Central Indiana’s first Rotary-sponsored service club for 18-30 year-olds, called Rotaract, has been officially launched in West Lafayette.

Under the leadership of Purdue student Alex Schenck as founding president, nineteen Rotaract students were welcomed as charter members of the Purdue Rotaract Club on Sunday, October 2, 2005.

Other officers include former Ambassadorial Scholar Leslie Taulman, secretary, and Ben Birtles, treasurer. Rotarians Betty Suddarth, Bill Lovell and Zenephia Evans represented the two Lafayette area Rotary Clubs in mentoring the club officers.

These new Rotaracters have an ambitious agenda this fall, including hosting a Poverty Banquet to benefit hunger projects, organizing fundraising activities to sponsor ten wheelchairs for disadvantaged persons in the Mexican Rotary District 4170 and recruiting new members, especially former members of Interact, Rotary’s service clubs for high school students who are at Purdue.

Rotaract clubs are usually community-based or university-based and are sponsored by a local Rotary club making them true "partners in service" and key members of the Rotary family.

As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 7,600 Rotaract clubs in some 158 countries, Rotaract has become a worldwide phenomenon. Through its motto “Fellowship through Service,” this new club will make a big contribution to world peace and understanding.

For more information about Rotaract at Purdue, contact President Alex at aschenck@purdue.edu or District Rotaract chair Betty Suddarth at bettysuddarth@worldnet.att.net