Megan’s Place, a park in Hamilton Township in memory of 7 year old Megan Kanka who was murdered on the site by her neighbor, was built by the Club. The club raised $150,000, including a NJ Green Acres grant, to purchase the home, demolish it and build and maintain the park. The park was dedicated in September 1995.
Miracle League of Mercer County
As its Rotary Centennial Project, the Club raised over $300,000 in 2004-2005 to build a barrier-free baseball field for children and adults with special needs. This Miracle League field was the first of its kind in the Northeast at the time of its inception, and 15th in the entire United States. Today, the MLMC is one of over 330 Miracle Leagues across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia, and Mexico; providing fully inclusive baseball programming 12 months per year.
Centennial Bandstand
Another Centennial project was building a bandstand at the lake in Robbinsville Town Center. This has been used for events and weekly concerts and is located on Lake Drive.
EarlyAct
Rotary International has a youth membership program for high school students called “Interact”. Recognizing the need to have younger students included, Club members founded “Early Act”, a way for children to get involved in the community. The Club supports several EarlyAct clubs, and there are dozens more such clubs world-wide.
Adopt a Child – Save a Life
In 1996 and 1997, Adopt-a-Child / Save-a-Life was created to raise money in support of the City of Hope in Campinas, Brazil. The program took children off the streets where they were in danger of being killed by their own government and taught them a trade. Our Club received a large grant from the Rotary International Foundation to build an orphanage.
In 1995, Club members spearheaded a community project to build a handicap ramp at the home of a resident having difficulty getting in and out of the home in a wheelchair.
That same year, Club members started an annual project to sell Philadelphia Phillies baseball game tickets, with $1,000 of the proceeds donated to the Rotary International Foundation. The Phillies designate a “Rotary Strike-Out-Hunger” night at one of their games. Tickets are also donated to local non-profit organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club.