IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

The Middletown Rotary Club, in partnership with the Island Interact Club for Teens at the YMCA, is thrilled to kick off our annual coat drive. This year, the Interact Club is leading the way, with our Rotary members proudly supporting their efforts. We’re collecting new and gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves to help keep our neighbors warm this season.

Welcome to Our Club!
 
 
We meet the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Wednesday at 6:30 pm
240 Aquidneck Ave
Middletown, RI 02842
 
Meetings can be attended via Zoom.
If you wish to attend virtually, please email Tom
at least 1-day before the meeting.
 
Bulletins
2023/2024
July 2024 Bulletin
Jul 30, 2024
June Bulletin
Jul 01, 2024
May 2024 Bulletin
May 31, 2024
April 2024 Bulletin
Apr 27, 2024
2024/2025
October 3, 2024 Bulletin
Oct 03, 2024
Our Service & Fundraising Activities

The Middletown Rotary Club works to respond to various local needs. Here’s a sample:

  • Annual Holiday Party at Lucy’s Hearth bringing joy to children and adults in need during the holiday season.

  • Community Clean-ups enhancing our local spaces by keeping them clean and inviting.

  • Daffodil planting beautifying our community one flower at a time.

  • Support to the Martin Luther King Center helping those in need by supporting essential programs.

  • SOS Senior Food Drive ensures that local Seniors receive the care and support they deserve.

  • Annual Spaghetti Dinner for Seniors creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for our senior community.

  • Local Literacy Projects fostering education and literacy within our community.

  • Trees for Middletown Valley Park adding to the natural beauty of our local park.

  • Summer Camp Scholarships empowering children with the opportunity to participate in enriching summer camp experiences.

  • Coat Drive keeps those in need in our community warm during the cold winter months.

  • Maui Fires Relief Fund Support providing immediate assistance and long-term recovery support to the people of Maui.

  • Stepping up to support the Newport Gulls and community baseball.

  • Touring and contributing to the preservation of the Newport Artillery Company.

Our International Activities

The Middletown Rotary Club supports various International charitable initiatives including: 

  • Water for Cambodia Project: Founded by the Middletown Rotary Club in 2002, this initiative builds and installs household biosand water filters, wells, and latrines to safeguard rural communities against waterborne diseases.

  • Polio Eradication: Rotary International’s global efforts have achieved a remarkable 99.9% reduction in Polio cases worldwide, with only two countries still facing endemic cases.

  • The Rotary Foundation: Empowering Rotary members to enhance world understanding, promote goodwill, and work toward peace by improving health, providing quality educa

Recent Speakers
Paul LaFleur - Asst District Governor's Visit

We were thrilled to welcome Paul LaFleur, our Assistant District Governor, at our October 30th meeting! Paul comes from the Bristol Rotary Club, where he has served as President four times over his many years, Paul shared his experiences and some great Rotary wisdom with us.

Reflecting on the challenges of post-COVID rebuilding, Paul shared how the Bristol club tackled membership loss head-on. They focused on two guiding principles to bring members back: “Keep the fun, and help us to help others.”

He explained that rebuilding meant more than just numbers—it was about making everyone feel valued. By listening to each member, breaking up the routine of “the same people doing the same things,” and actively welcoming and engaging new members into club activities right away, the club grew stronger. And their efforts paid off! The Bristol club has proudly added around 20 new members in the last two years.

Beth Richards-Fernandez - ShelterBox

On October 9th, Beth Richards one of our own Middletown Rotarians delivered an insightful presentation on the ShelterBox initiative, explaining how this global effort works and how it assists families displaced from their homes due to disasters and conflicts. Coincidentally, this topic was especially timely, as it was the same evening Hurricane Milton was making landfall on Florida's west coast, reminding us just how crucial ShelterBox’s mission is.

ShelterBox’s goal is to raise awareness about global displacement and provide life-saving shelter and essential tools to families, enabling them to begin rebuilding their homes and lives. While we can’t replace everything lost in a disaster, ShelterBox equips families with the resources to start their own recovery process.

By offering protection from extreme weather, dangerous animals, and disease, ShelterBox ensures that families have a safe space to regroup and rebuild, one step at a time.

Donna Sweet - Principal Middletown HS

Ms. Donna Sweet's Presentation on Career and Tech Education at Middletown High School on September 11, 2024

Ms. Donna Sweet, Principal of Middletown High School (MHS), provided an insightful overview of the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) framework being introduced at the school. This framework is part of a broader effort to reimagine high school education across Rhode Island, with full implementation aimed for 2028.

The new CTE framework focuses on preparing students for both college and career success by aligning education with real-world industry needs. It emphasizes project-based learning and partnerships with local businesses and institutions.

Read more...
Ferass Sammoura - Alzheimer Research

Ferass Sammoura received his PhD in Public Health with a concentration of Environmental Health Sciences from Florida International University (FIU) in 2023. His dissertation research focused on the effects of environmental exposures in neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, Dr. Sammoura focused on the interplay of organochlorine pesticides DDT and DDE in amyloid pathology, relevant to Alzheimer’s disease. His and his collaborators research is the first to ever discover mechanistic links for organochlorine pesticide exposure in Alzheimer’s disease.  Dr. Ferass Sammoura is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University.

Read more...
Meetings & Speakers
Rotary News
Giving Tuesday’s top Rotary clubs share fundraising tips

Members of the Rotary Club of Alpharetta, Georgia, USA, raise funds with a polar plunge.

Elimination round

Cervical cancer can be stopped, and Isabel Scarinci intends to deliver the knockout blow in Alabama

A bridge to unite them

The Rotary Club of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a multiethnic club founded in 2002, rebuilt a bridge that collapsed during the war in the former Yugoslav republic

Rising from the ruins in Turkey

More than a year after powerful earthquakes hit Turkey, Rotary’s relief efforts remain for many a path out of the wreckage

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Middletown
Are you someone who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back.
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Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion...
Rotary Links
Club Executives & Directors
Co-President
Chris Semonelli
President
Angel Gonzalez
Vice President
Jack Haggis
Treasurer
Lois Murray
Secretary
Cori Kilzi
Sergeant-at-Arms
Pat Burke
Membership
Janice Kowalczyk
Public Image
Janice Kowalczyk
Executive Secretary/Director
Chris Semonelli
Club Polio Plus Chair
Guy Harris

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