BWB x Rotary International

July 16, 2026

From Unlikely Partners to Emerging Collaborators

In 2017, Rotarian John Paul “Sputnik” left an on-playa Rotary meeting and rode his bike across Black Rock City to introduce himself to Burners Without Borders. He saw the overlap between Rotary’s century of service work and what BWB was building, and wanted to make the connection in person.

It was a simple hello. But as it turns out, Rotary was already quietly involved with BWB-led work — clubs in North Tahoe and Truckee had helped fund tools for Pisco Sin Fronteras in Peru, and similar ties had emerged around BWB Detroit and Corpus Christi.

The relationship between our two communities grew informally, conversation by conversation, into real relationships and invitations into one another’s spaces.

That way of working feels familiar to BWB: relationships come first, and the projects grow from there.

When Rotarians and Burners share space, collaboration happens naturally. While our communities have distinct cultures and histories, we share a belief that meaningful change begins locally, that service is rooted in participation, and that communities have the capacity to shape their own solutions.

Rotary brings more than a century of community-rooted service, civic partnerships, and local networks. BWB brings a culture of creativity, experimentation, participation, and direct action. Together, those strengths create new possibilities for community-led work.

In the past few years we’ve both shared cross-community presentations, including Sputnik’s “BWB & Rotary: Unlikely Collaborators” at Decompression and Jaymie Braun’s introduction to BWB at the Nevada City Rotary Club.

This year, we are seeing an alignment turning into action: Rotary members committed initial funding to community improvement projects at the Gerlach K–12 School in Northern Nevada.

Momentum kept building at the 2026 Rotary District Conference / Far West Fest in Reno, where BWB hosted a breakout session and an outreach table alongside ShelterBox.

Christopher Breedlove’s keynote introduced the room to BWB, and by weekend’s end, 55 Rotarians raised their hands to keep exploring a Rotary × BWB Fellowship. 

In June 2026, several Rotarians came to the Solstice Summit at Fly Ranch. There, we hosted a conversation about our shared values, what each community brings, and how more Burners might become involved. 

What once looked like an unlikely pairing is looking more like a natural one. The Rotary × BWB Fellowship is still emerging- and we’re inviting you to be a part of it.

Two ways to get involved right now:

• Gerlach K–12 School project [Details here]
• BWB South Bay Chapter (N. Cal) cleanup with Rotary July 11th [Details here]
• Interested in the Rotary × BWB Fellowship? We’re already meeting! Fill out the form to join us, get involved, and help shape what this becomes.

…or simply find your local Rotary club and introduce yourself. You never know what might grow from a simple hello.