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Fostering Community From Father To Son: An Ozark Rotary Club Legacy

January 20th, 2021

When the Ozark Rotary Club was established in 1968, one of the founding members was John Mitchum, who also founded Mitchum Jewelers. The store is now run by his son, Randy Mitchum and the family legacy has been carried on.

As an Ozark Rotary Club member since 2004, Randy Mitchum has served as its president twice, most recently from 2019 to 2020. Taking on a leadership role came almost as naturally as the family’s desire to provide support and assistance to the community, in which they are deeply involved.

All Ozark Rotary Club members give back to the community through monetary funding, volunteer service, and event fundraising. Their specialty is raising money for Christian County nonprofits. Over the holiday season, the Mitchum Jewelers’ owner worked alongside other Rotary club members and gave out numerous food baskets and Christmas gifts to local children in need, brightening their holidays during a difficult year.

During Randy Mitchum’s second term as president, the Ozark Rotary Club hosted their annual Rotary Barbeque & Bingo event, its biggest fundraiser of the year. Randy described the night, which had hundreds of attendees, “We have large projector screens, and a bingo caller, and play about 10 bingo games with amazing prizes.” Truly the event of the season, many people look forward to it every year to bring fun and laughter, while every dollar raised at the event is donated to local charities. The latest one raised over $20,000!

While 2021 will be unpredictable, the Ozark Rotary Club is focused on hosting the Rotary Barbeque & Bingo sometime this year.

People all over Christian County are sustaining themselves through the COVID-19 pandemic by relying on and assisting each other like never before. Quality human connections and vibrant communities are more important than ever for so many.

As such, the whole team at Mitchum Jewelers is dedicated to doing their part to sustain their community this year. Furthermore, they are hopeful and excited for a brighter future to come.