serving the communities of Edgewater, Leonia and Palisades Park
and people in communities around the world
Meetings & Speakers
We meet Fridays at 7:30am at the Gotham City Diner for fellowship and to hear from fascinating speakers on a multitude of topics.
Our meetings are open to anyone who wants to learn more about Rotary or is interested in what our speakers have to say.
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Come join us for breakfast.
Visit us from near or far.
Enjoy the company.
Get involved,
Stay as a friend.
Become a member.
Click HERE to see our upcoming speakers and topics.
Local & International Projects
We support our neighbors in need by providing hands on assistance or financial aid either through person-to-person contact or in cooperation with other local charities.
Working together with other Rotary Clubs around the world and Rotary International as well as international aid organizations, we focus on sustainable projects to empower local communities, provide clean drinking water, improve maternal and child health, grow local economies and educate the next generation to build a better future.
Click HERE to learn more about the various local and international project supported by our club.
Hôpital Sacré Cœur
Equiping a neo-natal unit in the maternity ward at the Hôpital Sacré Cœur in Milot, Haiti, is our latest and largest project. In close cooperation with Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ, and the Milot Rotary Club, we are undertaking a major fundraising effort as part of a Rotary International Global Grant with other Rotary Clubs around the wolrd, to bring neo-natal maternity care to the Northern part of Haiti.
Our goals is to raise $110.000.
Members of our club will travel to Haiti to coordinate with local Rotarians, members of the Hôpital Sacré Cœur staff and team leaders of Holy Name Hospital.
Oktoberfest Fundraiser
The annual Leonia Oktoberfest, now in its 26th year, is a fundaising and community event to support our Weekend Snack Pack Project (see HERE) and our other local and international projects.
What started as a backyard celebration of German heritage has, over time, become a town-wide festival with local beers, German food, and great entertainers.
Click HERE to learn more about Oktoberfest and to purchase your advance tickets.
About Our Club
Chartered on Sept. 30, 2009, the Rotary Club of The Palisades joined the over 46,000 clubs in over 200 countries with over 1.4 million members
that make up the Rotary International organization of community service clubs.
From local food and clothing drives our club quickly expanded into bicycle and sewing machine collections for communities in Africa and South America, to disatser relief efforts in cooperation with ShelterBox and biosand water filters in the Dominican Republic. Locally, we are best knowns for
- Weekend Snack Pack Program
- Leonia Oktoberfest
Our latest and most ambitious undertaking is to equip a neo-natal maternity ward at the Hôpital Sacré Cœur in Millot, Haiti, in cooperation with Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck as part of a Rotary global grant project.
We are currently in the grant application phase defining the scope of the project as well as the financial resources required to obtain matching funds from the Rotary International Foundation. We will then move to the fundraising phase in cooperation with Holy Name and other international Rotary clubs. During the build phase we will have opportunities to see our efforts turn into a modern maternity facility with onsite visits.
Current Members
Projects Supported
Paul Harris Fellows
Club Banners
Members of our club have visited other Rotary Clubs all over the world. Fellow Rotarians from all over the world have visited our club.
Rotary connects the world. Rotarians make connections.
Club Officers
Rotary got its name because we rotate officers every year. This Rotary year 2024-25 we are led, guided and inspired by
Michael Hinton
President
Victoria Li
Vice President
Sally Seymour
Secretary
Isaac Park
TreasurerPast Presidents
The following Rotarians have served our club as President and now enjoy the best title in all of Rotary: Past President
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2009-2010 Vicky Li
2010-2011 Vicky Li
2011-2012 David Dolch
2012-2013 Roland Weimer
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2013-2014 Roland Weimer
2014-2015 Carol Karels
2015-2016 Phil Wilson
2016-2017 Rory Sutherland
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2017-2018 Arthur Aranda
2018-2019 Rick Pumo
2019-2020 Sally Seymour
2020-2021 Sally Seymour
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2021-2022 Rory Sutherland
2022-2023 Andee Post
2023-2024 Ester Porras
Speakers
Here you can find a list of past and future speakers at our weekly meetings. Feel free to join us for breakfast and interesting presentations on a vast range of topics.
BluePath provides autism service dogs, offering safety, companionship, and opportunities for independence
Michelle Brier
Blue Path Service Animals
April 18, 2025
Julia will share her passion about scuba diving.
Julia Luis
The Rotarian you never knew
April 25, 2025
Naomi Cruz is a third year PhD student in the Health Systems and Policy concentration at the Rutgers School of Public Health. Her current research centers on adolescent mental health and health disparities, particularly as they relate to youth suicide prevention, developmental disabilities, and eating disorders.
Naomi Cruz
PhD Candidate
May 9, 2025
Presentation on supporting an Interact club at the Cliffside Park high school.
Tracey Blomgren
Interact Sponsor
May 16, 2025
Selin’s Whisper was founded to honor Selin’s life by inspiring kindness early on and championing lasting support through mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and meaningful scholarships.
Molly Gonzalez
Selin’s Whisper Foundation
May 30, 2025
Past Speakers and Subjects
- March 14, 2024 - Brendan Delany, Your Pasture Farm: Building a Regenerative Farm in New Jersey.
- March 21, 2025 - Alan Schultz, Pedals for Progress: Update on the current activities of Pedals for Progress, a charity that collects used bicycles and sewing maching to empower entrepreneurship in developing countries.
- March 28, 2025 - Alyson Raskin, PhD - YOGInquiry - embodied practices to help us increase resilience in our lives
- April 11, 2025 - S. Abraham Ravid, PhD - Sy Syms Professor of Finance, Yeshiva Univeristy - The economics of the Academy Awards
Major Projects
Here are a few examples of some of the major projects supported our club has undertaken.
Local and international projects allow our members to get involved. Be it in raising funds for worthwhile causes at home or abroad or by getting our hands dirty with on-site visits at global grant locations, collecting clothing or bicycles or sewing machines. The more involved we are, the more we can ensure that we are good stewards of the monies we raise and true partners with other clubs and charities.
Weekend Snack Pack Program
Our longest running project is to provide Weekend Snack Packs to children at risk of hunger in oour local elementary schools. Together with the Center for Food Action we distribute snack packs during the school year to ensure they have sufficient food over the weekend at Anna C. Scott elementary school in Leonia, Eleanor Van Gelder and George Washington elementary schools in Edgewater and Lindburgh elementary school in Palisades Park.
Biosand Water Filters
Working in cooperation with the Rotary Clubs of Sterling Heights, Michigan, and Bonoa, Dominican Republic, we helped finance, produce and install bio sand water filters in homes in Bonao, DR. Biosand water filters are gravity fed filters requiring no electricity. With minimal maintenance they provide clean drinking water for a family of six for 15 years before the biosand has to be replaced. Manufactured locally in the Dominican Republic, this project provides clean drinking water and also supports local business.
Pedals for Progress
We have been working with this charity since 2011, collecting no longer needed or wanted bicycles and sewing machines. P4P ships the bicycles and sewing machines to communities in need. The idea is to not only provide transportation or the ability to mend clothing, but to be a catalyst for creating local businesses such as bicycle repair shops and sewing cooperatives.
Roatan Water Projects
The village of Juticalpa on the island of Roatan, Honduras, was in urgent need of reliable clean water for the growing population. The local Rotary Club took the initiative and we joined their effort to refurbish an unused water cistern and built out the water delivery system. The local community created a water board, which collects water fees to ensure the financial sustainability of the project through regular maintenance und upkeep.
Emergency Room Equipment
One of our members, Yaganesh Patel, made a generous donation for a global grant project of the Rotary Club of Dhule Cross Road, India. We were proud to support his efforts in purchasing the equipment for an emergency room in Dhule Charitable Society Hosptal in Dhule, India.
Zero Cavities
We were already connected with the Rotary Club of Bonao through the biosand water filter project. Their president, a dentist, approached us with the idea of procuring the equipment for a mobile dental clinic to bring dental exams to rural communities. The clinic is set up at local schools where many of the pupils have never been seen by a dentist leading to preventable early decay, cavities and tooth loss. Through our efforts children now have access to basic dental care provided free of charge by local dentists.
Inspired? Be inspired. Become Inspired!
More Projects
Over the years, our club has participated in numerous projects, locally and internationally, by raising funds or participating in hands-on activities. Here are some examples:
Local Projects, Charities & Events
Annual Leonia Day community event in Wood Park.
Leonia Day
Leonia
Riverfront cleanup along the shores of the Hudson river with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop.
Riverfront Cleanup
Edgewater
We march each year in the Memorial Day parade to honor those who have served and given their last full measure of devotion so that we may live free.
Memorial Day Parade
Leonia
We collect and distrbute non-perishable food items to local food banks and organizationds that feed the hungry.
Food Drives
Edgewater, Palisades Park, Leonia
We are working for better immigration policy and to provide information about social services, facilitate employment opportunities, develop leadership training and support, and foster positive communication between the workers and the communities in which they live and work.
COFIA
Leonia, Palisades Park
The Community Chest also supports community-building activities such as those provided by arts organizations. Since 1944, the Leonia Community Chest has been proud to support neighbors helping neighbors.
Leonia Community Chest
Leonia
Our Community Dinner Table, a wonderful food bank staffed largely by young Korean-Americans in Palisades Park. Four afternoons a week, they distribute food in the parking area underneath the Palisades Park library. Free. No questions asked. No qualifiers. No one will be turned away.
Our Community Dinner Table
Palisades Park
International Projects & Charities
Mobile ultra-sound system for palliative care team in cooperation with Rotary Club of Miltenberg, Germany.
Hospice & Palliative Care Services
Germany
We have one goal: building a world where there is enough for all.
Our vision is a world where everyone has food, voice and a safe place to call home.
Church World Services
We collected, shipped and distributed school supplies for elementary schools in rural Bonao.
School Supplies
Bonao, Dominican Republic
Kaylie’s Foundation’s mission is to energize and engage Latin American students and their underprivileged communities to transform their lives through the support of school supplies and Educational materials.
Kaylie's Foundation
Guatemala
Tibetan Home of Hope is a home and school for children who would otherwise be abandoned, where young people receive loving care, education, food, shelter, medical attention and the practical foundation needed to develop into independent adults. A vital component to our mission is our dedication to the sustainability of the Tibetan people, their culture and the balance of nature.
Tibetan Home of Hope
Tibet
Our vision is for all women in Africa to have access to healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth and to help eradicate obstetric fistulas.
Freedom from Fistula Foundation
Sierra Leone, Malawi, Madagascar
What’s better than healing a child’s heart? Empowering local doctors and nurses to do it themselves. Gift of Life International creates country-specific strategies depending on the opportunities that exist in each country.
Gift of Life
Ukraine
Transforming lives through mobiliity: Providing free wheelchairs to those in need across the globe.
In memory of our friend PDG Dominic Jengo
Wheelchair Foundation
United Kingdom
To forever improve and transform the lives of children and communities impacted by cleft lip and palate by providing free comprehensive treatment, while training and equipping local teams to sustainably provide quality, long-term care.
Alliance for Smiles
Inspired by the late Rotarian Jerry Kallman and the Rotary Club of Ridgewood, we have supported their efforts by finanzing a school lunch program, provide school supplies, help built a classroom extension and fund a water and hygiene project.
Kenya School Project
Kishermoruak, Maasai Mara, Kenya
Brick by Brick is a nimble, innovative partnership that develops and tests entrepreneurial, inventive approaches to business, healthcare and education.
Brick by Brick
Uganda
Everyone deserves a place to call home. It is a human right and the first step towards recovery after disaster. Our club has supported several disaster relief efforts. One of our members has served as district ambassador to help raise awareness and funds.
Shelterbox
Join the People of Action
If you want to make a difference in the lives of people, locally or around the world, join our club of fun-loving do-gooders of all ages.
Come Join Us Donate NOW
Things You Never Knew About Rotary
Here are a couple of Rotary trivia and interesting factoidsyou may not know about Rotary. Enjoy!
What is Rotary?
Rotary is an international service organization founded in 1905 by Paul Harris, a Chicago attorney. It has grown into a global network of more than 35,000 clubs with over 1.2 million members in almost every country in the world.
What is Rotary's motto?
Service Above Self
What are Rotary's areas of focus?
Rotary is dedicated to seven areas of focus to build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world.
The seven areas of focus are:
Promoting Peace
Fighting Disease
Providing Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
Saving Mothers and Children
Supporting Education
Growing Local Economies
Protecting the Environment
In 1916, the first non-English speaking Rotary Club was chartered in what Country?
El Club Rotario de la Habana, Cuba
Forty-nine active Rotarians gathered in San Francisco, USA, in 1945-46 to help world leaders draft what?
The Charter of the United Nations
What role does Rotary play at the United Nations?
Rotary holds the highest consultative status offered to a nongovernmental organization by the UN’s Economic and Social Council, which oversees many specialized UN agencies. The Rotary Representative Network maintains and furthers its relationship with several UN bodies, programs, commissions, and agencies. This network consists of Rotary International representatives to the United Nations and other organizations.
What is the oldest program of the Rotary International Foundation?
Ambassador Scholarships have been awarded since 1947.
What is the largest program of our Rotary Foundation based on total annual expenditures?
PolioPlus Eradication Program. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease.
How many US Presidents have been Rotarians?
Five. Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford
Which of the following were Rotarians? A) Albert Schweitzer. B) Orville Wright. C) Margaret Thatcher. D) Neil Armstrong. E) Winston Churchill
All of them.
What country has the second largest number of Rotarians?
India with more than 150,000 Rotarians.
What was the first Rotary Club community project?
“Comfort Stations” in downtown Chicago. Public restrooms were typically found only in saloons at that time, and unaccompanied women were not allowed in saloons.