Park Ridge Rotary Club, Park Ridge New Jersey

Our Cub is the brain child of four very enthusiastic charter members, Dr. Harry S. Garrett, Theodore Yeager, Dentist Otto Kretz and Charles S. Gray.  Our Club received its Charter on November 19, 1928.  Although the Club was actually organized in the home of Dr. Garrett, its first official meeting, a luncheon took place on Friday, December 14, 1928 at the Masonic Hall in Park Ridge. Thereafter a permanent home was found at Anton Maksche's Sportsman's Club on Park Avenue.

Designated as club number 2998 in District 749, our Club was sponsored by the Westwood Rotary Club through the efforts of Dentist Gifford Ely.  Each meeting was opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. This was followed by a great deal of singing led by song leader Otto Ziegler, accompanied by a young lady on the piano, who at the conclusion of the singing continued to play throughout the meal.  At the conclusion of the meeting, all members held hands and sang a song which included the words "Now we are nearing the end of a Rotary Day."  According to Charles Gray, at that time in our history the main stress on all Rotary meetings was fellowship and Park Ridge excelled in that aspect of Rotary.  An interesting note of the times during one of the Club's Memorial Day luncheons, a rather heated argument developed between a former Confederate and Union Soldier.

The Club consisted of 25 Charter Members and as with all Rotarians, these men were prominent throughout the Pascack Valley region for their high standing and many services to the community. 

As previously stated, the Club originally met at Maksche's Restaurant on Broadway in Park Ridge and then at the following locations: The Park Club, Woodcliff Lake Tavern, The Pascack Inn, The Villa Lucia, The Octagon House, LaBoheme Restaurant, The Ramada Inn, The Woodcliff Lake Hilton, Cafe Capri, The Holiday Inn and The Park Ridge Marriott, Cornerstone Restaurant, and The Courtyard by Marriott where we now reside and meet as we have for the past 82 years on Friday at 12:15 PM. In 2009, we initiated the practice of holding one of our meetings on the second Thursday evening of each month beginning at 6:30, first at Daniel Restaurant in River Vale and currently at Bibi'z Restaurant in Westwood.

Over the years our membership rose to its peak of more than 70 during Roger Anderson's presidency in 1976-1977.  It has fluctuated some since then, mostly due to members retiring or moving.  At present we have 40 active members.  A landmark event for our Club and for District 7490 occurred on August 28, 1987, when Linda Hanlon, with a banking classification sponsored by Dr. Stewart Alexander, became the first woman to be inducted into the Park Ridge Rotary Club by the very first member of our club to ever attain the office of District Governor, Bob Kleinberg.  Since this time, women have played a major role in the club's success.

Our Club was the first to sponsor an Interact Club in our District, led by Roger Anderson in the late 70's at Park Ridge High School.  One of the the original Interactors from Park Ridge, David Acevedo, is now a member of the Park Ridge Rotary club. In 1986, the Park Ridge Club hosted the District's first Gift of Life child and a year later, Park Ridge Rotarian Don Terrace started the District's RYLA program.

We are very proud that our Club has two Past District Governors, Bob Kleinberg (1987-1988) and Ray Janovic (1991-1992).

Through the years, our Club has constantly contributed to the many needs of the surrounding community.  Our fund raising activities have provided us with the means to support scholarships, grants, community beautification and so much more.  We built Rotary Park behind the Park Ridge Administration Building, and have planted trees at WoodDale Park to honor deceased members of the Club.  Among the fund raising methods employed were fairs, a circus, raffles, band concerts, garage sales and fruit sales, to name a few.  It was, however, not until Peter Christiansen's presidency in 1977 - 1978, that the most successful fund raiser we have had to date was inaugurated.  This was our Goods and Services Auction held each November until 2008.  According to Pete, the first auction profits topped $8,000.  In more recent years we exceeded $25,000!  Thanks to Bernie Cohen and his efforts, our Annual Fruit Sale continues help fund many worthwhile projects.  Over the past few years, we have added another successful and profitable fund raiser, our Cash Raffle which brings in profits of over $7,500 annually. 

Each year, the Park Ridge Rotary Club provides nearly $30,000 in scholarships and grants to various worthwhile causes, in our community, domestically and internationally.