On April 22, you might have seen a large group of people wearing bright green shirts within the Lake Nona area. No, these weren’t some lost tourists but members of the Rotary Club of Lake Nona Lunch participating in a service project called “100 Random Acts of Kindness.” These “100 Random Acts of Kindness” coincide with Rotary International celebrating 100 years of changing lives and improving communities around the world. In the spirit of this celebration, the president of the Rotary Club of Lake Nona Lunch, Tweet Coleman, worked with other members and local organizations in Lake Nona to extend kindness and bring joy to others.With this as the mission, more than 50 Rotarians, members of Interact, a youth club of Rotary, friends, and families gathered at the Ronald McDonald House at Nemours to begin the day by planting a fruit tree on the property. Immediately following the tree planting, the group conducted a team building exercise and then loaded a bus to continue the day by visiting the United States Tennis Association (USTA), Domino’s Pizza, Fountains at Lutheran Towers Senior Living Center, Eola Park, and Valencia College. At each stop, bags were distributed that included personal items, soap, lotion, toothbrushes and toothpaste, notepads, pens, gift cards, socks, shirts, books, puzzles, gum, candy, and inspirational messages. In total, more than 200 bags were given to individuals in those locations. The real value, though, was not in the physical items given but in the conversations that arose.

Throughout the project, the central theme was that small acts of kindness can have a big impact on those around us, specifically in the Lake Nona area. The event was such a success that another similar “100 Random Acts of Kindness” will occur in late October, focusing on bringing joy as the holiday season begins. Additionally, due to this event, the Rotary Club of Lake Nona Lunch received a certificate called “Rotary Has Heart,” which is given to those Rotary Clubs that conducted an engaging, communitybased project during the first quarter of 2017. Besides this one service project, the Rotary Club of Lake Nona Lunch is also involved in assisting at Pawsitive Action, the Ronald McDonald House at Nemours, and Give Kids the World Village.

Currently, the Rotary Club of Lake Nona Lunch is less than a year old but already has more than 50 members. The good news is that the club is always looking for new members who want to serve the Lake Nona area or organizations to partner with for future projects. Meetings are typically held at the Ronald McDonald House at Nemours every other Tuesday.

If you want more information about the Rotary Club of Lake Nona Lunch, you can contact them via email at [email protected] or visit www.lakenonarotary.com.