This Week's Speaker
Sebastian Samayoa, Our 2026-27 GRSP Scholar
Join us this Friday at Maggiano's to welcome Sebastián Samayoa. Sebastian is this year's proud recipient of our Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) scholarship. He is originally from Guatemala, and is a third-year student at Oglethorpe University, majoring in Physics.
Sebastián has always been interested in understanding how things work, and his passion for science has inspired him to pursue a future career in Civil Engineering. He hopes to use his education to contribute to projects that improve communities and people’s lives. Outside of academics, Sebastián enjoys meeting new people, exploring different cultures, and learning from new experiences.
Sebastián is the Rotary Club of Dunwoody's 41st GRSP student and our first from Guatemala. He is grateful to be part of GRSP and for the opportunity to build meaningful connections with people and make friends from all around the world.
We Need Your Help Now!
Whiskey Tasting: November 19 - Sell Tickets Today!
Our annual Dunwoody Rotary Whiskey Tasting is Thursday, November 19, at the Spalding Lake Clubhouse, and we still have more than half our tickets left.
You don’t need to know a thing about whiskey to help. Here are three easy ways:
- Share the link with anyone who enjoys whiskey or cocktails
- Share the link with anyone who knows anyone who enjoys whiskey
- Share the link on Facebook, LinkedIn, your neighborhood group or other places
Let them all know they simply must take a look at our website and the whiskey on offer! http://www.spiriteddunwoody.com
The website has the full whiskey lineup and ticket details. Just get people there, and the whiskey will do the rest!
Service Opportunity
November 30 - Partner with Tapestri
We have an opportunity to put Service Above Self into action by joining Tapestri for the 2026 Georgia Festival of Trees teardown partnership!
Tapestri is assembling a 25-person volunteer team for a high-energy, four-and-a-half-hour shift. They currently have eight volunteers and would welcome help from our Rotary Club of Dunwoody members to fill some of the remaining 17 spots.
Volunteer details:
- Date: Monday, November 30, 2026
- Time: 11:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
- Location: Gas South Convention Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth
The festival runs November 21–29 and benefits Street Grace, supporting its work to eradicate the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children in Georgia. Tapestri hopes to become a beneficiary of the festival’s fundraising next year and is helping with this year’s teardown as part of building that partnership.
Our volunteers will work alongside festival leadership and other volunteer teams to help transform the venue after the festivities and bring the event to a successful close. It’s a meaningful opportunity to enjoy fellowship, work together, and support anti-human trafficking initiatives serving Georgia families.
If you can join us, please reply to Alison Norris by email at callingdunwoodyhome@gmail.com or phone at 678-596-7695. I’ll share additional details as they become available.
Service Opportunity
Thursday Food Prep Volunteer Needed
Anchor Place is still in special need of a regular volunteer to help with food for our Thursday programming. Ideally this person would come from around 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Thursdays to help with prepping and serving lunch, and washing serving dishes after lunch. However, alternative arrangements may be possible depending on availability. If you or anyone you know would be interested in this volunteer opportunity, please email Anchor Place Director Rebecca Cole at rebecca.cole@stpat.net.
Toys for Tots
Keep Our Toys for Tots Tradition of Giving Alive!
An initiative of the Marine Corps Reserve, Toys for Tots strives to deliver joy and send a message of hope to America’s disadvantaged children through the gift of a toy or a book. Since its founding in 1947, Toys for Tots has distributed 732 million toys to 325 million deserving children.
The Rotary Club of Dunwoody has supported Toys for Tots every year since 2008 - and this year is no exception! We'll be collecting new, unwrapped toys, dolls, bicycles and craft kits on Friday, December 11, at our annual holiday luncheon. Help the Marines and Jim and Janet Glass make this one of the best drives ever.
And be sure you have marked your calendar for the holiday luncheon! Details coming soon.
Celebrating International Fellowship at Dunwoody Rotary!
We had the absolute pleasure of hosting a very special guest at our club meeting this month! Maynor Larrieu, current President of the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise, stopped by Dunwoody during his visit to Atlanta. To mark the occasion, President Maynor and our club president, Dave Burr, participated in a colorful, longstanding Rotary tradition: exchanging club flags!
For those unfamiliar with this tradition, Rotarians around the world trade small decorative pennants or banners when visiting other clubs. These flags serve as a tangible symbol of global friendship, international goodwill, and the common bond we share in Service Above Self—no matter where we are in the world.
Thank you, President Maynor, for visiting us and sharing in our fellowship! Safe travels back to Belize, and you are always welcome at the Rotary Club of Dunwoody!
Thanks for Your Service
Dunwoody Supports Annual FSHD Walk 'n Roll
Thanks to those who helped with the FSHD Walk n’ Roll event on October 11 at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. We managed check-in and presented Chapter President Jack Gerblick with a donation of $1,000. Entertainment was provided by the Saw Grass Blues Band with Jud, Jennifer Shumway’s husband. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a genetic muscle disorder that causes slowly progressive, often asymmetrical weakness and degeneration of skeletal muscles.
