Welcome to Our Club


The Rotary Club of Wilmette has merged with the Wilmette Harbor Rotary Club, the combined clubs are now all officially the Rotary Club of Wilmette. The original Wilmette Rotary Club was chartered in 1924 and was known as the Noon Club.  In 1990, the Wilmette Harbor Club was chartered, and was known as the Morning Club.  In 2019, a satellite club was established as part of the Noon group.  Today there are over 80 active members who gather to do good for others while enjoying good fellowship, with the choice of meeting either morning, noon or evening.
 

Our Club members enthusiastically live the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” both locally and internationally. Recent projects include water well installation at schools in Angola, food packing and providing necessities to the homeless in Chicago, supplying ultrasound equipment and related training to people in Uganda, providing disaster relief supplies to hurricane, typhoon, and other natural disaster survivors, providing winter coats and shoes to low-oncome children, food packing for people in Guatemala and Central America, and supporting local food pantries, literacy efforts and diversity.

NOTICE: Our Noon meetings (the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month) and Morning meetings (the third Wednesday of each month) will be at the Sheridan Shore Yacht Club.  We also meet in-person on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 6pm at St. Joseph Church, Wilmette. 

We’d love to have you join one of our meetings!

Club Information
Welcome!


Our Motto: Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
Sheridan Shore Yacht Club
20 Harbor Drive
Wilmette, IL 60091
United States of America
Phone:
(847) 722-2115
Email:
clubrotarywilmette@gmail.com
We meet monthly on the 1st Tuesday at 6pm at St Joseph Church, the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at Noon and the 3rd Wednesday at 7:30am both at the Sheridan Shore Yacht Club in Gillson Park. Mailing address: PO Box 111, Wilmette, IL 60091
District Site
Venue Map
2025 HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER
RAFFLE
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Gifts, Tickets, Donations
CLUB NEWS
Medical Supplies Delivered - Zambia
Medical Supplies Delivered - Zambia
Our Club has contributed much needed funds to Project CURE for the delivery of $300,000 worth of medical supplies, equipment and beds to a new hospital in Western Zambia.  This equipment was shipped from the Chicago/Project CURE warehouse in June 2025, and just arrived the Chitokoloki Mission hospital in Zambia.  This equipment will enable the hospital to service more patients and train more personnel.  Thanks to member Dr. Ray Zeiss for spearheading this project for our Club.  For more photos,  click Read More.
         
 
 
Read more...
Big Book Drive 2025- In Full Swing
This year we are partnering with Bernie's Book Bank to collect books from local schools and libraries. The Big Book Drive was launched on October 1; this great community activity covers all Wilmette private and public elementary schools plus Regina Dominican High School.  Bernie’s Book Bins will be situated in 11 school locations for the entire book drive, and children’s gently used library books can be dropped in any of these bins during school hours. It is best to contact the schools before dropping off books, so they will allow access to enter the school building.
 
Literacy leading to self-fulfillment and success in learning is the goal for ALL children!  This activity closes on November 14.  For more information, contact Maurice at mauricewsullivan@aol.com  Photo below is from the Big Book Drive in the past.
 
             
October 15 Program- Speaker Van Gilmer
October 15 Program- Speaker Van Gilmer
Van Gilmer, Music Director at the Bahá’í Temple for North America gave an impassioned presentation about his experiences with racism as a child in the southern U.S., his activism in college during the historic “sit-ins” in Greensboro, NC., and his subsequent and continuing involvement in working for equal justice for all people. He talked about the history of the civil rights movement, adding personal anecdotes and commentary on the current state of racial justice in the U.S. Van’s presentation style made the information real and illuminating. He is also an accomplished soloist and composer.
World Polio Day 2025: Rotary in Action 
World Polio Day 2025: Rotary in Action
Our Rotary members are taking action in honor of World Polio Day to raise awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today.  
 
Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere, and Rotary members from Wilmette have long worked to end the paralyzing virus, which will be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated. We have collected thousands of dollars donated by ordinary citizens and businesses over the years.
 
TO DONATE:  Click POLIO  or the red box on the right. We will also be at the Jewel at Plaza del Lago on Saturday, October 25 and will accept donations then.  Or send check, made payable to Wilmette Rotary Foundation with “Polio” in the memo section, and mail to Wilmette Rotary, PO Box 111, Wilmette, IL 60091
Warm Clothing Event- Connections for the Homeless
Warm Clothing Event- Connections for the Homeless
Volunteers are needed for a few events to provide warm winter clothing to the over 500 individuals (adults and children) that Connections for the Homeless serves every year.
 
On November 6, collections for adult hats, scarves and gloves/mittens, and separately, children’s hats, scarves and mittens/gloves will be delivered to Connections. You can SIGN-UP to collect 50 or more of each type of item before November 6.  Or, you can bring these items (new or gently used) to a club meeting and a member will take them to Connections. 
September 24 Program- Wilmette Parks and Planning
Josh Wallace recently joined the Wilmette Park District as the Superintendent of Parks and Planning.  This Department is responsible for maintaining the Wilmette Park District’s 314 acres of parks, which include the 59-acre Gillson Park, 12 tot lots, plus baseball, football and soccer fields located throughout the Village of Wilmette.  Josh updated us on the major projects his department has been overseeing, including Gillson Park Infrastructure Improvement, Langdon Shoreline Protection and Beach Access,  Hibbard Park expansion, Solar Panels at the Rec Center, Restoration of the Rec Center after flooding and other ongoing and future projects.  We became aware of the many projects the Wilmette Park District is undertaking.
 
              
Beach Sweep 2025
Beach Sweep 2025
Our Annual Beach Sweep was on Saturday, September 20;  this year we partnered again with Go Green Wilmette and the Alliance for the Great Lakes.  Students from the Springman Middle School came prepared to scour the beach for debris, as well as veteran Go Green volunteers, many with their children.  Lots of trash was collected and sorted by project coordinator Carolyn Lvoff, GGW Board member, Rotary members, Ben Ivory (who also helped organize the event), John Kay, Debora Morris and Alice Chow, and former Rotarian Chris Simcox (who also helped organize the event).  It's truly amazing how much trash people leave at the beach, especially plastic stuff.
         
September 17 Program - Our Place
Katie Arnold, Executive Director and Bob Moran, Board Member and Parent, gave us a wonderful update about their special organization, Our Place.  Our Club has supported and continues to support Our Place, which provides a safe haven and resources for teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.   Participants learn life skills, creative arts and the social skills needed to contribute to the community. Our Place has recently bought the church building where they have been located since 2008.
               
September 10 Program - Wilmette History Museum
September 10 Program - Wilmette History Museum
Rachel Ramirez, Director of the Wilmette History Museum, presented a fascinating story about the original Ouilmette family that were basically the founders of Wilmette.  This is the current exhibit at the museum.  Descendants of this family still exist, however, not in Wilmette.  Rachel told us about the earlier indigenous population that lived in the area and ceded land rights to the US government and were later removed from this land. We also learned about the history of the museum itself which restored a former Gross Point village hall as its current location.
                                 
2024 Rotary Images

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

How We Serve and Support:
Local Community Groups
International Groups
 
ABOUT ROTARY

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Speakers
DG Marlene Frisbie
Nov 12, 2025 12:00 PM
Official District Governor Visit
Official District Governor Visit

Current Distrcit Governor, Marlene Frisbie, will tell us about District goals and happenings this Rotary year.

 

Location: Sheridan Shore Yacht Club

Mike Ericksen
Nov 19, 2025 7:30 AM
Member Preparation for Club Visioning
Aude Wilkins
Dec 10, 2025 12:00 PM
Rotary Programs in Eastern Congo
Sarah Homan/Ben Ivory/Gabe Doyle
Dec 17, 2025 7:30 AM
Community Service & Environment Committee Update
Thomas Applegate and Kim Hassenfeld
Jan 14, 2026 12:00 PM
Counselling Center of the North Shore/Winnetka Thrift Shop
View entire list...
Club Executives & Directors
President
Brian Bradley
Co-Immediate Past President
Heidi Voorhees
Co-Immediate Past President
Debora Morris
Co-President Elect
Frank Hussey
Co-President Elect
Frank Candioto
Club Foundation Treasurer
John Flanagin
Secretary
John Kilner
Treasurer
Kent Meyers
Director
Jack Close
Director
Terry Porter
Director
George Pearce
Director
Irene Paterno
Director
Nick Dallas
Director
Frank Cheswick
Director
John Kay
Director
Ben Ivory
Director
Karl Behrend
Membership Chair
George Pearce
Public Image
Gabriell Doyle
Co-chair Community and Environmental Service Committee
Sarah Homan
Co-chair Community and Environmental Service Committee
Ben Ivory
Co-chair Youth Service
Jacqueline Granat
Co-chair Youth Service
George Pearce
Web Site Coordinator
Debora Morris
Program Chair
Frank Candioto
Co-Bulletin Editor
Debora Morris
Co -Bulletin Editor
Heidi Voorhees
Fundraising Chair
Debora Morris
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHAIR
Steven R Jambor
Rotary Foundation
C. Raymond Zeiss
Finance Chair
John Flanagin
Golf Outing Chair
Terry Porter
AI Assistant 
Ask our AI Assistant, Avery, any questions about the Holiday Fundraiser or our Rotary Club.
 
 
2025 HOLIDAY  FUNDRAISER
 
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES
Monthly Lunch-packing on November 4 - Please Sign-up to participate.  Our monthly service project of preparing lunch bags for Connections for the Homeless is at St. Joseph's Church, Lake and Ridge, Wilmette at 6pm. Enter through the east lower entrance. A Rotary Club meeting follows immediately after the sandwiches are made. This is now a collaborative project with members joining us from the Winnetka-Northfield and Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Clubs.  
 
New Trier Food Pantry - volunteers needed to help organize increased food donations.  739 Elm St., Winnetka. Sign-up FOOD
General
Upcoming Events
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