Welcome to our Club!
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is proud to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the Parkinson’s Unity Walk in Central Park on April 27, 2024.
Every year, thousands gather in New York City’s Central Park for an event that is more than just a walk.
100% of the funds raised go directly to Parkinson’s research and public policy priorities. Last year, this community raised over $975,000 for Parkinson’s research and policy with an additional $1 million dollar-for-dollar match from Connie and Steve Ballmer. All of this culminated in the largest amount ever fundraised at the Parkinson’s Unity Walk in a single year: nearly $2 million!
The Liberty Rotary is excited to announce that we will be participating in the Parkinson’s Unity Walk. Not only will members participate in the Unity Walk in Central Park, but members will also participate virtually by walking on the Hurleyville Rail Trail on April 27th at 10:30am.
Let’s unite and raise awareness in supporting Parkinson’s disease research. You can support this cause by participating in a $10 Raffle. The contents of the basket are valued at $275. Please contact a Liberty Rotarian or Venmo @Alyssa-Thalmann.
The Liberty Rotary Club decided to switch gears for an evening and indulge in the culinary delights prepared by the The Catskill Hospitality Institute at SUNY Sullivan. Led by Master Chef Fay, the talented students showcased their skills with exquisite appetizers, a sumptuous main course, and an array of desserts that were both delectable and visually stunning.
Also, part of our evening was our guest speaker Courtney Mish, the Development Manager for the ALS Therapy Development Institute. Courtney spoke of the impact ALS has on so many and the current lack of significant treatments or a cure. She further explained how her organization has a team of dedicated scientists working day and night to beat this dreaded neurological disease.
We want to extend our sincere gratitude to The Catskill Hospitality Institute at SUNY Sullivan and to Courtney for making our evening with the Liberty Rotary Club so unforgettable and meaningful. The cuisine surpassed our expectations, and the students showcased remarkable talent and professionalism. Courtney's dedication to battling ALS was truly inspiring. Additionally, our members thoroughly enjoyed the chance to bond over a fantastic meal and each other's company.
Liberty Rotary Club is honored and delighted to be chosen for the Jeff Bank Community Service Award of $1,000 as a result of our fundraising efforts for this year's W.S.U.L. Heart-A-Thon. Thank you to Jeff Bank for their commitment to our community and to everyone that made this year's Heart-A-Thon a great success!
Liberty Rotarians are pawssionate about animals. On March 10th, Liberty Rotary Club hosted a St. Pawtrick's Day pawty to benefit Catskill Animal Rescue. The event was very well attended and raised the impressive sum of over $4,400, which is no small amount of kibble. Imagine the pawsibilities of all the good that can be done with that much money assisting our four legged friends.
Thank you so much to all those that worked to make this event a success, including our generous sponsors, Bridge and Tunnel Brewery, all those that assisted from Liberty Rotary Club, and our guests. Also thanks to all our canine friends that came out to make the event really special. Right meow we're all feeling great about such a pawsitive experience!
Check out the pictures from this pawsome event:
No matter how strong your commitment to a cause, one might question if you were willing to throw yourself into frigid waters to support it. However, Team "Strike Out Alz" is so committed to eradicating Alzheimer's and assuring assistance to those afflicted with this dreaded disease, that they jumped into wintry waters not once, but two times to raise funds. The end product of their fundraising efforts produced the incredible sum of over $16,000 to help in this quest to Strike Out Alzheimer's. Thank you to everyone that was crazy enough to make these jumps and to all that made contributions. Liberty Rotary Club members that were on the team included Terry Grafmuller, Beth Bernitt, Hope Blecher, Jonathan Gavin(Representing Meg Gavin), Theresa Grafmuller, Jaime Schmeiser, Alyssa Thalmann and Jessica Thalmann Osterhout. Non-Rotarian members of the team included: Susan Bunce, Lance Castillo, Marcia Fink, Carmin Ribaudo, Erika Ribaudo, and Robert Schwartz.
Congratulations to all those at Liberty Central Schools that created and hosted the "All Things Liberty Winter Festival". Hundreds of community members came out to participate in games, karaoke, craft activities and other interesting pursuits. Additionally, there were vendors of food and unique items for sale. Liberty Rotary Club brought along some games to add to the fun, at which people young and old could show their skills at traditional carnival games like ring toss, football throwing, bean bag hurling, and the ever popular toilet tissue toss. Liberty Rotary Club was proud to be there and support this wonderful event. Thanks to all our volunteers and our awesome community kids, who were well behaved, polite and a very fun group with whom to spend the day.
The 46th annual W.S.U.L. Heart-A-Thon was once again an incredible success, which over the years has raised over three million dollars. The community gave extremely generously to support a healthier Sullivan County.
The majority of our members participated in raising funds for this event. Fundraising efforts included assisting in distribution and collection of heart cards throughout the area, selling hearts at Resorts World Catskills, participation in the "From the Heart" performance, purchasing meals on Hearty Meal Thursday, seeking direct contributions, and so much more. Members of our club that served on the Heart-A-Thon Committee include Gary Siegel, Judy Siegel, Joanna Gass, Paul Ciliberto and our almost member, Monticello Rotarian Les Kristt.
Thank you to everyone that made this event so successful and for your tireless efforts!
Organizations associated with this event include: Garnet Health Catskills, Sullivan 180, A Single Bite, STEAMFund.org and Bold Gold Media. All of these groups are committed to bringing heart health to our region.
The February 5th "From The Heart" performance was a great success, with featured artist and fellow Rotarian Joanna Gass, along with Monticello Rotarian Chris Spinner, both backed by the Search & Rescue Orchestra. Comics Jesse Gambino and Keith Prince entertained the crowd and the food provided by Foster Supply Hospitality was outstanding. The event raised an outstanding $2,180 for the Heart-a-Thon! Thank you to all the volunteers, the performers who donated their time, and all those that came out to support this event.
A number of Liberty Rotarians took the plunge to raise funds to fight Alzheimer's on January 20th. Frigid temperatures did not stop this dedicated (and a bit looney) group from jumping into White Lake on a day that never made it out of the mid teens in temperature. Team Strike Out Alz donned their bowling pin and bowling ball outfits to make a splash in bringing attention to the painful impact that Alzheimer's makes on so many. Through their efforts, thousands of dollars has been raised to Strike Out Alzheimer's. Thank you to these amazing and chilly individuals for this exceptional fundraiser.
Liberty Rotary purchased the 3rd and final gift for Sullivan County Office of the Aging Meals on Wheels Seniors who are home bound. The gift they received for this round was LED flashlights, with an inspiring poem. We are hopeful that this simple gift will assure many seniors that they are in our thoughts at this busy time of year.
Seniors are often forgotten and many have few visitors. In 2023 we were able to reach out to 167 seniors in Sullivan County and brighten their lives by delivering 3 gifts throughout the year.
Our club was very fortunate to receive a $4000 grant from the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan to fund this project. We thank the foundation and all those that worked to make this project possible for our seniors.
Liberty Rotary Club has been serving meals at the Interfaith Food Pantry for many years. Through this effort, we provide a quality meal, in a warm and inviting atmosphere, to those that would like to attend. Our club does four to five dinners per year. Other organizations in the area fill in the rest of the calendar. The dinner on December 20th was very well attended and the chicken parmigiana, baked ziti, salad, dessert and gift/snack bags all seemed appreciated. The event seemed to be brimming with holiday cheer. Thanks to all that assisted in the preparation and serving of this important community service.
On December 16th, Liberty Rotary Club held one of its triannual Dollar and Coin Drops in Liberty, NY. The weather was outstanding and the mood merry as a large number of our club members came out to extend our buckets to the community in the hopes that they would offer their dollars and coins. As usual, our neighbors gave strong support of the work we do. The event raised about $1,300 to assist us in our mission of doing good and making positive change in the world. Thanks to everyone that came out and dropped money in our containers and to all that assisted in the collection.
Liberty Rotary Club is delighted to welcome our two newest members, Bethany Foxworth and Jodie Jackson, who were inducted on Wednesday, 12/6/23. Barbi Neumann Marty presided over their induction. Judy Siegel was the sponsor of these two exceptional additions to the group. Shown in the first photo, from left to right, are Barbi, Bethany, Judy and Jodie. We all look forward to working with Bethany and Jodie to make our world better!
Liberty Rotary Club could not be prouder of our member, Barbi Neumann-Marty, who this week received the SYDA Foundation Community Service Award 2023.
Barbi is a long term member of our club and involved in a great many committees and initiatives. She has also served as a member of the club board for many years. She has dedicated her life to giving all she can to improve the circumstances of others. Barbi is a great person and a great Rotarian.
She is the senior unit director of the Town of Wallkill Boys and Girls Club, which serves North Orange and Sullivan counties. She is also a community-based provider for the Children’s Home and a member of the board of CARE.
Barbi was honored at a ceremony held at the Sullivan County Government Center on November 15. She gave a heartwarming speech about family, community and the power of putting "service above self".
Barbi Neumann-Marty is exceptionally worthy of this recognition. Her dedication to the community and her endless contribution of time to help so many is incredible.
Congratulations to Barbi for this honor, of which you are so deserving.
Shown below are the Rotarians there were able to be present for Barbi's Award Ceremony.
We can't thank our sponsors enough for their incredible generosity in supporting the Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Tasting. Your assistance will allow us to offer a great many scholarships and for "A Single Bite" to serve meals to a tremendous number of community members.
The Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Tasting on Friday, November 3rd was an awesome event. The Arnold House proved to be an ideal location for the event, facilitating great efficiency and comfort to allow for our guests to eat, drink and be merry. Thank you to the committee that put the event together, all those that obtained sponsors and guests, everyone that made donations, those that cooked, our servers, and everyone that worked to make this evening a great win for our scholarship fund and “A Single Bite”. Additional thanks to all the purveyors of food and drink that offered a wide array of tastings to suit anyone’s palate. Extreme thanks to Foster Supply Company for donating their location, staff and hospitality to make this event possible.
This year's Liberty Rotary Club Coat Drive and Distribution was even more successful than one could have imagined. A large crowd arrived early at our October 28th distribution event, which featured about 500 coats to choose from and hundreds of children's outfits. Liberty Rotarians assisted the patrons and helped them find the sizes and styles that suited them best. Coats moved out rapidly and virtually everyone that attended was able to get outerwear to assure their families would be able to keep warm this winter. By the end of the event only 5 coats remained. Most of the children's outfits had been claimed as well.
Thank you so very much to all those that donated and collected coats to make this event possible. Additional thanks to all the Rotarians that donated, collected, organized, set-up and assisted customers at this exceptionally important and rewarding event. Thanks to your exceptional efforts, a tremendous number of our community members are going to be kept warm this winter.
Our club participated in the 2023 Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Montgomery, NY. Team Liberty Rotary raised $1319 to support this worthy cause. Thank you to everyone that contributed to this fundraising effort and to those that joined in the event. A little rain did not dampen the spirits of Team Rotary, who completed the walk and placed the symbolic pinwheel flowers in the “Garden of Hope”
Shown below are our team members flanked by members of other participating Rotary Clubs. Also shown are the "Garden of Hope" and the opening ceremony.
It is wonderful that we can blend supporting good causes with fellowship.
On Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 the Liberty Rotary Club hosted a Community Dinner at the Interfaith Food Pantry. Attendance was good and our club had numerous members there to prepare the food and serve it to those that needed a good hot meal.
Our club has been participating in this important community service for many, many years and will host three more dinners this year. (Other local organizations take turns creating these weekly dinners.)
Shown below are two of our members serving up the very cheesy meal of beef or vegetarian enchiladas. Note the great care and teamwork these committed professionals put into plating the entree, as presentation is so very important for delivering tasty food. The meal also featured a green salad, rice with beans and chocolate cake.
Thanks to The Interfaith Food Pantry for keeping this important service going. Additional thanks to everyone that showed up to prepare and serve our neighbors.
Liberty Rotary Club is honored to be recognized as a Friend of the Town of Wallkill Boys and Girls Club.
We greatly value the friendship we share with The Boys and Girls Club because they offer safe spaces for the children in our community to learn essential life lessons, and to become more successful students, better citizens, healthier human beings and finer stewards of our planet. Furthermore, they assure these young people have a network of caring adults to help them get through the difficult and complex challenges of growing up in a world that is filled with tremendous obstacles.
As Rotarians, we try to live our professional and personal lives in accordance with the Four-Way Test. The first question is “Is It the Truth”. The Boys and Girls Club promotes honesty and integrity. Second, “Is It Fair to All Concerned”. Your organization promotes fair play and equality, inside the club and the wider community. Third, “Will it Build Good Will and Better Friendships”. The Boys and Girls Club is all about relationships to make the passage from childhood to adulthood a more positive and enjoyable experience. And fourth, “Will it Be Beneficial to All Concerned”. The Boys and Girls Club is dedicated to providing equity, inclusion and supports to everyone associated with their organization and others in need.
For all these reasons, and more, we are proud to be partners with and good friends of The Town of Wallkill Boys and Girls Club. It is our goal to maintain this relationship well into the future.
We greatly value the friendship we share with The Boys and Girls Club because they offer safe spaces for the children in our community to learn essential life lessons, and to become more successful students, better citizens, healthier human beings and finer stewards of our planet. Furthermore, they assure these young people have a network of caring adults to help them get through the difficult and complex challenges of growing up in a world that is filled with tremendous obstacles.
As Rotarians, we try to live our professional and personal lives in accordance with the Four-Way Test. The first question is “Is It the Truth”. The Boys and Girls Club promotes honesty and integrity. Second, “Is It Fair to All Concerned”. Your organization promotes fair play and equality, inside the club and the wider community. Third, “Will it Build Good Will and Better Friendships”. The Boys and Girls Club is all about relationships to make the passage from childhood to adulthood a more positive and enjoyable experience. And fourth, “Will it Be Beneficial to All Concerned”. The Boys and Girls Club is dedicated to providing equity, inclusion and supports to everyone associated with their organization and others in need.
For all these reasons, and more, we are proud to be partners with and good friends of The Town of Wallkill Boys and Girls Club. It is our goal to maintain this relationship well into the future.
Liberty Rotary Club had a number of guest speakers at our meeting on 9/27/23.
Our first speakers were members of the local scout troop for girls. Sophia Ferguson and Elaina-Louise Ramirez told us of the hard work they have put in to learn skills and earn merit badges. They also spoke of how much they enjoyed the experience of being a scout. Elaina recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout! Her Eagle Scout Project made improvements to building access at Hanofee Park in Liberty. These improvements make facilities accessible to everyone, including those who may be physically challenged.
Our second set of speakers included Sullivan County’s Poet Laureate - Dr. Sharon Kennedy-Nolle and her Ambassador – Mykenzi. Dr. Kennedy-Nolle spoke of how she shares her passion for poetry with our youth and the myriad of benefits people receive from the experience. Her desire to share this art form and encourage young people to find their voice through poetry is impressive. Mykenzi shared a poem that she wrote, which was quite powerful and delivered with great conviction.
Our final speaker was Theresa Sareo. Theresa is a singer-songwriter who has overcome much trauma in her life. She was visiting our area to present a program called Alive Again. Through the program, she offers students the opportunity to express their own ideas regarding compassion, empathy, kindness, respect and their aspirations in life in reference to disabilities and acceptance. Programs were to be held at Liberty Schools and RJK Middle School in Monticello.
All of our guests delivered powerful messages about the amazing things our youth can accomplish. Their desire to help teens discover their untapped potential was truly inspiring. We thank them for the work that they do and for sharing their stories with our club.
The September 8th Dance to Benefit The Special Olympics was one awesome party! Sponsored by the Liberty Rotary Club, guests from New Hope Community and The Arc Greater Hudson Valley joined many members of our club and community people to dance the night away and enjoy each other's company. Justice Mazzotti of Prestige productions volunteered his time and played a great mix of music to keep the crowd dancing and singing along.
Thank you to everyone that planned and worked at the event. Special thanks to all our neighbors that joined the party to make it such a memorable evening!
Our community has once again shown its support of the good work Liberty Rotary Club does. At our coin drop held on 9/2/23 passers-by dropped over $1,100 into our buckets to allow us to continue helping our community. Thank you to all the generous donors and to the Rotarians that came out on this beautiful Labor Day weekend Saturday to do your part.
Liberty Rotary Club was honored to have District 7210 Governor Peter Sullivan be our guest speaker at our 8/23/23 meeting. He commended our club for setting and reaching multiple goals in the quest to do good for others. He also encouraged our club to embrace this year's initiative to raise awareness of mental health needs, to eliminate the stigma associated with needing assistance with emotional health, and to work to improve access to mental health services. We are always delighted to have Peter visit our club and appreciate his incredible dedication to assisting Rotary clubs throughout the district "Create Hope in the World".
Liberty Rotary Club was delighted to host the August 16th Region 5 Meeting and Barbecue. It was great to meet with our neighboring clubs and find out all the great work being done throughout our Region to perform "service above self".
We also had a great presentation by Gregg Korner about Rotary's efforts locally and across the country to combat Alzheimer's Disease and our role in the forthcoming Walk Against Alzheimer's.
Thanks to all that attended, those that ran the meeting, and all those that prepared and served our meal.
A number of Liberty Rotarians participated in this year's Monticello Rotary Monster Walk and Run. Our club was a $500 sponsor of the event and also raised about $600 in additional funds to support our veterans. We thank Monticello Rotary Club for hosting a great event that does so much good for the people in our community. Thanks to all the Liberty Rotary Club members that came out to be part of the fun on a beautiful day.
This year's Liberty Rotary Club scholarship recipients joined our club on 7/5 for a celebration of their accomplishments. These impressive 2023 Liberty High School graduates have big plans and exciting goals, and we are delighted to be able to assist them in achieving these aspirations. During the meeting, students were presented with their checks and given the opportunity to share a bit about themselves and their course of study, including the colleges they will attend.
The Scholarship Committee did an outstanding job identifying Liberty High's best and brightest and we thank them for their time and efforts.
Below are a number of pictures of our recipients that attended the event as well as some photos of members and guests that were in attendance of this ceremony.
Liberty Rotary Club was proud to present scholarships to a number of students who graduated this year from Liberty High School and Sullivan County BOCES. These impressive young people show tremendous promise and their futures look very bright! We wish them the very best in their forthcoming endeavors. Thank you to the Liberty Rotary Scholarship Committee for the time they spent reading applications, evaluating the merits of all the students that applied and choosing the finest candidates to receive these awards.
We were also fortunate to send two impressive students, who finished their sophomore year, to the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, which is a leadership development program. This multi-day experience helps students develop the confidence and interactive skills to become our future leaders. Thanks to the RYLA Committee for selecting our best and brightest to attend.
Below, please find a listing of each scholarship recipient and the generous donors that helped make these scholarships possible.
Liberty Rotarians were proud to represent our club at this year's Liberty July 4th Parade. The weather stayed good just long enough to march in honor of our great country. Thanks to those that organized the event for including us in this Independence Day celebration! Additional appreciation to those that represented our club in the march and all those community members that came out to see the parade and support the Liberty merchants.
On Saturday, July 1 our club held a dollar and coin drive to support many causes and initiatives. In true Sullivan County style, passers-by gave generously by clearing out the change in their console or offering dollars from their wallets. The event raised $1,300 for charity. Thank you to all that worked at that event and to the many people that helped fill our buckets.
This year’s Rotary District 7210 End of the Year Celebration was an exciting evening for Liberty Rotary Club.
Gary Siegel was inducted into the Rotary District 7210 Hall of Fame. Those who know Gary are aware that his commitment to all things Rotary is exceptional, and that he has dedicated countless hours to improving the lives of our neighbors near and far. We are so very proud to have Gary as a member of our club and for all the amazing work that he does. His entry into the Hall of Fame is extremely well deserved. We offer him our sincere appreciation and congratulations!
Additionally, Jack Strassman was sworn in for another year as the District 7210 – Region 5 Assistant District Governor. Jack also exemplifies an incredible commitment to our club and “service above self”. His tireless efforts make a huge difference in the ability of the clubs of Region 5 to accomplish their lofty goals.
Our club also received a “Grow Rotary” certificate. Our Membership Committee, chaired by Judy Siegel, has been dedicated to assuring they bring in the finest people to make Liberty Rotary Club an exceptional group of individuals that can make big things happen. Thank you to the committee and all those members that have joined our ranks to do good in the world.
On June 28th, the Liberty Rotary Club held its Member Longevity Celebration and induction of the incoming executive board for the 2023-24 Rotary year.
The evening, with a 1960's theme, featured many important moments. Highlights are listed below:
1. Dedication of the newly renovated kitchen in the Charlie Topper Rotary Pavilion at Hanofee Park. Supporters of this renovation were our club, Resorts World Catskills, The Town of Liberty Parks and Recreation Department and Dave Thomson. We thank all those that contributed to this great project. Dave Thomson, a former long term member of Liberty Rotary Club left some funds to our club after his passing. Dave was a huge supporter of making improvements to our local parks and a connoisseur of good food. It seemed appropriate that some of his generous donation be used to improve the park kitchen and that he be noted on the commemorative plaque.
2. In what we believe will be an annual tradition, members were recognized for their years of service to Rotary. Members with five or more years of service were given pins to recognize their milestone years of longevity in increments of 5. Each rotary pin had a special commemorative tag to recognize the long term contributions of the recipients. Below are some pictures of some of the members receiving their pins.
3. As each Rotary year begins, another is ending. The past year has been served by a great board under the direction of President Terry Grafmuller. Terry did an exceptional job of running meetings, coordinating events and keeping all things running well. We thank him for his leadership and commitment to our causes. We further thank all those that served on the board to provide judicious decisions to keep our club growing and vibrant.
4. The Liberty Rotary Year 2023-2024 will be a bit different, because it will be the first time our group will have co-presidents. Last night Co-Presidents Bill Silver and Gary Silverman were inducted to the role. They look forward to continuing the incredible momentum that our club has been building for many years. Shown below are Gary, Bill and District Governor Peter Sullivan.
5. Also inducted was an outstanding board of directors. Shown below are: Director Jack Strassman, Secretary Tony Sinacore, Immediate Past President Mr. Terry Grafmuller, Director Meg Gavin, Vice-President Gary Siegel, Treasurer Matt Sush, and Sergeant at Arms Barbi Neumann Marty. Additional executives include Alyssa Thalmann and Jessica Thalmann-Osterhout who were not available for this event. Incoming District 7210 Governor Peter Sullivan presided over the induction ceremony. We thank all board members for donating their time and efforts to making the forthcoming year productive, fun, and full of opportunities to provide "Service Above Self".
6. Beyond all the other exciting moments, we were delighted to welcome two new members to our club last night, Hope Blecher-Croney and Beth Bernitt. Shown are Hope with her mentor Matt Sush (left) and Beth with her Mentor Barbara Blakey. We were fortunate to have incoming District 7210 Governor Peter Sullivan(right) perform the induction ceremony. We are all looking forward to Hope and Beth joining us in doing good in this world.
Thanks to all that contributed to making this evening a success. As we begin the 2023-24 Rotary year, the future looks very bright.
For 70 years, the members of the Liberty Rotary Club have been dedicated to doing their parts to make the community a better place. Our 2022-23 campaign was a memorable one under the leadership of President Terry Grafmuller, Presidents-Elect Dr. William Silver and Gary Silverman, Vice President Gary Siegel, Treasurer Matthew Sush, Secretary Dan Parkhurst, Sergeant-at-Arms Barbi Neumann-Marty and Directors Dan Berkowicz, Fay Cerullo, Charlie Mangini and Joseph Abraham.
The board authorized over $70,000 in donations to local causes this year, and the state of membership is strong, especially with the new additions of Susan Haas-Zelinski, Michelle Quick, Alyssa and Jessica Thalmann, Merri White, Hope Blecher Croney and Beth Bernitt.
Here’s a summary of some of the club’s larger efforts! (Note: They could not be done without the support of our partners and the community-at-large)
Traditions continue
Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Fundraiser: Named after late Liberty Rotarian and educator Dave Thomson, this event allows attendees to try locally-produced spirits, beer and wine and raises money for our club’s scholarship fund and efforts to support the fight against food insecurity. This year, we raised approximately $10,000 to fund scholarships for 15 students and $7,000 to benefit local non-profit, A Single Bite.
Hummingbird Awards/Paul Harris Fellows honored: Our club once again honored several Rotarians and community members doing their part to make their home and the greater world a better place, at a luncheon in April. Funds raised benefit our club’s Haiti Clean Water Project. This year, approximately $5,200 was raised to help with our efforts in Haiti
Disaster Preparedness and Relief: Through this Committee, our Club responds to disasters and assists in preparing communities for the next disaster. This past year, we donated money to assist those affected by the conflict in Ukraine, and we distributed solar lights (which can charge mobile devices), water filtration systems, and non-perishable food items in Puerto Rico, less than one week before Hurricane Fiona hit. We are also working on a Rotary Club Preparedness Plan for the Rotary Clubs in District 7000 (which encompasses all of Puerto Rico), so that they can work together to prepare their communities for the next hurricane or earthquake.
Feeding the community: Once a month, our club purchases food and prepares/serves dinners at the Interfaith Food Pantry, providing a good meal to those in the community who need it. We also hold several coin drops, with proceeds benefiting several different local pantries. Furthermore, our club often assists A Single Bite on Thursdays, with members delivering meals the non-profit has prepared to local families in the Liberty area.
Coat Drive: In conjunction with Rotary District 7210’s Warming the Hudson Valley initiative that takes place each fall, our club held its annual coat drive in September. We once again setup in front of the Liberty Senior Center and gave away hundreds of coats, gloves and clothes to local families and residents that needed them.
Combating Alzheimer’s: Several members have participated in events put on by the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter. In September, a group of Liberty Rotarians traveled to Montgomery for the Orange/Sullivan Walk to End Alzheimer’s. In January, the Subzero Heroes’ team Strike Out Alz, which featured seven Liberty Rotarians, held the first ever Freeze for a Cure event on White Lake, as a warmup … figuratively speaking … to the Chapter’s larger event in Berean Lake in February. When all was said and done, Team Strike Out Alz raised $14,000 the most of any team in the Hudson Valley.
Supporting Bold Gold Media NY fundraisers: Each year the generosity of our community is on display during two major fundraisers led by Bold Gold Media Group – the WSUL 98.3 Heart-A-Thon and Thunder 102 Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon. Several members of our club take great pride in distributing hearts and boot cards across the county, as well as supporting events that generate proceeds for it. This year the Radiothon and Heart-A-Thon raised $123,783 and $103,198 respectively.
Hanofee Park upgrades: One of our long-term initiatives has been the improvement of the Liberty Rotary Club Charlie Topper Pavilion at Hanofee Park. This year, our Parks Committee, in collaboration with the Town of Liberty Parks and Rec department, got new LED lighting installed at the pavilion, repaired the perimeter of its asphalt pad and poles adding support to the roof, as well as repaired the pavilion sign. The kitchen was also renovated and now boasts a new and higher concrete floor to prevent rain incursions, has new counters for added flexibility and cleanliness, two new stoves and a water heater.
New initiatives
Special Olympics Dance: Last July, our club held its first annual Dance Benefitting the Special Olympics. It raised $1,400, but more importantly it was an inclusive event with members of our club and the community, as well as those New Hope Community and Arc of the Greater Hudson Valley support, dancing the night away together.
Engaging Seniors: Our club’s Jannetta MacArthur has spearheaded a partnership with the Sullivan County Office for the Aging on the Community Friends Engaging Seniors project, which is funded by a Rotary District 7210 grant. Gifts for over 150 members of our elderly population in an effort to let them know that someone is thinking about them. Many seniors deal with a great sense of isolation, so this granted program is devising ways to reach out to the group as a whole to assure no one feels forgotten.
CARE-oke: Last fall, our club held its first CARE-oke for Catskill Animal Rescue event. It was a fun afternoon filled with some classic tunes and truly unforgettable performances, which most importantly, raised $1,200 that will benefit several of our furry friends at the Ferndale-based rescue.
Clothing Shed: Our club recently partnered with St. Pauly Textile Inc. to sponsor a used clothing shed, currently located by Panda Parlor on State Route 52 in Liberty. St. Pauly Textile Inc. will use the items for charitable purposes, and through the partnership, our club will receive a monthly host fee that will support our various community projects. If you wish to donate clothing items, please make sure they are bagged and tied. There is a QR code near the drop chute with tax deduction information!
Want to learn more? Anyone is welcome to attend a Liberty Rotary meeting. We meet on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at Yiasou Greek Restaurant from September-June and at Hanofee Park in July and August. You can also check back here at our website, https://libertynyrotary.org/ and follow us on Facebook and Instagram, to learn more
Our club is partnering with St. Pauly Textile Inc. to sponsor this used clothing shed, currently located by Panda Parlor on State Route 52 in Liberty.
St. Pauly Textile Inc. will use the items for charitable purposes, and through the partnership, our club will receive a monthly host fee that will support our various community projects.
We ask that donated clothing items are bagged and tied. There is a QR code near the drop chute with tax deduction information!
St. Pauly Textile Inc. will use the items for charitable purposes, and through the partnership, our club will receive a monthly host fee that will support our various community projects.
We ask that donated clothing items are bagged and tied. There is a QR code near the drop chute with tax deduction information!
The Community Friends Engaging Seniors project prepared gifts for over 150 members of our elderly population in an effort to let them know that someone is thinking about them. Many seniors deal with a great sense of isolation, so this granted program is devising ways to reach out to the group as a whole to assure no one feels forgotten.
Corn bags were chosen as a gift for recipients because they seemed fitting for seniors who have arthritis and/or other pain. They can be heated in the microwave or placed in the freezer to be used as a warm or cool pack. These corn bags were hand made and the material was chosen to be fitting for men and women. They distributed 55 made for male seniors, and 102 made for female seniors. These were handmade in Tennessee. They were packaged individually in gift bags with instructions on use, as well as a letter and poem, which was included in the gift bags. These gifts were delivered to the Sullivan County Office For the Aging Nutrition site. The Office For the Aging delivered each gift bag to every senior who participates in the Meals on Wheels program.
Special thanks to Liberty Rotarian and Program Chair - Jannetta MacArthur who coordinated purchase of the items and coordinated getting them to The Office for the Aging. Additional thanks to Hope Silverman for assisting in packaging and The Office for the Aging for connecting the group to our local seniors and delivery.
Three members of our club’s Disaster Relief Committee - Gary Siegel, Gary Silver and Irving Kaplan - attended the VOAD Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
They made some very good connections with people from PR VOAD & FEMA and are going to be the connectors between Rotary District 7000 and those organizations.
Liberty Rotary Club honored those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country on Memorial Day by participating in the commemorative events on Monday, May 29th. We were proud to participate in this year's parade and ceremony that pays tribute to our fallen soldiers.
Liberty Rotary Club was proud to assist Thunder 102 and Bold Gold Media at the 12th Annual Thunder 102 Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon! The event raised $123,783 to help give children's cancer the boot. Thanks to Thunder 102 for giving our club the opportunity to be part of such an important cause.
Monticello, Liberty, and Livingston Manor Rotary Clubs joined forces to create and host the first ever Wellness Experience. The day featured a blood drive, a wide array of wellness agencies from our region and numerous activities to promote healthy living in Sullivan County.
Special thanks to all the Wellness Agencies who collaborated with us to make this event a success. Further appreciation to Assemblymember Aileen Gunther, Dr. Bill Silver, and Meliss Stickle Director of Community Services for participating with Lori Orestaon-James in the Opening (well recieved) Panel Discussion on the Stigma and State of Mental Health and Wellness. Lianna Maniace, Pedro Tween, Marty Colavito, and Tom Bosket hosted fabulous workshop sessions that were well received by those that attended.
New York Blood Center collected 28 viable pints of greatly needed blood.
Thank you to all that pitched in to make this day possible, including the Wellness Experience Planning Committee. Further thanks to Resorts World Casino for their hospitality and promotion of the event.
LIBERTY –– The Liberty Rotary Club (LRC) recently held their eighth annual Hummingbird Award and Paul Harris Fellow Luncheon in the Liberty High School Cafeteria.
LRC honored Barbi Neumann-Marty, Joanne Gerow, Sharon Toney-Finch of the YIT Foundation, Denise Lombardi, Dr. Ron Israelski, Doug Smith and the Sullivan Public Library Alliance (SUPLA) as the newest “hummingbirds,” while Greg Goldstein, Lori Orestano-James and Theresa Grafmuller were honored as Paul Harris Fellows.
Also, longtime educator and Liberty Rotarian Jack Strassman was recognized as the first recipient of the “Golden Hummingbird Award.”
LRC’s Hummingbird Award recognizes those doing their part to make their community a better place, while the Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals as outstanding Rotarians and/or community leaders who have demonstrated the Four Way Test and performed “service above self.”
All funds raised at the luncheon will benefit the Liberty Rotary Club’s Haiti Clean Water Project, which was established to provide necessary supplies and support to the over 1,000 Haitian families that have received water filtration systems as a result of a global grant from the Rotary Foundation. These systems are providing healthy, clean, potable water to thousands of men, women and children in Cap Haitien.
Our club was happy to team up with Monticello NY Kiwanis Club and Town of Wallkill Boys & Girls Club in helping organize Lori Schneider of NAMI Sullivan County, NY’s performance of “Every Brilliant Thing” at SUNY Sullivan this evening.
Lori’s powerful performance packs an important message and we applaud her for spreading the word about mental illness and available resources!
The benefit of the proceeds from this event go to NAMI to support destigmatizing mental health issues and giving help to those in need.
Several members of the Liberty Rotary Club were part of Team "Strike Out Alz", which earned 1st place for the most funds raised. A total of $14,109 was collected by the team. This amount was the most money of any team heading into the frigid waters for the Subzero Heroes jump at Berean Lake. A special thank you to everyone who supported the team and the team members that took the plunge for this worthy cause.
Team members included Liberty Rotarians Mr. Terry Grafmuller(Captain), Mrs. Terry Grafmuller, Joseph Abraham, Jaime Schmeiser, Alyssa Thalmann and Jessica Thalmann Osterhout. Team participants not part of Liberty Rotary Club include: Adam Ackerly, Hope Blecher, Susan Bunce, Lance Castillo, Lisa Eckley, Marcia Fink, Jonathan Gavin, F. Susan Koenig, Sheila Lashinsky, Dianna McDonald and Robert Schwartz. Their collective efforts made for an outstanding event to support the work of The Alzheimer's Association. Congratulations on your outstanding fundraising and bravery.
One of the greatest assets Sullivan County Rotarians have is the strong relationships we share with other community organizations to bring good to our area. This was exceptionally exemplified by the assistance of Rotarians at this year's WSUL Heart-A-Thon. Rotarians participated in numerous capacities including serving as members of the steering committee, distributing and promoting the sale of Heart-A-Thon Hearts, soliciting donations, supporting numerous fundraisers and serving the day of the event.
Thanks to the collective efforts of all parties involved, the event yielded a grand total of $103,198. It is estimated that the Rotary Clubs of Monticello, Liberty and Livingston Manor helped solicit about $30,000 toward that impressive number.
This year proceeds will benefit a Treadmill for the Cardiac Rehab and some portable Cardiac Monitors, both for the Garnet Medical Center Catskills Campus; The Warrior Teens Program and an Outdoor Fitness Pad in Monticello with Sullivan 180, A Single Bite’s Real Food School Education Program, and Building Sullivan’s Healthcare Workforce Scholarships with SUNY Sullivan.
Thank you to all that made this event possible and gave tremendous amounts of time and effort to bring about this smashing success. We are fortunate to have so many people in our area that are dedicated to assuring quality heart health here in our community.
This year local Rotary Clubs hosted the 4:00 hour and dedicated the time to our dear departed friend and Hummingbird recipient Danny Thalmann. Danny exemplified "Service Above Self" through his continual effort to help better our community. His presence is greatly missed, but his legacy of service lives on.
The blood drive that was paired with this year's WSUL Heart-A-Thon yielded over fifty pints of blood for the New York Blood Center. Thanks so much to everyone that gave from the heart, by way of their veins, to assure this vital fluid is available to those in need. Monticello, Liberty and Livingston Manor Rotary Clubs spread the word to assure that there was a great supply of donors. The yield of the event exceeded our expectations.
Our next blood drive will be on May 20th, which has been designated the "Rotary Day of Service". We will inform the public as soon as registration is open for that event.
On February 10th, a few of our members discussed our club’s scholarships and the application process with LHS seniors. It’s always great talking to the next generation of leaders, and providing these scholarships each year is one of the most rewarding things we do!
If purchasing via VENMO, please place "Raffle Ticket" and the Rotarian Name in the Note section.
The 45th Annual 98.3 WSUL Heart-A-Thon is coming soon!
The beat goes on in the Prevention, Education, and Treatment of Heart Disease in Sullivan County. With the help of hundreds of organizations, businesses and individuals throughout the Sullivan Catskills the 98.3 WSUL Heart-A-Thon has raised over $3 million toward the treatment of heart disease locally. The 98.3 WSUL Heart-A-Thon will celebrate its 45th year on Friday, February 17, 2023, from 6A-6P at Resorts World Catskills Epicenter and broadcast live on 98.3 WSUL. They will be expanding the beneficiaries to focus on Prevention, Education, and Treatment of Heart Disease in Sullivan County. This year proceeds will benefit a Treadmill for the Cardiac Rehab and some portable Cardiac Monitors, both for the Garnet Medical Center Catskills Campus; The Warrior Teens Program and an Outdoor Fitness Pad in Monticello with Sullivan 180, A Single Bite’s Real Food School Education Program, and Building Sullivan’s Healthcare Workforce Scholarships with SUNY Sullivan.
100% of the funds raised stay right here in the Sullivan Catskills.
Here’s how you can help:
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Make an appointment to give blood.
Blood donations are needed now more than ever. The Rotary Clubs of Monticello, Liberty, and Livingston Manor will be holding a Blood Drive in conjunction with NYBC (New York Blood Center) as part of the 45th Annual WSUL Heart-a-thon on Friday, February 17, 2023 from Noon until 6pm at the Epicenter at Resorts World in Monticello who has graciously sponsored this event.
You can register to donate at this link:
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Purchase dinner. A great meal at a great price for a great cause!
Find it in your heart (pun intended) to make a donation or pledge to this year’s
45th Annual 98.3 WSUL Heart-A-Thon
CLICK HERE to donate
So much of what Liberty Rotary Club does, is not easily shown in photos. The group has made a plethora of donations to worthy causes, and members volunteer all over our county and world to improve the lives of others. Fortunately, there is photographic evidence of a number of this year's initiatives and events. The link below is a slideshow of pictures of many of our members doing good in the world and sharing the camaraderie that makes our club so vibrant.
These photos were collected throughout the 2022 calendar year from January through December and presented in no particular order. (A Rotary year begins in July)
At this season of giving, please consider including us in your charitable donations,
so we can continue to support local, regional, national and international programs
making the world a better place.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community members, our latest Dollar and Coin Drop yielded over $1,000. The funds gathered will support many Liberty Rotary Club Programs and contributions including assisting those in need of healthy meals. Thank you to all our members that braved the chilly temperature to make this event a success. Our deepest appreciation to all that stopped to help those in need by dropping their coins and cash into our buckets.
The Liberty Rotary Club has a long history of purchasing, preparing and serving dinners, multiple times yearly, at the Interfaith Food Pantry. The past meal on 12/14 was well attended, and those that gathered enjoyed generous helpings of ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, salad and chocolate cake. Thank you to the club members that gave their time to assure this meal was ready and served on time. Special thanks to our friend Bucky who provided the hams in memory of Dave Thomson, who was a friend to all and a regular server at past dinners.
Thank you to the generous sponsors of this year's Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Tasting!
This year's Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Tasting was a tremendous success. Our generous sponsors, donors and attendees helped our organization to raise over $19,000 to assist "A Single Bite" and the Liberty Rotary Club Scholarship Fund. Our musical guests William's Honor were superb, delivering a mix of pop, rock and country music that had the crowd singing along and dancing. The selection of wines, spirits, ciders and potent potables was exceptional, offering a selection that appeals to almost any palate. The atmosphere was jubilant as our many attendees enjoyed a tremendous variety of foods from Piccolo Paese's Chef Baco as well as an abundance of tasty dishes created by members and their families.
Thank you to all our sponsors, guests, attendees and everyone that helped to make this outstanding evening have so much positive impact.
Several members of the Liberty Rotary Club traveled to Montgomery on October 22nd for the Sullivan/Orange Walk to End Alzheimer’s. It was a wonderful event for a great cause! The Liberty club raised over $1,000 to benefit The Alzheimer's Association and was honored to be part of a crowd of over 500 people that took a stand against this horrific disease.
The flowers of different colors represent the different ways in which individuals are affected by Alzheimer's devastating impact. After the walk, the flowers are all arranged in a garden of hope, which represents the aspiration that a prevention or cure will soon be found.
Special thanks to all those who donated to the cause, the walkers and everyone that made this event so meaningful.
Team Liberty Rotary
Many Rotary Clubs from around the region participated in the event.CLICK HERE TO DONATE
On September 18th, Hurricane Fiona devastated the island of Puerto Rico with high winds and torrential rains of 20-30 inches resulting in power outages, severe flooding, mud slides, and roads being washed out. Our network of Rotary leaders in Puerto Rico and humanitarians are assessing the situation regarding the storm and we will be actively working on a response.
Through the Liberty NY Rotary Club Foundation Fund at CFOS, donations are being securely collected and distributed directly to assist the people of Puerto Rico during this frightening time. Please consider donating to our fellow citizens, brothers and sisters – no donation is too large or too small.
CLICK HERE to donate online with credit/debit card
DONATE VIA VENMO – search @libertynyrotary and type “Disaster Relief” in the “What’s It For” section.
To donate by check or money order make payable to:
CFOS Liberty, New York, Rotary Club Foundation Fund
Send checks to:
CFOS Liberty, New York, Rotary Club Foundation Fund
Please write “Disaster Relief” in the memo
30 Scotts Corners Drive, Suite 203
Montgomery, NY 12549
All donations are tax deductible.
Liberty Rotary Club was delighted to host our 53rd Annual Spaghetti Dinner at the Liberty High School Cafeteria on October 25th. The sold our event served up some great food and gave us the opportunity to gather with many friends. The event yielded a profit of over $1,000, which will be used to support the Liberty High School Interact as well as Liberty Rotary Club and the many causes to which we contribute.
Liberty Rotary Club turned 70 years old on October 13, 2022. Below please find a photo of our original charter from 1952. One can only imagine the long list of good deeds and people served by the club in its 70 years of putting "service above self". The club continues to be vibrant and make a positive difference in the lives of our members, our community, our nation and the world.
Another successful coat drive is in the books! We want to thank everyone who donated coats and other items of clothing, as well as Jeff Bank, The Misner Agency, Inc., Liberty Trading Post, Wayne Bank, Star Bar and Grill and Liberty High School (Liberty, New York) for being coat drop-off locations.
Thank you for helping us keep our community warm as winter approaches!
#7210warminghudsonvalley #WGSD
Liberty Rotary Club held its first Karaoke event on September 18th at the Kartrite Resort in Monticello, NY to benefit Catskill Animal Rescue. The crowd was in great spirits and experienced a wide range of vocal talents. Thanks to our wonderful guests, our many prize donors, The Kartrite Resort and all the volunteers who collectively made the event tremendous fun. On top of the good time had by our attendees, over $1,200 was raised to support Catskill Animal Rescue.
In case you missed it, click on this link to hear those that gave their strongest performance for the good of the animals of Sullivan County.
Bill Dauster – President of The Garnet Health Foundation represented Wallkill East Rotary Club at our September 7th meeting, where he spoke about their club’s Second Rotary Global Grant effort. Their mission is to “address the critical community health needs of Haiti and produce sustainable, measurable outcomes”. This project is a collaboration between ORSI (Orthopedic Relief Services International founded by Dr. Ron Israelski) based in Goshen, Wallkill East Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of Port au Prince and Rotary International.
Through their joint efforts, the groups will strive to use a novel approach with the acronym I.C.E. (Infrastructure, Clinical, Education). The infrastructure provisions will include much needed medical supplies, which are in great demand in Haiti. The clinical portion will provide telemedicine technology with NYU School of Medicine. Lastly, the education segment consists of textbooks, year-round lectures from skilled orthopedists and computer software with orthopedic training and literature. This three pronged approach can do much good in Haiti, which has been plagued by government corruption, inner city violence and many gang controlled areas that interfere with access to modern health care.
This project is one of many sponsored by Rotary Clubs to bring improvements and relief to Haiti, which is the most economically depressed area in the Western Hemisphere. It should be noted that Liberty Rotary Club has been administering a Clean Water Program in Haiti for many years to provide potable water to those that would otherwise be exposed to pollution and pathogens in their drinking water. Through our club's program, 1,000 families have access to filtered water to better assure good health.
If you would like more information about Wallkill East's grant or would like to make a donation to support this project, contact Bill Bassett at 845-800-3532.
If you would like more information about the Liberty Rotary Club - Clean Water Program or would like to make a donation, please contact Gary Siegel at 845-798-2188
At our club's August 31st meeting, a dedication was held to commemorate the two-plus year renovation and improvements project recently completed at the Liberty NY Rotary Club Charlie Topper Pavilion at Hanofee Park.
Our role as a club was to provide the funds and other supports needed to have a successful project.
That could not have been done without the generosity of funds from the Dave Thomson Trust and Resorts World Catskills casino, as well as the cooperation and assistance given by the Town of Liberty Parks and Recreation Department.
We are so grateful for their assistance, as well as the hard work of our Parks Committee in this process.
At last week’s meeting, Parks Committee Chair Dr. William Silver unveiled the wording of a plaque that will one day soon sit in the pavilion. He was joined by Town of Liberty Parks and Recreation Working Supervisor Kevin Delaney and Resorts World Catskills Manager of Government Affairs & Public Relations Angela Rein.
Liberty Rotary Club was delighted to host the Region 5 Meeting and Barbecue on August 17th at Hanofee Park. It was wonderful to have all our guests join us at our summer meeting spot for camaraderie and fellowship. Our District Governor - Larry Palant was there to catch us up on so much of what is going on with District 7210 and Rotary's initiatives. A.D.G. Jack Strassman and Liberty Club President Terry Grafmuller did a great job of running the meeting, which included reports from all the clubs attending from Region 5. Thanks to everyone that pitched in to make it a great summer night in the Catskills.
Monticello Rotary Club and Resorts World Catskills always does an outstanding job of organizing and hosting the Monster Classic Run and Walk, and this year's event was no exception.
Liberty Rotary Club was pleased and proud to be a $500 sponsor of the event. Additionally, through the efforts of our club, $1,125 was raised to support our veterans. Thank you so very much to all the Liberty Rotarians and friends of Liberty Rotary Club that donated so generously to help those that have served our nation.
Numerous Liberty Rotarians showed up to enjoy the event, with members of our team being participants in either the 5k walk, 5k run or 10k run. It was a warm day for such an event, but spirits were high and it was great to be part of Monticello's exceptional exercise opportunity that does so much good.
Some members of Team Liberty Rotary present at the 44th Annual Monster ClassicDon't miss your opportunity to cash in on this year's Liberty Rotary Club Raffle. All funds raised support Liberty Rotary Club programs and initiatives, and you could be the winner of $500. Tickets are $5 each, or improve your odds by purchasing 3 tickets for $10. See any Liberty Rotarian to purchase tickets.
The July 29th Dance to benefit The Special Olympics was an incredibly fun event! Sponsored by the Liberty Rotary Club, our neighbors and members gathered to dance the evening away and enjoy a bit to eat. Some of our awesome neighbors included people from New Hope Community and The Arc Greater Hudson Valley. Justice Mazzotti of Prestige productions brought the party to life with an incredible mix of classic dance tunes that had the whole crowd grooving. The party attendees enjoyed burgers and dogs served with Popcorners and beverages donated by PepsiCo.
Thank you to all the sponsors of this event, the dance committee, and everyone that worked so hard to bring this event to fruition. As a result of their collective efforts, over $1,500 was raised to benefit The Special Olympics.
Click on the link below to watch a video slideshow of the crew and guests making the evening a success.
On July 23rd, the Liberty Rotary Club took to the road to encourage passers-by to contribute to our Dollar and Coin Drop. A portion of the proceeds from this event will support a local food pantry to benefit those experiencing food insecurity. Thank you to all the volunteers that endured blistering hot temperatures to make this event happen. We express our sincerest gratitude to all the motorists who gave so generously to support this event, which raised over $1,000 in just 4 hours.
Assistant District Governor Jack Strassman officiated the induction of our 2022-23 officers at our July 6 meeting. Terry Grafmuller is the new club President of Liberty Rotary Club. Joseph Abraham has taken the role of President Elect. Matthew Sush will continue as Treasurer, Gary Siegel is the new Vice President, Barbi Neumann Marty will continue as Sergeant at Arms and Daniel Parkhurst is our new Secretary, who will work virtually from Tennessee. Additional board directors include Dan Berkowicz, Fay Cerullo, Charlie Mangini and Dr. William Silver. Congratulations and thank you to all!
We are optimistic that this group of volunteers will move our club forward and allow us to continue in our quest to make the world a better place.
Sincere appreciation to all the members of the 2021 - 2022 board, who gave their time and energy to create a productive and meaningful year.
Liberty Rotarians were proud to represent our club at this year's Greater Liberty Chamber of Commerce July 4th Parade. It was beautiful day for a parade and a great opportunity to celebrate the good in our country. Thanks to the chamber for including us! Additional appreciation to those that represented our club in the march and all those community members that made it a great event.
The Liberty Rotary Club has heard the cries of the Ukrainian people and are responding. We have already authorized donations to the Rotary Foundation, Federation of Jewish Communities in Ukraine, UNICEF, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, LIberty Central School Class of 2026 Ukraine Relief Supply Fund and Ukraine Volunteering and Defense Center - Aid Convoy for Ukraine.
This is a crisis of epic proportions that many of us have not seen in our lifetimes. At this time, more than 3 million Ukrainians have fled their country.
We are asking you to join us in helping our brothers and sisters in Ukraine by donating to our Disaster Relief Fund.
Congratulations to the recipients of this year's Liberty Rotary Club Scholarships. Our sincerest thanks to the businesses, organizations and individuals who made donations to our scholarship fund. Special appreciation to the Liberty Rotary Club Scholarship Committee who took the time to solicit applications, host interviews and select the most worthy for the following awards:
Melana Quick-Lepke $2000 LRC Community Service Award
Sponsored by BLS Law, Rhulen/Loughlin Family, & Foster Supply Hospitality
Dylan Parks $1500 LRC Community Service Awward
Sponsored by Woodbourne, Lawn & Garden, Kaplan Custom Cabinets & New Hope Community
Quintin Bradley Herzog $1000 LRC Community Service Award
Sponsored by Colonial Ramsay Funeral Home
Katrina Marie Blais $500 LRC Richard H. Fosler Achievement Award
Sponsored by Senator Mike Martucci
Chase Declan Racette $500 LRC Community Service Award IMO Theresa Panny
Sponsored by The Misner Agency
Abigail Kelly $500 LRC Community Service Award IMO Carmela Starpoli
Sponsored by Leadership Sullivan
Dianna May Marty $500 LRC Community Service Award
Sponsored by The Diane Foster Family
Ethan Werlau $500 LRC Community Service Award
Sponsored by Rolling V Bus Corp
Alyssa Kavleski $500 LRC Community Service Award
Sponsored by Pepsi Co/Frito Lay Northeast
Dianna May Marty $500 LRC Honorarium Awarded to a Child of a Rotarian
Sponsored by STEAM (Siegel Trust Enriching Arts & Music) Fund
Melana Quick-Lepke $250 Honorarium for LHS Interact President
Sponsored by the Jack Strassman Family
($150 goes to the student and $100 to the charity of the student's choice)
Julia Gorr $100 Liberty Rotary Club Award
Michael Pelton $100 Liberty Rotary Club Award
Digsania De La Cruz Coronado $100 Liberty Rotary Club Award
Jahshime Diaz $250 – BOCES Award
Tyler Lemondola $250 - BOCES Award
Tyler Lemondola $250 - BOCES Award
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Attendees
Jumana Abu Al Ghanam
Erin Skinner
Paola Ponce-Agredabo
Yuridia Cristino Lopez
Summer in the Catskills gives much opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise. It also affords one the chance to make a difference. Liberty Rotarians have been out there supporting local charities by participating in some great walks and runs including the Turtle Trot, DYC River Run and the Monticello Rotary Monster Classic.
Just for the health of it, consider the many races offered in our area that raise funds for important causes.
Barbara and Peter Blakey at the DYC River RunTeam Liberty Rotary participated in the Monster Classic. In addition to having many members participate, Liberty Rotary Club was a $500 sponsor of the event, and thanks to our generous members and supporters, raised an additional $1,125 to support our veterans.
Some members of Team Liberty Rotary including Matt Sush, Hope Silverman, Gary Silverman, Judy Siegel, Irving Kaplan, Gary Siegel, Joseph Abraham and Jaime Schmeiser.There is another walk/run being planned for September 24 in the Town of Lumberland to benefit those struggling in Ukraine and those that are now refugees in nearby countries. More information to follow.
Additionally, there is an event being planned to benefit the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance being planned for the fall.
Bold Gold Media’s 11th Annual Thunder 102 & 104.5 Country Cares for St. Jude Kids Radiothon was recently held in Monticello, New York. A number of our Liberty NY Rotary Club members teamed up with representatives from Sullivan & Delaware County to participate in the "Kick Butt" Boot Card Committee distributing Boot Cards to over 180 locations in Thunder Country raising over $10,000 in Boot Card sales to help BOOT CANCER. The 2022 event raised a grand total of $61,729 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This annual event has raised over $600,000 to date.
“This type of fundraiser is truly what local radio is all about, connecting the community with an amazing cause, and also giving our clients the opportunity to align themselves with a Nationally renowned organization, and at the end of it all raising a bunch of money to fight childhood cancer. It just doesn’t get any better than this.” says Dawn Ciorciari, General Manager of Bold Gold Media NY Operations. Liberty Rotary Club was delighted to help Bold Gold Media reach its fundraising goals and do good for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Our club is so grateful for the support of the Forestburgh Playhouse who hosted a successful Comedy Night on Saturday, 5/21 featuring the comedy of Rich Kiamco . Thanks to the generosity of the Playhouse and event attendees, $700 was raised to support our club's youth programs!
The Forestburgh Playhouse's spring series has already benefited several local organizations doing amazing work. Franklin Trapp and staff are first class, and the Forestburgh Playhouse is such a gem in our community. For more information on upcoming fundraising events and Playhouse shows go to FBPlayhouse.org.
In an effort to foster camaraderie amongst our club membership and assure that everyone feels included, The Liberty Rotary Club Membership Committee has created the “buddy system”. Its elegance lies in its simplicity, which pairs every person in our club with another member that they might not normally interact with socially. Buddies are encouraged to check in with each other, and if they so desire, spend a bit of time getting to know each other on a more personal level.
It is hoped that the new “buddy system” will help promote the third ethical guidepost of The Rotary Four Way Test, which is “Will It Build Good Will and Better Friendships”. It is through this four-part credo that Rotarians assure that all we do promotes our motto of “Service Above Self”.
Thank you to Cris Spinner for performing her "Concert for Peace and Healing". The music was beautifully performed and the audience found it very moving. The event was well attended and the day yielded over $3,000 in funds to provide humanitarian aid to those impacted by the war. All proceeds benefitted those affected by the crisis in Ukraine, via the Liberty NY Rotary Club's Disaster Preparedness and Relief Fund at the The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan. Our fundraising efforts continue, as those impacted are dealing with oppressive hardships and medical issues. Please consider supporting the Liberty Rotary Club Disaster Relief Fund to help us "Stand With Ukraine".
CLICK HERE to donate
The Liberty NY Rotary Club held their seventh annual Hummingbird Award and Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Lunch last Sunday at the Arc Greater Hudson Valley Multi-Purpose Room in Monticello. All proceeds benefit the club's Haiti Clean Water Program.
The Hummingbird Award originated from a story club members heard on a trip to Haiti, and is given to individuals and organizations who are doing their part and the best they can to make their communities a better place.
This year's Hummingbird Award recipients were Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills, Bill Bassett, Julian Dawson, Jannetta MacArthur, Marty Colavito, Gerald Skoda and Dan Hart.
The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation.
Rotary established the recognition in 1957 to encourage and show appreciation for substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation's only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.
Paul Harris Fellows recognized at Sunday's event were Joseph Abraham, Joanna Gass, Macklin Eugene, Danny Thalmann, Irving Kaplan, Les Kristt, Dan Parkhurst, Judy Siegel, Gary Silverman, Anthony Sinacore, Jack Strassman and Gary Siegel.
The non-profit, A Single Bite, provided the food for the event.
"We are grateful for the Arc of the Greater Hudson Valley for allowing us to use their wonderful space for our event," said Liberty Rotarian and Hummingbird Committee Chair Joseph Abraham. "We're also thankful for A Single Bite for catering a delicious meal. Our committee would also like to recognize the generosity of attendees and event sponsors for helping us raise crucial funds to help our friends in Haiti."
Over $3,500 was raised to support the Liberty NY Rotary Club's efforts in Haiti. Liberty Rotarians Gary Silver and Gary Siegel co-chair the Haiti Clean Water Program Committee.
"We are so grateful for the support that we have received at our Hummingbird & Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Lunches benefiting the Haiti Clean Water Program Sustainability Fund over the years and this year is no exception. All funds raised at the event will help to sustain our program beyond the term of the global grant so that the 1,000 families that have participated in the program in Cap Haitien will continue to benefit from having clean potable water well into the future, allowing them to lead healthier and more productive lives,” said Siegel.
The month of February of 2022 has featured some impressive speakers. Each of them is doing their part to improve lives and promote well being. Click the "Read More" button below to find out about our four outstanding presenters.
It has always been a priority of our club, and Rotary District 7210, to which we are a part of, to fight food insecurity in our communities.
Some of our club’s efforts, currently and/or in the past, include:
• Working with and supporting local partners that are feeding our neighbors. This has been achieved through over $2,000 in monetary donations, as well as volunteer efforts. An example of the latter is that our club recently agreed to take on a food delivery route for “A Single Bite” on Thursdays.
• Speaking of ‘A Single Bite,’ the non-profit partnered with us on this past November’s Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Tasting Fundraiser, which in addition to benefiting our scholarship fund, raised substantial funds for them as well.
• Through Operation Feed 2.0, our club helped feed healthy meals to over 125 food insecure families in five communities during the pandemic. This effort has been sustained by ‘A Single Bite.’
• We’ve also hosted community dinners (the most recent of which took place last week on 2/16), and held coin drops and food drives benefitting local food pantries.
Our dear friend and fellow Rotarian, Theresa Panny, passed away unexpectedly on December 29, 2021. She joined the Liberty Rotary Club in February, 2016. Since her induction, Theresa has held the office of Sergeant of Arms and was currently a Director of the board.
In the 5 years of Theresa's membership, she was co-chair of the RYLA committee and a member of the Global Grant, Scholarship, Spaghetti Dinner, Spirit, Beer, and Wine, Food Drives, Polio, Youth Exchange, and Open World Committees. She also participated in Heartathon and St. Jude's fundraisers. Theresa often staffed registration tables selling admission, raffle, and 50/50 tickets.
Professionally, Theresa was a Special Education teacher at Sullivan County BOCES and President of the Sullivan County BOCES Teacher's Association.
Theresa's energy, humor, and passion for helping will be greatly missed. Her passing has left a void in our Liberty Rotary family.
Judy Siegel represented Liberty Rotary Club in accepting a $1,500.00 donation from New Hope Community. The money is to be used for local programs and needs. New Hope appreciates how much Liberty Rotary Club gives back to the community and determined we should be one of the groups they wished to support.
In a Facebook post from the organization, they stated "One of our pillars at #NewHopeCommunity is to be deeply involved in our community. We make it our mission year round to have a presence and support our neighbors."
From our club's perspective, this has certainly been the case. We thank New Hope Community for their generosity and the incredible contribution they make to our region and those they serve.
Real time disaster response...
When the help is most needed!
We have responded to a number of disasters in the past (Hurricane Harvey, Florence & Maria in Texas, North Carolina & Puerto Rico, respectively flash flooding in Tennessee, earthquakes in Haiti & Puerto Rico and more recently the hurricanes in Belize). We continue to monitor any new disasters that strike domestically and internationally such as the tornadoes in the midwest.
A team of Rotarians recently completed a mission to Belize as part of the ongoing Liberty NY Rotary Club (LNYRC) Disaster Preparedness and Relief efforts. According to Liberty Rotarian and head of Mission Control Operations, Charles Lee Miller, the goal of the 5-day mission was “to deepen our operational knowledge and partnerships in the Belize River Valley in order to inform and advance ongoing efforts to improve survivability and quality of life in the face of future disaster.”
Liberty Rotary donates to A Single Bite
LIBERTY – The Liberty NY Rotary Club (LRC) recently made a $7,050 donation to A Single Bite, from funds raised during their Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Tasting fundraiser.
The event, held last month at Piccolo Paese, benefitted the non-profit, as well as the LRC’s scholarship fund, which last year alone, distributed over $6,000 to students continuing their academic careers at the collegiate level.
“Rotary can only accomplish its goals by establishing strong relationships with community partners,” said LRC President Gary Silverman. “There are few groups doing more in our area to assist those dealing with food insecurity than A Single Bite. The combination of Liberty Rotary Club members working with representatives from A Single Bite made for a great team. We are delighted the event turned out to be so successful. The efforts and contributions of so many, enabled us to fortify the Liberty Rotary Club Scholarship fund to promote education in our local schools. Additionally, we raised a substantial amount of money for A Single Bite, which continues to bring essential food to our neighbors.”
The Liberty Rotary Club held its annual blood drive on Saturday, December 11th. Numerous Rotary Club members and people from the community came to give a gift that really matters this holiday season. Thank you to all that donated. Blood supplies are very low, so if you were unable to make it to our blood drive and are able to do so, please plan to donate blood soon.
The Liberty Rotary Club held a dollar and coin drop to benefit St. Peter's Food Pantry in Liberty on November 20th. Thanks to the incredible generosity of a multitude of vehicles that passed our volunteers, we were able to collect over $1,250.00 to help feed those in need. Special thanks to all the volunteers that came out to collect funds on that chilly morning and to those that gave so many dollars and coins.
The Ninth Annual Dave Thomson Spirit, Beer and Wine Tasting to benefit scholarships and "A Single Bite" was a great time for great causes. The evening's atmosphere was joyous and the company superb. The food and drink was of the finest quality. Even more important, was that this event raised much needed funds to provide educational opportunities for students and provide meals for the food insecure. Thank you so very much to all the sponsors that supported this event. Special thanks to Foster Supply Hospitality for letting us use their beautiful venue, Piccolo Paese, and providing staffing and food for the event. Additional special thanks to Claudia Hoyser and her band, who shared their incredible talents to help us reach our goals.
If you would like to view some photos of the event, please do so at https://youtu.be/XjfnA-M0byE
To view the stream of the event, use the following link: https://www.twitch.tv/LibertyNYRotary
Some Liberty Rotary Club members were at the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Pride Awards the evening of November 11th. We congratulate all of the award recipients, and are especially proud of two who are Liberty Rotarians, Matt Sush - "Young Emerging Leader Award" and Marie Smith - "Distinguished Service Award".
Barbi Neumann-Marty and Joe Abraham stopped by Liberty High School to hang out with fellow Liberty Rotarian and LHS Business Teacher Dan Hart and the Interact Club. Together, they sorted through donated plastic that will soon be turned into park benches.
We're very proud of the Liberty Interact Club. From this project to the Comfort Closet they established last year, these young folks are truly people of action!
Congratulations to Liberty Rotarian Irving Kaplan and Bart Rasnick who were recognized for their 50 years of service with the Fallsburg Fire Department on Sunday night. Fallsburg FD is celebrating their 100th anniversary.
We're proud of Irving for his dedication to the fire service and his commitment to keeping his community safe. Irving truly lives our motto of "Service Above Self"! Thank you Irving!
On Saturday, October 9, our club gave away approximately 525 coats (in adult and kid sizes) and winter accessories to local families in need. The majority of the coats, which were distributed at the Liberty Senior Center, were donated by the community, with each Jeff Bank location, Garnet Health Medical Center - Catskills, Achieve Rehab and Nursing Facility, St. Peter’s Church in Liberty, and the Liberty Interact Club (at Liberty HS) serving as drop locations.
Our club also used some of its own funds to clean coats, as well as purchase additional coats where there was a need (i.e. children’s sizes). Leftover coats were donated to the Liberty United Methodist Church, which will be holding their own drive in the near future.
Thanks to everyone who donated coats and winter accessories, our drop-off location partners, and the Town of Liberty Parks and Rec department for allowing us to use the space. You helped to make this year’s coat drive a smashing success!
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Service Above Self/WGSD!
Liberty, NY 12754
United States of America