Over the last two weeks, I’ve reached the halfway mark in my official club visits, and I continue to be inspired by Rotarians of every generation.
From the incredible young leaders of the BU Rotaract Club, who give me so much hope for Rotary's future, to reconnecting with longtime friends throughout the District, every visit reminds me that Rotary is truly about people—people coming together, building relationships, and finding ways to make a difference.
I also had the honor of participating in solemn ceremonies commemorating September 11th and attending the first-ever Veterans Appreciation Dinner hosted by the Fitchburg and Fitchburg East Rotary Clubs. Both were powerful reminders of the importance of honoring service, sacrifice, and those who dedicate themselves to something greater than themselves.
Westford Rotary Club is conducting a Helicopter Golf Ball Drop Fundraiser at Kimball Farm in Westford. At 1pm, 4 October, a helicopter will drop 1500 numbered balls and the closest to the pin wins $2500. The furthest from the pin wins $250. Get your number by signing up at: 
Join us on Saturday, December 12 2026 from 9am to 3pm at Keefe Tech 750 Winter St in Framingham MA for our annual Holiday Craft Fair. We feature nearly 120 artists & crafters who create and sell their own products. You can find ornaments, jewelry, pottery, cookies, quilts, candles, soaps, pet treats, clothing, original art & photography, fudge, wood products, wreaths & so much more. We pride ourselves on offering a wide variety of quality products in an indoor climate-controlled handicapped accessible venue. Free parking, $5 admission, food trucks.
On this 25th Anniversary of the terrorists attacks of 9/11 we presented the annual Al Filipov Awards to our local Concord Police, Fire and Emergency Communications Departments. Since 2015, Rotarian Sharon Spaulding has been the organizer of this Rotary event to honor Al Filipov, a Rotarian who was on one of the planes the hit the World Trade Center. Starting at 8:30 AM with Lexington Rotarian, Gardy Desrouleaux, singing God Bless America, the day was a moving remembrance of all those lost on that horrific day in 2001. 
Following its 9th Annual Charity Golf Classic at Chase Golf Club in Southbridge, the Sturbridge Rotary Club was able to make a generous $13,000 donation to the St. John Paul II Food Pantry at their September 1st club meeting. 
The Rotary Club of Leominster collected new backpacks for foster children at no cost to them. Instead of packing their belongings into a black plastic bag, they can now be proud to have a personal backpack for their belongings. 
When Angie Fugo of the Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy attended the Leadership Training Institute in January, she brought her Caption Companion speech-to-text device along. This 5” x 8” tablet transforms spoken language into readable text for people who can’t hear well and those who need or prefer to read for understanding or to follow along. 
If you are within driving distance to Shrewsbury and you have some hard to dispose of junk, this event is for you! Support our club while getting rid of unwanted metals and electronics. We accept everything from broken appliances to the treadmill that is collecting dust and taking up space. From batteries to laptops, old pots and pans to outdated chargers, if it is made of metal or has a cord, we likely take it. Keep this stuff out of the landfill and help our club raise money for our scholarship program. 
In case you missed it in the last newsletter, I’m excited to remind you of two wonderful ways our District is investing in our clubs and communities.
The Rotary Club of Westborough, in collaboration with the Ekal Vidyalaya Boston Chapter, successfully completed a Backpack and School Supply Drive in support of the Town of Westborough’s Youth and Family Services. This year’s initiative benefited 138 families in need and approximately 252 students in the Westborough Public Schools community.
The Franklin Rotary Club & New England Chapel are “Revving Up” for their 10th Annual Car Show, slated for October 3, 2026 from 9:30 AM – 1PM, located at the New England Chapel, 300 Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038.
