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Rotary Announces $50,000 Community Center Investment

New Community Center Concept

Blairstown Rotary is celebrating our 75^th year serving Blairstown and northern Warren County. Over those years we have conducted many projects for the community, including the pavilions at Footbridge and Sycamore parks. For the past year we have been looking for another major project to mark our anniversary.

We surveyed residents at various town events to find out what was important to them. The feedback was a desire for a community center where groups could meet, classes could be held, and people could come together.

We studied the feasibility of the project and searched for an available location. One potential building identified was the Givens-Belet Memorial Hall on Hope Road, which was built around 1940 for American Legion Post 258.

The Legion donated the building and property to Blairstown Township in 1981, so it is owned by the town. It is still home to the Legion and is used occasionally by other groups, but it has been under-utilized for many years. The building needs repairs and modernization, but after inspecting we found it to be structurally sound and well built. We presented the idea of rehabilitating the property to the Township Committee and they were very supportive of the idea.

We worked with local architect Ray O’Brien to develop the concept drawing above and bring our ideas to life. What you see is a very realistic view of our plan to upgrade Givens-Belet and turn it into a more usable community center for the town. It will still be owned by the town and run by the town. It will remain the Legion’s home. The update will allow for easier access and will be fully ADA compliant.

Rotary will be investing $50,000 in the project and will be working to gather support from other organizations and residents to raise the additional funds required. There will also be many opportunities for volunteer involvement. Our goal is to provide a substantial portion of the upgrade without spending town funds. Watch this page and our Facebook page for additional information and reports on our progress.

This is a sustainable project that will benefit our community for many years to come. Blairstown Rotary is excited to support it and we want to sincerely thank all who have contributed to our fundraising over the years for making this investment in our community possible.

Fall Blood Drive - October 8, 2022

Sign Up Now To Donate

The Blairstown Rotary Fall Blood Drive will be held on Saturday, October 8 from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Lions Den, 505 Route 94, Columbia

To sign up for an appointment, click HERE.

Appointments are requested but walk-ins are welcome.

DONORS PRESENTING:

Must be 14 days symptom free if recovered from COVID-19.
May NOT donate if they have a positive diagnostic test or experienced symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
May NOT donate if they are currently on self-quarantine restrictions.
Wearing masks is optional for both donors and staff.

For questions about eligibility to donate due to travel outside the U.S., medications or medical conditions call 800.688.0900.

Did you receive the COVID-19 vaccine? You can still donate! To learn more, click here.

We do not test for COVID-19. Please contact your health care provider if you wish to be tested.

Alzheimer's Walk 2022

Team Blairstown Rotary will be walking in the Walk to End Alzheimer's on Sunday, October 23 at Horseshoe Lake Park in Succasunna.

We are walking to raise money in support of this important cause.

You can donate to our team or to a specific walker, or you can join our team and help us raise even more to help fight Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's Facts:

More than 6 Million Americans are living with Alzheimer's Disease.
Over 11 Million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's or other dementia.
Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's disease are women.
One in three seniors die with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia.
Between 2000 and 2014, deaths from Alzheimer’s increased by 145%.

To donate to Team Blairstown Rotary or join our team click here: Team Blairstown Rotary

You can donate to the team or to an individual walker.

Either way, 100% of your donation goes directly to the Alzheimer's Foundation.

Thanks for supporting a great cause!

End Polio Now

Polio, a disease most of us had forgotten about, has recently been in the news following discovery that it has partially paralyzed a young man in Rockland County. It has also been found in wastewater samples in New York City, Rockland County and Orange County NY. This means that a measurable number of people are carrying the disease in the New York/New Jersey area.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a paralyzing and potentially deadly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. The virus spreads from person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can then attack the nervous system. For decades the virus terrorized people, causing paralysis among thousands of American children each year and many more worldwide. After the first vaccine arrived in 1955, the number of cases dropped dramatically. The US was declared polio-free in 1979, but it continued to spread around the world.

You may be surprised to know that Rotary International Rotary has been at the center of the worldwide effort to eradicate polio for over three decades. Every year, through our funding partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary commits $150 million to the global effort to eradicate polio. We have contributed more than $2.6 billion and countless volunteer hours to end polio forever. Together with our partners, we engage communities everywhere to encourage high vaccination rates, immunizing over 400 million children annually. More than 20 million people are walking today who otherwise would have been paralyzed because of our efforts and those of our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

The Rotary Club of Blairstown has recently introduced our Pennies for Polio program, which you can learn about on our Facebook page, and we are preparing for World Polio Day on Monday October 24. We will be working to help educate the community and raise money for this important cause that has once again surfaced too close to home. Watch this page for more information.

Halloween Parade 2022

The Blairstown Rotary Halloween Parade & Costume Contest is scheduled for Monday 10/31/22.

Assembly for the parade and registration for the costume contest is 4:30 PM at the Post Office on Main Street.

The parade will start at 5:00 PM. Parade route is Main Street to Bridge Street to Hope Road to Agway.

The contest will take place at the Agway following the parade. Cider and donuts will be available.

The contest is judged by the North Warren Interact Club, which is sponsored by Rotary. All children and families in costume are welcome to participate. Prizes will be awarded.

Watch this page and our Facebook page for more information.

Duck Race 2022 Winners!

On an absolutely perfect July day, 1,990 ducks raced down the slowly flowing Paulinskill yesterday at the Blairstown Fourth event at Footbridge Park.

After a thrilling race, the winning ducks are:

Prize - Ticket/Duck #

$2,000: #1279

$1,000: #0412

$500: #1412

$350: #1915

$250: #1749

Congratulations to the lucky winners and thanks to everyone who bought tickets and contributed to the event. All funds raised after prizes are paid will be used for Blairstown Hose Company #1 and other community projects.

Thanks to the Hose Company for their efforts to sell tickets and set up for the race. Also thanks to the Blairstown Fourth Committee for another great community event.

See you next year!

2022 NWRHS Scholarship Program

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2022 Rotary Club of Blairstown Scholarship Awards

Blairstown Rotary Jack Sweet Memorial Scholarship – Two awards of $3,000 each

Awarded to a senior with excellence in character and scholarship who demonstrates the Rotary ideal of Service above Self.

• Devon Benzaia

• Elise Stefankowicz

Blairstown Rotary Interact Service Scholarship – Three awards of $1,000 each

Awarded to a senior member of the NWR Interact Club with excellence in character and scholarship who demonstrates the Rotary ideal of Service above Self.

• Anthony Esposito

• Grace Pereira

• Emily Pilny

Blairstown Rotary James Gilmore Memorial Scholarship – Two awards of $1,000 each

Awarded to a senior with excellence in character and scholarship who demonstrates the Rotary ideal of Service above Self.

• Adriana De Fuoco

• Elisabeth Zellers

Best of luck to all recipients. You make our community proud.

50/50 Raffle 2022

50/50 Raffle 2022 Winning Numbers

Congratulations to all the 2022 winners and thank you to everyone who supported the event. There were 60 winners and $30,000 in prize money awarded!

Watch this page for some exciting news on how your donations to Blairstown Rotary will be spent to benefit our community.

Rotary Is Changing

We are making it easier to fit Rotary into today's busy schedule and are focusing more on special projects, so you can be involved as your time allows.

The main requirement to join Rotary is the desire to get involved and make a difference in our community. We know that today’s work and family schedule take its toll on volunteer time, so we are working hard to make Rotary accessible to all who want to join and contribute.

Why Rotary?

Our club has a 73-year history in our community, and we are very sound financially. While we work locally, we are a proud part of Rotary International, a network of more than 1.2 million members.

We have access to the resources of this worldwide organization, which makes it possible for us to accomplish things beyond our local means.

Our Meetings

If you can spare an hour a month, you have the time to attend our monthly business meeting. Many of our members also enjoy attending our weekly dinner meetings, but these are not a requirement for membership.

Our Projects

We hold and participate in many projects throughout the year. What we can accomplish is only limited by the time, enthusiasm and skills of our members.

We are confident that we can find projects that match your time, skills and abilities. Or maybe you have some ideas of your own, but you need people and resources to help carry them out. That’s what Rotary is all about.

Be Our Guest

We are looking for new members who can help us continue to serve the community for the next 70 years. Speak to us today about how YOU can join and be part of a truly great organization. Be our guest and join any of our Business or Dinner meetings to find out more. Or click here for more information and a New Member Application.