World's largest Rotary Wheel

File image taken in 2001

Springtime at the wheel

The gazebo behind me is the center of the wheel

AG Don Adkins

First and foremost I want to thank AG Don Adkins for making time to show me the World's Largest Rotary Wheel at Greenfield Lake last Wednesday (March 16th).  Started as a project for the 50th anniversary of Rotary it must be seen from the air to get the full image.  At 240 feet in diameter wheel is a permanent park for all to enjoy.  This past weekend the six Rotary clubs in Wilmington gathered together for a re-beautification and restoration event where 234 Encore Azaleas were planted, and the Bradford Pear trees were transforming their blooms into leaves.  In the center of the Wheel is a gazebo that was added in 1965 and sod from a football field was recycled for the grass areas last month.  The six Rotary Clubs in Wilmington are very proud of this landmark and I very much enjoyed the tour and history that Don shared with me.  On April 8th the clubs with the Wilmington Parks department and Cape Fear Garden Club will host a ribbon cutting for the opening ceremony of the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour at this site.

 I will note that while I did some research I found a Rotary Wheel in Oldham England that claims to be the largest Rotary Wheel, built in 2005 for the 100th anniversary of Rotary, at 29 meters it is one-third the size of Wilmington's wheel. But this wheel does have the correct number of cogs, 24.