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Welcome Home, Lauren!

It was a celebratory welcome home at the January 10 Rotary meeting for Lauren Woods, daughter of Rotarian Steve Woods and his wife, Janice. Lauren returned to the states and her family just before Christmas after serving for more than seven months in Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq as a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard.
Lauren recounted her time with the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Air Base Erbil as Executive Officer (XO) responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD). Before she spoke, we got to see the emotional video of her surprise family homecoming.
Lauren, who has been to many club meetings over the years, received a standing ovation at the conclusion of her talk. She remains a commissioned officer and will soon return to her job as a school teacher in central Pennsylvania.

Deadline Extended for Survival Kit Collection

Wednesday, January 15, is the new deadline for the collection of items by the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton and Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County to fill Winter Survival Kits for those in need.
The requested items include: hats, gloves, scarfs, deodorant, shampoo, single pack toothbrushes and toothpaste, lip balm, lotion, hand sanitizer, body wipes, nutrition bars, single-serve tuna/crackers; single-serve chicken/crackers; Slim Jims; combs, soap (bars or liquid), and women’s sanitary items.
Drop-off locations include the Robbinsville Township Municipal Building and Starbucks, both on Route 33 in Robbinsville; Sharon Elementary School on Sharon Road, Robbinsville; Robbinsville High School, and Interfaith Caregivers, 3635 Quakerbridge Road, Hamilton.
The effort received a big boost from Mary Jane Diener of Hamilton who crocheted and donated 91 scarves (see photo).

‘Exciting’ Business Grant Programs Now Available

Anthony Carabelli, Jr., Director of the Mercer County Office of Economic Development (and Hamilton Councilman) outlined for Rotarians the county’s one stop shop for all business needs as well as two “exciting” county grant programs that launched on January 1.
Details on the business assistance, including info and a link to pre-register for the new Revitalize & Grow Grant Program and the Business Builder Rebate Grant Program are available at https://www.mercercounty.org/work/economic-development.

Message to Students: ’Keep on Doing What You’re Doing’

On January 3 we welcomed our first set of Students of the Month for 2025. It’s always an uplifting meeting when we learn about the students’ activities in and out of school as well as their plans for the future.
This month’s students are Summer Howard, Hamilton West; Dominic Baldassari, Steinert; Daniel Richarme, Nottingham; and Kellianne White, Robbinsville.
Greg Blair, our club’s Students of the Month co-chair, said, “We know our future is secure as long as you keep on doing what you’re doing.”
Congratulations and best wishes to these impressive students!

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.

Toys for Younity; Food for Families

Officials from Younity, formerly Womanspace, attended our meeting on December 20 to collect the more than 70 unwrapped toys donated by Rotarians at our holiday party earlier this week.
Younity CEO Nathalie Nelson and COO Susan Victor thanked the club for its long-standing partnership with the organization. The non-profit serves victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Following the meeting, four Rotarians and a spouse packaged food for 1,600 meals at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank in Ewing.

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.

Scouts Thanked for Flags Assistance

The Rotary Club on December 13 recognized Scouts BSA Troop 91 (B and G) based in Hamilton Square for the scouts’ help with our recent Flags for Heroes program.
Club President Joe Cavone presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Scoutmaster Jerry Appert, thanking him for the multiple roles the scouts played in assisting with the flags display.
The scouts led the Pledge of Allegiance at the Flags for Heroes ceremony, helped take down the flags after they were up for two weeks at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, and spent a recent scout meeting properly folding the flags for mailing to purchasers.

“The scouts love doing community service work,” said Jerry. “So providing them with an opportunity like this is really neat. It also provides them a window into other community-based organizations.”

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.

Sending Heroes Home for the Holiday

The club's Foundation on November 22 donated $5,000 to the Mercer County Military Action Council (MCMAC), nearly all of which will be used for MCMAC’s Send A Hero Home for the Holidays program. The initiative, which already has 300 applicants, pays travel expenses for junior service members who otherwise could not afford to return home during this special time of the year. The donated funds represent part of the proceeds from the club’s successful Flags for Heroes display earlier this month. In the photo (l-r) : Bill Cleave, MCMAC vice chair; Alan Gilmore, MCMAC secretary; Regina Arcuri, MCMAC chair; and Joe Cavone, Rotary Club president.

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/

Check Presented to Mercer Street Friends

Our Rotary Club presented Mercer Street Friends with a check for $714, representing the funds given to us by the customers of Foley’s Family Market during our two food drives this year. The check was presented by Rotarian Paul Neu, chair of the Send Hunger Packing food drive, prior to our monthly activity at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank where Rotarians and others packed 3,840 meals on Friday morning.

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.

Field of Dreams

Our club celebrated its partnership with the Miracle League of Mercer County on September 13, holding our meeting at the league’s baseball complex for players with special needs in Hamilton.
Rotarian Dan Sczweck, Commissioner of the Miracle League, gave us the history of the league, its progress, and the club’s involvement, which started nearly 20 years ago when the club raised more than $300,000 to build the initial field.
“This is our biggest legacy as a club,” Dan said, noting that as the league has added new features and programs and expanded to 236 active families from 10 counties “we’re watching our child grow before our eyes.”

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.

Students Plant Flowers at Megan’s Place

Fifth graders from Sayen Elementary School in Hamilton joined Rotary Club members in planting flowers at Megan’s Place park on June 7.
After hearing about the history of the park, the students used trowels to plant 50 angel wing begonias donated by Levanduski Landscapes, Inc. of Robbinsville.
Megan’s Place was created in honor of 7-year-old Megan Kanka of Hamilton who was murdered in 1994 in a former house on the site by a convicted child molester. The Rotary Club, then only two years in existence, raised funds to purchase the house, tear it down, and build the park in its place.
Each year, the club invites students from Megan’s former school to participate in activities at the park, located on Barbara Lee Drive, Hamilton.

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: