This weekend, our Rotary wrap will grace the front and back of the Summit Daily News. With hundreds of guests in town for Thanksgiving and the World Cup Ski Races at Copper, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Thanks to Rotarian Nicole Miller, publisher of the SDN, and her talented staff, we pulled off this wrap in record time—just in time to reach one of the year's largest audiences and stir excitement for our Adopt an Angel program.

I have one small request: don’t toss this wrap aside—the way I admittedly do with so many others. This one is different. This one tells our story. It reflects the depth and breadth of Rotary’s impact in Summit County: fifty years of service, a legacy of literacy and scholarship programs, grants to support other nonprofits, International programs, and the countless ways our club has quietly, persistently shaped lives. I hope, as you flip through it, you feel the power of what we’ve accomplished together.

And speaking of impact—today, on this Thanksgiving Day—our club, shoulder to shoulder with dozens of community volunteers, served more than 550 free Thanksgiving meals to people from every walk of life. Neighbors, visitors, elders, families, and folks simply seeking companionship came together over a hot, delicious meal… and something more enduring: connection.

This year, people lingered. They savored the time with family, caught up with old acquaintances, and leaned into conversations with new—yet quickly no-longer-strangers. The atmosphere in the room felt almost electric. Not just Thanksgiving, but a joyful tapestry of generations, ethnicities, identities, and backgrounds sharing one space, one afternoon, one table. We didn’t all agree—some loved the green beans, some refused the gravy (still a mystery to me)—but we all belonged.

And woven through all of it were Rotarians. Volunteers who showed up early, stayed late, and served with a kind of genuine joy you can’t teach. They were the heartbeat of the room—welcoming, laughing, lifting, carrying, stirring, plating, greeting, and embodying Service Above Self in the most human way. This is where we shine: feeding our community, embracing its beautiful differences, and becoming better people through the experience.

It’s one of the many reasons I’m grateful for this day, for this club, and for all of you.

And yes, Tina—even for ONE green bean.

Love to you all.