Rotarians from across District 5810 came together on Aug. 21 for the 2025–2026 Emerald City Awards Gala, an evening of fellowship, celebration, and recognition. With the theme “There’s No Place Like Home,” the event was a fitting tribute to the people and clubs that make Rotary such a special part of communities throughout North Texas.
Among those honored was Mike Schell of the Melissa Rotary Club, who received a Star Award for his outstanding work leading the club’s Flag Lease Program.
Nothing beats a cold popsicle after hours out on the field, and our Melissa Rotary volunteers were thrilled to bring a little relief to our Melissa marching band members recently!
Six of our Rotarians jumped in to hand out cool treats to a bunch of very happy musicians as they wrapped up practice. It was a joy to see those smiling faces and to support the students who bring so much energy and spirit to our community.
Thanks again for bringing treats for our band! It was great to meet you and the folks from Rotary and I’m glad to hear that y’all would be interested in future opportunities."
The Melissa Rotary Club's Service Projects Committee is kicking off the 2026–2027 Rotary year with an ambitious schedule of 17 service projects led by Chair Brian Kirkpatrick. From annual traditions to exciting new initiatives like Rise Against Hunger, members will have countless opportunities to live out Rotary's motto of Service Above Self.
Club members gathered this week to hear guest speaker Amanda Mota share an eye‑opening look into the global hunger crisis and the powerful work being done by Rise Against Hunger. With passion and clarity, Ms. Mota explained how the organization’s mission goes far beyond providing meals — it’s about creating sustainable, long‑term solutions that help communities break the cycle of poverty.
She highlighted staggering realities: millions of people worldwide face food insecurity every day, yet simple, coordinated volunteer efforts can make a measurable difference. Rise Against Hunger’s meal‑packing events transform raw ingredients into shelf‑stable, nutritious meals that are shipped to schools, clinics, and crisis‑relief sites around the world.
But the heart of the message was empowerment. She emphasized that volunteers are the engine behind the organization’s impact. Whether packing meals, fundraising, or spreading awareness, every contribution helps move the needle toward a world without hunger.
How Volunteers Can Get Involved
Join a Meal‑Packing Event — Volunteers work assembly‑line style to measure, seal, and box meals for shipment. Events are fast‑paced, fun, and family‑friendly.
Support Sustainable Projects — Beyond meals, Rise Against Hunger invests in agricultural training, clean water initiatives, and community empowerment programs.
Organize a Fundraiser — Schools, clubs, and workplaces can host drives to help fund meal ingredients and global development projects.
Spread Awareness — Sharing stories, hosting info sessions, or engaging on social media helps amplify the mission.
Ms. Mota closed her talk with a challenge: “If you have an hour, you can help. If you have a voice, you can lead. And if you have a heart for service, you can change lives.”
Her message left the audience energized and ready to take action — a reminder that ending hunger is not only possible, but something we can all help achieve.Melissa Rotary is taking action.Logistically, a meal packing takes months to organize. We’ve allocated funds in next year’s budget, and the Service Projects committee has already started planning for the event in early 2027.More information to come as plans finalize.
Melissa Rotary Takes First Step for Community Meal Packing Event with Rise Against Hunger
Each year, as Memorial Day approaches, the area surrounding Melissa City Hall transforms into a powerful tribute to service and sacrifice. Through the Melissa Honors Military program—supported by the Melissa Rotary Club and facilitated by the City of Melissa—banners featuring the faces and names of local service members rise proudly along the walkways and green spaces.
The community gathered at Melissa’sobelisk behind City Hall, as the Rotary Club led a heartfelt 2026 Memorial Day ceremony. With Brian Kirkpatrick guiding the event, Pastor Chad McSwain’s invocation, Suzanne Taylor’s stirring National Anthem, and solemn tributes from Dawn Kelley and young bugler Maddie Fulencheck, the morning became a powerful moment of remembrance. Rotary leaders Dana Conklin and John Cave lay wreaths in honor of the fallen, setting the tone for a ceremony that lingers long after Brian’s closing words.
DG Mary Bedosky addressed the students, parents and Rotarians at the first Serve and Celebrate banquet encouraging students to continue with Rotary involvement after graduation.RYLA recipients were introduced. scholarship recipients were presented with certificates and checks, Interact sashes presented, and other awards were presented.The outgoing Interact board introduced the incoming board with various anecdotes and bits of advice.
Rotary and Interact team with community volunteers to make the Special Olympics of Texas Summer Games the best experience possible for the amazing athletes and their families.
Eight graduating seniors from Melissa High School were awarded scholarship certificates and checks at the Interact Service and Celebration banquet. Friends, family and Rotary members attended the banquet honoring all Interact accomplishments and awards. Rotary scholarship recipients left to right, Kate Garret, Ace Gustaveson, Addison Thomas, McKenzie Hendrickson, Hannah Ackerman, Rachel Lewis, Hemela Taddesse, and Brooklyn Landrum.
Students from the local Interact Club spent a bright Saturday morning filled with cheers, laughter, and teamwork as they volunteered at the regional Special Olympics event — a spirited lead-up to next week’s Texas Special Olympic Games.
The Texas Special Olympics Summer Games are approaching, and Melissa Rotary is calling on the community to help support this inspiring event. Volunteers are needed for event and awards setup on April 29 and 30, track support on April 30, and event teardown on May 2.
No experience is required—just a willingness to serve. Community members, families, students, and local groups are encouraged to get involved and help create a positive and memorable experience for the athletes.
The Melissa Interact Club teamed up with local Rotary members to inspect, sort, and repair American flags in preparation for the 2026 Flag Program. Students and Rotarians worked side by side—checking fabric, fixing seams, organizing poles, and preparing worn flags for retirement. By the end of the day, they had restored order to the flag inventory and strengthened the sense of community service that connects the two groups.
A burst of patriotic spirit filled the air as Melissa Rotary recently hosted a hands‑on flag repair workday, giving members a chance to restore worn American flags or retire appropriate flags.
Event Highlights
Volunteers gathered to mend frayed edges, replace grommets, and prepare flags for continued display.
Rotary members guided first time participants through simple repair techniques and shared tips on respectful flag handling.
Flags damaged beyond repair were collected for proper retirement.
Why It Matters
Workdays like this strengthen civic pride while helping our community fly our American flags with dignity. All this is done in preparation for Melissa Rotary 2026 Flag Lease Program and America’s 250th anniversary.
Melissa Rotary members completed another meaningful service project March 2026 with the installation of a new Buddy Bench at Highland Elementary School. This marks the second Buddy Bench built by the club, following last year’s successful installation at McKillip Elementary School.
The Buddy Bench initiative is designed to promote kindness, inclusion, and friendship on school playgrounds. Its purpose is simple: if a child feels lonely or needs someone to play with, they can sit on the bench as a signal to others to reach out.
The impact of the first bench has already been felt. One McKillip Elementary student shared, “I like the Buddy Bench because it makes everyone happy and makes sure everyone has a good time at recess.”
With the addition of the new bench at Highland Elementary, Melissa Rotary continues its commitment to fostering connection and compassion among students across the community.
Melissa Rotary Club was honored to receive the Melissa Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award, recognizing the club’s ongoing commitment to service and community impact. The award was presented at our February 5, 2026 business meeting, celebrating the collective efforts of Rotary members who consistently live out the motto Service Above Self.
Dana Conklin accepted the award on behalf of the club. The presentation was made by Sandi Hill, Melissa Chamber Ambassador Director, who thanked Melissa Rotary for its dedication, leadership, and countless volunteer hours supporting community initiatives throughout the year.
In addition to the Chamber recognition, Melissa Rotary also received a certificate of appreciation from Congressman Keith Self, further acknowledging the club’s positive contributions and service to the community.
This recognition reflects the hard work and heart of Melissa Rotary members and reinforces the club’s role as true People of Action, making a difference locally while supporting Rotary’s mission around the world.
Melissa Rotary invites the community to attend a free luncheon meeting held the second Thursday of every month from 12:00–1:00 p.m. at the MISD Crossland Learning Center, 1904B Cooper Street. The meetings feature speakers from community businesses, local non-profit organizations, and other organizations of interest. Guests are encouraged to check the Upcoming Events for specific details and scheduled speakers. All are welcome to attend and learn more about Rotary and local initiatives.
Please park in the northeast lot at the back of the building.
Melissa Rotary invites the community to attend the 2026 State of the City Address presented by Melissa Mayor Jay Northcut on February 26, 2026, from 7:00–8:00 p.m. at the Melissa Crossland Learning Center, 1904 Cooper Street. The public program offers residents a chance to hear updates on city progress, priorities, and future plans, and reflects Rotary’s commitment to an informed and engaged community.
Melissa Rotary: People of Action 🌍💖 Every year, nearly 40 volunteers from the Melissa Rotary Club, the Interact Club, and local organizations came together at the LDS Church of Melissa to finish and ship 400+ dresses for Little Dresses for Africa. By providing dresses and supporting water, education, and community needs, they’re making a global impact—one dress at a time!
Last year the Melissa High School Interact Club pulled together materials and individuals in several shifts two Saturday workdays for their service project making Little Dresses for Africa. https://littledressesforafrica.org
Flying Flags, Fueling Service When you support the Melissa Rotary Flag Program, you’re doing more than celebrating patriotism—you’re funding scholarships, leadership programs, community service, and international humanitarian projects. From Buddy Benches at local schools to clean water initiatives in Africa, your support makes a real impact.
Melissa Rotary Club and Melissa High School Interact Club have joined forces to serve the community, including Melissa's Fall Fest, Flag installations, and the Veterans' Day Ceremony.
These service projects include helping with parking and booth set-up at the local Heart of Melissa Fests sponsored by Kroger and supported by the local Chamber of Commerce and Interact is sponsoring the Fall 2025 Food Drive benefitting the First Melissa Christmas Angel Program and the Melissa Community Outreach Food Pantry, which the Melissa Rotary Club also supports.
The Interact Club also is a contractor for the Melissa Rotary Club Flag Lease Program. These high school students install and collect U.S. flags in some of the Melissa neighborhoods six times each year, most recently for Veterans Day.
Students from the Melissa High School Interact Club supported last year's annual Melissa Rotary-sponsored Veteran's Day ceremony, which was followed by the dedication of the new Rotary Park.
Melissa Rotary and Melissa Interact Join Forces for Community Service
The Rotary Club of Melissa’s annual Chili Cook-off brought the community together to support Rotary International’s PolioPlus project to help eliminate polio worldwide. Volunteer chefs competed while tasters voted with their dollars, raising hundreds of dollars at events in February 2024 and September 2025. Proceeds supported Rotary projects focused on improving health, education, the environment, and alleviating poverty. In 2025, H-E-B sponsored the cook-off winner’s prize, allowing even more funds to be directed to Rotary’s global humanitarian efforts.
Volunteer with us: https://www.melissa-rotary.org/
Melissa Rotary raffled off a beautiful custom-made quilt during the Heart of Melissa Fall Fest 2025 to support Melissa ISD Rotary scholarships. The quilt, a popular attraction at the Rotary booth, drew strong community interest and ticket sales throughout the event. Proceeds from the raffle will help provide scholarships to graduating seniors, reflecting Rotary’s commitment to Service Above Self and to investing in the future of local students.
One of the many ways Rotary is addressing challenging environmental issues is through its commitment to supporting education initiatives. This includes promoting the protection and restoration of our natural resources. The Melissa Rotary Club coordinated with Blackland Prairie Master Naturalist and Heard Museum Educator, Dave Powell, to bring the community up to speed on relevant programs in Collin County. As Collin County continues to experience rapid urbanization of previously undeveloped farms and natural spaces, Dave Powell gave a meaningful and timely presentation on how development affects the environment.
Melissa Rotary Participates in Wreaths Across America Ceremony
The Melissa Rotary Club invites the community to join in supporting Wreaths Across America, whose year-round mission is to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
On December 13, 2025, community members gathered at the Melissa Cemetery for a ceremony held at 11:00 a.m. honoring veterans from our region of Texas. Following the brief program, volunteers laid wreaths on the graves of local veterans as a tribute to their service and sacrifice.
The event brings together families, neighbors, and supporters in a meaningful act of remembrance, reflecting the community’s continued commitment to honoring those who served.
Melissa Rotary President Elect, Dana Conklin is recognized for her service to the community and club, leading the flag program to grow to over 1,000 flags distributed six times a year.
Thanks from Little Dresses for Africa to the Melissa High School Interact Club and their sponsors, the Melissa Rotary Club. The Interact Club pulled together materials and nearly 40 people from their club, the Melissa Rotary Club, and other organizations this past summer at the LDS Church of Melissa over several weekends to finish and ship more than 400 dresses this year.
Little Dresses for Africa, founded in 2008 to provide dresses and support for the most vulnerable, little girls, works alongside the people of the village to address their specific needs through water, education and community.
Melissa High School Interact Club Plants the Seeds of Worthiness
During fiscal year 2023-24, the 6 Melissa Rotary Club blood drives collected 69 pints of whole and 6 double units of plasma. That is equal to providing for around 243 patients.
YOU can easily participate this year, beginning on Saturday, September 21!
On Thursday, May 9th, the Melissa community is invited to a District 67 update at a hosted Rotary luncheon with Texas State Representative Jeff Leach, now serving in his sixth term.
The District, which encompasses 19% of Collin County, includes all of Melissa, Blue Ridge, Farmersville, New Hope and Westminster, and portions of 6 other cities in Collin County.
This free luncheon will be held at 12 noon on May 9th at 1904 Cooper Street in the Red Building.
RSVP: MelissaRotary@gmail.com, 972-850-6765.
Please park in the NE parking lot, in the back of the complex.
Born and raised in Plano, Representative Leach graduated from Plano Senior High before attending Baylor University. He earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law, and currently practices at the law firm of Gray Reed & McGraw LLP in Dallas. Jeff specializes in complex commercial and civil litigation, construction law and real estate. Jeff serves on the Board of Trustees for Houston Baptist University, on the Texas Judicial Council and as a board member of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute. In January 2021, he was appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center. Jeff and his wife Becky, a speaker, writer and artist, are the proud parents of Brady, Charlotte and Landry. In addition to service with numerous other community organizations, Jeff and Becky are active members of Cottonwood Creek Church.
Melissa High School Interact Club puts service above self in cleaning up the community. This weekend Interact volunteers cleaned up the Rotary Park, hauling in 8 giant garbage bags of trash.
January 25th, 2024, our "Rotary at Night" community program was for all those interested in global efforts to provide water and sanitation to the impoverished.
The Rotary Club of Melissa once again sponsored a successful Carter BloodCare of Texas blood drive on December 9th. Upcoming Melissa Rotary - Carter BloodCare drives will be Feb 10, Apr 13, Jun 15, 2024.
The Melissa Rotary Club Service Committee supports the publicity and arranges the location (the Melissa United Methodist Church) in a bi-monthly blood drive campaign for 2023-2024, working with Carter BloodCare to collect much needed blood for Texans who need it. On December 9th, in addition to regular sign-ups online, there were 6 walk-ins, most likely due to the club's Public Image Committee posting signs in the community and posts on Facebook.
Melissa Rotary Service Provides Much-Needed Blood for Texans
Melissa Rotary teamed up with Anytime Fitness Anna to collect and deliver over 100 pounds of food to the Melissa Community Outreach. Anytime Fitness, Anna has donated $125 for food that Melissa Rotary has committed to the MCO. Anytime Fitness, Anna donated $5 for each new member that they signed up, plus donations they received from other people. This is a joint service project that Melissa Rotary Club and Anytime Fitness, Anna have worked on together for the past three years.
Melissa Chief of Police, Erik Stokes, will give the community an update at a Rotary-sponsored luncheon on Thursday, November 9th. The "Thanks-giving" luncheon will be held at the Melissa ISD campus in the red building at 12 noon. It is free to the Melissa residents who RSVP: MelissaRotary@gmail.com
Nov. 9th, 12 noon.
Crossland Learning Center (the red building) at the Melissa ISD headquarters
1904 Cooper Street Melissa, TX 75454
Please park in the northeast / rear parking lot.
Melissa City Police Chief Updates Community at Luncheon
On October 26th at 7 pm, Michael Pugh, District 5810 Youth Exchange Officer, will be speaking at the Melissa Rotary Club "After Work" community get-together. If your High Schoolers or anyone in your family has considered involvement in International Student Exchange programs, you will not want to miss this "Rotary After Work" speaker.
The meeting will start at 7pm, at the Crossland Learning Center (the red building) at the Melissa ISD headquarters, 1904 Cooper Street, Melissa, TX 75454. Please park in the northeast (back) parking lot.
Rotary Youth Exchange is the only truly international youth exchange with local Rotarians in every location that students would be staying around the world. Melissa Rotary is getting started with Rotary Youth Exchange https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges by encouraging local Melissa High Schoolers to become an outbound Rotary Exchange Student. The best way to start is by coming to this meeting and by working with our own High School Interact Program.
Youth exchange experience looks good on a college resume, due to developing independent thinking skills, living on your own, and developing the ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations. Exchange students unlock their true potential to: - Develop lifelong leadership skills - Learn a new language and culture - Build lasting friendships with young people from around the world - Become a global citizen
Melissa Rotary Sponsors Community Event on Rotary Youth Exchange
The September "second Thursday community luncheon", hosted by Melissa Rotary, will feature George James, president of the Melissa ISD Board of Trustees.
Melissa Rotary provided $500 toward the Melissa ISD Transportation award at today's Teacher Awards Convocation. A teacher from every school in Melissa was selected by their peers for these awards, plus awards were given to the overall Melissa ISD Teacher of the Year, along with awards for support groups, such as transportation, technology, security, etc. The multimedia function was a colorful celebration of all these people do for our young people in our schools. Each recipient received the award from the sponsor(s) from the Melissa community. Ken Truax represented the Melissa Rotary Club, along with a sponsor from Vista Physical Therapy, to provide a $1,000 award to the transportation department of Melissa ISD.
Melissa Rotary Supports Melissa ISD at Convocation
Melissa Rotary Club scheduled another flag repair day to keep the Melissa Rotary Flag Lease flags in order. On Saturday, August 5th, the Melissa Rotary volunteers had a successful Flag workday. The new Melissa Chief of Police, Eric Stokes, came and helped. A couple of members sewed up some of the damaged flags and the rest of the club members and volunteers replaced the old flags with new.
Ronda Neuert, founder and President at Helping Hands with Helping Hearts, will be speaking to the Melissa Rotary Club this Thursday evening at 7 pm. The Melissa community is invited to find out about this local service organization.
Helping Hands with Helping Hearts is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization that helps people who are struggling with auto repairs and transportation needs. Ronda and her husband own Progressive Auto, and they their skill and expertise of the automotive industry and give back to the community by providing automotive repairs free of charge for people who can't afford it. They also repair donated vehicles and give them to families without transportation. This enables families to get back on the road and back on their feet.
All Melissa residents are welcome. The event will be held at the Crossland Learning Center (the red building) at the Melissa ISD headquarters, 1904 Cooper Street, Melissa, TX 75454. Please park in the rear (east) parking lot.
This past weekend, the Melissa Rotary Club launched a new opportunity for the Melissa community to build relationships. Young and old alike enjoyed the social get together at the Gala apartments on Saturday morning. This was the start of Melissa Rotary-sponsored quarterly social opportunities for the young to build relationships with these senior members of the Melissa Community.
The next get-together will be a Christmas in July event for the seniors. If you are interested in making a big difference in the lives of others, bring your talents and join us. Share an hour of your time and talents in July by contacting John Cave or Melissa Rotary Club (MelissaRotary@gmail.com) to bring Christmas in July to the seniors at Gala apartments. These seniors are eager to visit with the young people in our Melissa community.
Rotary Helps Melissa Build Relationships at Gala Apartments
The Melissa Rotary Club had the most members participate and complete the Go Green Challenge during March and April. The Plano Community Rotaract Club created the Go Green Challenge to celebrate World Rotaract Week and support one of Rotary's seven areas of focus: Protecting the Environment. This was an opportunity for Rotarians and Rotaractors to take action together, as well as to make a difference in their communities.
The Melissa Rotary Club has awarded $10,000 in college scholarships to Melissa High School students who are active in the Interact Club. These scholarships are annually awarded to students heading for college. This is a program of the Melissa Rotary Club Foundation, supported by proceeds from the Melissa Rotary flag lease program.
Students receiving the scholarships toward their freshman year in college 2023-2024 are:
Lindsay Anderson
Hannah Avila
Blaise Barker
Abigail Chaloupka
Faith Fortenberry
Maisy Gustaveson
Rayanne Jones
LaGayla Philliph
Kenzie Segleski
Chloe Walton
The Melissa Rotary Club initiated and sponsors the independent Melissa High School Interact Club. Interact is an international organization that empowers middle school and high school students to serve in their community, developing leadership skills and discovering the power of Service Above Self. Today, there are 20,000+ Interact clubs and 400,000+ Interactors in 150+ countries around the world.
The Melissa Rotary Club promotes service efforts in vital areas of our growing community by developing partnerships in a joint effort to strengthen the community. This includes working with individuals and many student and non-profit organizations in Melissa to coordinate service projects, as well as putting out almost 1,200 flags in Melissa six times per year.
Melissa Rotary Awarded HS Students $10,000 in College Scholarships
The Melissa Community was invited to a free luncheon hosted by the Melissa Rotary Club April 13, 2023. Robert Palmer, BSN, RN, CEN, the Stroke Coordinator at Texas Health Allen, spoke to around 20 members and leaders of Rotary and the Melissa Community.
Palmer has been a registered nurse for 25 years, and for the past 18 years has worked at Texas Health Plano. As a registered nurse, he has managed the emergency department at Texas Health Prosper. He has also worked in the emergency and critical care departments at Texas Health Plano.
The luncheon was held 12pm to 1pmThursday, April 13th, at the Crossland Learning Center (the red building) at the Melissa ISD headquarters, 1904 Cooper Street, Melissa, TX 75454.
Community Stroke Program Hosted by Melissa Rotary Club
On Saturday, March 25th, 2023, the Melissa Interact Club, a high school organization sponsored by the Melissa Rotary Club, led a community project to sew and fill boxes of pillowcase dresses to ship to Africa and many other countries.
The club provided opportunities for volunteers to help sew and package the dresses. The students and volunteers made over 200 dresses to ship to little girls in Africa.
The club also provided opportunities for volunteers to donate materials and money to buy materials, as well as contribute to the $2/dress average shipping cost
You can find more information on the global project here, or inquire at Info@LittleDressesforAfrica.com
Dresses are sent to LDFA to distribute through mission groups all over the world, and taken personally by our teams, or sent in large quantities through our 40 ft containers twice a year to our warehouse in Malawi. During dress distribution, the LDFA organization identifies other needs with regard to: clean water, primary education, and community.
Little Dresses for Africa is a registered Christian non-profit 501c3, founded in 2008, which sends relief to all parts of Africa and many countries beyond, through the distribution of little dresses made by volunteers from all over the world.
"We're not just sending dresses, we're sending hope."; Hope changes how a child sees himself.
The LDFA goal continues to be to honor the most vulnerable of God's children through this type of humanitarian relief. Through these dresses, LDFA offers relief through clean water, education and community.
Major Jay Northcut delivered a "State of the City" address on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, at a free Melissa Rotary Club - sponsored event, open to the public.
The Melissa Rotary Club and volunteers supported the community and City Parks Department by spreading huge piles of new mulch under playgrounds and trees on Saturday, October 1st.
The newly formed Melissa Fallen Warriors' Association, in conjunction with the Melissa Rotary Club, has begun work on obtaining permits and funds to install a polished triangular black granite monument at the Melissa City Hall Plaza.
The Melissa Chamber of Commerce put on a terrific "Heart of Melissa" party on Cooper Street on August 8th, 2022, with 650+ people coming from this great community in waves of 200+ through the 4 hours of the event!
The Melissa Rotary Club, with their team of volunteers, provided help with traffic, parking, safety, and as needed with setting up, tearing down, and whatever was needed.
At the August 18, 2022, Melissa Rotary Club meeting, Rotary District 5810 2022 Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) camp participants told Rotarians how they came to “Reach for the Future” from their experience at Camp RYLA May 29-June 3, this year.
These award recipients recommended that the incoming MISD juniors get involved in the Melissa InterAct Club and apply for the upcoming 2023 RYLA camp awards in order to participate in the ultimate leadership training experience.
Those involved with Texas youth, or anyone wanting to find out how a 2022-23 high school junior you know can get involved, keep in touch with the MHS Interact Club and Melissa Rotary Club. The MHS Interact club brings together Melissa students ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills and learn about the world through service projects and activities.
Rotary scholarship recipients left to right, Kate Garret, Ace Gustaveson, Addison Thomas, McKenzie Hendrickson, Hannah Ackerman, Rachel Lewis, Hemela Taddesse, and Brooklyn Landrum.
agement #ServiceAboveSelf
Flying Flags, Fueling Service
Melissa Rotary Club and Melissa High School Interact Club have joined forces to serve the community, including Melissa's Fall Fest, Flag installations, and the Veterans' Day Ceremony.
One of the many ways Rotary is addressing challenging environmental issues is through its commitment to supporting education initiatives. This includes promoting the protection and restoration of our natural resources. The Melissa Rotary Club coordinated with Blackland Prairie Master Naturalist and Heard Museum Educator, Dave Powell, to bring the community up to speed on relevant programs in Collin County. As Collin County continues to experience rapid urbanization of previously undeveloped farms and natural spaces, Dave Powell gave a meaningful and timely presentation on how development affects the environment.
Melissa Rotary President Elect, Dana Conklin is recognized for her service to the community and club, leading the flag program to grow to over 1,000 flags distributed six times a year.
Melissa High School Interact Club puts service above self in cleaning up the community. This weekend Interact volunteers cleaned up the Rotary Park, hauling in 8 giant garbage bags of trash.
January 25th, 2024, our "Rotary at Night" community program was for all those interested in global efforts to provide water and sanitation to the impoverished.
The Rotary Club of Melissa once again sponsored a successful Carter BloodCare of Texas blood drive on December 9th. Upcoming Melissa Rotary - Carter BloodCare drives will be Feb 10, Apr 13, Jun 15, 2024.
Melissa Rotary
Melissa 
Melissa Rotary provided $500 toward the Melissa ISD Transportation award at today's Teacher Awards Convocation. A teacher from every school in Melissa was selected by their peers for these awards, plus awards were given to the overall Melissa ISD Teacher of the Year, along with awards for support groups, such as transportation, technology, security, etc. The multimedia function was a colorful celebration of all these people do for our young people in our schools. Each recipient received the award from the sponsor(s) from the Melissa community. Ken Truax represented the Melissa Rotary Club, along with a sponsor from Vista Physical Therapy, to provide a $1,000 award to the transportation department of Melissa ISD.
Ronda Neuert, founder and President at Helping Hands with Helping Hearts, will be speaking to the Melissa Rotary Club this Thursday evening at 7 pm. The Melissa community is invited to find out about this local service organization.
This past weekend, the Melissa Rotary Club launched a new opportunity for the Melissa community to build relationships. Young and old alike enjoyed the social get together at the Gala apartments on Saturday morning. This was the start of Melissa Rotary-sponsored quarterly social opportunities for the young to build relationships with these senior members of the Melissa Community. 
The 
e Melissa Rotary Club has awarded $10,000 in college scholarships to Melissa High School students who are active in the Interact Club. These scholarships are annually awarded to students heading for college. This is a program of the Melissa Rotary Club Foundation, supported by proceeds from the 
The Melissa Community was invited to a free luncheon hosted by the Melissa Rotary Club April 13, 2023. Robert Palmer, BSN, RN, CEN, the Stroke Coordinator at Texas Health Allen, spoke to around 20 members and leaders of Rotary and the Melissa Community.
vided opportunities for volunteers to donate materials and money to buy materials, as well as contribute to the $2/dress average shipping cost
The Melissa Rotary Club and volunteers supported the community and City Parks Department by spreading huge piles of new mulch under playgrounds and trees on Saturday, October 1st. 
The 
Melissa Rotary volunteers helped put new desks together at the Melissa Library Work Day!