The Keene Elm City Rotary Club was founded in 1990 and meets on Thursday mornings at 7:15 am in Keene, NH. Members realize the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” by taking part in a variety of Vocational Service, Community Service and International Service efforts.
Our largest event each year is the Clarence DeMar Marathon. In 2012, the club took over management of the marathon, which was in its 35th year, and expanded it by adding a half marathon, as well as the Kid’s DeMar and Super Seniors marathons.
The race helps fund our community and international efforts throughout the year, and has become a popular community event. In 2018, nearly 300 runners from 43 states completed the full marathon. More than 400 runners—many of them from the local area—completed the half marathon. In addition, more than 1,000 students in the Monadnock region took part in the Kid’s DeMar marathon and 200 seniors completed the Super Seniors marathon.
Our vocational service efforts in the local community include sponsorship of the Monadnock High School Interact club. Interact is Rotary International's service club for young people ages 14-18. Our members mentor students and help them organize and complete at least two community service projects as well as international service projects.
In 2001, Keene Elm City Rotary launched the “Unsung Heroes” Scholarship, which provides five scholarships each year aimed at helping a local “non-traditional” students gain access to higher educational opportunities.
We take part in a wide range of community service projects including:
Adopt-a-Mile Roadside Trash-Pick Up: Quarterly we pick up refuse along a one mile stretch of route 12 North.
Combatting Childhood Hunger: Our club supports MUCH (Monadnock Understands Childhood Hunger) by supplying funding and volunteers to fill and deliver school vacation food bunches for students in need in the Monadnock region.
Keene Community Kitchen: The 4th Wednesday of each month members serve dinner at the Community Kitchen and during the holidays we assist in delivering hundreds of boxes of perishable food to those in need.
Kurn Hattin: The club sponsors a cottage at Kurn Hattin Homes for Children and members visit students each month for meals and games.
Sneakers Project: As part of its Follow ME (Move Everyday) project aimed at childhood health and wellness, the club delivers brand new sneakers to 2nd graders throughout Cheshire County.
The Keene Elm City Rotary Club is also active in encouraging, fostering and participating in the advancement of understanding and good will among peoples of the world.
The club sponsors three international service trips each year, which include members of the Keene Rotaract club and Monadnock High School Interact club. Last year, members traveled to El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Jamaica to build homes, upgrade school facilities and deliver medical mobility equipment.
In addition, we support individual and group youth exchange programs.
The Keene Elm City Rotary Club values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The Keene Elm City Rotary Club will cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in which people from underrepresented groups have greater opportunities to participate as members and leaders.
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