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Starting Friday, May 16, the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton will hold its weekly 7:30 a.m. Friday meetings at Friendly’s in the Foxmoor Shopping Center, 1031 Washington Boulevard, Robbinsville.
We want to thank Pj’s Pancake House and Tavern in Robbinsville for hosting our Friday morning Rotary Club meetings since December 2022.
Due to a burst of new members we needed a larger venue with a similarly excellent reputation and Friendly’s stepped up to meet that need.
Guests are always welcome at our meetings. See you at Friendly's!

Officer Recognized for Community Service

One of the strong traditions of our club is to recognize and appreciate the work of our police. Each year, we present awards to officers selected by the chiefs of police in our two townships for outstanding work in community service. The award includes a $500 donation to their respective PBAs.
On May 2, our club announced the Robbinsville award recipient - Sergeant Thomas Septak, who was unable to attend the meeting. Chief William Swanhart of the Robbinsville Police Department accepted the award on his behalf, telling our club that the recently-promoted Sergeant Septak is “an integral part of the community,” going above and beyond in his patrol duties and in his interactions with students, children and other community members.

Club Honors Students of the Month

We welcomed our final set of Students of the Month for the 2024-25 school year on May 2. As with the prior groups of high school seniors, the students impressed us with their activities in and out of the classroom.
Recognized were Gina Wong of Hamilton West and Steinert’s Jack Perelli. Unable to attend the club meeting were Geovanna Narvaez Chica, Nottingham, and Julia Meddahi, Robbinsville.
Congratulations and best wishes to the students. And a big thanks to our club’s Students of the Month coordinators Greg Blair and Wally Sawka.

Problem Gambling Called ‘Hidden Epidemic’

Jeanne Swain, a specialist with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, spoke to our Rotary Club on April 25 about the alarming rise in problem gambling in the state, especially with online gambling just an arms-length away on your phone and gambling advertising so pervasive.
She called it a “hidden epidemic.”
Since online sports gambling was legalized in NJ in 2018, calls to the Council’s help line have gone up more than 300 percent; 800 percent for those under 30.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 800-Gambler or visit the Council’s website at 800gambler.org.

Speaker Brings Battlefield Alive

Busy times at the historic Princeton Battlefield as organizers gear up for big 250th Anniversary celebrations next year while 10 newly-installed signs help guide the way for visitors.
Michael Russell, President Emeritus of the Princeton Battlefield Society, spoke to our Rotary Club on April 18 about the battle itself and ongoing efforts to enhance the 100-acre site of a pivotal event in the American Revolution.
For details, check out the Society’s new website at https://pbs1777.org/.

Planting the School’s Community Garden

Club members had fun on April 16 helping students clean, prep and plant their community garden at Greenwood Elementary School in Hamilton.
Rotarians and faculty members guided the students in planting a variety of vegetables in their garden boxes.
The plants were provided by Chris Ciaccio of Tony’s Farm & Garden Center on Route 130 North in Windsor - a good friend of our club.

Club Supports Mobile Meals of Hamilton

As Mobile Meals of Hamilton celebrates its 50th year, our Rotary Club on April 11 provided a $1,000 check to help support the organization.
Executive Director Eileen Eversheim said she appreciates the annual financial contribution from the club to help provide hot, nutritious meals five days a week to an increasing number of Hamilton residents whose physical, mental or social conditions require a home-delivered meal service.
At an upcoming meeting, the club will also provide $1,000 to Robbinsville Meals on Wheels - part of our continuing effort to assist hungry families in Mercer County.

Membership Surge Continues

The club welcomed two new members in successive weeks, bringing our total membership to 49, including 15 in the past year alone.
On March 28, Nidia Kovacevic joined the club, followed the next week by Sofia Staub.
Nidia, who lives in Bordentown with her husband and three children, is the Financial Center Manager at Fulton Bank in Hamilton. “Community service is a passion I’ve had since childhood,” she told her fellow Rotarians after being sworn in.
Sofia, a 2024 graduate of Hofstra University, is an Account Coordinator at Merritt Group, a PR and Marketing agency. “I’m very excited to get more involved,” said Sofia.

Miracle League to Benefit from Charity Game

Regardless of the score when Hamilton and Robbinsville police square off in an upcoming charity softball game, the big winner will be the Miracle League of Mercer County.
All proceeds from the game will benefit the Miracle League, which which for 20 years has provided individuals with special needs the opportunity to play baseball.
Friendly’s of Robbinsville owner Lee Paroly and Hamilton Police Detective Bob O’Hare provided details about Friendly’s 3rd Annual Charity Softball Game between Hamilton PBA #66 and Robbinsville PBA #344.
The game is on Wednesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. at Trenton Thunder Stadium. Tickets are $10/person. You can get them here at: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/VY2ZWGYKUGSW6.

Father Center Offers Critical Help

Our guest speaker on March 7 was Bryan Evans, Chief Executive Officer of the Father Center of New Jersey. He told us about the innovative programs and services his agency provides to help men gain the skills and meet the responsibilities of fatherhood.

And through alarming statistics - including that 85 percent of youth in prison come from fatherless homes and that girls with absent fathers at home are 7x more likely to become pregnant as teenagers - he let us know why that assistance is so critical. For more visit thefathercenter.org.

Nonprofits Share Successes, Challenges at Summit

It was nice to hear the positive reviews of the Rotary Club-sponsored summit on March 1 that brought together two dozen nonprofit groups for an engaging discussion of common challenges and opportunities.
More than 100 people attended the summit at RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center. Keynote speaker Barrett T. Young, CEO of the Rescue Mission of Trenton, led the Q&A with audience members and our three panelists - Sarah Steward, CEO, HomeFront; Nathalie Nelson, CEO, Younity (formerly Womanspace); and Karen Andrade-Mims, former CEO, The Father Center of NJ.
The need to collaborate and adapt to the changing landscape of fundraising, technology and other basic functions were key themes.
Thanks to Kalpana Patel and her team for a well-planned event.

Celebrating 20 Years of Miracle League

Fun time for Rotarians, spouses and friends at the Miracle League of Mercer County's 20th anniversary kickoff bash on February 1. The Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton helped start the Miracle League by raising more than $300,000 to create the initial all-access field for ballplayers with special needs.
Rotarian and Miracle League Commish Dan Sczweck has taken the league to new levels with year-round activities and the Rotary Club continues to provide the league with substantial support each year.

A Generous Community Stocks Winter Survival Kits

An amazing response from the community and our Rotary Club members to our Winter Survival Kit collection to benefit those served by the Rescue Mission of Trenton and Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County.
Bag after bag, box after box filled with hats, gloves, socks and scarves, hygiene products and single-serve foods were donated at multiple drop-off points and then assembled on January 17 at our Rotary Club meeting and delivered to the organizations.
The drive was coordinated by one of our newer club members, Marie Howard, along with Interfaith Caregivers Executive Director Lauri Harbison and Rotarians Sharon Lucidi and Chris Merlino.
A huge thank you to all who donated items to help those in need during these cold months.

Rotary’s Polio Fight Continues

At our final meeting of the calendar year, our club was reminded in very personal terms of how important it is to continue Rotary’s flagship fight to eradicate polio around the world.
Rotarian John Nanni of Delaware, a polio survivor and a leader in Rotary’s PolioPlus campaign, said the wild poliovirus is still stubbornly present in two countries - Pakistan and Afghanistan - despite decades of work by Rotary and other organizations to wipe if off the map, an effort that has saved an estimated 21 million people from the crippling disease.
Our Rotary Club and individual members contribute thousands of dollars each year to the campaign. For more information about Rotary’s work to eradicate polio, visit www.endpolio.org.

EarlyAct Returns to Morgan School

The EarlyAct service club is back at Morgan Elementary School in Hamilton!
In 1998, the school and our Rotary Club established the first EarlyAct program, launching an idea that spread around the world with EarlyAct clubs forming as far away as Africa and Australia.
Designed to promote community service and leadership among young people, EarlyAct has returned to Morgan stronger than ever after a five-year hiatus.
The 22 officers and members gathered this week under the direction of faculty advisors Jenna Mihalow and Matt Petrowski, who was a member of that first club. The club is in the midst of its first school-wide project - collecting change to donate to the Hamilton Animal Shelter.

Tree Program Branches Out

For the third consecutive year, the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton planted trees to honor its communities and promote conservation. In consultation with the townships, club members on December 10 planted an American Elm on the grounds of the former Miry Run Golf Club in Robbinsville and a Japanese Maple in Veterans Park in Hamilton.

The installations bring the total to seven trees in the past three years as part of a program coordinated by Rotary Club President Joe Cavone and approved on an annual basis by the club’s Board of Directors.

Bike Drive Aids Boys and Girls Club

More than 60 bikes - from old clunkers to ready-to-ride beauties - were donated in our Rotary’s Club’s 2024 bike drive on November 23.
The bikes will be refurbished and resold by the BGC Bike Exchange with the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County.
Thank you to all who donated bikes and to our partners, the Robbinsville Police Department and Friendly’s in the Foxmoor Shopping Center, Robbinsville.
Hats off also to Bruno’s Bicycles of Allentown, the Robbinsville Recreation Department, the BGC Bike Exchange and our Rotary volunteers, particularly Mark Setaro, who organized the drive, and Steve Woods, who loaned his truck for the cause.

Helping Out at the Food Bank

Following the Rotary meeting on November 22, a group of Rotarians headed to the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank to help with food sorting. In all, the team of six loaded 46 boxes of grains and canned vegetables after separating three large bins of miscellaneous food items. Pictured left to right - Andre Caldini, Tony Rosica, Paul Neu, Tom Damm and Nev Greenough. Missing from the photo - Linda Gearren.

Ceremony Marks 5th Annual Flags for Heroes Display

More than 175 people joined us on a spectacular day to celebrate the 2024 Flags for Heroes display on the grounds of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton.
Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa Hilton and Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin headlined the speakers marking our 5th Annual flags event - this year featuring 200+ flags recognizing local heroes. The flags will be on display with attached hero messages until November 16.
Rotary Club President Joe Cavone led the ceremony which also included remarks by Mercer County Military Action Council Chair Regina Arcuri and RWJUH Hamilton Chief Administrative Officer Lisa Breza, a flag salute led by Scouts from Troop 91B and Troop 91G of Robbinsville Hamilton, inspirational messages from Sewa International Central Jersey volunteers, the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by Jenn (Furman) Dinan and the playing of Taps by bugler John Periano.

TASK: Meals and Much More

The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) serves about 12,000 meals a week to patrons at its Escher Street location in Trenton and at satellite sites in Mercer County. But as TASK Donor Engagement Manager Dana C. Jones explained to Rotarians on November 1, TASK offers a lot more than hot meals.
Dana informed us of services TASK provides to encourage self sufficiency and improve the quality of life of patrons. Among them are adult education, creative arts, a culinary academy, warm clothing, help with preparing for and finding a job, hygiene products, and connection to vital resources.

For more on TASK and its volunteer and donation opportunities, visit https://trentonsoupkitchen.org/

District Governor Impressed with Club’s Progress

Our Rotary Club had an opportunity to shine on October 11.
We were able to showcase our strong momentum as we welcomed the leader of our 74-club Rotary district - District Governor Jeannie Tsukamoto.
Club President Joe Cavone reported our gain of eight new members over the past six months (with more in the wings) and he outlined a busy schedule of community service activities, including our upcoming Flags for Heroes display.
Jeannie thanked the club for its “impressive work” in the community and for its success in growing membership. “Not all the clubs are doing what you’re doing,” she said, offering additional strategies for introducing others to the rewarding aspects of joining Rotary.

Club Honored with Assembly Proclamation

A big thank you to Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy for serving as our guest speaker on August 30 and presenting the club with an Assembly proclamation for our decades of work in the community.
Assemblywoman McCoy gave us an update on her key legislative actions, including working with her 14th Legislative District colleagues to secure grants for public safety needs in Hamilton and Robbinsville.
Another highlight of the meeting was the swearing in of our 6th new member in the past five months - Mark Talbott. Welcome, Mark!

What it Means to Be a Rotarian

A bevy of guests at our August 9 meeting heard Rotarians offer their thoughts on what it means to be a member of the club.
Said one, whether you’ve had a good week or a rough one, there’s something comforting about coming to a Friday morning meeting and knowing you’re among friends.
Similarly, another said, “It’s like Cheers, you walk in and everyone knows your name.”
Others focused on the opportunities to serve the community, particularly those in need. For example, Rotarians will be receiving food items in front of Foley’s Family Market in Hamilton on August 10 from 10-4 for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, and we’re busy collecting backpacks and school supplies for students at Wilson Elementary School.
The international reach of Rotary, including a major effort to eradicate polio, was also cited as an attractive aspect of the organization, as well as local programs like Flags for Heroes.
Club President Joe Cavone boiled it down to one word - hope. “We give people hope, We’re in the hope business.”

Gavel Passed as Club Celebrates Progress; Looks Ahead

The Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton held its annual Installation Dinner at Tessara Restaurant in Hamilton on June 20. Incoming Club President Joe Cavone received the gavel from outgoing Club President George Ott. Joe outlined his plans for a “magical” year beginning July 1, while George recounted a year of remarkable progress by the club in serving the community. George presented former Club President Kalpana Patel with the distinguished Paul Harris Fellow Recognition pin for her outstanding efforts in 2023-24. Read more about the Robbinsville Hamilton Rotary Club's new president.

More Than Three Decades of Service

Videos Highlight Club’s Service Above Self

The Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton is featured in a series of videos marking the club’s first 30 years. Since 1992, the club has made a positive difference in our communities. We started as a spinoff of the Hamilton Rotary Club and took little time to establish our own identity as a club of action.
Check out the videos below: