ROCKINGHAM — The Rockingham Rotary Club recently completed upgrades to the Rotary Lodge at Hinson Lake, including the installation of new screens and picnic tables. The improvements were funded through a $4,000 local grant.
“We got together as a board and thought, ‘What can we do?’ Hinson Lake Lodge is Rotary — it’s the Rotary Lodge at Hinson Lake, it’s got our name on it. We touched base with the city to see if they needed any upgrades, which would be our contribution. I reached out to Monty Crump and asked, ‘If we were to put in this grant, is there anything you’d like to do?’ He responded, ‘Absolutely, fantastic idea,’” said Kristi King, president of the Rockingham Rotary Club.
King said the timing was ideal, as City Manager Monty Crump had already been considering enhancements for the lodge. The Rotary Club applied for a $4,000 grant and successfully secured it with a $2,000 match, funded through the club’s yearly barbecue event, in which all proceeds go back into the community.
The lodge, a popular recreational and event space in Richmond County, stood out as a natural fit for the grant investment.
“We wanted to update the lodge that the community participates in. Everybody’s out there walking, fishing and running. The city rents it out for birthday parties and picnics. We use it twice a year for our Rotary Christmas party and our year-end party. It’s a way for us to give back to the community and help out,” said King.
In addition to private and recreational use, the lodge also serves as a venue for civic and business functions.
“We’ve used it as a chamber for ribbon cuttings. It’s utilized a lot for the city. It’s a great resource for our community,” King added.
King emphasized that the project reflects the Rotary Club’s broader mission to serve the local community. Since taking office as president, she has launched quarterly service initiatives to expand the club’s impact beyond its annual events.
“I hope people see that we’re putting back into the community. That’s what Rotary is. It’s service above self,” she said. “Everything we make on that barbecue goes back to the community. One thing I started this year during my presidency is quarterly service projects. In the first quarter, we went to Our Daily Bread and stuffed boxes with Mari. We also packed backpacks for the domestic violence group, New Horizons. We want to be more than the group that does the barbecue once a year,” said King.