Zac has long considered Akron to be the epicenter of the universe. Growing up in the Westside of Akron, he traded over to the Eastside in 2012. That is where his wife, Beth, and he bought a home for less than $5,000 and rehabbed it into a home for their three sons, Parker (8), Beckett (5), and Greyson (2). As if rehabbing homes wasn’t hard enough, Zac founded The Well CDC in 2016 and decided to repurpose a hundred-year-old church building. When he isn’t coming up with awesome ideas, he loves investing in his local church as a pastor and coaching his sons’ soccer teams.
The Well Community Development Corporation works with like-minded partners to create affordable housing, a thriving economy, and place-making initiatives, while reinvesting worth, value, and dignity back into the individual lives and social health of the neighborhoods of Akron.
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation have a longstanding commitment to the greater Akron community. Rotary is dedicated to causes that build relationships, improve lives, and create a better world—locally and globally.
The 2024 Grant Cycle is officially open! Grants between $1,000 and $15,000 will be considered via an application process which ends January 31, 2024. Projects must have an Akron Rotarian “sponsor” and must include direct volunteer service opportunities for Akron Rotarians. Akron Rotary doesn’t just write checks, we’re action oriented and live by the motto, “Service Above Self.”
ROTARIANS: Spread the word to impactful community service providers! Encourage them to apply by January 31, 2024, via the application link below. If you have questions, email
I have planned a Friday morning meeting at the Akron Family Restaurant on January 26th, at 7:30am.
Please join me for some fellowship with those Rotarians we may not be able to see at our Tuesday meetings.
President Knauer will provide an update on club happenings and I will update you and get input from you regarding our upcoming service projects.
I hope that you are able to join us. If know you can be there, please email me. I just want to get an idea of how many people will be there, so that I can tell the folks at Akron Family Restaurant.
The Chili Open Golf Classic is a month away and we need all hands-on deck to make this another successful event!
Funding from the Chili Open helps ensure that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Sponsorships and Camperships make up 75% of our event goal. Rotarians are needed to help support with sponsorships, view the updated sponsorship benefits packet here. Please consider increasing your sponsorship, renewing your sponsorship, or becoming a first-time sponsor. We are also looking for new prospective sponsors, so please let our Event chair, Laura Smiley, (laurasmiley330@gmail.com), know if you have someone we could reach out to. Your support makes the Chili Open an annual success for our Club.
We also ask every Rotarian to purchase or sell a minimum of ten raffle tickets at $20 each. There are great chances to win the following prizes:
1st prize is a 2024 KIA K5, or $19,000 cash prize – Thank you The VanDevere Bunch!
2nd prize is a $2,500 Flooring Credit, courtesy of Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design
3rd prize is a 55” 4k Smart LED TV, courtesy of the S Group, Inc. – Thank you Rotarian, Jeff Sheeks!
Please bring any sold raffle tickets to the next club meeting or mail them to the Camp Office (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319). Tickets can also be purchased online, by clicking on this link. Please download the attached flyer and display it at your office, or share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Back by popular demand is Dr. Rob’s “Wagon of Good Cheer” and Wanda’s Wine Fridge. Please help us fill the wagon and fridge with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits, mixers, and wine. We also need items for our online auction. Food baskets, golf packages, or family entertainment packages make great auction items! If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 / amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
Thank you for your support in making this year's Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
This is a great chance to join the Exchange Students for the CAVS game against the Orlando Magic on February 22, 2024.
All Rotarians and friends are welcome for the pregame reception and CAVS game on the 22nd.
The reception with the students begins at 5:00 pm and includes a snack with soft drinks at The Clevelander Bar and Grille at 834 Huron Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition, we will have a few door prizes and a raffle for the exchange students and their guests.
This has always been a fun night, a chance to see the young CAVS and have some great fellowship.
Please see the flyer below to order tickets. Any questions, call Stew at 330-607-1442.
It is that time of the year that we begin to interview Akron Public School students for the 15, $1,000 Akron Rotary Foundation scholarships.
We will be conducting the interviews in person again this year. I am looking for two Rotarians to assist me with each of the interviews. The time commitment is up to 3.5 hours dependent on the number of student applicants we receive for each category.
The five categories are as follows: 1) Manufacturing, Engineering and Skilled Trades; 2) Health and Human Services; 3) Public Service; 4) Arts, Media and Communications and 5) Business, Marketing and Information Technology.
Interview Dates are as follows:
Manufacturing, Engineering and Skilled Trades: Wednesday, February 14th: 8-11:30
Health and Human Services: Friday, February 23rd: 8 - 11:30
Public Service: Tuesday, March 5th: 8 - 11:30
Arts, Media, and Communication: Tuesday, March 19th: 8 - 11:30
Business, Marketing, and Information Technology: Wednesday, March 27th: 8 - 11:30
I will forward the materials I receive from APS about each of the applicants a couple of days prior to the scheduled interview.
I will also send you a copy of the interview questions we use for your guidance during the interviews.
If you are interested in participating in the interviews, please email Terrence Dalton tdalton1226@gmail.com and let me know which category you would like to be considered for. I will notify you as soon as I can as to who has been selected. Once I get a maximum of two for each category, I will email Club members letting you know a category has been closed.
Interviews will be held at the APS administration building (10 North Main Street, Akron).
Every week, 100 students at Innes Community Learning Center receive packs of non-perishable food on Fridays to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend. The Feeding Kids Backpack Project is provided by Open M and is partially funded by a grant awarded by the Akron Rotary Foundation. Food insecurity negatively impacts a child's ability to learn and grow.
Packing is on Wednesdays from 3-4 pm at Open M. Delivery is at 9:00 am on Thursdays.
Akron Youth Mentorship K-3rd Grade Reading Program has started!
The State of Ohio has a 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee that ensures that students in grades K-3rd grade are provided with resources to get them to the appropriate reading level by the time they enter 4th grade and aren't falling behind. Akron Youth Mentorship's K-3rd Grade Reading Program puts a tutor in front of them to read books for one hour a week. This extra reading time gives our K-3rd grade mentees a little extra help making sure they are on track to meet state standards and be set up for success as they move into 4th grade.
Our club has committed to send 2 volunteers every Monday from 4:45pm-6:00pm.
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation have a longstanding commitment to the greater Akron community. Rotary is dedicated to causes that build relationships, improve lives, and create a better world—locally and globally.
Sandy_Naragon@yahoo.com
If you are interested in serving on the Service Projects Committee, please contact Cyndi Kane: 
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