SPARKS — If one or two cell phones ring during a speech, the owners who forgot to turn them off would be hushed and scowled at with annoyance.

If about 20 phones ring loudly and the owners pick up and answer them loudly and comically, it’s probably the members of the Sparks Rotary Club playing a preconceived prank on their outgoing president with never-ending laughter.

On Wednesday, the latter scenario was the case for Kathy Carter, spokeswoman for Washoe County and no stranger to a flurry of activity when she makes a presentation. However, as the immediate past president of Sparks Rotary giving a “state of the club” address on Wednesday, she took the occasional interruption with humor and grace while lending her thoughts on the club’s status and touching on all that happened during the 2009-10 year.

“What I most enjoyed in particular is working with people who believe in service above self,” Carter said. “They all have a focus on everything they can do to benefit the community.”

The club’s greatest accomplishment for the year, Carter reported, was that it made nearly $94,000 in donations, 70 percent of which stayed within the Reno-Sparks community. The Rotary Club has contributed more than 40 projects and activities such as the recent Kids Free Fishing Day at the Sparks Marina, its sponsorship of activities at Kate Smith Elementary School in Sparks and the creation of the Middle School Leadership Experience program in which members reached out to help kids with various needs. The program gave away 5,000 dictionaries to Washoe County schools.

Rotarians also give money to local groups in need of assistance in the current economic challenges, including the SPCA of Northern Nevada and Care Chest of Nevada. It earned nine district awards at its recent district conference.

Carter also addressed some of the challenges Sparks Rotary will face in the coming year. One of those is to enlist more involvement with the Rotary Youth Exchange program, in which one student, Karolina Salomon from Poland, came to the United States and has been staying with several host families during her stay here. Carter said there is a need for more families to get involved, be more hospitable and spend time with the student on the weekends or when they’re free.

“This is a huge responsibility for the club,” Carter said. “You have to sign up for a weekend, even if it’s just to watch a movie with them.”

Sparks Rotary Club also grew exponentially this year. The Rotarians set a goal of recruiting one new member and ended up having 15 join the club.

Rotarians are optimistic as the new president Andy McInnes takes his place. Carter said Rotarians know three years ahead of time who the president will be, which keeps the leadership of the club smooth.

The club is a jovial one and those who join easily find a sense of belonging in some area of service, which typically is geared toward helping local kids find educational opportunities. Ed Lawson, who’s been a Rotarian for more than 18 years, echoed Carter’s statement that there is a place for everyone to get involved.

“One of the biggest things we did this year in Reno-Sparks was career coaching for eighth graders,” Lawson said. “We took eighth graders to various businesses and showed them how different jobs work. … Doing activities with kids is my favorite part (my membership in Sparks Rotary).”

Mike Hix, a past president of the club and the “straight funny guy” as he called himself at Wednesday’s meeting, said the club is on the right track for the future.

“Last year was a better year than we’ve had before,” Hix said.