COEUR d'ALENE - Axl Rose burst into the bay in The Coeur d'Alene Resort, handing out long-stem red roses as "Welcome to the Jungle" blasted from a speaker.

OK, it wasn't quite Axl Rose, but the rocker outfit Coeur d'Alene Rotary President Matt Lyman wore Friday afternoon made him a dead ringer for the Guns 'n' Roses frontman, from the long blond hair and bandana right down to his tattoo-covered arms.

"Well, it may not seem like it, but my fellow rockers and I were kind of like Rotarians in a way," he said in his rocker persona. "We did events for charities, great causes and we knew the difference between right and wrong. We just got a little fuzzy when it came to choosing between them."

He talked about his AC/DC "buddies" singing about the "Highway to Hell" and his Led Zepplin "buddies" singing about the "Stairway to Heaven."

"I'm pretty sure selling roses gets you off the highway and points you directly toward the stairs," he said. "So I'm here today to kick off the 25th annual rose sale for this Rotary Club."

It was a rockin' introduction to the meeting that commenced the milestone event. The Rotary Rose Sale is a primary fundraiser for the benevolent organization, which grants funds and donates to nonprofits, organizations and projects throughout the community.

This year is also Rotarian Lucinda Ade's 18th year working as chairperson for the rose sale. She reported that in 24 years, the rose sale has brought in more than $650,000 and distributed 20,215 dozen roses, or 243,000 single roses, to individuals and organizations.

"I think it's a testament to what a good concept it is," she said. "It's not just a fundraiser - that's what I love about it. It's an opportunity for us to get out and meet people in the community. It's an opportunity to do something nice for someone else. And now we have the option to give to charities, that makes it even more special."

Dozens of Rotarians attended the meeting, seated at round tables with fresh roses in the center. The fragrant flowers ranged from deep reds and pinks to bright peaches and yellows and represented the variety of colors available to purchase during the sale. The Rotarians have been split into 10 teams, with friendly competitions to outsell each other.

"People are feeling good about what they're doing, people are feeling good about what they're receiving," Ade said. "Then, we have this wonderful profit that we get to turn around and put right back into the community."

The Rotary Rose Sale goes through Oct. 3 and hundreds of dozens of roses will be hand-delivered throughout the community beginning early Oct. 17. Roses are $28 per dozen, with $18 tax deductible.

Info: www.coeurdalenerotary.org.