A history of the Rotary Club of
South Miami

Originally founded in 1950, the Rotary Club of South Miami has become a vibrant integral part of the South Miami Community.

Known for our good works throughout our local community, the Rotary Club regularly takes on the initiative placing service above self, as we actively volunteer for local service projects with the goal of transforming the South Miami community into a better place. Our largest annual event, the South Miami Rotary Art Festival, whose proceeds fund college scholarships for local students and other local, national, as well as international service projects, is nationally celebrated bringing together a collection of talented artists from all parts of the United States and Canada.

This world-renowned festival was originally founded in 1984, when a dedicated group of Red Sunset Merchants Association members conceived an arts and crafts festival as a way to bring shoppers into the area and also to serve the community well by bringing the arts closer to the local population. Started as a small show with only 25 booths, it has grown into one of Miami-Dade's most anticipated events.

The festival is now wholly produced by the dedicated volunteers of our Rotary Club of South Miami and its Rotary Foundation.

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Rotary,
Who We Are...

We are 1.2 million neighbors, friends, and community leaders who come together to create positive, lasting change in our communities and around the world.

Our differing occupations, cultures, and countries give us a unique perspective. Our shared passion for service helps us accomplish the remarkable.

What makes us different?

Our distinct point of view and approach gives us unique advantages:

• We see differently: Our multidisciplinary perspective helps us see challenges in unique ways.
• We think differently: We apply leadership and expertise to social issues—and find unique solutions.
• We act responsibly: Our passion and perseverance create lasting change.
• We make a difference at home and around the world: Our members can be found in your community and across the globe.

Rotary History

“Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves.” —Paul P. Harris

Our 1.2 million-member organization started with the vision of one man—Paul P. Harris. The Chicago attorney formed one of the world’s first service organizations, the Rotary Club of Chicago, on 23 February 1905 as a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of each member.

Our ongoing commitment Rotarians have not only been present for major events in history—we’ve been a part of them. From the beginning, three key traits have remained strong throughout Rotary:
We’re truly international. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Today we’re working together from around the globe both digitally and in-person to solve some of our world’s most challenging problems.

We persevere in tough times. During WWII, Rotary clubs in Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Japan were forced to disband. Despite the risks, many continued to meet informally and following the war’s end, Rotary members joined together to rebuild their clubs and their countries.
Our commitment to service is ongoing. We began our fight against polio in 1979 with a project to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines. By 2012, only three countries remain polio-endemic—down from 125 in 1988.