Rotary Club of Monroe

The Rotary Club of Monroe, Washington was conceived by the Rotary Club of Snohomish who believed that Monroe had grown to a size that warranted its own club.  Dr. Leon Aller was President Elect at the time, and in he encouraged Chuck Whitfield and R.C. (Pat) Bachman to begin contacting leaders in the Monroe community to organize a club.

From the Monroe Monitor, May 17, 1995

In the early spring of 1995, a core group of future members began meeting at Ixtapa Restaurant.  The early meetings were spent strategizing, and identifying potential members for the club.  Soon the group grew to a size that required its own meeting area, and it moved to Mitzel’s Restaurant, meeting at Noon on Wednesdays.  The club was officially chartered March 6, 1996.  Bernie Pregler was District Governor of District 5050 of which the club is a part.

The club’s first service project planted cherry trees at the entrance to town at the intersection of SR 522 and US 2.  The club adopted a focus on serving youth and seniors, and provided assistance to the Boys and Girls Club and Frank Wagner Middle School.  They assisted seniors by cutting and stacking firewood for those that used wood to heat their homes, and they performed many home repairs for those that could not do it alone.

Miracle League, and the creation of an all-weather field built to accommodate those with challenges became a focus of the club in 2000.  Over $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions resulted in today’s Rotary Field.  It is used by many groups, but special needs kids have first priority.