Our Mission:

An inclusive, action oriented service organization, Akron Rotary improves our community
and the world while having fun and building friendships.
 
Our Vision:
Together, we aspire to make a lasting, positive impact in the lives of those
in our Akron community and beyond. 

 

SERVICE & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

New Service Project - May 7th

Akron Rotarians will be assembling the bins on Thursday, May 7th at 4:30 pm at the Beck Center, 2114 Lindbergh Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls.  Volunteers will spend an hour assembling the bins following a quick tour. 

 Sign up via Club Runner - CLICK HERE!

Read the article below from Sandy Naragon about this project -a grant from our Akron Rotary Foundation was presented to fund this project for the foster system.

 

Volunteer for One Hot Meal Program & Food Pantry (through Dec 29, 2026)
Volunteers are needed for the One Hot Meal and Food Pantry at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.  
 
Upcoming date: March 31, 2026
 
 
Time: 4:45 pm - 6:30 pm
Location: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 129 S. Union Street, Akron, OH 44304
 
We appreciate your participation and look forward to continuing to make this a great event together!
 
Chair: John Matheos

 

Volunteer at Open M
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Mar. 31, 2026 12:00 p.m.
What's Trending in the Insurance Industry. Q&A for Home, Auto, Business & Life Insurance

Tim is the owner/agent of Insurance Service Agency Inc., a Trusted Choice® Independent Insurance Agency that focuses on personal service and risk management through the proper use of insurance for families and businesses. He is an active member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Ohio, currently serving as a State Leadership Council Member, and previously as Vice Chair of the NFIB Akron Area Action Council. Tim served 8 years on the Akron School Board, and 2 years on the State School Board. He is a Board Member of Ohio Excels, an education think tank located in Columbus that focuses on education and workforce development. He also serves as Immediate Past President and Trustee of the Cascade Locks Park Association, and is past President of the Friends of the Akron School for the Arts. He is a graduate of Leadership Akron Signature Class 35 and active in its Alumni Association. He participated in the Civility Project at the Univ. of Akron's Bliss Institute, and is currently participating with Unify America/Unify Akron trying to replace political infighting with problem solving. Tim remains active in several other trade associations and charitable nonprofit organizations in Ohio.

Apr. 07, 2026 12:00 p.m.
Summit County Continuum of Care
Apr. 14, 2026 12:00 p.m.
Executive Director - West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation
View entire list
CLUB NEWS
Special Guest Wisdom Addo to Present  at Akron Club April 14th - RSVP Requested

Fellow Rotarians,

The Rotary Club of Akron is pleased to host Wisdom as a speaker at our luncheon meeting on April 14th at noon (doors open at 11:45 AM).  

Please RSVP to Club President Katy Miller at Katymiller218@gmail.com or 330-620-4098 by noon on Friday, April 10th.

Wisdom’s journey with Rotary began in 2010–2011, when he was interviewed on behalf of District 6630 as a candidate for the Rotary Peace Fellow program. From the outset, he was supported by multiple clubs across the district, recognizing his strong potential and commitment to peacebuilding.

Despite not yet holding a college degree at the time, his leadership and dedication led to his selection for the professional development certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.

He has since continued to build an impressive academic and professional path, earning both his undergraduate degree and a Master’s in Peace Studies through the Rotary Peace Center at International Christian University in Japan.

Over the years, continued support from clubs across the district has helped advance Wisdom’s work, bringing PeaceJam programming to schools in the Upper West Region of Ghana. This includes successful PeaceJam Slam conferences in 2024 and 2025, with further expansion planned.

In addition to his work with students, educators, and mentors, Wisdom is currently leading efforts to establish the West Africa Center for Peace in Ghana, further advancing peace education and leadership development in the region.

Lunch is $20. We meet at the Greek Annunciation Church, 129 S Union St., Akron, OH 44314.  If you cannot attend the DLA and still want to hear from him this is a great opportunity.

Please RSVP to Club President Katy Miller at Katymiller218@gmail.com or 330-620-4098 by noon on Friday, April 10th.


Yours truly,

Katy

 

Katy Miller 

Rotary Club of Akron- President 

The Akron Rotary Foundation Board -Vice President

www.AkronRotary.org

Volunteer Spotlight This Week

Thank you to our two Rotarians, David Hall & Cyndi Kane and friends:
 Michael Kane, Randy Milani & Denise Kolenz. 

They repacked Starbucks products for the Akron Canton Foodbank on March 25, 2026.  

 

Luciana Visited Club 3-24-2026

Dan O’Connell takes our Exchange Student, Luciana, for a spin in the 2025 Corvette!  Lucky Young Lady! 

Lou will heading east with other Rotary Exchange Students to visit New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

Remember to include her in your activities when possible!

 

Akron Rotary Scholarship Dinner April 28th: REGISTRATION IS OPEN

This special evening celebration replaces our regular Tuesday lunch meeting on April 28th.

REGISTER HERE!

About the speaker:
Ellen McWilliams-Woods specializes in bringing diverse groups together to shine a light on solutions to complex community problems.  She is currently working with the Youth Success Summit and Summit Education Initiative in Greater Akron, Ohio to galvanize the entire community to provide equitable and innovative skill-rich opportunities for youth.

Her 40 years in the youth development sector and as an educator, including 13 years as chief academic officer/assistant superintendent in the Akron Public Schools, were deeply rooted in finding the synergy between people or organizations that result in breakthrough experiences for children and youth.  She worked with 70+ out-of-school time providers and civic leaders to launch the Youth Success Summit - an intermediary expanding afterschool and summer opportunities for youth in Greater Akron.  She successfully collaborated with faculty, universities and local businesses to have the Akron Public Schools named as the first Ford Next Generation Learning community in Ohio where the district’s nine high schools were transformed into the College and Career Academies of Akron.  The success of the district’s and cities’ support of the K-12 College and Career Academies culminated in Ford Next Generation Learning announcing the district as a demonstration and training site for districts across the country in 2022.

A recipient of the Life Changer of the Year Capstone Award from the National Life Group and the Woman of the Year Award from the Summit County Historical Society,  Dr. McWilliams-Woods continues her commitment to leadership within the community.   She serves on the Early Childhood Resource Center board and United Way of Summit & Medina’s Community Impact Task Force and is an active and proud member of Leadership Akron, Class XXVI.  She previously served on the board of ConxusNEO, Project GRAD Akron, Junior Achievement, and Cleveland State University’s Center for Educational Leadership. 

Calling ALL Members & Friends of Rotary to Join us at our Rotary District 6630 Conference of Clubs!

Click here to view the District Conference information page

Register | Book a Hotel Room| View the Schedule | Become a Sponsor 

 

Hello Fellow Rotarians and Friends – 

We’re excited to invite you to the District 6630 Conference of Clubs & DLA. Registration is NOW OPEN!  This year's updated schedule is designed to make the event more accessible and welcoming for everyone. We look forward to coming together for meaningful conversations, inspiring speakers, and time with fellow Rotarians. 

The at-a-glance schedule is below for you but here’s what you can look forward to:

Friday:

  • Afternoon Start: We’ve condensed the schedule so those who work during the day can easily join us.
  • Business Meeting & Celebration of Life: Important updates and a moment of reflection.
  • Evening of Fellowship and Fun: A chance to reconnect and network while enjoying food and beverage stations, an inspiring speaker and then. . .
  • Rotary Jeopardy: Join your cluster in a fun, competitive game of Rotary Jeopardy! Big bragging rights are up for grabs.

Saturday:

  • Breakfast & District Learning Assembly (DLA): Learn and grow through valuable district-led sessions.
  • Youth Lunch: Our signature event, where you’ll experience the impact of Rotary through the eyes of our youth. This is a fun and well-attended event you won’t want to miss!
  • District Service Project: Participate in this exciting new hands on service project.  In partnership with Pack Away Hunger we’ll pack at least 20,000 meals in ONE HOUR! These meals will be distributed to food banks and pantries within our district.

We’ll be sharing more updates leading up to the event, but we wanted to get this information to you early so you can register and mark your calendars.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Member Birthdays
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March 17
 
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March 25
 
Evey Williams
March 28
 
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April 1
 
Sandy Naragon
April 3
 
Rima Muakkassa
April 5
 
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April 8
 
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April 22
 
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April 27
 
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April 29
 
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April 29
 
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March 18
 
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Jack Harig
March 1, 1961
65 years
 
Michael Gladysz
March 1, 2012
14 years
 
David Koly
March 6, 1984
42 years
 
David Showers
March 13, 2001
25 years
 
Dan Sveda
March 15, 1988
38 years
 
Malcolm Costa
March 18, 1997
29 years
 
Katerina Papas
March 22, 2005
21 years
 
Bill Manby, Sr.
March 27, 1973
53 years
 
Connor Jarvis, CFP
March 28, 2017
9 years
 
Laura Duda
March 29, 2016
10 years
 
Katy Miller
March 31, 2015
11 years
 
Stew Buchanan
April 1, 1983
43 years
 
John Matheos
April 8, 2025
1 year
 
Tina Graver
April 9, 2024
2 years
 
Greg Skinner
April 15, 2025
1 year
 
John Reyes
April 26, 1994
32 years
 
Ken Babby
April 26, 2016
10 years
 
Donna Skoda
April 27, 2021
5 years
 
Matt Long
April 30, 2024
2 years
 
Ryan Miller
April 30, 2024
2 years
 
Sammy Kay Smith
April 30, 2024
2 years
 

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