The Rotary Club of Redmond honors April Students of the month at our regular lunch meeting on the fifth Thursday of the month at noon at Redmond's Family Pancake House.  Students of the Month from Redmond High School are always inspirational to our members, as we can see bright future ahead with our younger generation.  Our Student of the Month awards are based on character, not scholastic, though often the two go hand in hand.

The Redmond Rotary Club Foundation has also selected several students to be awarded scholarships, and they will also be honored at this meeting.  Each year our Foundation awards scholarships to students who have been involved in our Student of the Month program throughout the school year.

We welcome visitors at our meetings, and this will be a particularly fun meeting as we honor some of the best in our rising generation.

The Rotary Club of Redmond is working with Microsoft on a fun, private corporate volunteer event in Redmond. Dozens of Microsoft employees from various states and countries will be working with a few of our members at Grass Lawn Park for much of the afternoon, clearing blackberries and other invasive species from the forested areas of the park. This project supports one of Rotary's seven areas of focus, sustaining a healthy environment where native species can thrive.

For information about working with the Rotary Club of Redmond for your company's next private volunteer event, contact David North at volunteers@rrcfoundation.org.

Jared Stewart, External Engagement Manager with Together Center in Redmond, speaks to the Rotary Club of Redmond at noon on May 7, 2026 at Redmond's Family Pancake House.

Jared joined Together Center in March of 2024 as the External Engagement Manager. He is thrilled to be part of a team that embodies a holistic approach to human services and promotes housing stability in King County. Jared brings over 10 years of experience in the communications field and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Central Washington University. Jared values diverse perspectives when receiving feedback or problem-solving and he strives to bring a spirit of inclusivity to his work in content creation.

When Jared’s not in the office, he likes to grab a book and explore the forests, mountains, and coasts of Washington state. Jared has hiked across the Evergreen State twice but has yet to finish “War and Peace.”

The Rotary Club of Redmond leads a group of community volunteers at Grass Lawn Park, digging up and removing invasive species from the forested areas of the park, so native species can thrive. Adults and kids can participate. To see a taste of how fun these forest stewardship projects are, watch and like our short VIDEO and subscribe to our CHANNEL. Many of our volunteers come back to more projects like this one. They are not only fun, but they also support one of Rotary's seven areas of focus, supporting the environment in our community.

To volunteer for this event, please e-mail the following information for each volunteer to volunteers@rrcfoundation.org:

Name (first & last):
Age (only if under 18):
Email Address:
Phone:
City:
Zip Code:
Employer or School (optional):
Event: May 9 at Grass Lawn Park

The Rotary Club of Redmond meets on the second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at JJ Mahoney's Irish Pub for a mostly social get together with a little Club and Foundation business mixed in. The discounted Happy Hour menu is available until 6:00 p.m. for those who wish to eat some good food on a budget. We love having visitors at these meetings, which are perfect for getting to know each other in a casual setting over an optional drink or two.

JJ Mahoney's Irish Pub is located at 8932 161st Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052, in the Bella Bottega shopping mall.

The Rotary Club of Redmond leads a group of community volunteers at Grass Lawn Park, digging up and removing invasive species from the forested areas of the park, so native species can thrive. Adults and kids can participate. To see a taste of how fun these forest stewardship projects are, watch and like our short VIDEO and subscribe to our CHANNEL. Many of our volunteers come back to more projects like this one. They are not only fun, but they also support one of Rotary's seven areas of focus, supporting the environment in our community.

To volunteer for this event, please e-mail the following information for each volunteer to volunteers@rrcfoundation.org:

Name (first & last):
Age (only if under 18):
Email Address:
Phone:
City:
Zip Code:
Employer or School (optional):
Event: May 25 at Grass Lawn Park

The Rotary Club of Redmond meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Postdoc Brewing for a mostly social get together with a little Club and Foundation business mixed in. There is usually a food truck for those who want to eat, and various beers and hard ciders on tap or in the cooler. We love having visitors at these meetings, which are perfect for getting to know each other in a casual setting.

Postdoc Brewing is located at 17625 NE 65th St #100, Redmond, WA 98052, and is a sponsor of some of our charitable fundraising events.

Chuck Berringer will speak at the Rotary Club of Redmond's June 4, 2026 meeting at noon at the Family Pancake House in Redmond. Chuck is a board member of the Hope Rising Clinic. The topic aligns with Rotary's area of focus to support maternal and child health;.

Hope Rising Clinic, a division of Wonderland Child Family Services, provides trauma-informed, specialized services for children from birth to age 13 who have been affected by prenatal substance exposure (PSE). An expert team of therapists, early intervention specialists, and family support professionals partners with families to help each child reach their fullest potential. Through personalized therapies, family-centered coaching, and collaboration with schools and medical providers, Hope Rising supports healing, connection and long-term success.

Hope Rising Clinic (HRC) is the only clinic of its kind in Washington State (and one of few nationwide) for children with PSE, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. HRC serves over 100 children each year with integrated therapy and caregiver support. It is estimated that one out of every ten children born in the State of Washington has prenatal substance exposure (165,000). PSE is typically under-identified or undiagnosed in these children.

The Rotary Club of Redmond honors the many sponsors and other contributors to the success of our annual winter Stinky Spoke bicycle fundraiser event. Stinky Spoke 2026 was a great success, and planning has begun for Stinky Spoke 2027!

Our meeting will be held at noon at the Family Pancake House in Redmond, and visitors are always welcome!

The Rotary Club of Redmond will participate in the City of Redmond's Volunteer Fair on Saturday, April 4, 2026 at the Redmond Senior & Community Center from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Redmond Senior & Community Center is located at 8703 160th Ave NE in Redmond.

April is Volunteer Month, and Redmond's Volunteer Fair brings together many Redmond and nearby residents to meet City and non-profit representatives and learn about the many volunteer opportunities available. The Rotary Club of Redmond offers many volunteer opportunities throughout the year, including forest stewardship projects at Grass Lawn Park, food drives for Hopelink at local Redmond grocery stores, Redmond's Derby Days (probable), Redmond Lights, our annual Stinky Spoke charity bicycle fundraiser, corporate volunteer events with prominent companies such as Microsoft, and more.

Please stop by our table at the Volunteer Fair, and let's match your interests with one or more of our events so we can have some fun and make some impact together!

Volunteers from the Redmond and nearby communities help us make a bigger difference in Rotary's Seven Areas of Focus; promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, improving maternal and child health, supporting education, growing local economies, and protecting the environment. These Areas of Focus align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Tetiana Nokhatska, Board President and Cofounder of Volia Fund will speak at the Rotary Club of Redmond lunch meeting on March 19, 2026 at noon.

Volia fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 2023 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Volia is a partnership platform that connects fundraisers around the world with logistics partners to ensure that procured supplies are delivered efficiently and effectively to areas in Ukraine with the greatest need.

Tetiana Nokhatska will report Volia's success in its mission to improve and protect lives in Ukraine through impactful programs.

What if one simple, 180-degree shift in your approach to communication could:

• Transform your relationships
• Eliminate misunderstandings
• Improve collaboration
• Boost problem-solving

Professional improvisers know a secret to effective communication—and it’s surprisingly easy to learn. In this fast-paced, fun, and interactive session, you’ll discover a playful yet powerful approach to leading, working, and connecting — one you can use to improve every relationship in your life.

Aaron Schmookler is a visionary leader and business owner with a profound mission: elevating human dignity in the workplace. With a relentless commitment to enhancing both work lives and business outcomes, Aaron collaborates with business leaders who know their people are their greatest asset.

Drawing from a diverse career spanning outdoor leadership, corporate contributions, theater founding and direction, and teaching theater and business communication in high schools and colleges, Aaron’s journey may seem non-linear, but there’s a cohesive theme that ties it all together. For nearly three decades, he has inspired individuals and teams to discover their intrinsic motivation, foster collaboration, and unleash their creative potential in service to others.

In 2014, Aaron co-founded The Yes Works alongside his business partner, Adam Utley. Together, they developed the innovative Teamification Culture Operating System and training model which Aaron and The Yes Works team employ to drive legendary communication, collaboration, and leadership within client companies.

The Yes Works team’s impact reaches far and wide, serving clients across industries and geographical boundaries. Renowned companies such as Microsoft, MOD Pizza, DiscoverOrg, SOG Knives, Sage Intacct, and Textainer have entrusted their workforce transformation to Aaron and The Yes Works because of their uncommon effectiveness. By fostering a high-performance culture that uplifts both people and profits, the Teamification approach proves that true genius thrives when the right engineered environment meets skill and mindset.

In the ever-evolving landscape of business, Aaron Schmookler stands in a commitment to humanness, dedicated to making work good for people and people good for work. With his guidance, your company can unlock its full potential to deliver growth, profit, and human fulfillment.

“Every team has genius at work. Only the best encourage and inspire the genius to emerge.”

Stinky Spoke 2026 is this year's annual 19 mile charity bicycle fundraising event, to be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at the Redmond Senior and Community Center, where the ride will start and end, with a fun afterparty. Hot food, cold drinks and tons of fun will be served up during the afterparty, all included in the registration fee for the event. Stinky Spoke is an all volunteer run event produced by the Rotary Club of Redmond, with all net proceeds applied to charitable and community causes through the 501(c)(3) Redmond Rotary Club Foundation.

Ride details can be found at the Stinky Spoke website.

The Rotary Club of Redmond will be electing a slate of leaders for the 2026-2027 Rotary year at our Noon meeting at the Family Pancake House in Redmond on January 29, 2026. The 2026-2027 Rotary year will begin on July 1, 2026 and end on June 30, 2027.

David North has been nominated for President. Officer nominations are Deana Hale for Vice President, Richard May for Treasurer and Bob Hale for Secretary. Additional Board of Directors nominations are Sarah Ross, Jill Tracy, and Sasha Radojevic. Janel Schermerhorn will be continuing a two year term on the Board of Directors.

Additional nominations may be made from the floor during the meeting.

The Redmond Rotary Club Foundation held a December board meeting, and awarded grants to several local and international charities and projects on the Foundation's annual grant cycle.

The board also approved an increase in the frequency of grants to a semi-annual cycle, anticipating a significant increase in fundraising and contributions, stemming from growth in club membership, a growing list of volunteers, more fundraising projects and improving effectiveness of recurring fundraising projects.

As the Foundation's resources and activities grow, it has become important for the Foundation to develop its own standalone website, social media and other marketing presence, rather than merely piggybacking on its parent Rotary Club of Redmond's presence. The Foundation has obtained a domain name, rrcfoundation.org to be used exclusively for Foundation business, such as the Foundation's web presence and e-mail communication.

Various technology companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others offer discounted and/or free services to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations like the Redmond Rotary Club Foundation. We intend to leverage some of these offerings in our technology and communications stack to further the effectiveness of our charitable impact through our Foundation. We are in the process of establishing approvals for various programs and services, to create the Foundation's new standalone presence as expeditiously as we can.

Our annual Stinky Spoke 2026 winter bicycle fundraiser is closing in, less than 4 weeks away. Rider registrations for the 19 mile mountain bike, gravel bike and e-bike ride are significantly ahead of last year's registrations at this stage, and significantly more money is expected to be raised for the 501(c)(3) Redmond Rotary Club Foundation.

Stinky Spoke 2026 is 100% volunteer organized and produced by the Rotary Club of Redmond, with all net proceeds from the event going to the Redmond Rotary Club Foundation to fund charitable and community causes.

We have numerous volunteer opportunities available the day of the event, and in the weeks before the event. If you are interesting in contributing a little time toward some great causes, we could use your help. Contact us and we can help find something for you to do and enjoy.

Up to 400 riders will be riding the 19 mile trail through parts of Redmond and Woodinville, including the infamous Heart Attack Hill, in what usually turns out to be the stinkiest, wet, cold weather of the year in late January. After the ride, there is cold beer, hot food, and a fun afterparty in the large, warm, dry Red Oak Room at the Redmond Senior and Community Center. Sponsors who have given generously to the event will have tables, and there will be prizes and a silent auction to further fund the Foundation.

The Rotary Club of Redmond brought together new and returning volunteers from Redmond, Kirkland and Woodinville to remove invasive Himalayan and cut leaf blackberry brambles from another infested forested area within Grass Lawn Park, following successful eradication in another spot two weeks earlier. The Rotary Club of Redmond organizes volunteer projects like this one under the City Of Redmond Parks Department's Forest Stewardship program. Volunteers ranged from young people accumulating community service volunteer hours for school programs, to corporate volunteers from Microsoft and other notable local employers. The Rotary Club of Redmond organizes private corporate volunteer events, but this was a public event, open to all.

Invasive species crowd out and outcompete native plant species. Redmond strives to keep natural areas in parks thriving with native vegetation. Today we cut, removed and dry composted the thorny canes, and dug out root balls to prevent regrowth.

Our volunteers have a lot of fun together while doing this work, and some come back the next time we have a project like this. We have more of these Redmond Parks projects coming up in early 2026. We also have more volunteers scheduled for the required training to lead these projects, and we will do more of them in 2026 than we have in the past. More of what works!

21 Rotary Club of Redmond members and other volunteers collected donations of food and other essential items totaling 4,259 pounds from generous shoppers at two Redmond QFC stores on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Some also donated cash. All donations were being delivered to Hopelink in Redmond, to be distributed to people in need through Hopelink's distribution centers wherever they are needed most.

Volunteers handed shopping lists to shoppers as they entered the stores. Hundreds of shopping lists had hand written notes of appreciation and gratitude, also written by Rotary Club of Redmond members and Microsoft volunteers. When shoppers exited the stores, they dropped off thousands of pounds of donations with volunteers, who filled cars, SUVs and minivans of all sizes for transport to Hopelink.

This is an annual Rotary Club of Redmond event on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and a favorite among club members and other volunteers. The generosity of people in our community is overwhelming and greatly appreciated.

Fellow Rotarian, Janel Schermerhorn, is a recovering corporate manager who has spent the past decade serving her community in various capacities. As part of that work, Janel recently earned an MSc in Data, Inequality and Society from the University of Edinburgh. A topic that interests Janel is the Digital Divide—how differing abilities to engage with technology shape people’s opportunities and life outcomes. This led her to research digital exclusion among seniors in Redmond, including the barriers they face, their strategies for overcoming challenges, and the emotional and practical impacts of navigating a digital world. Her findings highlight themes of problem-solving, costs, and social connection, revealing how physical aging, generational differences, and a lack of institutional support post-retirement contribute to the divide. Janel concluded that even digital natives will ultimately face the divide.

Janel produced a podcast episode that shares personal stories of seniors adapting to digital change. The narratives reinforce the need for local governments to prioritize inclusive design, balancing the costs of accessibility with the often-overlooked financial, physical, and social toll seniors experience. Through her work, Janel hopes to inspire empathy and systemic solutions that bridge the digital divide.

The Rotary Club of Redmond brought together volunteers from Redmond, Bellevue, Sammamish and Woodinville to remove invasive Himalayan and cut leaf blackberry brambles from a particularly infested forested area within Grass Lawn Park. The Rotary Club of Redmond organizes volunteer projects under the City Of Redmond Parks Department's Forest Stewardship program. Volunteers ranged from young people accumulating community service volunteer hours for school programs, to corporate volunteers from Microsoft and other notable local employers. The Rotary Club of Redmond organizes private corporate volunteer events, but this was a public event, open to all.

Invasive species can crowd out and outcompete native plant species. Redmond strives to keep natural areas in parks abundant and truly native. Today's activities involved cutting, removing and dry composting long arching and tangled canes, and digging out root balls as completely as possible to discourage regrowth.

Although invasive blackberry removal is definitely work, our volunteers overwhelmingly found this to be a fun group activity, and nearly all were anxious to do it again in the near future. We will be planning more projects like this one in the near future.

When Microsoft was looking for a group volunteer opportunity in Redmond, their organizers came in contact with the Rotary Club of Redmond through the City of Redmond's Parks' Forest Stewardship program. When it became clear that a park project wasn't a good fit for their event goals, we pivoted with them and offered to create a corporate volunteer event that would meet Microsoft's objectives.

An indoor, on-campus, low technology event was going to meet the challenge, and we put together a gratitude themed event, creating cards of appreciation with hand written notes, for distribution to people in the Redmond community that the Rotary Club of Redmond shares with Microsoft. For participation in the event, Microsoft employees had the option to log their time through the corporate giving platform, Benevity, for the Redmond Rotary Club Foundation to receive a donation from Microsoft.

At the conclusion of the two hour event, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Redmond who organized and conducted the event, and the group of Microsoft volunteers, all were satisfied with what had been accomplished, and considered it a success.

This type of project, creating a turnkey customized corporate volunteer event that will have community and charitable impact, is something the Rotary Club of Redmond and 501(c)(3) Redmond Rotary Club Foundation are able to do for other Microsoft groups and other companies. We welcome inquiries and ideas for such future events.

Members of the Rotary Club of Redmond elected two Redmond Rotary Club Foundation board members at large at our November 6, 2025 meeting. Jill Tracy and David North were elected to join Deana Hale, Richard May and Paula Del Giudice on the foundation's board.

The Redmond Rotary Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, wholly owned by the Rotary Club of Redmond, accepting tax-deductible donations and proceeds from volunteer activities of the Rotary Club of Redmond, and distributing grants, scholarships and other financial support to worthy charitable causes locally and worldwide.

How is Rotary changing and evolving across the Pacific Northwest and around the world? What is the District 5030 Strategy plan? How can the Rotary Club of Redmond increase its IMPACT and REACH, better ENGAGE with our local community, and ADAPT during these challenging times?

District leadership can answer these questions and help our club better serve our members and community, grow and retain membership, and increase our overall positive impact both locally and internationally. Please plan to attend this fact-filled and heart-felt presentation from our District Governor Jeffrey Borek - a Rotary member since 2000, President of Seattle 4 during the pandemic, and dedicated Rotarian in many capacities before his election to District Governor for this 2025/26 Rotary Year. DG Jeff will address these topics and answer questions.

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Jeff Molby is a fellow Rotarian from Caro, Michigan where he's been volunteering for the American Cancer Society. Jeff is a minimalist who loves to travel, so in the fall of 2023, he sold everything and set off on a three year bike tour around the country to help people get to their chemo appointments. ACS named him their 2024 Patient Support Volunteer of the Year for his efforts.

Jeff brings his inspirational story and details of his cause to our regularly scheduled Rotary Club of Redmond lunch meeting on October 30, 2025. His volunteer spirit and impact will give us some ideas to step up our own game and increase our impact in our community. Jeff's bicycle tour of much of the country ties in with our Stinky Spoke event coming up in January, so this is a fitting time for our club to support, and be supported by an avid bicyclist like Jeff who is making a difference with his bike.

Members of the Rotary Club of Redmond met with the City of Redmond's Maya Klem to discuss our interest in organizing volunteers to remove invasive species and preserve native species of growth in the forested areas of Grass Lawn Park, along its trails. Here Maya is directing Richard May's attention toward an area of particularly overgrown invasive Himalayan Blackberries. The club's board of directors voted unanimously to engage with the City of Redmond on this project.

Eric Laschever is President of the Rotary Club of the Pacific Northwest Ending Sex Trafficking. He is a past member of Seattle 4 Rotary. He is an environmental lawyer who is active on climate change and is an affiliate faculty member of the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington.

Eric spoke at our regularly scheduled October 2nd, 2025 noon meeting at the Family Pancake house in Redmond. He presented shocking information about the prevalence of sex trafficking not only internationally, but locally as well.  Importantly, he also presented information regarding some signs of possible sex trafficking and steps that can be taken to help End Sex Trafficking.

Several Rotary Club of Redmond members and guests had a relaxing back yard garden social fundraiser at the home of Richard & Jacquie May. The friendship and fellowship were accented by delicious hors d'oeuvres and a wide selection of tasty beverages. The Rotary Club of Redmond Foundation collected donations from participants at the event, and will appropriate them to good charitable use in the local Redmond community and the world.

Paula Del Giudice was honored at our September 18, 2025 lunch meeting for completing three years as president of the Rotary Club of Redmond.

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See what we saw recently at the Redmond Senior & Community Center. If there is any part of Redmond where you would like to see more of the Rotary Club of Redmond people of action, please tell us about it and look for us All Over Redmond!

Rick Newell, Executive Director and Founder, Route 21 spoke at our regularly scheduled meeting at noon on Thursday, September 4, 2025 at the Family Pancake House in Redmond. His new organization is called Route 21 and serves the most underserved and vulnerable youths in the country, youth in foster care.

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Danny Kebede spoke to Redmond Rotary about his art, his new book and his connections within the greater Seattle community.

Danny said, "The life of an artist is often misunderstood. I have encountered countless people who question why I would want to be an artist. For me, to live is to create art. Not to create art is not to live."

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Members can pay dues, and all club fees with a click of a button!  It’s EASY AS 1-2-3!

1. When you get your invoice, check the amount due. 

2.  Click to pay now’ icon

3. Choose to pay with Credit Card or bank account and follow instructions.

Once your payment is made, you will receive an email receipt. Thank you for using this convenient option!

Redmond Rotarian and Redmond High School Interact Club liaison, Jacquie May, was on hand at Redmond High School when the cameras for the Lake Washington School District were ready to roll to tell their story.

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Bellevue Lifestyle Magazine featured Stinky Spoke 2023 in its April 2023 issue.

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Redmond Rotary member Tim Arnold featured in Forbes article for his efforts to address the water crisis in Ethiopia. "The facts would just astound you." says Arnold, "World Vision states 73,341 children under age five died from diarrhea last year and that nearly 39 million Ethiopians, most of them in rural areas, do not have access to a safe water supply."

Learn more about us!

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