About 25 volunteers attended from the Walla Walla Noon Rotary, Blue Mountain Evening Rotary and other guests traveling from across Western Washington for the 2026 Rotary District 5030 Conference.

What started as a huddle of six local Rotarians in an Airbnb in May 2024 during a Rotary District 5080 District Conference in Coeur d’Alene, became the impetus for a new nonprofit service club in Walla Walla.

Concepts for the dream became a reality on Sept. 17, when Blue Mountain Evening Rotary Club became the first Rotary group in the Walla Walla Valley to charter in 30 years, said BMERC President Alisha Stewart.