"I look at my demise as when there's nothing more for me to do to change other people's lives for the better." – Gene Epstein, Newtown Community Philanthropist
Dear Rotary Friends,
Happy Friday! What an extraordinary week it has been! Our club’s collective efforts are proof of the remarkable impact we can make together. A special thank you to committee chairs Paul Salvatore, Shari Donahue, and Steve Sabel, as well as event leaders Bill Wise and Joe Adelmann, and our dedicated volunteers for making last Saturday’s events a success. From racing to support the Newtown Library to engaging with attendees at Newtown Market Day, we also filled over 20 grocery carts with food and raised more than $2,000 for the Wrightstown Food Pantry.
Thanks to the generosity of our neighbor and philanthropist, Gene Epstein, every dollar raised for the pantry is being matched, doubling our support for those in need to over $4,000. But the impact doesn’t stop there. Mr. Epstein's dedication to making a difference, as mentioned in the quote above, is a reminder of the power of giving and service.
Thank you also to Mick Petrucci, our fearless Chairman of the Rotary Board, local District Judge, and founder of One Call Alarm, for installing new Rotary signs around town!
On Monday, the club gathered for a lively breakfast meeting at the American Legion, where Rick Rogers and Ginny Kownurko highlighted the importance of our fundraising efforts and their impact on the community. Check out the details and photos below!
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Hope on the Vine - Friday, April 11, 2025!
Get ready for Hope on the Vine, our signature event! This is the heart of our club’s ability to serve, and we need every member's support to make it a success. With Stephanie Eubanks and Danielle Wittig leading the way, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer and contribute. Please save the date and stay tuned for ways to get involved!
End Polio Event, Camaraderie for a Cause - Thursday, October 24, Iron Hill Brewery
Grab your friends, bring your family, and join us for a fun happy hour! Iron Hill is donating 20% of food sales to Rotary, so every bite helps us fight polio. Let’s raise a glass (and some funds) for a great cause!
Pedals for Progress, Bike and Sewing Machine Collection - Saturday, October 26
Have an old bike or sewing machine gathering dust? We want them! Spread the word and help us collect as many as we can. Check out the event details below for more info. Let’s turn those old wheels and needles into something amazing!
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This weekend brings more opportunities to make a difference. Tomorrow, Saturday, October 12th, we’ll gather for our biannual Road Cleanup. If you can lend a hand, please use the sign-up sheet below. On Sunday, October 13th, Joe Adelmann will represent us in the Race to End Polio at the Horsham Rotary Club. If possible, consider joining Joe at this vital event!
Looking ahead, next Thursday, October 17th, the Main Street Mr. Bucks County competition will culminate with a special presentation on State Street. Bill Wise and Rich Fekete are still raising funds for those battling breast cancer, and every contribution counts. You can donate using these links:
- Bill Wise, Mr. August: https://givebutter.com/MrBucksCounty/mraugust
- Rich Fekete, Mr. July: https://givebutter.com/MrBucksCounty/mrjuly
Finally, don’t miss our dinner meeting on Tuesday, October 15th, at 6:00 PM at Relic on State Street. Join us as we celebrate new members and enjoy a meal that includes Penne Arrabbiata, Scarpariello Chicken, and The State Caesar salad. Please RSVP below for what promises to be a wonderful evening of fellowship!
Thank you, Rotarians, for your unwavering dedication to service. A special thank you to our generous sponsors listed below, whose support helps us continue this vital work.
And now…
Please Meet Another of Your Board Members!
I've been sharing the personal stories of our dedicated board members—individuals whose leadership and passion fuel the heart of our club.
Meet, Rick Rogers of the Board of the Newtown Rotary Club, an Inspiring Journey to the Newtown Rotary Club –
Personal Journey and Role:
I have been a Rotarian for over 28 years. I was invited to join after being involved in the NBA and doing work within the community which included starting First Night Newtown, a New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts. While the NBA was focusing on promoting your business, Rotary was focused on Community service and that was attractive to me. Faith, fellowship, and service to others has always motivated me and Rotary has similar values that continue to fill that need. I am a current board member and serve as chair of the finance committee as well as the allocation committee. I also serve as Rotary advisor to the Interact clubs at CR North and CR South.
Impact and Achievements:
During my time in Rotary, I served as club President in 2000-2001, received Rotarian of the Year award, the Bob Davis Lifetime “Service Above Self” award for which I am extremely grateful and humbled.
Challenges and Future Goals:
While these awards are gratifying, my most rewarding experiences in Rotary stem from my involvement with the youth of our community through Interact, Youth Exchange and then NextGen. During my Presidential year, one of my goals was to start an Interact club at Council Rock. After meeting initial resistance, we were able to start, and the club was established in 2001.
Community Engagement and Reflections:
I am proud to say that the Interact Club at CRN is still vibrant and active today, 23 years later. In addition, we added CR South as an Interact club 2 years ago and both schools are active on their own as well as working together on Rotary projects. One of the highlights of each year is to have their club officers present to our club their achievements for the school year. Another highlight is our annual 3v3 Basketball tournament that the students conduct annually during March Madness as a fundraiser for a charity of their choice. We have a history of mixing in Rotarian Ringers to also compete with the students during this event and that adds to the excitement.
I am a high energy person, and I love the energy of the students and young people as they bring excitement to our club while learning about the lifetime gift of “Service Above Self.” Another rewarding experience was leading the Youth Exchange program at our club along with Sarah DeMaio. From 2013-2015 our club hosted exchange students from Venezuela, Spain, and Austria. We and our club acted as mentors to add to their overall experience here in the US at Council Rock North. We developed relationships with not only the students but also their parents back home to assure them their children were being taken care of while living abroad.
During 2020 when Jerry Agasar was President and kept the club going during Covid, we had a guest speaker from Doylestown and spoke about their young Rotarian club. That resonated with me and the next day I told Jerry that I would like to take that up and start a young Rotary club here in Newtown. I met with Dave Marcolla, an old friend from the NBA, and asked him if he had any thoughts on our idea and since they ran an Emerging Leaders group as part of the NBA, that was a logical place to start. He introduced me to Matt Auterson who told me that he was familiar with Rotary and he would be interested in helping. We met and brainstormed ideas then Nathan Breece eventually came on and we organized an event at Green Parrot that attracted many attendees that were interested in starting a club we called NextGen. It was the energy created at the beginning that attracted many younger people that were interested in community service. We had many new members, but I would credit Stephanie Eubanks and Danielle Wittig for taking the lead for spearheading and reenergizing Hope on the Vine. That energy revitalized our club, and that successful fundraiser was a turning point along with club leadership to allow our club to grow dramatically since then I have been able to establish and grow a successful Wealth Management practice here in Newtown backed by the world’s largest wealth management firm, UBS Financial Services.
Hobbies and Personal Interests:
Working in Newtown without having to commute to Philly or NYC has made it possible for me to lead a balanced life and give back to my community through Rotary. I am continually active in my church, St Andrews here in Newtown. I serve as President of the Newtown Community Foundation, Chair the Investment committee for The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serve on the Board of Directors of the Bucks County Free Library. I stay active by playing competitive tennis on various USTA teams here and at Sea Colony in Bethany Beach where I spend my free time. I enjoy working out and staying active to keep up with the younger generation.
Wildcard:
My beautiful daughter Nicole is usually at the center of my life. She is a celebrity makeup artist primarily in NYC and her and her husband Alex now moved back to Newtown to enjoy time together in Bucks County while both still commute to NYC.
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