Wilbur Smith Rotary Club Celebrates 100 Years 

Texarkana Wilbur Smith Rotary Club celebrated 100 years of Service on April 4, 2017 at the Four States Fairgrounds Entertainment Center.  A social hour, dinner, and program emphasized the club and its achievements.  Music was by the SoulTones and barbecue was served to a large crowd.
 
The achievements of the club are many, starting with their charter date of April 26, 1917.  In 1998 the club was renamed in honor of Wilbur Smith, a lifelong Rotarian.
Richard Reynolds, who will take over as president on July 1 of 2017 summed up the club’s involvement in the community.  “We roll up our sleeves, as well as writing checks. We have so many service projects that connect us with the very fabric of the city and our members are all very philanthropic.”
 
The club does have more than a few service projects, some that are a collaboration of all four of the Rotary clubs in Texarkana and some that Wilbur Smith does on their own.
 
Through their flag program, Rotary has been able to donate over one million dollars in scholarships and grants to the local community.  The club also sponsors Interact Clubs in all four local high schools.
 
 The club has also been a part of beautification efforts in Texarkana for many year, including clean up of a lot at West 11th, Hazel and Stateline Avenue, which is now known as Rotary Park.  The clubs also raised approximately $340,000 for the Rotary Splash Pad at Spring Lake Park, and has continued to make donations for the further development of the feature, seating, picnic tables, and shade ports.  The club donated funds for restroom facilities which were installed at  Kidtopia Park in downtown Texarkana, and secured land donations for Camp Pioneer, the summer camp for the Caddo Area Council of Boy Scouts in Hatfield, Arkansas.
 
Congratulations to this club now and into the future.