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.

More than 50 contestants pour their all into Hammonton Rotary Club’s 12th Homemade Wine Event

People’s Choice Best of Show was a 2016 semi-sweet New Jersey pomegranate, blueberry, blackberry by Michelle and Megan Storey. Accepting is Mike Storey, left, from Jerry Daunoras, co-chairman of the 2017 Hammonton Rotary Club Homemade Wine Event held April 1 at Hammonton Fire House No. 2.

HAMMONTON – More than 50 talented amateur wine makers went head to head at the 12th annual Hammonton Rotary Club Homemade Wine Event, held April 1 at Hammonton Independent Fire Company No. 2.

Elvins Hall was filled to capacity as wine makers, wine enthusiasts, friends, family and Rotary Club supporters came together to taste the creations, and find out whose wine would be judged the best.

This year’s event featured a record number of entries, with 109 being submitted.

Wines were judged the week before by a panel of 13 wine experts and sommeliers organized by Gary Pavlis, Ph.D., Rutgers University agricultural agent for Atlantic County, who has participated in the every year since it began.

The experts organized the entries into categories or “flights” based on such criteria as dry vs sweet, type of grape or fruit, year of vintage, or the region in which the grape was grown.

Home care expert addresses Hammonton Rotary

Leslie Baruffi, regional manager for Griswold Home Care, is welcomed by Hammonton Rotary Club President Joseph Brown during the club’s weekly meeting Monday, Feb. 6 at Rocco’s Townhouse.

Leslie Baruffi, regional manager for Griswold Home Care, was the guest speaker during the Hammonton Rotary Club’s weekly meeting Monday, Feb. 6 at Rocco’s Townhouse.

Griswold is a national caregiver agency helping people live independently in their home as a less expensive and more comfortable alternative to nursing home care.

Baruffi explained that Griswold’s network of non-medical home care providers offers customized personal care including homemaking and companionship with services that support every level of care from cooking, bathing, and transportation to medical appointments, to 24-hour live-in care supervised by a nurse.

New Interact Club chartered at Hammonton High School

The Hammonton Rotary Club held a chartering ceremony to celebrate the establishment of a new Interact Club at Hammonton High School Jan. 23 in the cafeteria. Pictured from left are Joseph Brown, Hammonton Rotary Club president; Phyllis Mazzeo, Hammonton Rotary’s Interact Club adviser; Ulysses James, Rotary District 7640 governor; Alexandra Guillot, Interact Club president; Teah Daniels, teacher and Interact Club adviser; Mary Crawford, District 7640 Interact chair, and Melanie Druziako, District 7640 youth service director.

HAMMONTON – The Hammonton Rotary Club held a chartering ceremony celebrating the establishment of the Hammonton High School Interact Club Monday, Jan. 23 in the high school cafeteria, opening a new avenue of community service and global perspective to local students.

Sponsored by the Hammonton Rotary Club and Rotary District 7640, The Hammonton High School Interact Club is part of Rotary International’s global network of Interact youth service clubs.  Emphasizing leadership, integrity, helpfulness and respect for others, its members advance goodwill and international understanding by following the motto, “service above self.”

“Interact, the Interact organization and the Rotaract organization (Rotary’s college service club) and Rotary are in the business of making a difference,” said Ulysses James, Rotary District 7640 governor. “These organizations have like-minded people who have all come together for the purpose of making a difference in the world, a positive difference. And when you join Interact you join together with us, and as a group we can make a huge difference.”