Inverness Sertoma Club founding member Rainer Jakob can’t believe the local club is 38 years old.  ‘Making life worthwhile for the hearing impaired  was and is our club’s goal.” Said Rainer.  The Inverness Sertoma Club was chartered on September 26, 1980 and hit the ground running. Hard working and dedicated members raising money with a food concession at the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce Strawberry Festival in Floral City, along with many craft shows, Oktober Fest and Liberty Park 4^th of July Celebration each year. The “Golf for Kids” Golf Tournament is in its 33^rd year and will take place on November 18, 2018 at Citrus Hills. The Club is still looking for sponsors and golfers for this year’s event.

Historically the Inverness Club membership boasts of its enthusiastic members, from active Charter Members to new members, and even a few local “celebrities” have been club members; Sheriff Jeff Dawsy, County Commissioners, Brad Thorp, Jim Fowler and Jimmie T. Smith. The Inverness Sertoma men and women members are deeply rooted in their community and dedicate hundreds of volunteer hours to raise thousands of dollars. These dollars support many worthwhile causes from international and local Speech & Hearing projects to the local Boy Scouts, Church Without Walls, The Path and the club’s popular “Adopt a Classroom” funding program.

Each year the Club not only recognizes its own who have gone above and beyond in service but also recognizes citizens from the community that contribute in ways beyond their job description with the Service to Mankind Award. Some past recipients have been; Rev. Bellamy, John Barnes, Joan Reinhart, Patricia Thomas, Mark Yerman, Barbara Mills and Alida Langley.

Sertoma began in Kansas City on April 11, 1912. Last year Sertoma Clubs around the country raised funds to provide help to 50,000 speech and hearing-impaired persons in the United States, testing newborns to seniors and providing them with services from speech pathology, hearing aids, to Cochlear implants. Inverness Sertoma is a major contributor to Camp Endeavor, a summer camp for hearing impaired youth, Sertoma Youth Ranch outside Brooksville, where hearing-impaired youth can enjoy outdoor activities and the summer baseball program for hearing-impaired youth in the Villages.

For more information about this program or how to become a member of Inverness Sertoma Club contact Cynthia Oswald at Invernesssertoma@gmail.com .