MADISON — Madison’s Rotary Club is reaching a major milestone in April: two decades dedicated to “service above self.”

At the Madison City Council’s March 25 meeting, Mayor Paul Finley issued a proclamation declaring April 5, 2019, as the Rotary Club’s 20th birthday.

“Whereas Rotary Club of Madison is one of more than 34,000 clubs worldwide, whose global membership exceeds 1.2 million, the object of Rotary is to encourage the ideal of service as a basis of worldly enterprise, which supports Rotary’s motto of ‘service above self,’” Finley read from the proclamation. “The primary goal of the Rotary Club of Madison is to serve and better our community.”

The Rotary Club of Madison engages in various service projects throughout the year and have contributed financially to the community as well through fundraisers and donations. Some recipients include Madison Hospital and the local YMCA. Around Thanksgiving, Rotary has also delivered “Thanksgiving Boxes” to several local families in need. Earlier this month, they celebrated Mardi Gras with local seniors at the Madison Senior Center.

Perhaps the biggest event of the year for Rotary, however, is their “Parrots of the Caribbean” fundraiser. In 2018, Rotary put those funds toward their children’s garden project for Madison Public Library, as well as a downtown city park and a host of other projects.

“I’m proud that … the club was recognized as the Madison Chamber of Commerce 2017 nonprofit of the year,” Finley continued.

Tim Stone, a charter member who was inducted as the club’s president in mid-2018, was present at the meeting to accept the proclamation and share a few words.

“Twenty years ago, we started Rotary Club in a bar at the Holiday Inn, and we didn’t have any money, and we had a lot of ambition,” Stone said. “I think we had about a dozen people show up consistently. … We’ve got 72 members now, and we’ve grown so much we’re starting a satellite club.”

Despite everything going on within the club, Rotary remains steadfast in their service to the city of Madison and abroad.

“We plant trees. We’re doing everything we can to fight polio right now. We’ve got international missions that are going to Honduras,” Stone added. “… I think we’ve got a half-dozen folks that are in our club right now that are doing wonderful things across the city.”

Rotary meets for breakfast on most Thursdays at the Hogan Family YMCA, in the Rotary room, at 7 a.m. Meetings often include a speaker from the community, and these speakers touch on a wide variety of subjects.

For more information on the Rotary Club of Madison, Alabama, or to learn how to join, visit www.madisonalrotary.org. Rotary Club of Madison is also on Facebook as the “Rotary Club of Madison Alabama.” The club can be reached by phone at 256-564-2075.