Rotary Club of Ellicottville
Rotary Club of Ellicottville
The Rotary Has Big Plans… and You Could Be a Part of Them!
Anne Rothrock and David Rothrock, who joined the Rotary last summer, are excited to assist in the Rotary’s mission and give back to the community. Photos / ellicottvilleNOW
Things look a little different now. Many of us found ourselves in new places following the pandemic, and many changes have taken place. But change isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes it’s a chance to move forward and focus more on the important things. The Rotary Club of Ellicottville plans to do just that, deciding to shift their focus on activities that will better serve the local community.
The Rotary has always done a great deal of work for our town - from funding the Library’s summer intern and reading programs and offering funding to the Alley Katz’s beautification committee, Ellicottville Historical Society and other cherished local organizations, to providing school supplies to kids at the start of each school year, giving out holiday dinners to those less fortunate… and the list goes on.
I attended a special meet-and-greet that the Rotary Club hosted at Villaggio last week and had the opportunity to speak with a few of the members about their plans. Last year, the Rotary Club went through some major changes that brought their mission into perspective; changes that helped them decide how they wanted to proceed heading into 2023. Their mission is simple: to better the community and help fix the world’s problems.
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2023
Current head of the Rotary, John Weismantel
Current head of the Rotary, John Weismantel was very excited to talk about why they are doing things a little differently now. “The Rotary Club is part of a worldwide organization and we’ve been doing things the same way for over 20 years,” he told me. “We’re living in a new age now and we’d really like to put more effort into our community service and local events.
“We’re starting from scratch this year,” he continued. “We are looking for new members and new ways to raise funds for all of the projects that we are involved in. Our goal is to work more closely with local establishments, like the food pantry and the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce.”
The Rotary has always had very specific goals in mind. Outside of our own community, the organization has always supported world peace initiatives and clean drinking water for the world. At its core, the club is an all-volunteer organization, a 5014c non-profit and any funds they bring in go directly into local projects, such as their yearly scholarships for ECS students.
“We’re working towards bringing back some favorite events for 2023,” John declared. “We are going to bring back the Rotary Halloween Party and we are teaming up with St. Paul’s Church who typically runs trunk-or-treat at the same time to combine everything into one big celebration. Then there’s Tuscan Moon. The Moon may have set but we’ve got ideas for a new event that’s in the same vein.”
JOIN THE ROTARY
Member Judy Brown
The main purpose of the meeting was for potential new recruits to meet the current Rotary members in a relaxed, open setting. I asked the members I spoke with why they joined. Members Anne Rothrock and David Rothrock joined back in July 2022 and are the “youngest members” of the group. (The oldest member being Jack Luzier, who actually began before John.) The Rothrocks joined because “we wanted to help give back to the community who welcomed us into it and to be a part of something that helps a lot of people.” Judy Brown, member and retired ECS teacher was all smiles. She explained, “This is a fantastic group of people, and we want to continue to contribute to our community.”
Currently there are only 12 people who are actively involved with the Rotary Club of Ellicottville. “We can always use new members,” John said. “We could use new ideas, new points of view and more helping hands. Membership is only $150 for the year (some of the lowest dues in the organization) and they are typically due on July 1st. We get together two times a month, usually on Wednesdays. We share food, drinks and ideas at various local restaurants in town, though the Gin Mill has become one of our favorite spots.”
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Of course, if you can’t become a member, there are other ways you can help. Donations are always accepted and volunteering to work during events or town clean-ups is always appreciated. You can find more information at ellicottvillerotary.com or by calling 716-228-7288. Take a look and consider joining this amazing group today. You could be a part of something special!
