Celebrating 100 Years of Service in Kingston!
Rotary in Kingston: 100 Years of Service
Our Story
From the first meetings at the former Frontenac Hotel on Ontario Street in early 1921, Rotarians in Kingston have been engaged in building and supporting our community.
Rotary brings together men and women from diverse backgrounds who are inspired to take action and create lasting change. Rotarians strive to empower youth, improve health and well-being, promote peace and sustainability, and help support organizations and projects in our community that protect our most vulnerable citizens.
Over the past century, Rotarians in Kingston have been instrumental in the founding of the RKY Camp in the 1930s, Kingston’s Youth Music festival in the 1950s, and the Kingston Boys & Girls Club in the 1990s. The Rotary Clubs in Kingston provide grants to numerous smaller organizations such as Ongwanada’s Circle of Friends, Helen Tufts Nursery School, Frontenac Council on Aging, and Lionhearts; rally members regularly to service events such as Martha’s Table lunch hour, the Loving Spoonful’s Night Market and the annual Terry Fox Run; and sponsor international projects in Nepal, India and Tanzania.
Our Clubs
Today, nearly 200 Kingston Rotarians work with local organizations and partners to address community needs through service projects and program funding.
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Rotary Club of Kingston (chartered in 1921)
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Kingston - Frontenac Rotary Club (chartered in 1966)
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Cataraqui - Kingston Rotary Club (chartered in 1985)
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Kingston Waterfront Club (chartered in 2015)
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Queen's Rotaract Club (1993)
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Rotaract Club of Kingston (2020)
Our Celebrations
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our Kingston Rotary Centennial plans were put on hold... temporarily. Instead of moving forward with celebrations, the four Rotary Clubs in Kingston switched focus to community service. A new COVID-19 Emergency Committee was struck to work with community agencies to provide food to vulnerable students, provide masks, and help cultivate Robinson Community Garden. Rotarians and Friends of Rotary have also been volunteering as screeners, greeters, and ushers at the KFL&A Public Health Mass Immunization Clinic at the Invista Centre as well as providing volunteers for Chamber of Commerce's Rapid Test Distribution Centre.
Now that - fingers crossed - the city continues to re-open, the Kingston Rotary Centennial Committee is moving forward with the launch of Centennial Projects and the planning of more community special events in 2021. Plans will no doubt be altered, but the commitment of Kingston Rotarians will never falter. Check out our Centennial Projects and Special Events pages regularly to find out more details and updates about what's happening. Also, starting the first week of January, 2021, and each week for the entire year, the Kingston Whig Standard and Kingston This Week will publish Rotary Reflections a collection of highlights from the past 100 years.
2021 will also mark the launch of another 100 years of 'Service Above Self'. We look forward to connecting with more community groups and individuals in Kingston to mark this occasion.
All Rotary Centennial celebrations, projects, and events are funded by individual Rotarians, Friends of Rotary, the six Kingston Rotary Clubs, Rotary District 7040, Rotary Foundation, and by other generous supporters in the community. Thank you everyone - let's celebrate!
If you have any questions or would like additional information, don't hesitate to contact us. To find out more information about all Kingston Rotary Clubs, check out https://rotaryinkingston.cool.