What’s RYLA? An awesome opportunity for Hammonton area high school juniors

The Hammonton Rotary Club on Aug. 14 heard from three of four students it sponsored to attend a Rotary youth leadership conference known as RYLA on the campus of Stockton University in June. Pictured during the club’s weekly meeting at Rocco’s Townhouse are from left: students Mitchell Asante, Meredith Lambertino, and Alyssa Amos, club Secretary Deana Harold, and club member Jim FitzPatrick. Not pictured is student Tevya Paretti, who also attended the 2017 RYLA conference.

HAMMONTON – There’s a little-known free program that accepts applications from all Hammonton area high school juniors, gives students a head start on their college experience, and might even lead to an internship with a state senator for the right kind of enterprising student.

It’s called RYLA, and every summer the Hammonton Rotary Club sponsors several local students to attend – at no cost to the student.

Rotary to raffle off 2 mountain bikes at Mt. Carmel Festival

Hammonton Rotary Club President Donald DeFiccio, left, and Vice President Tony Pagano will be among the Rotarians selling bicycle raffle tickets during Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel July 11-16.

The Hammonton Rotary Club is raffling off two Trek mountain bikes during the Mt. Carmel Festival to raise money for its charitable projects.

The drawing will take place 11 p.m. Sunday, July 16. The club will have a table set up for ticket sales during feast week, July 11-16.

The purchase of one $5 raffle ticket buys the chance to win one of two 2017 Trek mountain bikes with a retail value of $250 each. 

Hospice looking for Hammonton area volunteers

Hammonton Rotary Club President Donald DeFiccio welcomes Margie Barham of Heartland Hospice to the June 26 meeting of the Hammonton Rotary Club at Rocco’s Townhouse.

HAMMONTON – At any given time Heartland Hospice has a number of patients in Hammonton who rely on the agency’s team of nurses, aides, social workers and volunteers to provide comfort and care in their time of ultimate need.

Making a challenging situation more difficult is the fact that those volunteers come from as far away as Cape May County to tend to local patients because at the moment Heartland has no volunteers in Hammonton.

Brown hands reins over to DeFiccio at 60th Hammonton Rotary installation (video added)

Members of the Hammonton Rotary Club gathered at Rocco’s Townhouse in Hammonton June 5 to swear in a new president and officers for 2017-2018. Pictured from left are Secretary Deana Harold, outgoing President Joe Brown, Sergeant at Arms Mike Brown, newly sworn in President Don DeFiccio, President Elect Karl Wicks, Vice President Tony Pagano, Treasurer Jerry Daunoras, and master of ceremonies for the evening Leo Petetti.

HAMMONTON – A program to plant 100 trees in the coming year and hold a corn maze fundraiser in the fall were among the new programs outlined when the Hammonton Rotary Club held its 60th annual changeover dinner Monday, June 5, at Rocco’s Townhouse House.
The centerpiece of the annual event was the swearing in of a new president for 2017-2018, as outgoing club President Joe Brown turned over the reins to incoming President Don DeFiccio.
Brown detailed the club’s successful fundraisers for 2016-2017, including a beer festival held with the Kiwanis Club at Hammonton Lake Park, a Harley Davidson raffle, the second annual Hammonton Gravy vs Sauce competition, and the club’s signature event, the Homemade Wine Competition, which has become a Hammonton favorite for many.
“Without the hard work and due diligence of our members these events would have never taken place and or have been as successful as they were,” said Brown, wrapping up his second stint as club president.

Hammonton Rotary donation supports mental health, May 20 SADfest benefit show

The Hammonton Rotary Club has donated $250 to SADfest 2017, a local music festival that supports the cause of mental health, suicide prevention and addiction awareness in the community.

A SADfest benefit show will take place 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Disabled American Veterans Hall, 446 S. Egg Harbor Road in Hammonton. The Rotary Club voted to make the donation during its meeting Monday, May 8 at Rocco’s Townhouse,

Money collected from donations, T-shirt sponsorships and other proceeds will be given to the Mental Health Association of Atlantic County, an organization dedicated to improving the mental health of people in the community through advocacy, education and support.

Rotary helping to beautify downtown Hammonton

Joe Brown, president of the Hammonton Rotary Club, presents a check for $200 to Cassie Iacovelli, executive director of MainStreet Hammonton for the purchase of flowers for the downtown at Rotary’s April 17 meeting.

HAMMONTON – The Hammonton Rotary Club welcomed Cassie Iacovelli of MainStreet Hammonton during its weekly meeting Monday, April 17, at Rocco’s Townhouse.

Iacovelli updated Rotary members on MainStreet projects including the spring downtown cleanup and planting event, to which the club voted to make a $200 donation for the purchase of flowers.

Hammonton Rotary donation buys Easter food baskets for the needy

On April 6, 2017, members of the Hammonton Rotary Club presented a $500 check to Ed Muller, director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry, to help purchase Easter food baskets for local families in need this holiday. Pictured from left are Hammonton Rotary Club Treasurer Jerry Daunoras, Muller, student volunteer Meredith Lambertino, Rotarians Bill Donohue and Micky Doto, and Hugh LaMonaca of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

HAMMONTON – Members of the Hammonton Rotary Club presented a $500 donation to the St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry April 6 toward the purchase of Easter food baskets for local families in need.

For several years the Hammonton Rotary Club has supported the St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry, with donations at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and by staffing the operation on the first Thursday night of each month.

Located in St. Lucy Hall, the pantry supplies food to more than 1,200 needy people each month. Volunteers from Rotary and other service organizations team up with the St. Vincent de Paul Society to make sure that hundreds of local families have the basic necessities of life when they need them most.

The food pantry, which is supported by charitable and government contributions, is one of many local charities supported by the Hammonton Rotary Club. That support is made possible through the generosity of area residents who patronize the club’s fundraisers including its recent Homemade Wine Tasting event.