The past presidents and current members of Rotary of Sammamish recently gathered to celebrate their five-year anniversary.

Thirty Sammamish-area residents and business owners chartered the club in March of 2003. Past presidents include Steven Ward, Ben Yazici, Gary Connelly, Dee Hoeke, and Bernie Lucking. The club now has 43 members, including 10 charter members.

Since its inception, the local club has helped thousands of people through programs such as:

• Scholarships for local students. More than 10 students have received more than $23,000 in scholarships. (An additional $20,000 is being awarded this year.)

• More than 600 computers have been installed in Ugandan rural primary and secondary schools plus a teacher training college. In addition, 20 computers were installed in a rural Guatemalan school. (A team will install another 160 computers in 10 Ugandan schools this summer.)

Other projects include the Nightmare at Beaver Lake, the Challenge Day race for special needs children; Choices, an interactive program that teaches students how their actions affect their future; burgers and hot dogs for those who attend Summer Nights in the Park.

The club meets 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. Thursdays at Bellewood on 228th Ave. SE.