About Rotary Club of College Park

The history of the Rotary Club of College Park began in 1986 with a handful of businessmen who were members of the Winter Park and Orlando Rotary Clubs. They believed that the neighborhood of College Park could sustain its own Rotary Club. With no official meeting place, they, along with others who would also become members, held their first meeting under the oak tree at Dubsdread Golf Course. Someone forgot to tell Dubsdread to have breakfast ready!

In 1987, the fabric of all Rotary clubs changed when women were invited to become members of Rotary. College Park Rotary led the way by inducting the first female member of Rotary in Central Florida, Dianne Glassman. That same year, Debbie Turner, joined the Club, and in 2001, became the first female Rotary District Governor in Central Florida.

Throughout the years, club presidents and members have initiated fundraisers or service projects that have endured. College Park Rotary has been a strong supporter of Rotary International’s participation in polio eradication.

In 2003, President Troy Yeomans challenged the Club to hold its first Taste of College Park Food and Wine Festival with Ronald McDonald House becoming a primary recipient from Taste proceeds. Taste has become a premier annual event in College Park. In fact, it is “College Park’s Best Night Out.”

During its twenty-year history, Taste of College Park has raised money in support of programs such:

• Ronald McDonald House – a home away from home for families whose children are hospitalized during a medical crisis.
• Christian Service Center – to provide funds for Love Pantries at College Park area schools.
• One Heart for Women and Children – to provide assistance to Central Florida families in crisis.
• The Rotary Foundation – including the “End Polio Now Initiative.” Since 1988 there has been a 99.9% reduction in new cases of polio worldwide.
• Shelter Box – to provide international disaster relief.
• College Scholarships – for seniors graduating from Edgewater High School and Bishop Moore Catholic High School
• Student of the Month – monthly program honoring students from College Park Middle School, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Edgewater High School and Bishop Moore Catholic High School.
• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – to provide books for children ages birth to five years

In 2012, the Club became an affiliate with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and since then, more than 27,000 new books have been mailed to children from birth to five years of age in the area, at no cost to parents. Recently, the club expanded the program to cover children in several other neighborhoods of the Orlando area.

Since its beginning, the Rotary Club of College Park has supported area schools. We are proud to present a Student of the Month award each month during the school year to students from Edgewater High School, Bishop Moore Catholic High School, College Park Middle School and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School.  We also sponsor the Interact Club at Edgewater High School.

Fellowship among our members remains a primary driving force to our success. We welcome all people who are interested in bringing new ideas and energy to our cause. Meetings are held every Thursday at 7:15 am in the Historic Ballroom at Dubsdread – we no longer meet under the oak tree!