When I retired from the police department, I wanted to keep involved in community projects and service. One of the best organizations I found was the Rotary. I have been a member of the Mt. Lebanon Sunrise Rotary for the past 10 years. We meet every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. at Bado’s on Beverly Road. Yes, 7 a.m.! We are a morning club that meets before our work day starts. We get a great start with a great breakfast and good friends.

Rotary is the first International Service club. We are an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. The primary goal of the Mt. Lebanon Sunrise Rotary Club is to support local community needs.

One of our community projects include organizing our yearly Art In The Park event held the first weekend in October. This past year it was located in the Academy parking lot and provided a forum for local artists to showcase and sell their wares. In an average year we attract more than 50 artists and over 3,000 visitors looking over and purchasing items.

Another project we sponsor, along with the Mt. Lebanon Police Department, is the annual car show on Washington Road. This event is traditionally held on the last Sunday in June and attracts more than 100 classic and antique vehicles. We also provide volunteer hours for the Martha Dixon Run during the first Saturday in April and most recently, have become involved with the annual Brew Fest held in September. All the monies raised from these events is given back to organizations that are committed to improving their community.

We especially like to focus on contributing to organizations that have a strong goal in helping our children face the pressures of their life, including drug and alcohol resistance education and student leadership programs.

For a complete list of the benefactors for the past year, please check our website at http://www.mtlebanonsunriserotary.net. As you can see, we are busy! We are always looking for people who have a strong sense of volunteerism and want to be involved. Please consider joining us in our commitment to our community. If you are interested, please leave a message with my staff at 412-561-4415.