The Rotary Christmas Party for Special Needs Children is a wonderful event that brings joy into the participating children’s lives. For many years the party has been held at the Tilton Farm, which is a fantasyland in itself. With live buffalo, alligators, and an antique toy circus collection, it is a very interesting environment for the children to enjoy. Crafts are added, clowns, magicians, storytellers and of course, the special guest, Santa Claus, to keep the kids entertained from the moment they walk in the door. Lunch is served, and later snacks and drinks are a part of the event. Rotarians are assigned to host each child and show the Christmas spirit with the child’s gift request presented by Santa Claus.

In effort to bring awareness and support to preventive health care in our community, the Lima Rotary Club holds an annual blood clinic. This event gives the public an opportunity to have preventive testing done at a substantial discount.

The tests consist of a coronary Risk Profile with 26 standard tests for blood chemistry. The profile includes a complete blood count that checks for anemia and other blood disorders. The chemistry profile includes tests to check liver, kidney, and muscular function. It also measures blood sugar, cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL levels. Additionally, a PSA test is available for men to detect potential evidence of prostate cancer. Medicare and most insurance companies do not pay for screening tests. The cost of these tests is normally around $250 for the blood profile and $100 for the PSA.

LMHS Lab has partnered with the Lima Rotary Club to provide this service to the community at a cost of $30 for the Risk Profile and $35 for a PSA test.  And, as if that wasn’t good enough, LMHS Lab donates a portion of their proceeds back to the Lima Rotary Club for community projects.

The total procedure is completed in about five minutes. Lab results are sent directly to your physician for review. This is a Saturday morning event in the spring that usually lasts 3-4 hours. It is held at the Senior Citizens Center, and it is open to the public without the need to pre-register. This event has continued to grow every year; it began in 1992 with 28 participants. Today, we average well over 600 participants. It takes about 15 Rotary Club volunteers to run this event.

This golf outing is dedicated to Rex Perry’s memory and his enthusiasm for teaching and learning. Rex Perry was a Past President of Lima Rotary and entrepreneur par excellence. He was the founder of the Perry Corporation, was an avid Rotarian and community ambassador. Rex was known for his love in assisting people to achieve their greatest life potential. He often served as a mentor to students in all walks of life.

The funds generated from the golf outing are used to finance The Rotary Memorial Scholarship Fund. The RMSF selects persons who live or work in Allen County who are in pursuit of a degree or certification and will attend a school or college in Allen County. The intent of the scholarship is to encourage Allen County employees and residents to work and plan for their futures within our county. As of August 2006, over 190 adults wishing to continue their education have received 330 scholarships from the Lima Rotary Club. These scholarships total over $196,000.00. Degrees or certifications can be achieved at the Apollo Career Center (Adult Education), Bluffton University, James A. Rhodes State College, Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (Excel Program), The Ohio State University at Lima, Tiffin University (Lima Campus), and the University of Northwestern Ohio. All residents who live in and employees who work in Allen County are eligible. Applications can be obtained from any of these institutions or the Lima Rotary Club.

In the spring of 1990, the Lima Rotary Club announced that it would build the Rotary River Walk. This gift to the people of Lima was done in honor of Lima Rotary’s 75th Anniversary. Over $500,000.00 in cash and in-kind contributions was raised to complete this project. The Lima Rotary thanks all contributors, fund raisers and other volunteers.

The “Walk” originally started as a sidewalk for the Rotary Band Shelter in Faurot Park. Because Rotarians tend to think big, the idea was greatly expanded.

The “Walk” begins at the tennis courts on Collett Street and continues approximately 5 miles to Heritage Park on Reed Road. The City of Lima has extended the trail from the tennis courts up to the new Community Service Building in the Heart of Downtown Lima and on up to Schoonover Park. Plans are in the works to extend the River Walk all the way past I-75 to Lima Lake.

You will see many people walking, running, roller-blading and biking. There is a generous amount of wildlife: rabbits, turtles, great blue heron, ducks and geese along the “Walk.” Funding for this project continues through the generous donations of members of the club as well as contributions by many local companies and organizations.

For over ten years the Rotary Rib Cook Off has brought great ribs and great music together for the benefit of the community and local charities. The event requires over 150 volunteers working to serve beverages and coordinate the event. For the last several years the July event’s home has been the Allen County Fairgrounds.

The event outgrew the original location at the Cable Road Ray’s. Ray’s Supermarkets is the primary sponsor, investing in the promotion of the event since its beginnings. With 8 to 10 rib restaurants and 4 bands, the event starts mid-day and ends near midnight. The charities supported by the Rib Cook Off have benefited from the growth in attendance.

Our largest year, the Sheriff department estimated 10,000 enjoyed the event. The total dollars raised for charities, since its inception, is over $200,000.00.