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We recognized Students of the Month at our December 6 Rotary Club meeting - always a highlight on our meeting calendar as we learn of their activities in school and their plans for the future. December’s sterling group of students are Alessandra Sessons, Nottingham; Lily Stellwag, Hamilton West; Jameson Moulds, Steinert; and Caitlyn Todd, Robbinsville.
As club member Judy Goldstein told the students, “There’s only one student from each school. It tells you that you’re thought of in a very wonderful way.”

Protecting Houses of Worship

Mercer County is fortunate to have a strong advocate for enhancing safety in houses of worship and other non-profit facilities.
Detective Michael Smith of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation on December 6 by Rotary Club President Joe Cavone.
In the last four years, Detective Smith has helped more than a dozen houses of worship in Mercer County receive over $2 million in federal and state grants for security enhancements.
For information on obtaining a free security assessment of a house of worship or other 501c3-owned facility as well as some grant advice, contact Detective Smith at mjsmith@mercercounty.org. For information on grants, visit www.njohsp.gov/.

Road Trip - To the Zoo

Rotarians sponsored a recent Greenwood Elementary School field trip to the Philadelphia Zoo - a day of carefree fun, education, and wide-eyed joy in seeing the animals. For some, it was their first time visiting a zoo or riding by the tall buildings of Philadelphia.
Our Rotary District and our club combined to finance transportation in seven buses for the children and their chaperones, including several Rotarians. We received some very nice thank you cards in return.

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/

Club Welcomes Vitale Inspection Services

We are pleased to welcome Vitale Inspection Services as our newest corporate member. The company is represented by owner Carlo Vitale and Justin Girard, director of business development and creative marketing.
Located on Klockner Road in Hamilton, the company offers professional home inspection services and believes in putting the “unity” in community through its extensive charitable works, including Happy Smiles, Inc.
Our Rotary Club now has 44 members, including nine new members in the past seven months.

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: