The Valdosta Rotary Club and Valdosta-North Rotary Club each earned the District Governor’s Club of Excellence Award, recognizing a year of exceptional service, leadership, and community impact across Rotary District 6920. In addition to the honor, the Valdosta Rotary Club was named District 6920 Large Club of the Year, while the Valdosta-North Rotary Club received the distinction of District 6920 Small Club of the Year.

The awards were presented during the Rotary District 6920 Conference in Macon. During the conference, the Valdosta Rotary Club was recognized for two distinguished service initiatives — the annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner (LEAD) and the Valdosta-Lowndes Habitat for Humanity Michael Bourgoin Home Build project. The Valdosta-North Rotary Club also received distinguished project recognition for its annual Teacher Appreciation Dinner, which honors local educators and their impact on students and the community.

At the conference, Valdosta Rotary Club President Thressea H. Boyd was invited to present an overview of the club’s partnership with the Sister-to-Sister: Re-Imagine the Power of SHE Summit, which AAUW-Valdosta hosts annually. Funded by the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust, the summit brought together middle school girls from Valdosta and surrounding communities for a day focused on education, prevention, healthy decision-making, and empowerment.

“I want to thank our members who showed up, leaned in, and worked tirelessly to make a difference,” Boyd said. “These recognitions reflect the dedication, compassion, and servant leadership of Rotarians who continue to step forward to meet needs in our community."

While the LEAD event and Habitat for Humanity home build were the club’s largest service projects, Valdosta Rotary members also partnered with Wild Adventures Theme Park to collect school supplies for local children, donated holiday gifts to foster children through CASA Lowndes-Echols and hosted a Red Cross Blood Drive.

Throughout the year, the Valdosta-North Rotary Club led several impactful community outreach initiatives, including hosting its annual Teacher Appreciation Dinner, organizing a book drive for the Valdosta City Schools W.O.W. Bus literacy program, and providing “Stuffed Stockings” for nonprofit workers during the holiday season in appreciation for their service to the community.

Additional service projects included volunteering during the Michael Bourgoin Habitat for Humanity Home Build, participating in the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign, reading to local school students during Read Across America activities in March, and supporting an ongoing mobile pantry and food drive initiative for Echols County families.

“We are incredibly honored to receive both the District Governor’s Club of Excellence Award and Small Club of the Year recognition,” said Luke Voigt, President of the Valdosta-North Rotary Club. “These awards reflect the heart of our members and their devotion to Service Above Self. I’m proud of what our club accomplished together and thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in our community.”

For more information on the Rotary Club of Valdosta, visit www.valdostarotary.org or email [email protected] and Valdosta-North Club email: [email protected]