MEETING INFORMATION - Visitors Are ALWAYS Welcome!

Meetings are generally on the 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of the Month

Check the calendar on the left for meeting specifics!

DOG FEST ROCKED!

Our first Dog Fest & Parade

It was a tail-wagging good time at the Dog Fest & Parade that happened on May 11th at the Hyde Center in Newton Highlands. Thanks to Rotary members Rae Mintz, Dave Sellers, Marie Presti, John Rice and Liz Tavares. This joyous event featured activities for dogs and dog lovers alike. There was also a vibrant marketplace with vendors offering everything from premium pet food and accessories to grooming services and fun doggy outfits.

The day culminated in a grand dog parade, a celebration of our beloved canine companions. Participants strutted their stuff in various costumes, adding a festive flair to the proceedings.

Newton Rotary supports therapy dogs

Rotarians particularly like "doing for the community". We are action oriented, service oriented community members and so it is fitting that our efforts from Pet Fest will support Caring Canines Visiting Therapy Dogs Inc.

Funds raised on May 11th were donated by Newton Rotary Foundation to support Caring Canines Visiting Therapy Dogs Inc. They have over 40 volunteer dog and handler teams that serve more than 20 facilities on a regular basis at no cost throughout a service area in eastern Massachusetts. During these schedule group visits patients can gather and gain energy and strength from these furry friends.

We are so grateful for our Dogfest Supporters

These vendors participated in Dog Fest, Sunday May 11th, 2025 at the Hyde Community Center. Newton Rotary is so happy for their support.

Support our Boston Marathon Runner!

Nick Johnson is honored to participate in this years 129th Boston Marathon as a charity member for the Newton Rotary Club. He has completed 12 marathons and this will be his second Boston. He’s most excited for Heartbreak Hill and being cheered on by Newton residents! Nick has committed to raising a minimum of $10K. This is a key fundraiser for the Newton Club and goes toward supporting our scholarship fund for local high school students. These students are identified as kids who are going into the trades or technical fields and have demonstrated community and leadership. Nick's fundraising link is now up so please give us a hand and donate what you can.

CLICK HERE TO RAISE FUNDS

Lunar New Year!

The Year of the Snake

As part of a tradition that Rotarian, Past President and Village Bank legend Susan Paley began Newton Rotarians jump in to help serve food at the Lunar New Year festivities. This event is organized by the Newton Housing Authority and this year’s organizer Cipher Sun and team pulled off a great event in honor of the Year of the Snake. Dancing, singing and dragons entertained while Rotarians served trays of delicious food, and we were lucky enough to enjoy a meal while watching dragons as well. Thanks to Rotarians Paul Loiselle, Susan Paley, Michael Woo, Liz Nuss and we had a chance to hang for minute with the mayor.

MLK Day was a Great Success

MLK Day was a hit and a meaningful event in collaboration with FUSSN, The Harmony Foundation.

The theme this year weas Only When It Is Dark Enough Can You See the Stars, from Dr. King’s final speech. This year’s featured speaker was Myrtle Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor, Reverend Brandon Crowley who mesmerized the entire audience with his message, sincerity and passion. Other speakers include Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, School Superintendent Dr. Anna Nolin, and students from Newton North and Newton South High Schools. Musical performances were had by choir members from the Myrtle Baptist Church, soloist Christina Devon, ZOZA Quartet, and the All City Troubadours.

Newton Rotary had a good presence with volunteers Andy Willinger, David Sellers, Gayemarie Brown, Max Li and I-Ping Li at the actual event.

This event was also a food drive for the Village Bank and Rotary club and we had a great turn out of Rotary team to sort the food and distribute it thanks to Rae Mintz, David Park, David Sellers, Sara

Pollock DeMedeiros, Wendy Rousseau, and Liz Tavares.

A special shout out to Rotarian and past president Liz Tavares who was a key member of the MLK day committee to get this off the ground including inviting many other community organizations to participate in the community fair after the event. Congratulations to the entire MLK committee and the Harmony Foundation for a successful event

Linen Drive Was A Success

We have a had a very busy month as usual with great speakers and continued dedication to community including a linen drive for Welcome Home. Welcome Home strives to provide families experiencing hardship with basic household items they need to live with dignity. We are a local nonprofit organization in Newton, Massachusetts, that collects and redistributes like-new household items to hundreds of people in need each month with no fees, no forms and no requirements. Any items that we cannot use are repurposed or recycled appropriately, thus benefiting the environment.

Welcome New Member Wendy!

Newton Rotary Awards Tony Bibbo Scholarships

The Rotary Club of Newton awarded scholarships to 3 amazing seniors, 2 from Newton North and 1 from Newton South at the annual Newton Mayor's Breakfast on May 22nd. The scholarships are named after Anthony J. Bibbo, a founder and long-time Director of the Harmony Foundation, as well as a much-beloved Newton Rotarian from 1970 until his death in 2018. Club President Liz Tavares introduced the awards, and announced as we are celebrating the 50th Community Breakfast, Rotary is marking its 101st year of serving the Newton Community. Liz introduced Superintendent Dr Anna Nolin, herself a recipient of a scholarship, introduced Hibaq Ali, Jamen Goldberg and Fabricio Gpnzalez Estrella as the winners of the scholarships. Mayor, Ruthann Fuller added her congratulations. Newton Rotary also awarded annual scholarships to 3 deserving students from Newton North's Career and Technical Education Program. These awards were announced on May 23rd, and presented to Carlotta Dolci, Giuliana Forte and Rachel Kaplan at a Rotary luncheon on June 4th.

Our fellow Rotarian, Sue Paley, was presented with this year's Mayor Mann Community Service Award.

Well deserved and a big congratulations to Sue!

Marathon Runner I-Ping Li Raises >$12,000

I-Ping Li is raising funds for students who care about community, and for whom a scholarship can make a meaningful impact. "I love that the Newton Rotary Foundation reaches out to parts of the community that need a boost." This scholarship program has supported future engineers, chefs, teachers and many other bright, talented college bound and skilled trade students.