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Welcome to Grand Island Rotary!

Service Above Self

We meet In Person & Online

Wednesdays at 7:15 AM

Currently meeting by Zoom

Eggsquisite @ 1752 G I Blvd or Buffalo Launch Club
Grand Island, NY 14072
United States of America

Rotary Club of Grand Island has 'Flexible Meeting' Concept, with 2 meetings per month, one AM, one PM. During current pandemic we are meeting by Zoom session. Please see Calendar attached to this Web Site for Club meeting schedule and venues.

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Transform School Desks for Covid Safety

Grand Island Schools need help in TRANSFORMING student desk areas for more safety during teaching among a Covid-19 pandemic. Rotarians (and spouses) stepped up to help assemble Plexiglas barriers to meet the need. TRANSFORM ideas into action is what we do at Rotary Club of Grand Island!

Rotary Continues Its Support of Miracle League

Rotary Club of Grand Island continues its 9th year of being a sustaining supporter of Miracle League of WNY. The annual contribution of $2,500 was awarded this month and came from the proceeds of a successful 'Shred-It' project earlier in the summer.. The Miracle League of WNY is designed to serve individuals who cannot be accommodated by established baseball leagues due to the special needs of their disabilities. The kids and staff home field is at Grand Island's Veterans Park behind the Library on Bedell Rd and also includes a handicapped accessible playground Rotarians helped build with the Miracle League volunteers. #PeopleofAction

School Supplies Collection!

School is starting in September - some aspects are different and distressing - but all students will spend part of week in school and they will need supplies - NO SHARING due to Covid. Please help by bringing sets of supplies, such as below, to one of the drop-off spots in this poster. Rotarians will then work with GI High School DECA students to sort the supplies and the school will get them to needy students. If you could supply a couple of student sized back packs, that would be great also! Rotarians can bring the supplies to the Aug. 26 meeting under the Launch Club Pavilion.

Great Evening >Together< But apart!

Yes, we had a good evening, almost 'together', but thanks to the layout of the Pavilion at the Launch Club, couples and family groups could be together, but everyone really was quite properly socially distanced. A reasonable chance to catch up on our good, and not-so-good activities of the past four months, with some good guitar music by Ricky Hoover swirling about us, with the river breezes. We really should watch our birthday list more carefully - we have missed some in the past months of Zoom meeting, and non-meeting, but at least we got a chance to properly note Mike Heigel's birthday. And that showed another real benefit of outdoors meetings - our attempt at 'real singing' luckily drifted away with the breezes coming in off the river! Hopefully we can have more outside meetings to try to get our singing 'together' before we would have to try it indoors. Stay tuned for what should be another outside meeting in August!

A First Time Out Almost Together!

An informal, outdoor dinner and social evening, ! together ! (but socially distanced) under the Launch Club pavilion. On Wed. evening, July 22 you and your spouse or a S.O. please join us for a great Launch Club chicken dinner (cost will be $25 per person) as we catch up on each other’s life the last four months, plus Entertainment will be provided by the vocal and instrumental jazz stylings of Ricky Hoover (@ricky.hooverr) Should be a wonderful evening of socializing, some entertainment, and we hope, a chance to rekindle the fellowship and togetherness that makes Rotary great. Reservations are required - use the Contact Us button by 7/20.

Lets Repeat Shred It, A Great Success!

The Shred-It project in June was so successful, we are repeating it, Saturday July 11, same times: 10 AM - Noon, same place, Tops Plaza, next to Key Bank on Grand Island Blvd. Same great service - $10 per box and the Shred-It truck will safely and reliably destroy tax, financial and personal records for you. OK, so many wanted the service in June that maybe some of you turned away disappointed. Come back on July 11 - we will be able to easily handle you. This event is co-sponsored by Grand Island's Fuccillo Automotive Group, plus by Madison Carpet One.

Rotary Sponsors Paddles Up Coloring Contest!

In the 15th year of Paddles Up, Rotary of Grand Island is joining this community event with a Virtual Coloring contest. We are promoting wellness by getting out with your families. Some Details on this image. Look for the Coloring page in the PennySaver Tuesday July 14th and Dispatch on Friday July 17th. Single Prints will be available at Niagara Frontier Publication offices and Tops Markets on the Island. Completed entries must be handed into NFP office by July 27 for cataloging and judging.

Adopt Our Hiway - Finally!

Covid-19 / Rain / State Mowing Schedule!
Yes, all those challenges were finally met on June 13 as Grand Island Rotarians and several of their friends picked the trash from Beaver Island Pkwy. We look forward to the Fall when we may have High School Interact Club members (sponsored by Rotary) again available to help us, as they have done in the past. Thanks to all who helped in this year’s ‘late’ Spring effort. It was great to know that other groups and individuals also were working around the Island that day to make this an Island-wide cleanup effort.

Planning Another Informative 'Zoom' Meeting on June 10

Great happening coming on Wed. June 10, at 7:15 AM. Grand Island Rotary will welcome Mary Stang-Cooke as speaker representing the Grand Island Historical Society and River Lea, its historic home in Beaver Island Park for over 40 years. She will give us an update on the Society's activities and goals for the future. Mary's interest in History started in the early grades where, in 8th grade, she was awarded St Joseph's Social Studies Award (Gowanda, NY). She is Corresponding Secretary for Grand Island Historical Society, a member since 1988 (in addition to the other things she has done at GI Town Hall and Memorial Library). ATTENTION: Friends and Guests are welcome and need to RSVP by Facebook Messenger or to: smiller04it@yahoo.com.

New Date for Parkway CleanUp

Heavy Rain and lack of mowing, make Beaver Island Parkway impossible Clean Up on Sat. May 30. But it really needs to get done -

Join Grand Island Rotarians to clean up along Beaver Island Parkway on Saturday, June 13. Again High School Interact, sponsored by Rotary can't help, school closed. We hope all the Island can help. Effort starts from Kaegebein School Front Parking lot, 8 AM to 11. If you can help, bring masks, work gloves, maybe you have a long handled tong. Use Social Distancing thruout the effort! Club will supply collection bags and assign a section of Pkwy. You must Email to register, see the Contact Us field above. You can also see a similar note on Rotary Club of Grand Island Facebook page.

May Morning Meeting a Huge Success

What a great May Morning meeting (by Zoom video) G I Rotary had on the 13th. A wide ranging talk and video presentation by Bridgette Heintz, Director of G I Memorial Library. We did not recognize so much was going on thru the Library, even with the building closed! Some listed closely to her words on children’s programs, the local food and kitchen chats, ability to use the catalog and its searching features; I was taken by how their Book Club makes use of library Ebook services: ‘Overdrive’ and its sister ‘Libby’. Those allow Book Club Members to download the book of the month (FREE!) to read and prepare for later chat about the book. We are not going to clutter this message with lots of browser listings for all their services – just go to the Facebook page for Grand Island Memorial Library to see what interests you! Or perhaps go to the ‘downtown’ library site www.buffalolibe.org Remember our library is part of a huge, valuable, system.

Rotarians Helping Salvation Army

Members of Grand Island Rotary Club have pitched in with hands-on help for the Tonawanda Branch of the Salvation Army as their drive-thru food pickup service deals with the increased need to help area families suffering from Covid-19 shutdowns. Having already helped the Salvation Army financially to improve the drive-thru facility, Rotarians Dick Earne and Sherry Miller were there on Thursday, May 7, particularly to prepare individual bags of staples like cheese from the bulk packages the Salvation Army receives from FeedMore WNY and other suppliers. The new-normal of working with face masks, gloves and keeping social distances is challenging but rewarding for Rotarians. They fulfill #RotaryResponds as they meet the Rotary Ideal of Service Above Self.

Hearing from Town Supervisor, at Home!

Grand Island Rotary enlarged their ‘Regular’ April Dinner meeting (by Zoom video) to include a talk by G I Town Supervisor, John Whitney – his view of what lies ahead for the Town. Supv. Whitney first assured all that vital Town services – water, sewer, hiway, continue in a careful manner. Visit the Town web site, www.grand-island.ny.us, or the Town Facebook page, where he, and Executive Asst. Rhonda Diehl, (she also 'sat in' on the meeting) post up-to-date info and have Email addresses for receiving comments. Supv. Whitney confirmed that Fantasy Island is truly gone, he is insisting on a positive plan from property owner to avoid vandalism, squatters or mischief on the site. On Project Olive (Amazon?) he emphasized the developer has provided $’s for Town to hire its own consultants to review plans. Of course there are traffic and bridge aspects, plus others (John got comments during Q & A after his talk). He expects, we expect, exciting times as Covid-19 recedes; he promised full hearings on ‘Olive’, plus further solar, apartment and senior housing projects that are before the Town and its residents. A great chance for Rotarians, several guests, to stay aware of Town issues, even as we all maintain isolation and distancing. Similar Rotary ‘distancing’ meetings are expected in May.

Hands On Help Needed, but wearing gloves and mask!

It is now the next step for Grand Island Rotary in helping the Tonawanda Salvation Army improve their ‘drive-thru’ food pantry distribution. With delivery of a check to Major Celestin Nkounkou for the tent and tables of their all-weather operation, now we will gather helpers for the Salvation Army staff, as their food pantry operation is overwhelmed with out-of-work area residents needing assistance. Rotarians and others too, please consider helping there, Mondays and Thursdays, 9 till Noon, but please call Major Celestin at the Tonawanda Corps first for detail instructions, (716) 866-9418. The need is great and increasing!

Helping in Times of Covid-19

Grand Island Rotary is continuing as a virtual gathering place for its Members interested in serving their Community. We are helping the Tonawanda Salvation Army improve their ‘drive-thru’ food pantry distribution, by providing them with a tent and tables to make it an all-weather operation. This help for Tonawanda Salvation Army is done with a grant from our District, which includes Clubs in WNY and Niagara Peninsula of Ontario. We are urging Members and friends to donate to the Salvation Army, recognizing its service to the community, plus donating to the Neighbors Foundation of Grand Island, performing similar work on Grand Island itself.

Help Your Community, and Yourself, Now!

As our Town, and its people, sit disturbed and locked-down, it may seem the Rotary Motto – Service Above Self – a relic of the past. Not so, it works in small ways today. Use the phone, Email, Internet: help with tasks, socializing for the elderly; keep youth on the path of education; and in so doing keep yourself alive, active, interested in your community.

Student Entrepreneurs in Real Business World

Student Entrepreneur Success!

An excellent meeting March 11 at Eggsquisite, as POD chair Brian Graham brought us the student entrepreneurs who created Casey’s Cabana out of an old 'clam shack' on Ferry Rd. Gabby Bergstrom & Luke Hess took what they learned both in Business classes at G I High School and the unique extras from participation in DECA at the school, applied them in real life to Casey's Cabana. They and other similar students are a real tribute to the business teaching aspects of the High School program. President Dick Earne presented them with our traditional Coffee Mugs with the Four Way Test (look it up!) Their Cabana will re-open Memorial Day weekend, with 7 day a week service when school ends (if Covid-19 ever lets school re-start this Spring!). More details at their Casey's Cabana web site: www.caseyscabana.com

Dollars Flowed - Reading Improved!

Dollars Flowed leading to Reading Improved!

The GI Rotary sponsored Meat Raffle on March 7 produced over $5000 for the GI Schools Growing Readers program plus Rotary's High School Scholarships and support of the Rotary Interact and EarlyAct youth service clubs.

How did it happen? Dollars flowed, Dollars waved, Dollars were counted, yes: also great meat selections and unique raffle prizes went out the door! Rotary thanks all who worked hard, and collected prizes for the evening. Just wait for another great evening next year!

Overwhelming Supply of 'Undies' for Homeless

In the just concluded ‘Undie Sunday’ program, Grand Islanders provided G I Rotary with a tremendous stock of new ‘undies’ & socks that have now been delivered to St Luke’s Mission of Mercy in Buffalo and to Community Mission in Niagara Falls. Rotary thanks all the churches, businesses, Town Hall and Library that made it possible for Island folks to think so generously of the plight of the homeless and abused in this late Winter weather.

Service Project with Habitat for Humanity

Grand Island Rotarians challenged themselves to a new service project this week – a team of 5 worked with Habitat for Humanity – Buffalo on the rehabbing of a home on Brooklyn Ave, Masten Park district of Buffalo. Led by Project Chair Mike Malaney, they installed closet and room doors, a trap door into attic, plus finish work and painting. Not the desk jobs they are used to, some tools different from their experience, paint brushes, of course; cold, damp January (tho not snowy!) but all-in-all a good experience, and a feeling of accomplishment and service.

Where Everybody Belongs!

We have all heard how scary school is, particularly for the 'middle grades' or Middle School: 6,7,8th Grades in most Districts. This week (Jan 22, 2020) G I Rotarian Brian Graham brought us John Fitzpatrick, Principal of the Middle School, to explain a program 'Where Everyone Belongs' which is now being successfully used in the G I Veronica Connor Middle School to overcome the lonely, isolated feeling that leads many youth to make poor, often dangerous, choices to try to overcome or coverup isolated feelings. Training and encouraging individual 8th graders to befriend, work with, play with, (we might call it 'mentor') the new crop of 6th graders in formalized groups (to make sure all are covered) and then celebrate these new sets of friends with fun, school-wide activities and learning sessions, has really brought the WHOLE school together. Yes, that age group is prone to 'experimenting' (we might say get themselves in trouble) - here is a program that really works; often because with friends, a youth is not likely to strike out in dangerous directions on their own!

Induct New Member at New Breakfast Meeting Location

Very good meeting this AM (12/18/19) for Grand Island Rotary. Excellent food and service at the new Eggsquisite Eats on G I Blvd, plus a great talk by young Yusuf Mojawalla, whose family owns Island Ship Center. Then on to Induction of New Member, Max Pikula, Principal of Huth Rd. Elementary School. Sherry Miller, President Elect, and Mary Haggerty, Membership Chair, officiated. 50 Year Member, Hank Kammerer, couldn’t resist saying a word or two; an additional feature of the meeting was description of progress in raising funds for an inspiring foreign project of the Club – a well in rural area of Brazzaville, Congo, so folks (usually girls) don’t have to walk miles carrying water to their homes.

A Full Range of Rotary Service Helped Salvation Army on Grand Island!

A Full Range of Rotary Service Helped Salvation Army on Grand Island!
To increase the donations to the Salvation Army Kettle at G I Tops Market, there was a full range of Rotary Service showing. G I Middle School Interact students (led by Advisor Carly Antonelli) on select days brought songs during this Holiday Season. And the more ‘adult’ High School Interact students chattered and flashed smiles to increase donations on their shift. Rotarian Mike Malaney just rang the little bell and called out, to increase donations on his shift!

Interact Students help Conduct Supervisor Candidates' Night

Posted by Mike Billoni on Oct 11, 2019

Rotary Club of Grand Island’s High School Interact Club

to be heavily involved in Supervisor Candidates’ Night

Four students will Moderate Questions for the three candidates

The Rotary Club of Grand Island’s first Town Supervisor Candidates’ Night, with assistance from the Grand Island High School Interact Club, will be held Wednesday, October 16 from 7-9 p.m. in the Grand Viking Theatre inside the high school at 1100 Ransom Road.

The candidates running for Supervisor are Thomas Franz, Conservative Party; Jim Sharpe, Democratic and Working Families Parties; and John C. Whitney, PC, Republican and Independence Parties.

The Rotary Club announced two dozen students from its High School Interact program will participate in the event as moderators, greeters and runners to obtain questions from the audience.

The three candidates will be seated behind a table on the stage and four students will serve as moderators, asking the questions. They will be assisted by Rotarian Mike Billoni, chair of the event.

Seniors Lucas Kruse and Luke Hess and sophomores Alexis Nguyen and Natalie Carter will be the moderators. Junior Amina Shaibi will serve as time-keeper. Kruse and Hess are co-presidents of this year’s High School Interact program under Laura Estenoz, a High School teacher and the long-time Interact Advisor.

Town Supervisor Candidates Night

Posted by Mike Billoni on Oct 09, 2019

On Wed, Oct 16, 7 – 9 PM, we in G I Rotary will host a free Candidates Night (for Town Supervisor candidates only) in the High School auditorium. We hope for a large turnout of Islanders interested in what the Town of Grand Island could do, now and in the future. Do you know the Candidates? They are: Thomas Franz, Conservative Party; Jim Sharpe, Democratic Party and John C. Whitney, PC, Republican and Independence Parties. The format will include candidates responding to pre-submitted written questions only. There will be no questions shouted from the audience. Want to ask a question? Submit the question by Email to Chair Mike Billoni: Mike@Billoni.com

Grand Island Rotary History

Medical Clinic in Haiti

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