I was humbled to be installed last week as your newest President of Wilmette Rotary and grateful for all the kinds words and encouragement I have received this week. So pleased that we will have a seamless transition to the new year, as all of the committee chairs and co-chairs have agree to stay on as have all of the current officers. I hope to live up the the amazing examples and accomplishments reached by Debora and Heidi and feel very lucky that they will be around to keep the Spoke at the high levels of information needed for our group and to continue to mentor me in the coming months.
As I mentioned at the Installation, Rotary’s Motto for this new Rotary Year is Unite forGood. I feel that this last year has been a living example of this motto for our group as we have very successfully united our 2 clubs into 1 amazing group which really has strong goals to do good, on the Northshore and around the world. I know we can build on these goals for good, build our club in size and relevance and still continue to keep in everyone's mind our #5 Question in the 4-way Test, Is it fun?! We have proven that we can unite for good, for the world and for the fun of it as well.
Thank you and please know I will be reaching out to you all year for help and ideas, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with ideas, projects, new goals or criticism if something’s not right, so I can keep us united and having fun.
The July 1 Lunch-packing session, organized by the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club, had enthusiastic volunteers from both Evanston Lighthouse and Wilmette Rotary clubs. 160 lunch bags were prepared for delivery the next day to Connections for the Homeless. Monthly lunch-packing sessions will by organized with Wilmette, Winnetka-Northfield and Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Clubs taking alternate months. Next month is Wilmette Rotary. Sign-up for the next Lunch-packing session on August 5. Space is limited, so Sign-up now to participate.
On July 12, our Club will be participating in the celebration of a successful 10-year development project, Zion Woods, which built 25 apartment homes that offer independent living at affordable rents for lower-income households and individuals living with disabilities. Construction began after a 10-year collaborative effort that was started by the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. Completed in June of 2025, the project was built by Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC) and Brinshore Development on the land that was donated by the church.
We will be setting up a tent and table at the event and would like a few volunteers to help with set-up, and be at the table to talk about Rotary. Sign-up HODC Event
Location: Zion Woods, 8 Deerfield Rd., Deerfield.
Day/Time: Saturday, July 12. Setup at Noon. Event starts at 1pm. Contact Sarah Homan at sarah.homan@ymail.com with any questions.
A new member, John Karras was approved for membership at the July 8 Rotary Club Board of Directors meeting. John is an attorney who is principally involved in a family-operated general labor services business, Thana Family Enterprises LLC. He holds an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a JD from Loyola Chicago School of Law, and attended Emory University as an undergraduate. John currently volunteers as a Little League coach. He was an accomplished baseball athlete in college and now competes in triathlons several times annually. John is single and lives in Wilmette. Welcome John!
District 6440’s Task Force on Mental Health Initiatives is presenting a series of speakers, “Mental Health Mondays” This is a series of speakers, every first Monday of the Month, at noon. Next One: July 7 at 12:00pm-12:30pm - Erin Tegge, AM, LSW will speak on PEER Services: Substance Use, Prevention, Treatment & Recovery. No Registration is required. Join Zoom Meeting directly.
Our own member, Sharon Weingarten, is responsible for arranging these amazing speakers every month. If you have any questions about the series or speakers, please contact Sharon: sharon@weingartens.net.
The Winnetka-Northfield Rotary Club is having a Trivia Night Fundraiser on July 17 at 6pm at the Valley Lo Club in 2200 Tanglewood, Glenview. Enjoy a fun night of testing your trivia skills again. Buffet Dinner, Wine & Beer Open Bar; Tickets: $100 Purchase online at HERE
Our District 6440 sponsors Rotary Means Business (RMB) meetings the first Thursday of each month, in various locations throughout the District. Next month it will be in Evanston on Thursday, Jul. 03 at 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at Firehouse Grill, 750 Chicago Ave., Evanston. Each event serves as a testament to the thriving business ecosystem in our corner of Chicagoland. Don't miss this opportunity to forge valuable connections and contribute to the collaborative spirit of our dynamic business community. Join them each month by registering at RMB
Sunday, November 23 Rotary Club of Wilmette - Morning of Gratitude - Village Clean up Event -- Join us Sunday November 23 from 10 am to 11:30 am for the opportunity to express our gratitude for our community by working together collecting trash and debris around our Village Center. Family and friends are invited. Look for the Rotary blue tent in front of the Village Hall 1200 Wilmette Ave. If your schedule is tight, feel free to stop by for a cup of coffee. If you have questions, contact Ben Ivory benjamindivory@gmail.com
Monthly Lunch-packing on December 2, 6pm - 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 - The New Trier Food Pantry is in crisis mode. They need volunteers to help organize the new donations that are coming in. The Food Pantry is located at 739 Elm Street, Winnetka. Please sign-up to volunteer to help: Food.
Small Business Saturday, November 29 -- This November 29, celebrate Shop Small Saturday by supporting the incredible local shops that make Wilmette special!
Kick off the holidays at this fun annual event! Enjoy shopping, in-store promotions, refreshments, and festive cheer at participating downtown merchants—then make it a full evening out at your favorite Wilmette restaurant. Check out the Wilmette-Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce website for more details.
Club Information
Welcome!
Our Motto: Service Above Self
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
Sheridan Shore Yacht Club
20 Harbor Drive
Wilmette, IL 60091 United States of America
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
Mike Ericksen, Foundation Sector Chair from our District will be meeting with interested members to discuss how we should prepare for the Visioning Facilitation session on December 1.
