New officers of the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River commissioned by Assistant Governor Andrew Mangels on June 24 were (from left) Mangels, Mark Bacon, secretary; Jim Rowe, president; George Hwang, interim vice president; and Jeff Gough, treasurer.

Two Rotary clubs created by a desire to better serve the continguous Northeast Ohio communities of Lakewood and Rocky River have merged into a single organization to further that common purpose. On June 24 the two clubs, known simply to their members as the "noon" and "sunrise" clubs, merged, commissioning the leadership of both as its officers.

Officers if the newly-merged club, known as the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River, are Jim Rowe, president; George Hwang, interim vice president; Mark Bacon, secretary; and Jeff Gough, treasurer. The club's officers were commissioned by Andrew Mangels, assistant governor of Rotary's Cuyahoga County northwest cluster.

The Rotary club recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, having been founded as Lakewood Rotary Club on January 18, 1926. A charter night for the Lakewood club was held on February 8, 1926, with 28 charter members being recognized. It was the third Rotary club in the county, preceded only by the Rotary Clubs of Cleveland and Bedford. Although Rocky River was always included within the club’s service area, it wasn’t until 1979 that that city’s name was added to the club’s name.

In 2006, members of the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River, with the encouragement of then-District Governor Jack Young and the blessings of the “noon” club, formed the “sunrise” Rotary club to appeal to the current and potential members who preferred an early morning meeting. Officially sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lakewood and Rocky River, the Rotary Club of Lakewood/Rocky River Sunrise was chartered on May 12, 2007.

The new club will meet on Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. at the Don Umerley Civic Center, 21012 Hilliard Boulevard, Rocky River.