It's been a busy autumn for Rotarians, Bingo, Thanksgiving Meal Deliveries, a Governor Visit and some Hot Cocoa!
Congratulations to our 2023 Anginette Wars winners!
Best Juried Cookie:
Tasha Delgrego - Breast Cancer table - Table 15
Most popular voted cookie:
Denise DAmato - Italy themed table - Table 9
1st runner up:
Charlene Armellino - Old School Italian - Table 2
2nd runner up:
Josephine Savino - GiGi ‘Ginettes - Table 33
Best Table Decoration:
Cindy Sparago - A Sea of Anginettes - Table 37
Tasha Delgrego - Breast Cancer table - Table 15
Most popular voted cookie:
Denise DAmato - Italy themed table - Table 9
1st runner up:
Charlene Armellino - Old School Italian - Table 2
2nd runner up:
Josephine Savino - GiGi ‘Ginettes - Table 33
Best Table Decoration:
Cindy Sparago - A Sea of Anginettes - Table 37
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The East Haven Rotary Club honored their first Student of the Month recipients for the 2023-2024 academic year. For the months of September and October: Trevor Vaccino and Willow Torres. Trevor, who was nominated by the Science Department, has participated in Cross Country, Track, and Tennis. He is a member of the Science Club, Future Business Leaders of America and the Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Church Choir. Trevor plans to study and pursue a trade such as plumbing.
Willow Torres, nominated by the English Department, is a writer for EHHS’s school newspaper, “The Comet”. She also occasionally volunteers at her local library organizing the publications. As Willow anticipates graduating from EHHS with honors, she is expected to enter college with some accepted college credits already earned. She plans to attend a community college and then change schools to major in psychology. |
Photo (l to r): Trevor Vaccino, Rotary President Tammy Afragola and Willow Torres
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🌟Edward Osterman Small Club Award🌟
On Sunday, March 19, 2023 at the Rotary Foundation Luncheon at the Grass Hill Country Club in Orange, Rotary District #7980 Governor, Tari Marshall-Day, presented the East Haven Rotary Club with the "Edward Osterman Small Club Award". The Club is a first-time winner of the recognition.
The Edward Osterman Small Club Award is presented annually to a Club in District 7980, whose membership for this year was 34 members or less and has distinguished itself by building an outstanding record of service in a combination of all of Rotary's five "Avenues of Service" during the last Rotary year. A team of four women, in honor of Jennifer Jones, the first female President of Rotary International were the selection committee. Clubs were nominated by their Assistant Governors. The Club, despite the recent uncertain times and disruptions due to Covid-19 was able to engage their members in their day-to-day operations and successes, both virtually and in person.
Club President Tammy Afragola commented:
"As President of EH Rotary, I have tried to keep the traditions established long before me, while adding ideas and events that keep our club current and relevant. We have a dedicated group of Rotarians, who have the common goal of doing good in our community. It has been with great pride that I have been presiding over such an amazing service minded club. The Edward Osterman Award is an honor recognizing the club for performing in an exemplary manner, while embracing RI President Jennifer Jones' theme to "Dream big and harness connections and the power of Rotary to turn those dreams into reality. EH Rotary is the Little Club that Could and if we dream it, we do it!", Afragola concluded.
The Edward Osterman Small Club Award is presented annually to a Club in District 7980, whose membership for this year was 34 members or less and has distinguished itself by building an outstanding record of service in a combination of all of Rotary's five "Avenues of Service" during the last Rotary year. A team of four women, in honor of Jennifer Jones, the first female President of Rotary International were the selection committee. Clubs were nominated by their Assistant Governors. The Club, despite the recent uncertain times and disruptions due to Covid-19 was able to engage their members in their day-to-day operations and successes, both virtually and in person.
Club President Tammy Afragola commented:
"As President of EH Rotary, I have tried to keep the traditions established long before me, while adding ideas and events that keep our club current and relevant. We have a dedicated group of Rotarians, who have the common goal of doing good in our community. It has been with great pride that I have been presiding over such an amazing service minded club. The Edward Osterman Award is an honor recognizing the club for performing in an exemplary manner, while embracing RI President Jennifer Jones' theme to "Dream big and harness connections and the power of Rotary to turn those dreams into reality. EH Rotary is the Little Club that Could and if we dream it, we do it!", Afragola concluded.
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The Annual Officer Installation and Joseph Buonome Public Safety Award Dinner at Woodwinds Banquet Facility in Branford, attended by East Haven Mayor Joseph Carfora and State Representative Joseph Zullo.
President Tammy Afragola was installed along with the following Officers: Joan Adamczyk, President-Elect; Co-Treasurers, Elizabeth Esposito and Kirsten Dudley; Secretary Ashley Lesco and Sergeant at Arms Joseph Esposito. This year's Joseph Buonome Memorial Public Safety Awards were presented to Jonathan Mustacchi of the East Haven Fire Department and Jonathan Trihn of the East Haven Police Department. Each honoree was given a CT General Assembly Official Citation, presented to them by Representative Zullo and Mayor Carfora. In addition, four Student Scholarship Awards were presented to graduating seniors. The Dr. Balletto Scholarship was given to Widman Vicuna; Jack Leary Scholarship was presented to Amelia Westfall; Cassandra DeCicco received the EH Rotary Scholarship and Tyler Christie was awarded the Adult Ed Scholarship. Dimitrios "Jim" Triantis, owner of Twin Pines Diner Restaurant, was presented with the Community Partnership Award. Mr. Triantis and his business have always been one of East Haven's finest and most generous community organizations, contributing to countless non-profit groups in the area, including providing free Thanksgiving meals to many worthy citizens in the area. Finally the club each year presents one of its members the "Service Above Self" Award, which this year was presented to Rotarian Frank Gentilesco. |
⛳️Golf Ball Drop🏌🏻♀️
539 Golf Balls Dropped!
Congratulations to the winners of our third annual Golf Ball Drop Raffle 79):
1st: Christina Collett
2nd: Sheila Apicella
3rd: Paul Constantinople
This fundraiser was a success thanks to friends, family, and community far and wide.
With our business sponsors continued support we reached our fundraising goal and are positioned for another great year of Service Above Self!
Congratulations to the winners of our third annual Golf Ball Drop Raffle 79):
1st: Christina Collett
2nd: Sheila Apicella
3rd: Paul Constantinople
This fundraiser was a success thanks to friends, family, and community far and wide.
With our business sponsors continued support we reached our fundraising goal and are positioned for another great year of Service Above Self!
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🎃TRUNK or TREAT👻
2023 Rotary Trunk-or-Treat...cool trunks, amazing costumes, laughter, tons of candy!!!
We could not have asked for a better day to gather with friends in the community and have some good old fashioned fun at JMMS on Saturday. Thank you to all who attended.
We could not have asked for a better day to gather with friends in the community and have some good old fashioned fun at JMMS on Saturday. Thank you to all who attended.
🦃THANKSGIVING🍁
Another wonderful Thanksgiving morning where the EH Rotary club had the honor of packaging and delivering over 200 meals to our friends and neighbors in need. This service brings us joy and we thank you.
Rotary Christmas
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Rotarians collecting food for the East Haven Food Panty 2023
Rotarians at work on the Shoreline Greenway Trail, East Haven 2022
20 years for our
“Ben Mazzucco Clothe the Children" Program |
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The East Haven Rotary Club recently hosted its 20th Annual “Ben Mazzucco Clothe the Children” event at Kohl’s Department Store in Branford. Each year Rotarians receive suggested lists of names of deserving children from the elementary & middle schools in the East Haven system.
On a Saturday in January, the children (recommended by school administrators) and their parents/guardians will meet Rotarians at Kohl’s Department Store in Branford and are able to shop for items of clothing totaling $ 100 per child. The club monitors quite closely that all items purchased are classified as clothing and that the sizes will correspond to the child present. While at Kohl’s Department Store, the purchasers will also receive the benefit of any sales prices that the store may be offering at the time of purchase. The store also generously extends an additional discount to the Rotary, which enables the club to increase the number of children served.
Fund raising events again were coordinated by teachers at the elementary schools in East Haven and the JMMS Middle School. The Clothe the Children Committee and the East Haven Rotary continue to be very pleased with this unique “kids helping kids” type of fundraising.
During the past twenty years, the East Haven Rotary “Clothe the Children” program has provided clothing for well over 1300 children, which with the above-mentioned discounts, totals over $ 120,000 worth of merchandise that they have received.
On a Saturday in January, the children (recommended by school administrators) and their parents/guardians will meet Rotarians at Kohl’s Department Store in Branford and are able to shop for items of clothing totaling $ 100 per child. The club monitors quite closely that all items purchased are classified as clothing and that the sizes will correspond to the child present. While at Kohl’s Department Store, the purchasers will also receive the benefit of any sales prices that the store may be offering at the time of purchase. The store also generously extends an additional discount to the Rotary, which enables the club to increase the number of children served.
Fund raising events again were coordinated by teachers at the elementary schools in East Haven and the JMMS Middle School. The Clothe the Children Committee and the East Haven Rotary continue to be very pleased with this unique “kids helping kids” type of fundraising.
During the past twenty years, the East Haven Rotary “Clothe the Children” program has provided clothing for well over 1300 children, which with the above-mentioned discounts, totals over $ 120,000 worth of merchandise that they have received.
Club Information
Welcome to the Friendliest Club in our District!
We meet Thursdays at 6:00 pm
Twin Pines Diner
34 Main Street
East Haven, CT 06512
District Site
Welcome to the Friendliest Club in our District!
We meet Thursdays at 6:00 pm
Twin Pines Diner
34 Main Street
East Haven, CT 06512
District Site
In the News
Club Receives Prestigious Honor
Robert Friend, Rotary District 7980 Assistant Governor, recently announced that the East Haven Rotary Club was named the inaugural recipient of the District’s new Phoenix Rising Star Award. Through this award the District recognizes a Club that has gone through transformative expansion and engagement, making a profound and lasting impact on its community.
In announcing the award, Friend said the club “contains a highly diverse group of professional leaders from its community and is celebrating its 80 th Anniversary as a Rotary Club.” Friend pointed out that only five years ago the club membership hovered around 20 members, predominantly led by men and focused solely on giving back to their community. “Since that time membership has increased by 52% with 32 members and a high percentage of women which has transformed the club’s unique connection to the community.”, Friend continued, “Their (the Club’s) work has now extended into international service as they served as the lead club in last year’s Feed Our Neighbors program”, which enabled 28,000 meals for the children and families of Jeremie Haiti. Subscribe The District also cited the club for its many successful local community events and fundraisers. One of the newer initiatives is their extremely popular “Anginette Wars” fundraiser which attracts upwards of 600 community members to bake, taste and vote on the best Anginette Cookie in the event. All proceeds of this event go directly to the “Ben Mazzucco Clothe the Children” program which has delivered over $ 130,000 in clothing to more than 1100 children in the community, for 18 years each January. In addition to the above events, the East Haven Rotary, continues its Students of the Month recognition; its annual year end Scholarship awards at East Haven High School and the issuing of free Amber Alert Child Identification cards. This along with their annual recognition of first responders with the annual “Joseph Buonome Memorial Public Safety Awards” which are given at the Club’s Installation Dinner each June. Lastly, the Club each year for the past twelve has provided full Thanksgiving Dinners to deserving residents of the town, most of which are delivered by Rotarians on Thanksgiving Day. This year over 220 meals were provided free to the community for this purpose! Assistant Governor Friend concluded by saying, “this club is dynamic, resilient, energized and making great change in the way Rotary is perceived in their community through relationship and engagement”. The club was officially formed on March 3, 1939 and is now celebrating its 80 th Anniversary by the installation of a distinctive legacy “post” clock to be located in front of the Hagaman Memorial Library.
Donated by East Haven Rotary, in 2005, to celebrate 100 years of Rotary International. Located in the center of town across from the Old Stone Church.
Shoreline Rotarians band together to provide 46,000 meals in HaitiMADISON—Community members banded together to make a difference overseas. Rotary club members from multiple districts near the shoreline packed 46,000 meals for families in Haiti.
Over 150 volunteers showed up on their day off to pack the high protein meals that will be distributed to the people of Dayere, a small rural community in Haiti. Marilyn Lowney who is the executive director of the Haitian Health foundation was excited to hear the Rotary community wanted to make a difference for the third year in a row. Lowney said, “Right now this food is coming at a really good time because the political situation in Haiti has been really bad, people have been getting really angry and doing a lot of protest and the price of everything has gone up.” Lowney says children and expecting mothers are the core groups of people the health foundation wishes to help. Volunteers like Robert Friend who serves as the assistant governor for area 8 of Rotary district 79-80 says the food packed Saturday will go towards families in need which makes it all worthwhile. Lowney said, “We work with the people to, you know it’s not only handing out. They have nutritional education, the mothers come up and learn what the best foods are for a 2-3 year old.” Club members say it when Hurricane Matthew ravaged Haiti back in 2016 leaving much of the country impoverished and hungry was when they decided to make a difference one meal at a time. Friend said, “We forget what we have in our community and we take it for granted sometimes and we got to step back and take a look at the world and see that what we do is real important.” The meals will be shipped this summer to the people of Dayere. |
Town Clock to Be Installed
Article Published February 5, 2019
80 Years of East Haven Rotary Action Marked with Library Clock by Nathan Hughart The East Haven Rotary Club’s 80th anniversary is approaching, so the club looked for a fitting project to mark the occasion. After reviewing the possibilities, Rotary, which held its first meeting on March 3, 1939, is planning to install a distinctive clock outside the Hagaman Memorial Library. “We want to get word out to recognize 80 years of service to the town of East Haven,” East Haven Rotary President Bill Richardson said. In 2005, the club embarked on a similar project to mark the 100th anniversary of Rotary International by installing the fountain on Main Street. The fountain was paid for in part by selling engraved paving stones for $75 to $135 apiece. The clock, which the Rotary expects will cost $21,000 to install, will be funded in a similar way. “Electricity is right there, it’s a nice clean spot,” Richardson said. “We originally wanted the clock to be part of the green but...a lot of people walk by here and they drive by here.” The Rotary will sell off 100 spots for donor names that will appear on the side of the clock. Though the price per name has not yet been set, donations can be made through paypal by visiting www.easthavenrotary.org. A few paving stones for the fountain project are also available. “This will be a great way to honor past Rotarians, civic leaders, and loved ones from East Haven,” Richardson said. Since its founding in 1905, Rotary International has adapted with the times to accommodate for membership declines and rising costs, but through it all the organization has maintained a dedication to “service above self.” “[At first] they almost treated it like a network club where...because they were very strict for years that you could only have one lawyer, one plumber, one school teacher or whatever,” said Frank Gentilesco, the club’s publicity chairperson. Members were required to attend Rotary meetings on a weekly basis, even attending meetings in other towns when away from home. The commitment involved with this policy, Gentilesco said, affected the club’s ability to recruit new members. “Since then, things have evolved tremendously in the Rotary,” Parente said. While originally founded as a men’s organization, in 1989 Rotary International allowed women to join, a change that slowly took root in East Haven’s club. “Probably the biggest positive change that this club has made in the last few years is women,” Gentilesco said. “The women that we have gotten as members are dynamic. They are the worker bees of the club. They aggressively went out and got new members.” Today, the East Haven Rotary boasts 33 members, 18 of whom are women, the most the club has ever had. Together, the club has embarked on numerous yearly fundraisers in service of the town, most recently with its Clothe the Children drive, which partners with Kohl’s and local schools to purchase new clothes for children in need. The Rotary serves East Haven’s children with its annual breakfasts with Santa and the Easter Bunny. It also has a Student of the Month and a Student of the Year award for East Haven students. “We’re geared toward doing things for children,” Richardson said. “Everything we do is for the less fortunate kids in our community.” Are you ready to make history with us? Join Rotary Today! 
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