids – Provide 75 children with $10 coupon each for books.
Sherri Snipes-Williams accepted the check on behalf of Charleston Promise Neighborhood. Our grant will support the purchase & distribution of school-identified basic need items, including oral and feminine hygiene kits, immediate needs identified by KidsWell nurses and improving students’ health, dignity and readiness to learn.
Lincolnville Preservation and Historical Society was represented by Pernessa Seele. Our funds will support the Little Sprouts Garden Club, a new youth initiative designed to enhance nature curiosity, confidence and community pride among children 3-10 in Lincolnville. Lincolnville’s community garden will be transformed into a hands-on learning space where children can explore nature, learn how food grows, and build early skills in environmental stewardship, teamwork and healthy living.
Barbara Kingsbury attended on behalf of Lowcountry Orphan Relief. Our funds will support the Our Care Kits program, which is vital in making a child feel “whole” by receiving clothing, underwear, pjs, and hygiene products. Children removed from their home, have little opportunity to grab personal items and arrive at foster or kinship home waiting days before having their items replaced. The club’s donation would purchase toothbrushes and toothpaste for 400 children.
These presentations concluded our Spring RCCF Grant recognitions. With the help of your generous donations, the RCCF was able to award 9 organizations this Spring with a total of $13,500 in grants. We congratulate all these organizations and appreciate all they do to make our community better!
Far, Near and Here Raffle: buy tickets now!
Back by popular demand, our Far, Near, and Here raffle is up and running. We’ve got four great prizes that are available to win by purchasing tickets in each individually priced draw. We’re limiting the number of tickets sold for each so the odds are very good and the prizes are even greater. So pack your bags and buy some tickets. And its even easier to buy a tickets by going to this web site https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/historic-charleston-rotary-spring-and-summer-raffles This is our clubs biggest fundraiser of the year so lets all support this effort to keep our RCCF fund plentiful to help so many great local causes. Drawing will be held at our Skyline Social event on July 9 On offer this year are:
- Far” Escape Raffle Ticket: Turks & Caicos Caribbean Getaway (Ticket: $100)
Enjoy a 5-night stay at a luxury 2-bedroom condo at The Sands Resort on world-famous Grace Bay Beach. This unforgettable experience includes a welcome cocktail, dinner for four at Hemingway’s beachfront restaurant, and admission to the Rotary Club of Providenciales weekly meeting. Relax, recharge, and take in one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful destinations. Dates subject to availability; excludes Christmas and New Year.
- “Near” Escape Raffle Ticket: NC Wine Country Weekend (Ticket: $75)
Adopt a Duck
Our Rotary club is teaming up with the Daniel Island Rotary Club for this year’s Duck Race on May 30. You can support both our club and the RCCF by adopting one or more ducks. To participate, simply click the link: https://charlestonduckrace.com/participating-clubs/historic-rotary-club-of-charleston/ ! 
Change in Membership Status Deadline
If you plan a change in your club member status by July 1, 2026, to Excused, eMember, Leave of Absence or if you are planning to resign, please notify Carroll in writing NO LATER THAN June 1st. Any change will affect July billing. Also, if you are listed on our membership roster as of July 1, the club pays Rotary International and District dues for you, which you will be required to pay. If you have any questions, contact Carroll. Volunteers are also needed to work at the Duck Booth at the RiverDogs Stadium on April 30 and May 14 from 5:30-8:30pm. Free entry into the game is included. Please click on this link to volunteer. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-63352850-duck Member Spotlight Member Spotlight provides you with the opportunity to share your background, work and hobbies with our membership. It’s a great way for other members to learn more about you. You can be a long-time club member or a new member to participate. Please review the available slots below and sign up to secure your spot. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945A4AA2AA7F5C52-60923410-member
Continue to Support Polio and By Becoming a Polio Plus Society Member All Rotarians are encouraged to continue to support Rotary International’s efforts to take action and end Polio for good. You can support our efforts to end Polio by becoming a Polio Plus Society member by donating $100 through this link https://raise.rotary.org/Sandy-Morckel/fundraiser987.
Club Service Team Needs Meeting Day Volunteers
We are always looking for Greeters, Invocation & Pledge presenters, as well as volunteers to introduce our visiting Rotarians & guests at weekly meetings. Please contact Club Service Chairman, Sgt. Cody Callerman at [email protected] if you would like to volunteer at a weekly meeting.
“Birthday” Blue Bucket Donations
President Karla plans to announce all monthly member birthdays at the first meeting of every month. Blue Buckets will for the first meeting of the month will be “Birthday” buckets and all donated contributions the first meeting, unless otherwise announced, will go to support BabyBLOOMS, which is a program at the Ronald McDonald House Charleston. This new program offers support and resources designed to strengthen and assist families as they journey from the hospital to home. Through weekly learning and activity sessions, BabyBLOOMS seeks to enhance the parenting experience using evidenced-based practices, while creating an opportunity to enrich bonding, infant care, and development. On the other Tuesdays of the month during July and August, Blue Bucket donations will go to the Kerrville, Texas Rotary to support flood disaster relief in their area.
Be “Spotlighted” at a Meeting
The Rotary Club of Charleston will continue to highlight members twice a month. Members who are interested in being spotlighted should let Julianne Farnsworth know of your interest and she will assign you a date. Members who want to be spotlighted need to let me know of your interest and I will assign you a date. At the assigned meeting, you will have approximately 2 minutes to tell the Rotary Club membership about yourself. You can use visual aids and/or just talk about yourself. Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to “spotlight” you and your personal and professional achievements. Contact Julianne Farnsworth at [email protected] if interested or for more information.
Rotarians Against Human Trafficking (RAHT)
One of Rotary’s big initiatives this year is to combat human trafficking. It’s a prevalent, but also oftentimes unspoken issue. Past President Alissa Leitzow is the RAHT Ambassador for our club, so please reach out to her for more information on how to get involved. [email protected]
Rotary International 2025/2026 Theme: Unite for Good
The 2025-26 presidential message, announced at the 2025 Rotary International Assembly in February, will remain Unite for Good, which calls on Rotary members to be a force for unity in a world increasingly divided by politics, geography, and ideology. Through service projects, Rotary brings together people of every background — across races, religions, and professions — in a shared mission to do good in their communities.
Support The CART Fund
It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.
Our Club is on Social Media: New Instagram Account
We now have a new Instagram account! Please follow us on @charlestonrotaryclub. Thanks To Charlie Jablon for setting this up. Continue to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, too. and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us picture of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be send to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected] Charlie Jablon [email protected], and Jason Noble, jnoble @primefinancial.com
MEMBER NEWS
Proposed New Members The following membership candidate has applied and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston: Brian Cummings – sponsor: Michael Smith; classification: Financial Planning In the event you know Brian, please tell a member of the Board how he will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Lisa van Bergen
Longtime Rotarian and former president Lisa van Bergen gave us some insights into her background. She joined the club in 2011 and has been a valuable contributor since then. She’s a graduate of the College of Charleston and also holds a degree from the Citadel. She has spent most of her career in various counseling roles, specifically focusing on young families and young mothers as they navigate the parenting and family development challenges. She currently runs her own counseling service and serves a wide range of family situations and also has a side gig as a grant writer for non-profits.
- 5/30 – Lisa Van Bergen
- 5/31 – Charlie Jablon
- 6/1 – Sean Holleran
- 6/2 – Elijah Melendez
WELLNESS TIP Eat your sunscreen
No, not the lotion in a tube! But real food is actually some of the best sunscreen around. That’s because sunburn is a type of inflammation, and diet has a tremendous impact on inflammation in the body. Your diet can increase or decrease your skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, as well as its ability to repair itself when it does get damaged. To reduce your sun-sensitivity and risk of sun damage, make sure you’re eating enough anti-inflammatory foods like:
Healthy fats rich in Omega-3s: Omega-3s help to reduce inflammation in your body and promote healing. Good sources include fish (like sardines and salmon), eggs, flaxseed and walnuts. Omega-3s are also available in supplement form via fish oil and flaxseed oil (vegan).
Other healthy saturated fats: Choose healthy saturated fats like coconut oil, avocado oil and organic grass-fed butter. Saturated fats are the building blocks of healthy skin (and hair and nails).
Veggies: The vitamins and antioxidants in veggies help to protect cells from the effects of UV radiation. Leafy greens and tomatoes are particularly good.
Other antioxidant-rich foods: Antioxidants help reduce inflammation and free radicals in your cells, as well as protect against sunburn and skin damage. In addition to veggies, berries, beans, nuts and green or black tea have high antioxidant properties. Though the first step of good sun protection is keeping your skin healthy from the inside out, it’s also important to protect your skin with the proper amount of exposure and coverage.
OTHER AREA MEETINGS
Mondays
Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
North Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston, SC
Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Cainhoy: 6PM, on the first and third Tuesday of the month, King’s Cross Church, of Clement Ferry Road. https://www.cainhoyrotary.com
Wednesdays
Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Mt Pleasant Presbyterian 302 Hibben St
Summerville: 1pm-2pm on 1st & 3rd Wednesday. Hilton Garden Inn-Homewood Suite/Lowcountry Conference Center, 406 Sigma Drive
Thursdays
North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Marriott Hotel, 4770 Goer Drive, North Charleston.
Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
Charleston Breakfast: 7:30AM Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
We’re on Instagram. You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
President: Karla Combs
Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]