Our next August meetings will be a Morning meeting at 7:30am on Wednesday August 19 at the Wilmette Harbor Club and a Lunch meeting at noon on Wednesday, August 26 at St. John's Church.
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Our Club's International Committee is excited to announce the completion of a small underground water system with an AFRIDEV manual pump in the Cubal Municipality, Angola and is part of the activity of RISE Angola. The project serves 500 students studying at the Comandante Bula School. We contributed $4000, our 6440 partner Glenview Sunrise contribute $1000 and RISE Angola contributed $6000. This project was spearheaded by Ray Zeiss. Well done!
Our club recently granted a $2000 scholarship to Oakton College for Lilly Ekhtera. Lilly and Jim Vilson, Manager of Scholarships and Donor Relations talked to us about Oakton and Lilly’s current educational goals. Jim spoke about the many programs available at Oakton and how these programs have enabled students to get good jobs. Lilly spoke about her goals to pursue a PhD in Psychology and is currently working on a project with a psychologist to test cortisol’s effect on vitality.
George Pearce who recently became Chair of the Youth Services committee, spoke to our group about the projects currently part of Youth Services, including scholarships, youth exchange, and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA).
Several members participated in an 11th Annual Blood Drive on Sunday, February 8th in memory of Kevin Burke. It was held at St Francis Xavier Gym on Super Bowl Sunday and over 400 people showed up to give blood. While our members did not actually give blood, we gave out buttered coffee cake and coffee to the blood donors and volunteers. Thanks to Frank Cheswick and his wife Georgia for setting up the event and table; additionally Frank Candioto. Frank Hussey and Debora Morris worked the table. Several people who stopped by the coffee cake expressed interest in learning more about Rotary.
Last month, President Brian, suggested that members think about taking some positive actions to help make this a better world. Random acts of kindness were encouraged and some members have reported what they did during the month of February to further this concept. Brian would like to hear from more members at the meetings this month. It's never too late to do a random act of kindness!
We have received a new Member Application from Lee Brodne, sponsored by Mariana Alfar. Lee is a recently retired RN and worked for BrightStar Care in Northbrook. She also worked as a Corporate Banker for the BMO Food Group for 10+ years. Lee received her BS from Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Ohio State. Her nursing degree was completed at Oakton College. Lee currently serves as an election judge and site technician for state and national elections. Lee lives in Wilmette with her husband, Bill; they have two daughters.
Rick Reigner, Governor Elect for our district (6440) has asked all of the Presidents Elect to bring bar soap and combs to the President Elect training at the beginning of March. This request is being made to provide some personal hygiene items for the homeless.
Please bring any of these items to one of our February meetings. Frank Hussey (co-President elect) and I will collect whatever is brought in and bring it to the training session the first weekend in March. Please contact me or Frank with any questions.
The month of February is very special in the Rotary calendar because it includes the anniversary of the first meeting of Rotary held on February 23, 1905, in Chicago. That day is now designated as the "World Understanding and Peace Day". If you’re looking for a practical way to put peace into action, check out the following that ties directly to Rotary’s peace focus:
5th Annual Peace Week - February 23–27, 2026 - Five virtual sessions | Completely free
Hosted by Partnering for Peace, brings together meaningful conversations and perspectives from around the world. Registration is simple: one link registers you for all five sessions — attend the ones that interest you most. Register here:
Last chance to donate this Rotary Year to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). It would be great if every member is able to contribute $100 this Rotary year. If you can contribute $100, that equates to only 27 cents per day or $1.92 per week. But any contribution is welcomed. Ray Z. or Terry P. will be able to tell each member how far away they are from their next Paul Harris Fellow award (PHF). Rememberpart of your contribution comes back toourClub tohelpfund our service programs. Ray Zeiss has indicated that there are several members who are very close to becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, or adding to their PHF status, with credits from our past EREY contributions. Donations will be matched for those within $500 of reaching the next PHF.
Members : It's very easy! Click HERE for a direct link to donate.
A message from Rotary International Past President Mark Daniel Maloney: You are warmly invited to register for the upcoming PEACE BEGINS AT HOME – International Online Mega Meeting (The Rotary Mega Meeting). This global gathering will feature inspiring messages from distinguished leaders, dedicated peace advocates and Rotary leaders from across the world. The meeting seeks to reinforce a vital truth: sustainable global peace is built through daily actions, shared values, and strong relationships—beginning at home. Peace cannot be taken for granted. Register here:https://forms.gle/TnJL4LsGd98gMmWx9 Or simply scan the QR code to sign up. Once registered, you will receive updates on the confirmed date, time, and meeting link.
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 Time: 9:30 PM (AEST) Registration: Click HERE to register.
Monthly Lunch-packing on September 1, 6pm - The 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. Sign -up LUNCHES September is Winnetka-Northfield's month. October is Evanston Lighthouse month.
Go Green Wilmette’s Volunteer Habitat Work Days – Volunteer with Go Green Wilmette in the Gillson Park Bird Habitat and Mallinckrodt Park. These two parks have areas planted with native plant species, which require hands on maintenance to keep them healthy and thriving. Go Green Wilmette leads work days once per month in each park from 9-11 am. **Gillson Bird Habitat work days happen on the first Sunday of the month, except on holiday weekends: Dates are: September 13 and October 4. Meet in the bird habitat along Michigan Ave. just south of Lake Ave.
**Mallinckrodt work days happen on the third Thursday of the month. Dates are: August 20, September 17 and October 15.
Go Green Wilmette/Wilmette Park District - Beach Clean Ups - Join Go Green Wilmette for a beach clean-up! April through October at Gillson Beach, Gate 3 (Gillson Beach House during the off-season dates), 9am-11am.Bring reusable gloves (not single-use plastic) and a bucket or container. Click Information
Wilmette Rotary Beach Sweep - Saturday, September 19, 9am-11:30am, at Gillson Park. We will partner with Go Green Wilmette as we did last year.We (Rotary and Go Green Wilmette) will base ourselves at the Wilmette Beach Building structure and welcome both Springman School students and the public. One of the unique features is completing the Alliance for the Great Lakes collection form and our sorting process to show what was collected. We will need a few volunteers. Contact Ben Ivory for more information and to volunteer. benjamindivory@gmail.com
Connections for the Homeless - Here is an overview of opportunities for individuals, families, and groups to get involved with Connections this summer: Summer Needs wish list. Assemble hot weather kits
New Trier Township is looking for nominations for the George E Noyes Community Spirit Award. This award recognizes outstanding Township volunteers who are making a powerful difference in their communities in ways that support New Trier Township’s mission, and who inspires others to volunteer. Nominate HERE. Nominations will be accepted through March.
Award Criteria: The award recognizes and honors an exceptional individual who makes volunteering and community service a way of life. The person should exemplify the best in volunteering and demonstrate a sense of caring and responsibility for others that connects citizens and solves community problems.
Wilmette’s Sounds of Summer - Enjoy outdoor concerts downtown on the Village Green and in park settings around the community this summer, with weekly concerts June through September. For the full lineup, visit wilmette.gov/SummerMusic.
New Trier Township - Secretary of State Mobile DMV event. Thursday, August 27, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, Wilmette Public Library. Services will include Driver’s License and State ID cards, including Standard and REAL ID, as well as vehicle registration and license plate stickers. Representatives from the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and Illinois Tollway will also be on-site. Treasurer and Tollway services are available on a walk-in basis. Appointments are required for DMV services. To make an appointment, email outreach@newtriertownship.com. Be sure to review acceptable document requirements before your appointment at ILSOS.gov.
Wilmette Block Party – The annual Wilmette Block Party will be held on Saturday, August 29 in downtown Wilmette from noon - 10 p.m. The event, co-hosted by the Wilmette Park District, the Village of Wilmette and the Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce, features local food, live music and numerous family friendly activities. We will have a tent in the Kids Zone with a roulette wheel and prizes for the kids. This is a good opportunity to tell their parents about Rotary. Sign-up to help with our booth HERE
Wilmette Community Garage Sale – Saturday, September 26. Time: 8:30 am - 12:00 pm. Location to be announced. Free to shoppers; resident sellers must register and pay fee of $36; non-resident sellers $45. Good opportunity to clean out your closets and garage of unwanted items. Sellers must be 18 years of age and need to set up by 8am. Unsold items may be donated on site after the event. Click for Details.
TEDxWilmette 2026:- On Saturday, September 26, at the Wilmette Recreation Center Auditorium, six amazing speakers will take the TEDxWilmette 2026 stage to share their ideas related to this year's theme: Especially Now. This year's inspiring talks, will delve into human connection, career advancement, food security, and more. You won't want to miss this amazing live event. Purchase your tickets today! To learn more about these impressive women, visit the Speakers page on our website.
Club Information
Welcome!
Our Motto: Service Above Self
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
St. John's Lutheran Church
1235 Wilmette Ave
Wilmette, IL 60091 United States of America
We meet monthly on the 1st Tuesday at 6pm at St Joseph Church, 2nd and 4th Wednesday at Noon at St. John's Church, Wilmette, and 3rd Wednesday at 7:30am at the Wilmette Harbor Club in Gillson Park. Mailing address: PO Box 111, Wilmette, IL 60091
Sarah Oliver and Mariana Alfar will tell us about the plans for when Marian takes over as District 6440 Governor. Our club will be very involved with helping Mariana in this new role. Mariana will be the fourth District Governor from Wilmette (three others from the former Wilmette Harbor Rotary Club).
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