The Rotary Club of Potsdam will honor Janice and Fonda Adderley with its Service Above Self Award at its annual dinner on Wednesday, June 3, at the Lobster House in Norwood. Janice and Fonda, co-managers of The UPS Store in Potsdam, will be honored in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Potsdam community. Christina Delorenzo and Ashley Kalman-Smith will also be honored as Rookie Rotarians of the Year, and Sunday Smith will be installed as the 2026-2027 Potsdam Rotary president at the event. All Rotarians; family, friends and colleagues of the honorees; and community members are invited to attend the dinner.
BOCES Student of the Month
Jun 10, 2026 12:00 PM
Rev. William R & Crystal E Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable US
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Rotary Club of Potsdam, New York, U.S.A., District 7040
Caden Liebfred, a student in the Building Trades program at the Seaway Career & Technical Education Center, is the March recipient of the Potsdam Rotary Club’s “Rev. William R. and Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S.” Liebfred is the child of Michael and Jodi Liebfred.
Colby Griffith, a student in the Automotive Technology program at the Seaway Career & Technical Education Center, is the February recipient of the Potsdam Rotary Club’s “Rev. William R. and Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S.” Griffith is the child of Michael and Brandi Griffith.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam recently made a $200 donation to the Potsdam Fire Department in recognition of the department’s support of the club’s annual Rubber Ducky Pluck. The proceeds from the event support people with mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and benefit other Rotary community projects. In this photo, Potsdam Fire Department Chief Mark Bradish (right) accepts a check from Rotary Treasurer Shawn Seymour.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam will hold its annual “Beck Tessier Memorial Scholarship Gala” on Saturday, March 28, at the Elks Lodge in Potsdam. This year’s gala theme is “Out of this World.”
The scholarship gala, which benefits BOCES Seaway Career & Technical Education Center programs, is named in memory of late Rotarian Rebecca J. “Beck” Tessier of Massena, who died in 2024 after a valiant, two-year battle with ALS. The event raises money for the end-of-the-year awards for one student in each program.
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 22-24, 2026, at RKY Camp on Eagle Lake in Parham, Ontario, one hour north of Kingston. Potsdam Rotary is sponsoring two students who will incur no costs of their own to attend the camp, other than their personal transportation.
Early discount registrations are now being accepted for the first golf tournament of the season, the 22nd Annual Potsdam-Canton Rotary Golf Tournament! The event will take place on Saturday, May 16, at the Potsdam Town & Country Club with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Team registrations are now being accepted online at potsdamrotary.org/page/golf. Early team registrations will receive a discounted rate of $400 per foursome, versus $420 after May 1.
Lucas Crump of Brasher Falls Central School District, a student in the Electrical Technologies program at the Seaway Career & Technical Education Center, is the January recipient of the Potsdam Rotary Club’s “Rev. William R. and Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S.” Crump is the child of Nick Crump.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam donated $500 to the Colton Pierrepont Parishville Neighborhood Center (CPPNC) in December to assist children and families in need during the holiday season.
Tyler Solon of Potsdam Central School District, a student in the Metalworking Technology program at the Seaway Career & Technical Education Center, is the December recipient of the Potsdam Rotary Club’s “Rev. William R. and Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S.” Solon is the child of Michael and Amanda Solon.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam has donated $1,000 to the Potsdam Holiday Fund as well as $500 worth of children’s books.
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.
The Potsdam Rotary Club meets each Wednesday at noon at the Potsdam Town Hall community room. Guests are welcome.
Left to right: Potsdam Holiday Fund board members Kate Mikel and Jani Hobbs, Potsdam Rotary Club President Christina Delorenzo, and Rotary Treasurer Shawn Seymour.
Tiena Gilbert of Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District, a student in the Natural Resource Management program at the Seaway Career & Technical Education Center, is the November recipient of the Potsdam Rotary Club’s “Rev. William R. and Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S.” Gilbert is the child of Joseph Gilbert.
Jude TenEyck of Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District, a student in the New Visions Medical Careers program at the Seaway Career & Technical Education Center, is the October recipient of the Potsdam Rotary Club’s “Rev. William R. and Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S.” TenEyck is the child of Naomi and James Scovil.
Mya Sevey of Colton-Pierrepont Central School District, a student in the HVAC/R program at the Seaway Career & Technical Education Center, is the September recipient of the Potsdam Rotary Club’s “Rev. William R. and Crystal E. Cuthbert Vocational Excellence Award Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S.” Sevey is the child of Michael and Melinda Sevey.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam dedicated a new Peace Pole on September 21, the International Day of Peace, at Garner Park in Potsdam.
“A Peace Pole is more than just a marker in the ground — it is a universal symbol of hope,” said Potsdam Rotary President Christina Delorenzo. “Around the world, in more than 250,000 places, Peace Poles carry the message ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’ in many languages. And today, that message stands here in Potsdam, as a gift from the Rotary Club to our community.
“We chose to plant this Peace Pole because it represents what Rotary is all about: bringing people together across cultures, backgrounds, and generations to create lasting change. It symbolizes unity, reminds us that peace is a shared responsibility, and reflects Rotary’s global mission of peacebuilding and goodwill.”
“We chose to plant this Peace Pole because it represents what Rotary is all about: bringing people together across cultures, backgrounds, and generations to create lasting change. It symbolizes unity, reminds us that peace is a shared responsibility, and reflects Rotary’s global mission of peacebuilding and goodwill.”
Elif Cetinkaya of Potsdam, daughter of Çetin and Gülfer Çetinkaya, was awarded the "Potsdam Rotary Scholarship Sponsored by Brookfield Renewable U.S." at the Potsdam High School Senior Awards Night in June. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a Potsdam High School senior pursuing higher education who exemplifies the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self."
Doug Fry of Morristown and Ashley Kalman-Smith of Massena were recently inducted as members of the Rotary Club of Potsdam. Fry is the general manager of Casella Waste Systems in Potsdam. Kalman-Smith is a personal lines sales executive at Northern Insuring Agency in Potsdam.
Christa Carroll won the top prize at the annual Rotary Club of Potsdam Rubber Ducky Pluck in Ives Park during the Potsdam Summer Festival on Saturday, July 12. The $500 award was donated by Dr. and Mrs. G. Michael Maresca.
Additional prize winners were Linda Hargrave, $100 cash from Plumley Real Estate; Nancy Rehse, $100 cash from AccountAbility; Mike Neaton, $100 in Potsdam Chamber Dollars from Community Bank; Kate Lawton, $50 in Potsdam Chamber Dollars from Pinto, Mucenski, Hooper and Van House CPAs; Melody Kovach, $50 in Potsdam Chamber Dollars from North Country Savings Bank; Eric Schreiner, four Clarkson University men’s hockey game tickets; Michael Griffin, four Clarkson University men’s hockey game tickets; Kristle Robinson, $30 in Norwood News Café gift cards from a friend of Rotary; and Charles Patterson, a $25 gift certificate from Harris Medical.
Proceeds from the Ducky Pluck support people with mental health, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and other Rotary community projects.
The Rotary Club of Potsdam offers sincere thanks to all prize sponsors and ticket buyers.
Potsdam Public Library Family Literacy Specialist Maria D. Morrison was recently honored with the Service Above Self Award by the Rotary Club of Potsdam at their annual meeting. Morrison is a SUNY Potsdam alumna and strong advocate for education in the North Country, using her skills to improve literacy and educational opportunities for those in need of assistance.
Christina DeLorenzo of Potsdam was installed as the 2025-26 president of the Rotary Club of Potsdam at its annual dinner in June. During the ceremony, incoming and continuing officers Past President and President-elect Sunday Smith of Potsdam, Secretary Laurean Pelkey of Madrid, and Treasurer Shawn Seymour of Hannawa Falls were also recognized. Mary Sue Foster of Hannawa Falls and Michael Griffin of Colton will continue on the board.
Shawn Seymour of Hannawa Falls was recently recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Potsdam at its annual meeting. He was honored 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."
Mary Sue Foster of Hannawa Falls was recently recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Potsdam at its annual meeting. She was honored for her demonstrated commitment to the goals and purposes of Rotary and "in appreciation of her tangible assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world."
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 12, at 2:30 p.m. at Ives Park in Potsdam. The proceeds support people with mental health, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and other Rotary community projects. Tickets are available from any Potsdam Rotarian for $5 per ticket. You can buy tickets online at potsdamrotary.org. Just click on "Donate" and under "Use this donation for" select "Duck Pluck Ticket Donation." You can also order tickets via email at info@potsdamrotary.org. Ticket holders need not be present to win.
Our Wednesday, July 2, meeting is cancelled in observation of the week's Independence Day Holiday.
Twenty-two area high school seniors recently participated in the first annual St. Lawrence County Rotary Clubs Four-Way Test Essay Contest.
The Rotary Clubs of Canton, Massena, Ogdensburg, and Potsdam offered the essay contest as an incentive to young people to develop their skills of self-expression and as evidence of a sincere interest in the ideals of our youth.
Adriana Levendusky, a homeschooled student from Lisbon, took the $1,000 first-place award with her essay “Social Media.” Midwife Sunday Wellness and Birth Center in Potsdam sponsored the award with a $1,000 donation.
Abby Williams of Ogdensburg Free Academy won the second-place award of $500 with her essay “Glass Half Full.”
Leah Morgan of Massena High School got the $250 third-place award with her essay “Volunteerism.”
Paul French of Hermon-DeKalb High School was honored with the $250 fourth-place award with his essay “WWII.”
The Rotary Clubs of Canton, Massena, Ogdensburg, and Potsdam each contributed $250 for the second through fourth prizes.
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Potsdam Rotary Pres. Changeover & Awards Dinner 2026
Lobster HouseJun. 03, 2026
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. -
Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomJun. 16, 2026 5:00 p.m.
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Potsdam Rotary Rubber Ducky Pluck 2026
Ives ParkJul. 11, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. -
Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomJul. 21, 2026 5:00 p.m.
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Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomAug. 18, 2026 5:00 p.m.
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Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomSep. 15, 2026 5:00 p.m.
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Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomOct. 20, 2026 5:00 p.m.
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Board Meeting
Potsdam Town Hall Community RoomNov. 17, 2026 5:00 p.m.
Through Rotary, a police officer expands her worldview
Through Rotary, police officer Joanne Serkeyn expanded her view of how to make a difference. In July, Serkeyn will become the governor of District 7090
A monumental club project in South Dakota
Members of the Rotary Club of Custer, South Dakota, played a role in the construction of the Crazy Horse Monument and continue to support its federation
Rotary to scale proven water and sanitation initiative in Haiti
Program aims to improve living conditions and reduce waterborne disease by 25% in three local government areas in Haiti by 2030
After life, a return to the earth
Conservation burials, green cemeteries, and environmental convictions are reshaping how some people think about death
Rotary projects around the globe May 2026
Learn how Rotary clubs are taking action in the United States, Costa Rica, Italy, Tunisia, and Australia.
Service Above Self
Potsdam, NY 13676
United States of America