The Rotary Club of Potsdam has donated $1,000 to the Potsdam Holiday Fund, an all-volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides new gifts, warm clothing and food to families and senior citizens in need in Potsdam, Madrid, Hopkinton, Nicholville, Brasher Falls, Chase Mills, Fort Jackson, West Stockholm and Winthrop. Donations to the Potsdam Holiday Fund are still needed and welcome at potsdamholidayfund.org or Potsdam Holiday Fund, PO Box 827, Potsdam, NY 13676. Left to right: Potsdam Rotary Club President Duane Pelkey presents a check to Potsdam Holiday Fund President Traci Giffin, assisted by Rotary Treasurer Shawn Seymour and Secretary Romeyn Prescott.
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Rotary Club of Potsdam, New York, U.S.A., District 7040
Members of the Rotary Club of Potsdam provided nearly 300 children with a book as well as a scare during their annual Haunted Hallway event during the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce Fright Night. The club ordered a wide selection of children's books from Scholastic and allowed each child to take one home. The youngsters took home a fright and a doughnut as well, as they navigated the club's Haunted Hallway with their parents, which culminated in "bobbing" for doughnuts on a string. The book distribution is part of Rotary International's focus on basic education and literacy. St. Lawrence Federal Credit Union, the Potsdam Food Co-op and Yum Yum's Chilly Delight also supported the project through their donations.
Gracie LaLonde of Brasher Falls Central School, a student in the Criminal Justice program at BOCES Seaway Tech, is the Rotary Club of Potsdam BOCES Student of the Month for October. At a Rotary luncheon honoring LaLonde, she met with Potsdam Rotarians and was commended for her academic excellence by Seaway Tech School instructor Joe Colon. Left to right: Potsdam Rotary President Taylor Robertson, Rotary Vocational Service Chair Amanda Wilson, Lalonde and Colon.
Potsdam Rotarian Michael Griffin was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow at the Rotary District 7040 annual conference in May in Ottawa, Ontario. Griffin's Paul Harris Fellowship was made possible by a donation of points by Rotary District 7120 Governor Janet Tenreiro of Canandaigua, N.Y., in recognition of the work he has done on making a new custom New York State license plate available to Rotarians. The new plate will be available for order on the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website in early August. This is the sixth time that Griffin has been recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. He currently serves as Rotary's north central New York area governor. A past president and board member of the Potsdam club, he joined Rotary in 1986 and chairs the club's community service and communications.
Amanda L. Wilson of Hannawa Falls was recently inducted as a member of the Rotary Club of Potsdam.
Wilson grew up in Hopkinton, N.Y., and graduated from Parishville-Hopkinton Central School in 2010. She earned her bachelor of science degree in community health from SUNY Potsdam in 2020. She is the office manager at Midwife Sunday Smith’s Birthing and Wellness Center, where says she has "a passion to serve the birthing community."
Wilson is involved in the St. Lawrence County Arts Council with her partner, Andrew Norrell, who works in ceramics. They have four children: Leah, Lucy, Claire, and Brayden.
Left to right: Wilson's new member sponsor Sunday Smith, Wilson, and President Taylor Robertson.
Clarkson University President Tony Collins was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Potsdam at its annual meeting on June 1. He was honored for his demonstrated commitment to the goals and purposes of Rotary and "in appreciation of their tangible assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world." Collins, who has served Clarkson University for 40 years, and as its president for nearly 20 years, will step down as its 16th president, this month.
Taylor Robertson of Parishville was installed as the 2022-2023 president of the Rotary Club of Potsdam for a second consecutive year at its annual dinner on June 1. During the ceremony, incoming and continuing officers President-elect Brandon LaShomb of Parishville, Secretary Romeyn Prescott of Potsdam, and Treasurer Shawn Seymour of Hannawa Falls were also recognized. Laurean Pelkey of Madrid was elected as a board member, and Beck Tessier of Massena and Michael Griffin of Colton will continue on the board.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam has donated nearly $700 of personal hygiene products to the Potsdam Central School Positivity Project, which operates the Potsdam P2 Food Market, a food and personal care pantry for students and senior citizens. The donated products included shampoo/conditioner, soap, deodorant and feminine products as well as razors donated by Harris Medical Supplies & Equipment.
The Potsdam P2 Food Market is the only student-run, free food pantry in the northern New York region. It is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, with monthly food shipments arriving from the Food Bank of Central New York. Clients are able to order an assortment of canned food, pasta, breakfast items, and personal hygiene products. The market fills a gap between need and availability of costly personal care items for students and senior citizens. The need for hygiene products among those in need is very great in the Potsdam community.
Left to right: P2 member Ashley Berry-Wilson, Rotarian and P2 advisory board member Mary Sue Foster, and P2 Food Market Co-Manager Johannes Richter.
It's that time of year again! The Rotary Club of Potsdam will hold its annual Rubber Ducky Pluck during the Potsdam Summer Festival on Saturday, July 16, at 2:30 p.m. at Ives Park in Potsdam.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam thanks the North Country community for its support of the club's 18th annual Potsdam Rotary Scholarship Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 14, at the Potsdam Town & Country Club!
Thanks to the generosity of many local business sponsors, 14 students at the BOCES Seaway Career & Technical Education Center have received $200 Potsdam Rotary business scholarship awards, despite the cancellation of a major Rotary fundraising event.
Rotarians and friends from the Potsdam, Canton, Massena and Watertown Noon clubs came together on May 21 for an interclub work day at Dodge Pond. They continued work on a trail that connects the main lodge with another portion of the camp -- constructing sideboards, putting down a weed barrier and filling in with trail material. The ARC Jefferson-St. Lawrence positioned materials and provided staff to supervise and assist. Dodge Pond is truly a unique opportunity for special needs children in Northern New York and something the Rotary clubs have been supporting for more than 40 years!
Left to right: Amanda Wilson, Andrew Norrell, Claire R-Norrell, Lucy R-Norrell, Gerry Lambert, Jeanne Tyo-Martin, Ron Patnode, Taylor Robertson (holding Sam LaShomb), and Brandon LaShomb. Not pictured: Howie Ganter and Michael Griffin.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam will honor Clarkson University President Tony Collins as a Paul Harris Fellow at its annual dinner on Wednesday, June 1, at the Lobster House in Norwood. Taylor Robertson of Parishville will also be installed as Potsdam Rotary's 2022-2023 president at the event.
Collins will be honored as a Paul Harris Fellow for his demonstrated commitment to the goals and purposes of Rotary and "in appreciation of his tangible assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world."
All Rotarians; family, friends and colleagues of the honoree; and community members are invited to attend the dinner.
A social hour with hors d'oeuvres gets underway at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. A selection of eight entrees will be available to order at the dinner: prime rib, beef brisket, chicken pesto, chicken parmesan, haddock (broiled or fried), maritime platter (broiled shrimp scampi, fish filet, fried clams, and fried shrimp), vegetarian ravioli, or pasta primavera.
Tickets are available by advance purchase only for $40 per person. To pay online, go to potsdamrotary.org, click on "Donate," and select "Use this donation for Annual Dinner."
Or checks can be mailed to “Potsdam Rotary” at PO Box 912, Potsdam, NY 13676. (If you mail us a check, please email your RSVP to Robertson.Taylor.31@gmail.com, so we can get a guest count.)
All reservations must be received by Friday, May 27. Please call Taylor Robertson at 518-534-2863 with questions.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam has donated $1,000 to the Potsdam Neighborhood Center food bank in honor of the Rotary District 7040 Week of Service, April 24-30. The donation was supported by a matching grant from Rotary District 7040. According to the district, with inflation in food costs, food banks have warned that those in need may soon run out of money for food and increase their use of food banks and other food sources. Also, due to inflation, it is likely that these organizations will have to pay more for many items.
To address this issue, the Rotary district is providing about a total of $80,000 to support food banks and other providers in the New York, Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut. Participating Rotary and Rotaract clubs in District 7040 are each making a donation to a local food bank, food operation, or charitable meal provider during the Rotary Week of Service.
Potsdam Rotarians turned out at Ives Park on April 24 to volunteer at the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce Potsdam Community Clean-Up Day and celebrate the first day of the Rotary District 7040 Week of Service! Thanks to everyone who helped out!
The Rotary Club of Potsdam invites you to its 18th annual Potsdam Rotary Scholarship Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 14, at the Potsdam Town & Country Club. Registrations for foursomes are now being accepted at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/307534894147. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with a 10:00 shotgun start and lunch at the turn. The event will culminate in an award reception with hors d'oeuvres. The $80 per golfer cost includes greens fees, carts, lunch, and hors d'oeuvres. Contests are planned for longest drive (men and women), closest to the pin (men and women), closest to the line, beat the pro, and putting, as well as mulligans, skins and a 50/50.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam will hold a Take-out-only Baked Ziti Dinner Fundraiser on Wednesday, April 27, from 4:30-6 p.m. at Helping Hands, 5868 State Hwy. 56 in Hannawa Falls. Each dinner will include Baked Ziti with meat sauce, a green salad, a dinner roll and dessert. Vegan sauce will also be available.
Tickets are $12 each and must be purchased online before the event at
Proceeds will support Potsdam Rotary's charitable activities, such as Dodge Pond Camp for people with disabilities and health conditions, and BOCES student scholarships. The Rotary Club thanks Helping Hands for graciously allowing the club to use its facilities.
For more information, please email potsdamrotaryevents@gmail.com or call 315-244-2122.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam is seeking 15- to 17-year-old high school students from the Potsdam area who are interested in being part of the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), May 27-29, at RKY Camp on Eagle Lake, one hour north of Kingston, Ontario. Potsdam Rotary is sponsoring up to two students who will incur no costs of their own to attend the camp, other than their personal transportation.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam has donated $1,000 to the Potsdam Holiday Fund. The Potsdam Holiday Fund, Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that provides new gifts, warm clothing and food to families and senior citizens in need in Potsdam, Madrid, Hopkinton, Nicholville, Brasher Falls, Chase Mills, Fort Jackson, West Stockholm and Winthrop. Donations to the Potsdam Holiday Fund are still needed and welcome at potsdamholidayfund.org. or Potsdam Holiday Fund, PO Box 827, Potsdam, NY 13676. Left to right: Rotarian Duane Pelkey (right) presents a check to Potsdam Holiday Fund President Marylee Ballou.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam has opened three "Lil'" Free Libraries with books specifically geared toward children. The new libraries are located outside of Trinity Episcopal Church at 8 Maple St., Yum Yum's Chilly Delight at 12 Main St., and Harris Medical Supplies inside the Market Square Mall. Little Free Libraries are little house-like kiosks in which books are donated. They are located all over the world and are free to both adults and children to take a book or leave a book, if they can.
A new custom Rotary license plate will soon be available for New York State Rotarians! The new custom plate will feature the Rotary logo and our motto, "Service Above Self." District 7120 Governor Janet Tenreiro along with District 7040 Area Governor Michael Griffin are taking point on this project, which has the support of all nine district governors in New York State. The new plate will take the place of Rotary's current custom plate in New York, which uses the old logo and has no motto. In order for New York State to move ahead on printing the new plates, we need to get at least 200 New York State Rotarians to express interest in ordering the new custom license plate. If you are interested in ordering a plate, please contact Michael Griffin.
Laurean Connors Pelkey of Madrid was recently inducted as a member of the Rotary Club of Potsdam. Pelkey grew up in Rush, N.Y., the seventh of nine children. She graduated from Rush-Henrietta High School in 1982 and worked in a variety of jobs. She then attended SUNY Potsdam, where she met her husband-to-be, Duane M. Pelkey, and received a bachelor of arts degree in biology in 1988 and completed a master of science in teaching in 1991.
Bobby Gordon of Potsdam was recently inducted as a member of the Rotary Club of Potsdam. Gordon graduated from Cornell University in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and earned a master’s degree in education in 1967. She and her family moved to the Potsdam area in 1975.
Tamie Sauve of Potsdam was recently inducted as a member of the Rotary Club of Potsdam. Sauve is a 1 A (assistant manager) locally for Maurice's Department Store and has an extensive background in upper retail administration, personnel hiring and training, office management, and customer service skills.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam thanks the North Country community for its support of the club's 17th annual Potsdam Rotary Scholarship Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 15, at the Potsdam Town & Country Club! The winners and sponsors were:
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Potsdam Area Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign - 2022
Potsdam Price ChopperDec 17, 2022
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM -
Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomDec 20, 2022 5:00 PM
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Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomJan 17, 2023 5:00 PM
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Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomFeb 21, 2023 5:00 PM
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Board Meeting
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BOCES Scholarship Gala
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Board Meeting
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Rotary District Conference
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Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomMay 16, 2023 5:00 PM
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Service Above Self
Potsdam, NY 13676
United States of America