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Flag sponsorships are now available for the popular Flags for Heroes display at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton.
Residents and businesses can honor their personal heroes by sponsoring a 3’x5’ American flag to be flown for more than two weeks - Nov. 1-16 - on the hospital grounds along White Horse-Hamilton Square Road and Klockner Road in Hamilton.
The deadline for sponsorships is Friday, Oct. 18.
Click here to sponsor a flag for $60 with the option of purchasing the actual flag for an additional $40. Businesses can contact president@rhrotary.org to become a blue, white, red or gold corporate sponsor starting at $300.
Net proceeds from Flags for Heroes will be donated to non-profit organizations in Mercer County, including the Mercer County Military Action Council, which will help finance an active U.S. military member’s return to their family during military leave.

Order Flags Here:

https://rhrotary.org/events/flags-for-heroess/

Students Honored; Megan’s Place Highlighted

At our meeting on October 4, we recognized our first set of Students of the Month and we were reminded in emotional detail of our club’s most significant project - the creation of Megan’s Place.
Our honored students for October are Ellise Gonzalez, Hamilton West; Max Kostin, Steinert; and Solmari Colon, Nottingham. They told us about their activities in school and their plans for the future.
We then heard from Rotarian Greg Blair about the history of Megan’s Place - a park created by our club following the 1994 murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka of Hamilton.
Greg, who was Club President at the time, shared the account of how our club - then only two years old - undertook an ambitious, community-backed campaign to buy the house where Megan was murdered (across the street from the family’s home on Barbara Lee Drive), tear it down and build the park in Megan’s memory.

Old Barracks Museum Featured at Club Meeting

Have you been to the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton lately?

Matt Travers, one of the museum’s historical interpreters, was our guest speaker on September 27 and gave us a sense of the history of the barracks, including its role primarily as a hospital during the American Revolutionary War.

Check out some of the upcoming events at the museum (details at www.barracks.org):

Fall Lecture Series – Authors discuss their books about the major battle at Germantown (Oct. 10) and Thomas Jefferson’s daughters – two by his wife, one by his slave, Sally Hemings (Oct. 17). Free admission. Both start at 6 p.m.
All Barracks Eve (Oct. 25) – Spooky tales told by historically-outfitted storytellers.

The Old Barracks is open on a regular basis Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Drawing Held for Super 50-50

Congrats to JB, first prize winner of $3,285 with ticket #1085 in the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton’s 3rd Annual Super 50-50 raffle drawing. The drawing was held on September 24 at the Blend Bar & Bistro in Hamilton.
The second place winner, KP, receives $1,971 with ticket #0517, and the third place winner, EB, receives $1,314 with ticket #1077.
The winners receive half of the proceeds from the raffle. The other half ($6,570) will be split evenly between the Miracle League of Mercer County and the Rotary Club (for the club’s charities).
Thank you to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket to support these worthy causes.

Habitat for Humanity Creating Housing Opportunities

Despite high housing costs in the state, the goal of Habitat for Humanity of South Central New Jersey is that “everyone has a decent place to live.”
Laura Van Booven, the affiliate’s Director of Community Engagement, spoke to Rotarians on September 20 about the group’s programs, volunteer opportunities and recent successes.
Check out the affiliate’s website for opportunities to get involved - www.habitatscnj.org.
And stop by Habitat’s ReStore in the Independence Mall in Hamilton (2465 S. Broad St., Suite E2) for some great deals. The store is open daily for purchases and donations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Field of Dreams

Our club celebrated its partnership with the Miracle League of Mercer County on September 13, holding our meeting this week 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.”

Welcoming Marie and Arthur Howard

It was our pleasure on September 13 to welcome Marie and Arthur Howard of Robbinsville as new corporate members, each representing their respective businesses and looking forward to bringing to the club their passion for community service.
Marie owns and operates Journey Logic, a travel agency in Robbinsville.
Arthur, a member of the Robbinsville Board of Education, is a licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey, operating his own practice, Life Reimagined Counseling Services.
The addition of the Howards brings our membership total to 43, with eight new members in the past six months alone!

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

The guiding principle of our Rotary Club is “service above self.” We’re certainly not alone in that mission.
We heard at our September 6 meeting about the work of Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County (ICGMC) - an incredible network of more than 240 volunteers providing FREE services to homebound seniors and adults with disabilities.
The volunteers provide such assistance as friendly visits, grocery shopping, transportation to medical appointments, light household chores, telephone reassurance and even short-term respite care.
If you need assistance or would like to consider volunteering, visit www.icgmc.org or call 609-393-9922.

Backpacks and School Supplies Drive a Success

Our club delivered 150 backpacks filled with school supplies to the Wilson Elementary School in Hamilton on August 30. The drive was one of our most successful thanks to the generosity of our communities and club members.
School officials were all smilies in receiving the student backpacks containing notebooks, crayons, pencils, folders and other donated essentials.
The annual drive was coordinated by Linda Gearren with special efforts from fellow Rotarians Jodi Stephens whose collection box at the Robbinsville Municipal Building yielded 30 backpacks with supplies, and Toni Perilli and Angela D’Andrea who gave customers at Ivy on Main a discount if they donated backpacks or supplies.
Thanks to all who contributed, including Lindsay Franicevich of Wilson’s EarlyAct program who donated many filled backpacks and other materials.

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!

Club Offers Flexible Corporate Membership Option

Ivy on Main - a floral and event design company with retail home and clothing shops in Allentown and Hamilton - became a corporate member of our Rotary Club on August 23 - the latest development in a surge of interest in our club and its opportunities for friendship and community service.
Ivy on Main owners Toni Perilli and Angela D’Andrea received a welcoming round of applause from fellow members.
Their stores are located at 28 S. Main St, Allentown and 4611 Nottingham Way, Hamilton (next to Gennaro’s Restaurant).
The corporate membership option affords Toni and Angela the flexibility to share participation in club activities. For more information on this way of joining our club, email president@rhrotary.org.

Good Time, Good Cause at the Ballpark

Another fun night of fellowship for the Rotary Club - this time at the Philadelphia Phillies Strike Out Hunger game against Miami. A grand slam. A comeback victory. And even better, for every ticket we bought to the game, the Phillies donated half of the proceeds to Rotary programs, including our work with UNICEF and the World Health Organization to eradicate polio. That’s more than $1,000 from our club alone. The Phillies also collected non-perishable food at the entrances.

Club Generates Smiles at National Night Out Event

The Rotary Club tent was a popular stop at Robbinsville's National Night Out on August 13 as kids and adults tried their hand at beanbag and ring toss games with snacks as a prize.
We enjoyed chatting with community members and letting them know about the fun service opportunities available in our club.
Great job Robbinsville Township Police Department!

Rotarians Collect Food for Hungry Families

The generosity of shoppers at Foley’s Family Market was on full display on August 10 as Rotary Club volunteers collected food for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. A steady stream of shoppers bought items from our wish list, filling six carts and donating $238 in cash that will be used to purchase more food.
The quote of the day came from a woman who presented us with three full bags of food from Foley’s. As we thanked her, she smiled and said, "No one deserves to be hungry.”
A big thank you to the 13 Rotarians who helped with the Send Hunger Packing food drive, especially event organizer Paul Neu. And of course big props to Joe Foley, owner of Foley’s Family Market, and the shoppers who are helping to feed hungry families.

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.”

Ryan’s Quest Receives Prutky Award

On June 28, our club presented its 2024 George Prutky Vocational Service Award and a $500 donation to Ryan’s Quest, a local non-profit founded by David and Maria Schultz after their son Ryan was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The charity is focused primarily on assisting families with equipment like accessible vans and wheelchairs that helps those with Duchenne lead productive lives.

In accepting the award, David thanked community members and businesses that have supported Ryan’s Quest with events such as an annual golf outing. He also gave us an update on Ryan, a graduate of Steinert High School who plans to attend Rowan University and study sports communication and media, hoping to break barriers in that field. https://ryansquest.org

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.

EarlyAct Clubs Celebrate Service Projects

Rotary EarlyAct Clubs at Wilson and Greenwood elementary schools in Hamilton held year-end celebrations in early June after months of projects to serve their school, their community and even the world!
The EarlyAct Club members, officers and advisors were presented with achievement certificates and received thanks from Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton President George Ott and Rotary Club EarlyAct Coordinator Kalpana Patel.

Projects at Wilson this year included a food drive for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, holiday cards for seniors and hospitalized children, a pet supplies collection for an animal shelter, and garden planting.
At Greenwood, whose EarlyAct Club only began in March, students also did a garden project and collected $843.22 in change to help support a broader Rotary project supplying “aquaponics” kits to families and schools in Nicaragua to grow vegetables and fish.

Students Receive Rotary Scholarships

Congrats to eight local high school seniors who received a total of $7,500 in scholarships from our Rotary Club.
The scholarships, funded through the club’s annual Dollars for Scholars raffle, were based on the students’ community service activities and plans.
The recipients, chosen from among 40 applicants, were Skylar Kunkle, Hamilton West; Zobia Chaudhry, Nottingham; Teresa Loh, Steinert; Chase Braud, Steinert; Jason Maziarz, Steinert; Dylan Carmignani, Robbinsville; Elizabeth Gorman, Notre Dame; and Brendan Appert, Notre Dame.

Club Supports Meal Delivery Organizations

In successive weeks, our club presented $1,000 checks to Robbinsville Meals on Wheels and Mobile Meals of Hamilton for their volunteer work in our communities.
Accepting the donations and telling us about their operations were executive directors, Jodi Marra, Robbinsville and Eileen Eversheim, Hamilton. For information or to volunteer, contact Jodi at 609-954-3172 or Eileen at 609-448-4088.

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.

Rotary Aids Kids, Families in Nepal

We were reminded at our April 19 meeting of Rotary’s impact far beyond Hamilton and Robbinsville.
Chuck Conner of the Ripley, WV Rotary Club visited us to report on a recent aid trip to help families and schools in Nepal.
Our club had donated $1,000 to provide medicines for participants in a free health camp in Dubung, a community of 150 households spread across three hamlets in the hills of western Nepal.
The health camp was just one of the features of the aid trip - Chuck’s 13th to the region - that delivered school supplies and uniforms, essential health kits, games and sporting equipment and so much more to a grateful region.
Chuck is the brother of Linda Gearren, a member of the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton.

Rotary Continues Support for Miracle League

As Opening Day for the Miracle League of Mercer County approaches, we presented MLMC Commissioner and fellow Rotarian Dan Sczweck with a $1,000 check on April 5 to support the league’s operations.

It was the latest financial contribution from our club to the league for special needs players that we helped establish nearly 20 years ago. Rotarians last weekend pitched in to help Dan ready the field for the games that begin on Saturday, April 13.

Packing Food for Those in Need

Our trusty crew of Rotarians and friends was back at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank on Feb. 23 packaging enough food to feed 480 school-aged children for an entire weekend.
Our Rotary Club participates at the Food Bank on the fourth Friday of the month for a couple of hours. If your group is interested in working a shift, contact the Food Bank at 609-406-0503.

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: