Mt. Pleasant, Mich. — The Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant is celebrating a remarkable milestone as longtime member Don Hire marks 50 years of service to Rotary and the Mt. Pleasant community.
For five decades, Hire has embodied the Rotary spirit of Service Above Self, giving his time, talents, and energy to help make a difference in the community he has called home.
Hire’s Rotary journey began when longtime Rotarian Ken Schaeffer came into his office one day and simply told him, “You’re joining Rotary.”
Fifty years later, it is clear the invitation became much more than a membership. Hire has been an active part of the Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant, volunteering for numerous fundraisers, community projects, and activities throughout the years.
His commitment to service extends well beyond Rotary. Hire served as an assistant coach for both the baseball and softball teams at Sacred Heart Academy and volunteered for numerous school events. He has also served on the board of the Pardee Cancer Treatment Fund of Isabella County, volunteered with Christmas Outreach, and helped organize activities for the Mid-Michigan Woodworkers.
When reflecting on why Mt. Pleasant became home, Hire said the community stood out from other places he had lived because of the way people work together.
“I lived in several other different locations, and this one sort of stands out as the one that seems to really work very closely together and accomplish a lot of things because of it,” Hire said. “We found a home and stayed here.”
That spirit of working together and giving back has been a consistent theme throughout Hire’s life of service.
Hire credits a former supervisor with giving him advice that has stayed with him throughout his career and volunteer work: “Do a job. Do it right. Do it complete.”
Those words seem to perfectly reflect Hire’s approach to serving others. Whether through Rotary, youth athletics, local organizations, or community events, he has continued to show up, lend a hand, and see things through.
Over the past 50 years, Hire has witnessed generations of Rotarians come and go, countless community projects take shape, and the Mt. Pleasant community continue to grow. Through it all, his commitment to service has remained constant.
The Rotary Club of Mt. Pleasant is proud to recognize Don Hire for 50 years of dedicated Rotary service and for the countless ways he has helped strengthen the community he proudly calls home.
Congratulations, Don, on 50 years of Service Above Self!