Community Spotlight: Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake
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How Rotarians turn good intentions into collective impact
It often starts with a simple question: How can we help right here, right now?
For the Rotary Club of Smith Mountain Lake, that question has guided decades of service to the lake community and beyond.
As club president Bryce Martin explained, members are guided by asking, “What does our community need, and how can we mobilize our collective resources to meet that need?”
Chartered in 1988, the club brings together neighbors from all walks of life who share a commitment to making Smith Mountain Lake a better place to live, work and visit. While part of Rotary International, the club’s focus is distinctly local.
From supporting youth education and scholarships to partnering with nonprofits and responding to emerging needs, members approach service with the understanding that they are deeply invested in the future of the lake community.
911 Emergency SML Dock Sign Program
That spirit of stewardship is especially visible through the club’s 911 Emergency Dock Sign program. This program makes it easier for fire, rescue, and law enforcement personnel to quickly locate waterfront homes in an emergency.
Launched in 1990 by member Bob Brown, the program has resulted in more than 1,500 dock signs installed around the lake. Available for order through the club’s website, the reflective signs are professionally produced, highly visible, and designed to withstand lake conditions.
Rotarians will install the signs for homeowners, or purchasers may choose to handle installation themselves. Proceeds support Rotary’s broader community initiatives, turning a simple safety upgrade into a meaningful investment in the lake’s well-being.
“We would like to think of the club as the lake community’s action arm,” Martin said, “where good intentions become funded projects and individual concern becomes collective impact.” Learn more at smlrotary.com.
