The Rotary Club of Forked River has started selling tickets for the Annual Autumn Windfall Reverse Raffle Fundraiser. To purchase a ticket the donation is a $100- Entry. This ticket includes entry in the 50/50 raffle along with an invitation to attend The Autumn Windfall event at Captains Inn on October 27, 2019 where there will be an open bar and hors d'oeuvres.
This is a Reverse Raffle, you want to be the last ticket drawn to win $8000 Grand Prize - Only 250 Tickets being sold! There will be 10 winning tickets selected!
Annual Lacey Township High School Interact Club Pinning Ceremony and RYLA Selection Dinner. Congratulations to all of the outgoing and incoming board members and club members. From all the members of our club to all the members of the LTHS Interact Club, thank you for another outstanding year of service and doing good in the community and the world. Keena Frechette, Interact Advisor, thank you for all your time and devotion to a great group of young adults, helping to make the world a better place. Congratulations and good luck to all of this years’ seniors, follow your dreams and you can help make a difference!
Bring Your Pooch - The 7th Annual Rotary Club of Forked River- Doggie Derby and Family Fun Day
Bring your favorite canine for a "Bark in The Park" Jones Road Park-Rain or Shine Event!
Games and Fun for Kids of all ages!
Food Court and Vendor Booths!
Simulcast Live Event hosted by Tripp Rogers of WBNJ
Enter your favorite pooch in some friendly Contests $2.00 Entry Fee per Contest
Sunday, June 2nd, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
$5.00 General Admission- Children under 10 Free Maximum $20.00 per family
Day of the event there will be a raffle of Pet Supplies provided by Caporale Pet Supplies of Lacey. Check out our Doggie Derby Window at Lacey Shop Rite for display of prizes. Tickets on sale day of the event only- $5.00 per chance
Interested Vendors please contact Tony Angona at 609-290-7840
Proceeds of the event benefit the Forked River Rotary Charitable Trust
At this weeks’ meeting we inducted a former member of our club Charlie Ziegler, back into active status. Although Charlie recently rejoined us officially, he never really left as he has been behind the scenes helping at many of our events and functions the past few years. Conducting the induction ceremony is our very own member PDG Peter Roukis. Welcome back Charlie! #ServiceAboveSelf
At least 3,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water, a grim reminder for Rotary members who make providing clean water and sanitation an organizational priority. While very few people die of thirst, millions die from preventable waterborne diseases, providing the impetus for our members to provide toilets and latrines and other clean water initiatives in underdeveloped countries. Members also teach these communities to maintain new infrastructure, and organize educational projects to promote hand-washing and other good hygiene habits.
Though 22 March is recognized as World Water Day, our commitment to these causes is ongoing. In Ghana, Rotary member Samuel Obour spearheads projects to install latrines, washing stations, and toilets across Ghana. In Latin America, youth from Connecticut, USA, lay water pipelines for communities for high altitude villages. Dozens of other water projects await financial support, from water harvesting in Mexico to a well for clean potable water in Egypt. Join us and get involved.
Or meet us in São Paulo on 4 June for our World Water Summit, the seventh time Rotary members have hosted NGOs, nonprofits, businesses, and concerned citizens of the world for learning, networking, and discussion around clean water. In addition to our summit, members regularly host water experts for roundtable discussions at their clubs. Find a club near you.
In Evanston, Illinois, join local and national experts for Tap Into Lake Michigan, a panel discussion on local perspectives to the global water crisis on 31 March. The event brings together Rotary members and the general public to mingle with influencers and representatives of local water organizations. Register today.
Our commitment to clean water is stronger than ever. We have over 1.2 million members in more than 34,000 clubs in nearly every corner of the world. Learn more about who we are and what we do.
District 7505 North RYLA Counselors and staff have started their training to make this years RYLA event the best ever!
Are you a high school student at Lacey Township High School, MATES OCVTS living in Lacey or a student at Monsignor Donovan living in Lacey?
Here's your opportunity to attend this year's RYLA Workshop. If you're interested in attending click on link below and complete your interest application. April 15th, 2019 is the application deadline for this year.
An Invitation from our District Governor 7505 -William Donnelly
What better way to spend a day with friends, meet new friends from around the new district, meet the team of President Elects for 2019-20, and the Governor string who will lead us over the next 3 Rotary years!
Enjoy the hotel, enjoy golf, enjoy the spa, enjoy Atlantic City, enjoy Smithville, or enjoy learning that you can use in your everyday in your life, family and job at the sessions (see below) – it’s your call - join us for breakfast and the opening of the conference.
Participate in the Memorial Service for our friends who have passed in the last year. Finally, join us for cocktails and dinner to celebrate our “New Beginning”.
To make it simple, there is one price, $150 per person (does not include golf, spa or hotel stay). There is a link in the registration form to make reservations at the hotel if you want (we will be publishing a list of hotels in the area that are less expensive than Seaview next week). Golf and Spa reservation will be available on March 18th.
Remember, it’s ONE DAY, it’s OUR TIME, it’s a celebration of our “NEW BEGINNING.” We look forward to seeing you there.
Attention Seniors at Lacey Township High School! Applications for the Rotary Club of Forked River Scholarships can be downloaded, printed and returned to us for consideration for this years scholarship awards. Go to Downloads section of our home page. There is a cover letter with instructions and the application to complete. All applications must be submitted to us by April 12th, 2019 for review by our scholarship committee.
Harlem Wizards defeat the Lacey Warriors! Last night we had a great evening of hoops and alley oops at our Annual Harlem Wizards 🏀 Fundraiser for the Lacey Township High School Interact Club. Thank you to the Wizards, Lacey Township School Administrators and Teachers, LTHS Interact Club members, Wizards committee club members and club volunteers. Great job in pulling everything together so quickly due to the time constraints. Special thanks to all members of our Lacey community that attended the game and support our events. Monies raised by this event are used by the LTHS Interact Club to fund their service projects in the community and grant scholarships to Seniors in their club.
Great night of fundraising with good food, fun and fellowship at our 1st Annual Comedy Night with K.P. Burke and Justin Silver from Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club of Point Pleasant.
Welcome aboard, to our newest club members Brenda Giles, sponsored by Judy Ryan who was inducted at our evening meeting on February 5th. Pictures below are from induction ceremony of new member Karen Vincentini, sponsored by Heather Scanlon at last week’s daytime meeting. Thank you for your commitment to service in our community!
We had three members represent our club at the Annual gift of Life Life Gala at Luciens Manor in Berlin, NJ. Attending from our club were Club President Tony Angona, PDG Peter Roukis and Foundation Chair William Recevuto. Funds raised by Rotarians provide hope to children with heart disease and their families, empower doctors and nurses to treat children in their country of birth, build sustainable pediatric cardiac programs in emerging countries and expand our global reach through partnerships with like-minded organizations, maximizing our impact. We transform the lives of children with heart disease and their families by coordinating the collaboration of 82 autonomous Gift of Life programs in 79 countries across 5 continents with like-minded partner charities, hospitals, healthcare professionals, Rotarians and other volunteers to develop sustainable pediatric cardiac surgery, catheterization and aftercare programs in emerging countries.
To learn more about “The Gift of Life Program” or make a donation click on the link below:
Rotary International President-elect Mark Daniel Maloney explained his vision for building a stronger Rotary, calling on leaders to expand connections to their communities and to embrace innovative membership models.
Maloney, a member of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA, unveiled the 2019-20 presidential theme, Rotary Connects the World, to incoming district governors at Rotary’s annual training event, the International Assembly, in San Diego, California, USA, on Monday.
“The first emphasis is to grow Rotary — to grow our service, to grow the impact of our projects, but most importantly, to grow our membership so that we can achieve more,” Maloney said.
Maloney believes that connection is at the heart of the Rotary experience.
“(Rotary) allows us to connect with each other, in deep and meaningful ways, across our differences,” Maloney said. “It connects us to people we would never otherwise have met, who are more like us than we ever could have known. It connects us to our communities, to professional opportunities, and to the people who need our help.”
Maloney also called on every Rotary and Rotaract club to identify segments of their community not represented in their club by creating a membership committee with diverse members.
“Through Rotary, we connect to the incredible diversity of humanity on a truly unique footing, forging deep and lasting ties in pursuit of a common goal,” he added. “In this ever more divided world, Rotary connects us all.”
Maloney urged leaders to offer alternative meeting experiences and service opportunities to make it easier for busy professionals and people with many family obligations to serve in leadership roles.
“We need to foster a culture where Rotary does not compete with the family, but rather complements it,” Maloney said. “That means taking real, practical steps to change the existing culture: being realistic in our expectations, considerate in our scheduling, and welcoming of children at Rotary events on every level.”
Maloney said many of the barriers that prevent people from serving as leaders in Rotary are based on expectations that are no longer relevant.
“It is time to adapt, to change our culture, and to convey the message that you can be a great district governor without visiting every club individually, and a great president without doing everything yourself.”
Relationship with the United Nations
During 2019-20, Rotary will host a series of presidential conferences around the world, focusing on Rotary’s relationship with the United Nations and the UN’s sustainable development goals that many Rotary service projects support. More information will be available in July.
In 2020, the United Nations will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its charter and its mission of promoting peace. Rotary was one of 42 organizations the United States invited to serve as consultants to its delegation at the 1945 San Francisco conference, which led to the UN’s charter. For decades, Rotary has worked alongside the United Nations to address humanitarian issues around the world. Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status that the UN offers to nongovernmental organizations.
“Rotary shares the United Nations’ enduring commitment to a healthier, more peaceful, and more sustainable world,” Maloney said. “And Rotary offers something no other organization can match: an existing infrastructure that allows people from all over the world to connect in a spirit of service and peace and take meaningful action toward that goal.”
Sunday evening at the Captains Inn, members of our club and some of their friends channeled their inner Julia Child and put together some amazing food samplings at our Annual Chefs Night Fundraiser. Chefs made entries covering five courses including appetizers, salads, soups, entrees and desserts. Attendees sampled the chefs' offerings and were asked to vote for best dish in each category. In a very close vote, defending his title from last year Chef Tom McGillick's Oysters Rockefeller won the top appetizer award again. We had no entries in this years' salad category, so we are awarding this years award posthumously to our recently deceased member Peter Avenoso, we know his entry would have been his famous Shrimp Caesar Salad. Defending title of Soup King, Chef John Sauer's Loaded Baked Potato Soup won in our soup category. Congratulations to Rebecca Palamara for her Entrée dish of lasagna, knocking off last years Entrée Champ Tony Angona's Stuffed Loin of Pork. This years Top Dessert Award went to Linda & Ed Kostrowski for their entry of Dark Chocolate Pudding Shooters. We also held the raffle drawing for our New York City VIP Experience on May 18th, which included roundtrip limousine service with a stocked bar & gratuity, donated by Pro Car and Limo of Forked River, 2 Orchestra level seats to see the play "Pretty Woman" on Broadway, Dinner at Del Frisco's SteakHouse and a $50 Visa Gift Card. The winner of the trip is John and Joy Kubilewicz of Pine Beach. Enjoy the day in New York City! Thank you to everyone that attended, our event committee, club chefs and guest chefs for a great night of fun, great food and fellowship! Time to start working on next years dishes!
Forked River - Peter J. Avenoso, 84, of Forked River passed away on Friday, January 25, 2019 at his home. Peter was born in Jersey City to Silvio and Filomena Avenoso and formerly of Ridgewood before moving to Forked River in 1977. Peter served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He worked for 14 years in the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission.
When he retired in 2003, Peter continued to enjoy his favorite activity, golfing. He was an active member and Past President (1986-1987) of the Rotary Club of Forked River, an organization that was very close to his heart and member of the Knights of Columbus, Upper Saddle River.
Peter was preceded in death by his brothers, Joseph G. Avenoso (1987) and Paul Avenoso (1999). He is survived by his nephew, Joseph C. Avenoso and his wife Linda; grandnephew, James and his wife Mary; grandniece Danielle Massad and her husband Christopher; great grandnephew, Connor; great grandniece, Mea and niece Linda Verhoest.
A Viewing will be held on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 from 2-4pm and 7-9 pm and again on Wednesday from 9-10am at Riggs Funeral Home, 130 North Route 9, Forked River. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday at 10:30am at St. Pius the Tenth Roman Catholic Church, 300 Lacey Rd., Forked River. Interment will follow at Good Luck Cemetery, Lanoka Harbor.
In honor of Peter's service and memory our club will be designating one of our scholarships in his name this year.
This great event supports the mission of the District 7505 Gift of Life Foundation
To provide free medical services to children in developing
countries suffering from congenital heart defects,
regardless of age, race, gender, creed or national origin,
who, without our help would certainly die.
Please Contact Peter Roukis to Confirm your attendance at Gala so we can reserve a table.
Make your Check Payable to: Rotary Club of Forked River
Our mission is to provide lifesaving cardiac treatment to children in developing countries regardless of gender, creed, or national origin. Our goal is to develop sustainable pediatric cardiac programs by implementing screening, surgical and training missions which are supported by autonomous Gift of Life programs, Rotary Global Grants and generous donors from around the world.
“Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was ...not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man. To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one.” ― Loren Eiseley
Here's to another year of making a difference! From our Rotary Family to yours best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Club Members Peter Roukis and Paul Stephens led by our Foundation Treasurer Tom Morrissey, assisted members of The Giving Hope Network, part of the Ocean County CASA program by stuffing back packs with essentials for children in need in foster care. Congratulations to our Co- Treasurer Paul Stephens for completing the training program and becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in the foster care system for Ocean County. For more information you can visit: www.GivingHopeNetwork.org or www.CasaforChildrenNJ.org
As all of our members know this is our club's largest community service project of the year. After a year of running fundraisers and events to build up our coffers, we get to give back to some of the less fortunate in our community. Things kicked off early Wednesday morning at Five Below, picking up our ordered items and loading up the trucks to store gifts at a warehouse till our Saturday ELF Gift Distribution day. Thursday night a group of Elves got together to set up our ELF Store at our rented hall. Friday morning, our elves met the LTHS Interact Club at Walmart, to pick up gifts and complete some last minute shopping, mostly our larger ticketed items to be given away as part of our gift raffle. After finalizing all our purchases at Walmart, we all went back to our ELF Store to stock the tables with gifts for parents to shop for gifts for their children. Early Saturday morning, shoppers arrived at our store for their shopping appointments starting at 8:00 AM and by 2:00 PM nearly all of our gift tables were bare. A project this size, doesn't take place in a few days, this is the culmination of months of preparation and meetings throughout the year. Thank you to all our ELF club members, committee chairpersons, Elf Shoppers and ELF store workers for all your time efforts for this fantastic project. Special thanks to everyone in the club and community for your donations, and services you provide for this event each year.
Sunday's Annual Club Christmas Brunch was a great way to wrap up a busy week with some Christmas spirit for everyone. Members children and grandchildren were kept busy doing some holiday crafts, playing reindeer games, and a Christmas sing-a-long led by Heather. Even the big man in the red suit made an appearance, with some gifts for the kids. Great job by our Brunch committee putting together a fun morning of good food, music and fellowship for members and their families. Merry Christmas to All!
Congratulations, to Pastor Matt Hass of the Village Lutheran Church in becoming a member of our club. Matt is sworn in by PDG Peter Roukis, with his sponsor Heather Scanlon at last week’s meeting. We also had a special guest speaker attend last week's meeting. Welcome back Caleb Rukundo, founder of the Amaro Children’s School in Uganda, Africa. One person can make a difference in the world. Click on the link below to see a video of the great work that Caleb has been doing in his country. https://youtu.be/2j9WNh_lmWQ
Last Saturday from 8-4 our club in conjunction with the Lacey Food Bank and our friends at Walmart ran our Annual Food Drive to fill the shelves at the food bank for the upcoming winter months. While collecting items it was great to see many members of our community generosity as quite a few shoppers filled our baskets throughout the day. Thank you to all the people in our community for your caring and donations of food and money to help those less fortunate.
Last Friday morning, members of our club and members of the LTHS Interact Club in conjunction with the Lacey Food Bank provided turkeys and the trimmings to 225 families in our service area at our Annual Turkey Distribution, at the Lacey Township Community Center.
Innovation was the theme at Rotary Day at the United Nations on 10 November. Nearly a thousand Rotary leaders, members, and guests from around the world met in Nairobi, Kenya, to hear about creative solutions to challenging world problems.
The annual event, held at the only UN headquarters in Africa, recognizes Rotary’s long-standing special relationship with the United Nations . UN officials and humanitarian experts inspired participants to find innovative strategies for addressing humanitarian needs both locally and globally.
Six Rotaract and Rotary members age 35 or under were also honored as Rotary People of Action: Young Innovators. All of these leaders spoke about how they used ingenuity to launch efforts that brought about measurable and lasting results.
General sessions and workshops covered the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the technology revolution, and young people’s role in creating change. A special session on the environment emphasized the importance of sustainable development and suggested concrete actions that people of all generations can take to build a clean and healthy future.
For the first time, the event also featured an Innovation Fair where Rotary clubs, businesses, and other organizations exhibited projects and cutting-edge technology designed to address humanitarian challenges.
Keynote speakers included RI President Barry Rassin, who is a member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, and Sushil Kumar Gupta, Rotary International president-nominee and a member of the Rotary Club of Delhi Midwest, Delhi, India.
Rassin said the Innovation Fair inspired him to pair Rotary’s older generations’ resources and experience with the energy and ideas of young people.
“We want to take you on as equals, as colleagues,” Rassin told the young audience members. “You bring to the table your ideas, your ambitions, your perspective on the world’s problems. We help you to enlarge your horizons, to think big, and to make your innovations practical.”
He added, “Youth innovators and Rotary can make the impossible possible.”
With more young people in the world today than ever before — more than 50 percent of the population is under age 30 — it’s imperative for them to harness their talents, said Hanna S. Tetteh, director-general of the United Nations Office at Nairobi.
“For a more peaceful and more sustainable world for all, we need the active participation and leadership of young people,” said Tetteh. “I’m grateful Rotary is representing that here today.”
By Ryan Hyland and Arnold R. Grahl Photographs by Alyce Henson
Nearly a thousand people attended Rotary Day at the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday, 10 November 2018. The event honored young innovators and their role in creating change. Below is link to video of event in Nairobi
It's that time of year again. With the thanksgiving season just around the corner and next month we have the Christmas Holidays, it truly is the season of giving. As you know we have our two biggest service projects of the year coming up and we need all of our members to be involved. In the next few days you'll receive an email to sign up for our Turkey Distribution and our Elf Holiday Shopping and Gift Distribution Program. This is a great time of the year when we get to share much of our fundraising efforts to help those that are a little less fortunate in our community. Here is a quote by the late Jackie Robinson that I'd like to share. " A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
If you would like to make a monetary gift to help with these programs your check can be made payable to the "Rotary Club of Forked River Foundation" and can be mailed to the Rotary Club of Forked River P.O.Box 211, Forked River, NJ 08731
Sunday evening we held our Annual Autumn Windfall Raffle Fundraiser. Thank you to all that purchased tickets and attended our fundraising event at the Captains Inn. Below is a list of this year's winners:
Tix 85 Debbie Edgecomb - the last one pulled before the big one
$8,000
Tix 236 Patrick Meehan - sold by Bob Ulaky
Great turnout - great event!
Thanks to all that support our club, and especially thanks to Ticket Sales Chair- Drew Ritchie for handling the tickets this year. He did a fantastic job.
We held our Rotary Club Potluck Picnic Saturday, October 13th afternoon at Gille Park. Although the weather didn’t cooperate fully. It could have been a little dryer and sunnier and warmer. We were able to enjoy a nice afternoon of club fellowship, with lots of good stories, and some great food with a bunch of our club members.
Another great day of club service and fellowship at the Annual Lacey Day and Apple Festival Event. Members of our club distributed subs, chips fruit and drinks to attendees at this years event. There were lots of things for people to do at this year's event, including a pie eating contest, apple crisp and pies to buy, kids workshop sponsored by Home Depot and many booths for businesses in and around Lacey Twp. Thank you to all the local businesses- Fusciello's, Walmart, Anthony's and Conca D'Oro for supplying their goods and services this year. We also had on display a Shelter Box, which includes a tent for six, mosquito netting, a stove, pots and pans, blankets, water filtration system, food rations, and various other survival items. In conjunction with Rotary international, these Shelter Boxes are flown into areas affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and typhoons. Thank you to everyone that donated, the funds will be put towards our club buying another Shelter Box for those in need for future disasters.
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Forked River, Lacey Twp. Police Chief Michael DiBella. Chief Mike is sworn in by Present 7505 District Governor Bill Donnelly at last week’s meeting. Being a member of the local law enforcement Chief Mike lives each day supporting the Rotary club motto of “Service Above Self”
Rotary Club of Forked River is a proud sponsor of the Lacey Municipal Alliance's 5K/ 1M Walk event at Gille Park. Some of our members help manage one of the water stops at the Lacey Municipal Alliance 5K Race/ 1M Fun Walk at Gille Park early Saturday morning. Thank you Lacey Municipal Alliance for all that you do in our community.
Rotarians provide HOPE to children with heart disease and their families, EMPOWER doctors and nurses to treat children in their country of birth, build SUSTAINABLE pediatric cardiac programs in emerging countries and expand our global reach through PARTNERSHIPS with like-minded organizations, maximizing our impact. We transform the lives of children with heart disease and their families by coordinating the collaboration of 82 autonomous Gift of Life programs in 79 countries across 5 continents with like-minded partner charities, hospitals, healthcare professionals, Rotarians and other volunteers to develop sustainable pediatric cardiac surgery, catheterization and aftercare programs in emerging countries.
To learn more about "The Gift of Life Program" or make a donation click on the link below:
This graduation ceremony was the idea of a few members of the Senior Class Council. Those students made all the arrangements with the school administration and staff to re-create an amazing night for not only Joe but his whole family and any member of the graduating class that wanted to come back and re-graduate with Joe. The room was filled with so many friends, family, teachers, staff, and community members that have been cheering Joe on. Rotary is proud to have had Joe serve as their immediate past co-President of the Interact Club. Congratulations Joe on being an inspiration to all of us. Seeing you walk across the stage and receive your diploma was amazing. Nothing can stop you now. We are so proud of you and all that you will achieve. We wish all the best for a bright future. #betheinspiration
We were proud to partner with Ocean County CASA and Rotary Club of Forked River on the "Back-to-School" program. Tom Morrissey of our club held a "Backpack Stuffing Party" and stuffed... brand new backpacks with school supplies for children in foster care. THANK YOU to the CASA Advocates and Rotarians who came to the event to help GHN prepare the backpacks! #betheinspiration#frRotary#makingadifference
A Brief History of our RYLA by Joe Wirzburger & David GoWell
The District 7500 RYLA has its roots in District 7640's first RYLA held in 1980 at Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey. It was here that Pete Heberling from Bordentown Rotary first encountered RYLA. Pete served on the District RYLA Committee almost continuously from 1980 onward.
In 1994 David GoWell was a new Rotarian in the Mt Laurel Rotary Club. He was a motivational speaker and personal development trainer who had previously worked with Anthony Robbins. David was working with the Lenape High School Interact Club when he first heard about RYLA. He immediately knew that he wanted to get involved and contacted the RYLA Chairperson of District 7640 to offer his services as a speaker.
One of the young men who heard David speak at that RYLA in 1994 was Brad Clements. That same year, District 7510 held their RYLA at the Scanticon Conference Center in Princeton, New Jersey where Jill Eberle was a participant.
That following year Rotary International decided to re-district the Rotary Clubs in New Jersey. As part of that process Districts 7640 and 7510 were both split up, with Burlington County from District 7640 joining Monmouth and Ocean Counties from District 7510 to form a brand new district: District 7500. David GoWell volunteered to develop a new RYLA program for the brand new district, and he formed a committee with Jeff Donoghue and Pete Heberling and a few others.
The first District 7500 RYLA was held in 1995 at Georgian Court College in Lakewood, New Jersey. The first few years they hired high school teachers as Advisors, but they brought in 10 RYLA graduates, including Brad Clements, Jill Eberle and Jody Gersh, from the previous year’s programs at Stockton and Scanticon as a Counselor team. Each Counselor was put in charge of a team of 12 participants. The Counselor training program that year consisted of getting to RYLA a couple hours before the participants and helping to assemble the registration bags!
The following year Brad, Jill and Jody returned as Senior Counselors, in charge of 10 new Counselors from RYLA 1995. Eventually the Support Counselor program was added to more fully prepare the Lead Counselors for their duties and the Counselor training program has grown more sophisticated each year. In 1997 the high school teachers were replaced with volunteer Rotarians, and they were eventually replaced by RYLA grads who had once been Sr. Counselors.
Our team of Directors, Coordinators, Advisors, Senior Counselors, Lead Counselors and Support Counselors now numbers about 55 people each year – almost every one of them a past RYLA Graduate. They train for about 40 hours every year – in between RYLAs – to prepare to change the lives of 180 new participants each June.
From its early roots at the "Gundoo" festival to its present complex form, our RYLA has grown to be one of the preeminent leadership training seminars in the entire world.
RYLA. Is it just an award? These 183 high school students transformed into courageous, loving servant leaders over the course of 4 days. It’s something else...
On July 4th the Rotary Club of Forked River will continue their time honored tradition of placing out and taking in over 400 American flags along the main corridors of Lacey Rd. and Rt.9. This event is maintained by all the hard working Rotarians in the Lacey Area and the local businesses that sponsor flags each year. If you are a local business along Lacey Rd. or Rt.9 and would like to sponsor American flags in the future please reach out to us via our Facebook page. We hope that the citizens of Lacey and all who travel through our town enjoy the wonderful display of patriotism this July 4th. **If you see us either placing out or taking in flags please move over on the highway. -Thank You.
It was another outstanding year of "Making A Difference" for our club under the guidance of President Linda Kostrowski. As a club we accomplished many of our goals and service projects throughout the year. Here are some pictures from last weeks' installation and awards dinner, recognizing many members of our club and their Presidential Awards at our annual dinner. We would also like to recognize award winners that were unable to attend last weeks' dinner. Also receiving "Dream Team Public Image Awards" were Ashley Hughes and Katie DeSantis for helping promote our club throughout our community and commitment to our club. Congratulations to Janice Hyer for receiving the club's "Distinguished Service Award" and a club "Paul Harris Fellow Award" for all your dedicated service to our club throughout the year. Thank you all club members for your dedication and service throughout the year. Lots of hands make light work! We're sure all members are looking forward to "Be The Inspiration" in our community next year!
Click on the link below for more pictures and award acknowledgements:
Annual Installation Dinner for our clubs’ New President and Board for 2018-2019 Rotary Year. Congratulations Past President Linda Kostrowski and Incoming President Tony Angona. Also attending this year’s dinner and addressing our club was soon to be Past District 7500 Governor Diane Rotondelli and our new District 7505 Governor William Donnelly.
Rotary Districts 7500 and 7640 will merge to become District 7505 on July 1, 2018. District 7505 will comprise of the following counties in New Jersey: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Monmouth, Ocean and Salem. Below is link for up to date information.
It was a “Dog Day Afternoon” at our Annual Doggie Derby and Family Fun Day at Jones Road Park. There were plenty of activities and fun things for the kids to do including a bouncy house, arts and crafts with the Lacey Rec Dept and building a tool box or a window planter with our friends at Home Depot. We had lots of vendors offering their pet services including groomers, veterinarians and dog sitting or training for your fur babies. Caporalepet supplied free samples of dog foods, pet jerky and biscuits for attendees dogs to try. Congratulations to the winners of our dog competitions. There was a good selection of snacks and refreshments supplied by vendors in our food truck court. Thank you to Lacey Township Police, Fire, EMS for supplying their vehicles and your services to the community. Thank you to all that came out and supported our club. Hope to see you again next year!
The weather forecasts weren't conducive to having our annual joint club picnic, but we were able to dodge the raindrops long enough to have this year's outing. About 20 Interact Members and 20 Rotarians met at Gille Park to share some of their experiences, and enjoy a catered lunch in the picnic grove. Members conversed and kept busy playing some yard games, coloring or just shooting the breeze. The highlight was a trivia game brought by Heather Scanlon, which had club Rotarians trying to figure some of today's teenage slang and usage, and the Interactors matching company names to old products. Each team had about 20 questions, and the Rotarians matched 8 of the slang terms, with the Interact Club only getting 2 correct. Thank you Club Advisor Keena Frechette and to all the Interact members for another great year of " Service Above Self".
Congratulations to the students chosen by our club to attend this year’s District 7500 Rotary Youth Leaders Academy (RYLA ) at Monmouth University, June 30 - July 3, 2018. Attending this year from LTHS is Adam Bahooshian, Marina Simunek, Isabella Gripaldi, Christina Fiocco, Emily Hamilton, Lauren Masocchi- Sponsored by the Spring Lake/Brielle Rotary, Marissa Frusteri from TRHSS, Janny Tang- Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Barnegat. Below are some pictures from the Interact Pinning Ceremony showing some of the students receiving their acceptance letters, pins and backpacks. RYLA is a four day leadership training program for students to explore what being a “leader” means to them, through a variety of team building, problem solving and cooperative experiences. The program is designed to help train ethical, visionary leaders- plus it’s loads of fun!
More exciting club news from last night’s Interact Pinning Ceremony. Rotary District 7500 Governor Diane Rotondelli addressed the attendees and made a surprise presentation to our own Diamond Frandsen, who is also the Rotary District 7500 Public Image Director. Diamond was awarded the “N. William Skidmore Club Service Award”. This Rotary District Award is presented annually to the Rotarian that best exemplifies their commitment to their club and the ideals of Rotary in their club, and throughout the district. Thank you Diamond for the many hats that you wear, and all that you do for our club and the district.
Lots of excitement last night at the 2018 Pinning Ceremony for the Lacey Township High School Interact Club. Things started off with some opening remarks by Interact Advisor Mrs. Frechette, followed by 2 videos highlighting projects and events held by the club throughout the school year. Outgoing club presidents addressed the attendees and outgoing board members passed the torch by pinning new incoming board members. Club Seniors received recognition certificates for their service to their club throughout the year.
Congratulations are in order for Interact Advisor and LTHS Teacher, Keena Frechette. Mrs. Frechette for all her dedication and guidance of the club, was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Club of Forked River. Thank you to all the club members for another outstanding year of “Service Above Self”
This past weekend President Linda attended our Last "Dance" District 7500 Conference. As she participated with fellow Rotarians in conference activities and engagement opportunities. She wasn't expecting to be presented with a Paul Harris Fellow pin by her husband Ed, who is also a Rotarian at the Morristown Rotary Club. It sure was a surprise to Linda, when Ed presented the pin for an outstanding job as Forked River's Club President this year. Great job Madam President!
Our Club would like extend our thanks and gratitude to the owners, John & Amy Beecroft, of Crossfit Razor for hosting the Rotary 4 Way Challenge Crossfit Competition Fundraiser. Below are some pictures of competitors participating in yesterday’s WOD’s. It was amazing to see the dedication and perseverance of all the competitors, to a sport that they are so passionate about. There were 33, 2 person teams that competed in 4 challenging workouts, with the top 3 teams in 2 divisions receiving medals for their efforts. Great job by Matt Lawler and Tim Petrin for putting together WODs and Officiating the event. Thank you to all the teams that competed and their fans that supported the event!
Club Rotarians out and about in the community, making a difference on Earth Day! Some of our club members and their family members lent a helping hand at the Annual Forked River Mountain Clean Up Day last Saturday. Last year volunteers helped to remove 24 tons of trash from the area!
As part of RI President’s Ian Riseley’s Plant-A-Tree initiative, Donna McAvoy helped coordinate a tree seedling distribution to the 3rd graders at Lanoka Harbor, Cedar Creek and Forked River Elementary Schools. Included were 2 ornamental trees for each school. #ServiceAboveSelf#PeopleOfAction
Congratulations to the winner of this year’s Annual Texas Hold Em’ Tournament, John Donadio, shown holding our club trophy. Runner Up this year was Wayne Mauro. Below are places 3-10 from the final table. 3rd- Matt Ragusa 4th- Tom Garrison 5th- Rich St. Clair 6th- Leonard Schultz 7th- Will Sutton 8th- Peter Roukis- Only Rotarian to make it. 9th- Jay Hutler 10th- Mike Cerino
Last player on the bubble eliminated was our own Tom McGillick.
Those that got knocked out of Tournament were able to try their luck at Black Jack and win some great prizes in our Prize Raffle.
Thank you everyone that worked the event and participated to make this year’s event a great success. Hope to see you again next year! ♠️♦️♣️
Here we grow again! Congratulations to Ryan Reese and Jessica Most for being inducted into our club at last week's lunchtime meeting. Ryan works at TD Bank and Jessica works/owns the
About 20 Rotarians, their families and friends attended our Annual Irish Night Fellowship. Attendees were entertained by Irish music and the dancers from the D’Arcy School of Irish Dance. After watching the dancers complete their performance, everyone feasted on an Irish Buffet prepared by the chefs at the Captains Inn.
699 Challenger Way, Unit D9, Forked River, New Jersey 08731
Join the Rotary™ Club of Forked River and CrossFit Razor for ROTARY™ 4 WAY CHALLENGE, a FUN same-sex partner competition to benefit the Rotary™ Club, on APRIL 28! All registration fee proceeds go directly to the Rotary™ Club of Forked River.
CASH Prize for 1st place teams in all divisions.
WODs
1. "Truth" Bear Complex. Each partner works to a heavy complex. Heaviest successful lifts are combined for score. 10 min to complete.
2. "Fairness" 6min AMRAP 50/50 split on work... 20 Pull Ups 20 Burpees 40 DB Snatches (alt arms) (50/35) scale: jumping pull ups, (35/20) DB snatches.
3. "Goodwill" 8min 60 Clean Buy-in Then 1 on rower/1 hold bar in top of DL Score = Cal Rowed Rx (135/95) Scale (115/75)
4. "Beneficial"
There will be a 4th unannounced WOD in which top teams from each division will complete.
Crossfit teams you can register by clicking on link below:
A few Forked River Rotarians and Tom Morrissey's staff met at Tom's house to assemble backpacks with some basic essentials for children in need at Ocean County CASA. #ServiceAboveSelf#PeopleofAction
GO TEAM GO! We kicked off 2018 by expanding our "Stuffed Suitcase" program to Ocean County NJ. This expansion was made possible due to a generous grant from from the Rotary Club of Forked River and help from the offices of Morrissey & Associates LLC. Morrissey & Associates LLC received our backpacks, and stuffed them with toiletries and comfort items. They then distributed them to Ocean County CASA, and successfully served 39 children!
We are grateful for the initiative of Rotary Club of Forked River and Morrissey & Associates. Due to their efforts, we were able to expand our program to a new location, and help bring joy and care to#fostercare children-in-need!
Club Rotarians and some friends supporting Forked River Columbian Club at Saturday evenings' Pasta Dinner Fundraiser at the Father Capodonna Knights of Columbus Hall in Lacey! Good food, fun and fellowship!
It was a great night for laughs, hoops and alley oops at the Annual Harlem Wizards vs. the Lacey Warriors Charity Basketball game last night. It was a highly competitive contest with the Wizards pulling out another victory late in the fourth quarter. Thank you to our club members, LTHS Interact Club, Lacey Township Teachers and School Board Members and the Harlem Wizards for putting together a great family event in our community. Special thanks to all the people in the community that attended and supported our event!
Congratulations to Tracey Carpe and Megan Rau for becoming Forked River Rotarians. At last Tuesday's alternate meeting our own PDG Peter Roukis officiated at their induction ceremony. Tracey was sponsored by President Linda Kostrowski and Megan was sponsored by Vice President Donna Volz. Tracey lives in Bayville and works at C21 Action Plus Realty. Megan lives in Forked River and works at Keystone Digital Imaging. Thank you for your commitment and welcome to our club!
On Monday, January 29th members of our club attended the 2018 Rotary District 7500 Vocational Service Award Dinner at LaBove Grande Restaurant in Lakehurst. Congratulations to John Sauer our club's recipient of this years district award. Thank you to all the club members that were able to attend and share in this special evening.
Congratulations and and thanks to the many Chefs, Friends and Club Members that prepared some of their favorite dishes for our annual event. We had a great assortment of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees and desserts for attendees to sample and cast their votes for the best dishes in each category. The winners in each course are listed below.
Appetizers- Tom McGillick- Oysters Rockefeller Soups- Stephanie R.- Stuffed Pepper Soup Salads- John Sauer- Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Entrees- Tony Angona- Roasted Stuffed Pork Loin Desserts- Terry Chapman - English Toffee
Thank you Janice and Heather for adding the dinner setups and apron displays, added a great touch to the event.
The winner of the NYC VIP Experience Raffle was Judy Ryan, Co-Treasurer for our club, have a great experience!
Thank you everyone that attended and supported our club at this year’s event. Start working on your recipes for next year!
Come sample the Culinary Specialties made by our club Members and Friends of the Rotary Club of Forked River Vote on your favorites in 5 Food Categories: Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Entrees and Desserts Donation: $50.00 per person
In conjunction with our Chef's Night Out we are offering a New York City VIP Experience Raffle Win a pair of Tickets for Matinee show Saturday, May 19th, 2017 to see Wicked on Broadway. Includes stocked Limousine to and from the show provided by Pro Car and Limo LLC. Dinner voucher for dinner at Keen's Steak House and Cocktails at View of the City Tickets for Raffle available from Club Rotarians- $5.00 per chance
Winner not need be present to win- Event proceeds local and International Rotary Charities
Winter Olympics Blood Drive- New York Blood Center Brought to you by Rotary Club of Forked River Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 8:00am-2:00pm Lacey Township Community Hall Corner of Route 9 & Lacey Road
Eligible donors include those in good health who are at least age 16 (with signed parental permission/consent) and weigh 110 pounds or more. People over 76 may donate with a doctor's note. Please bring NYBC Donor Card or other ID. Please eat at your regular meal time and drink plenty of fluids before donating.
For an appointment go to http://tinyurl.com/rotary08731 or call 1-800-933-2566. Appointments preferred and given priority.
Annual Rotary Club of Forked River and LTHS Interact Club Fundraiser- Basketball Game featuring the Lacey Warriors vs. The Harlem Wizards. Save the date Wednesday, February 7th, 2018
Started in 1962 by New York sports promoter Howie Davis, and now celebrating 54 years of Wizardry, he envisioned a show and organization that would put a different spin on show basketball. The Wizards are a show basketball entity delivering wildly successful fundraiser events for schools and nonprofits, last season alone playing in over 400 communities across the USA, while raising over $2 million.
Gym doors open at 6:00 PM- Game starts at 7:00 PM
Tickets can be purchased at these local ticket centers:
Ivy Cottage (takes Credit Cards) 407 Lacey Rd.- Forked River
1st Constitution Bank- Mortgage Office 2 Hollywood Blvd.- Wharfside Plaza- Forked River
Ryan's Service Station 603 US Route 9- Lanoka Harbor
Ticket Prices: Pre-Sale: Prior toEvent Students $10 - Adults $12 - Court side Plus $30
At The Door: Night of Event Student $12 - Adult $15 - Court side Plus: N/A Night of Game
Net profits of event benefit LTHS Interact Club Scholarships and Local Charities