The Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club celebrated its 90th Anniversary with a Community Service Dinner. This year, the Club’s 90 past presidents shall be honored for their service. This annual event will be held at the Garden City Country Club on June 24 from 6 to 10 p.m.
An international organization, Rotary is the world’s first and largest service organization of business and professional leaders with club members welcomed to attend meetings in countries world-wide. With the theme, “service above self,” outreach performed by the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club includes RotaCare, which provides free medical services to those in the most need and the Gift of Life Program which provides lifesaving surgery for children with damaged hearts from all over the world.
In addition to presenting a dictionary to every third-grader in Garden City and Mineola, the Club also awarded scholarships to both Garden City and Mineola High School graduating seniors, is affiliated with the Interact Club at Garden City High School and Hofstra University, supports the Rotary Youth Leadership program (RYLA) and Youth Exchange Program. Additionally, each year during the holiday season, it is the tradition of the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club to assist with the Salvation Army’s bell-ringing project.
Since its first meeting on March 20, 1925, 90 Club presidents, along with countless Club members have carried out the Rotary theme, “service above self.”
In order of service, past presidents include: William L. Enequist, Howard S. Walters, Gerard H. Hughes, J. Dwight Rogers, Charles E.L. Clark, Samuel Greason, Bartlett, Clarence A. Townsend, George F. Hughes, Henry C. Bickmeyer, Mead W. Klapper, F. Raymond Kraemer, Orville T. Cronk, Harlan B. Allen, Arthur H. Andrews, George H. Hauser, George D. Smith, Elliot R. Smith, Edward A. Nash, Frank R. Wassung, John Gleason, Harry A. Schmidt, Harry A. Braune, Donald C. Harrison, Herbert S. Schofield, Donald M. Jack, Charles D. Pacifico, Carroll H. Smith, Frank C. Caprise II, Raymond H. Ostrander, Charles W. Berry, Richard . McTurnahan, Henry D. Reinke, Jr., Gordon N. Taylor, Michael A. Caprise, William L. Bohan, Franklin W. Fry, Ellis O. Hegland, William Krist, Alfred R. Valentine, Howard Westphal, John Sheeran, Frank Paul, J. Harry Alexander, Jr., Warren H. Raschen, W. John Johnson, Harry J. Miller, Frank C. Caprise III, Joseph L. Tobin, Jr. William T. Rowe, Donald E. Edwards, Charles L. Pacifico, Robert J. Jordan, Leonard L. Marshall, Bruce A. Damm, Steve Murphy, William A. Daly, Jr., Max W. Cheney, Edwin M. Keusey, Richard P. Goodwin, Raymond J. Rice, Kenneth W. Ruckh, anthony J. Knoerzer, Michael F. Sperendi, George S. Peterson, Lance W. Chancy, Gerard Fishberg, Maureen E. Clancy, Stephen T. Dooley, Carmen Armstrong, Joan Morina, Charles A. Planz, Peter Marshall, Daniel Finnegan, Kenneth Krieger, James T. Brady, Victor Hackett, Thomas Gelsdorf, Joseph Frey, Robert Bonagura, Tracy Abamont, Thomas Tierney, Jennifer Poupis, Ray Sikorski, Diane Marmann, Robert L. Schoelle, Jr., and current president Emily Franchina.
To attend the “Community Service Awards Dinner, at $75 per person; table of 10 at $700, please call Susan MacDonald at 516-643-5286. RSVP by mail with a check to GC Chambers 230 Seventh St., Garden City, and NY 11530, Attn: Althea Robinson; register online at www.rotarycommunityserviceawards.eventbrite.com.
