Service Above Self
News
Rotary Donates Books to Highland Middle School
 
Our annual Book Project once again brought literary magic to Highland students, and we are so happy to support our students! Several Rotarians visited Highland Middle School (HMS) on November 17 to deliver copies of the book "Just Write: Here’s How!" by bestselling and award-winning author Walter Dean Myers. Along with that title—which is sure to kickstart the creativity of our aspiring young writers—the school was also gifted single copies of multiple other books for the students to enjoy, including “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, “Chasing Space” by Leland Melvin, “I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916” by Lauren Tarshis, and more. HMS students, get ready to dive into a world of stories!
Highland Rotary Provides Turkeys for 62 Families
 
The Highland Rotary Club is so thankful that we were able to purchase 62 turkey breasts to Community Action, ensuring that our Highland neighbors in need will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner this year. 🍂 Thank you to everyone who made this possible! Your support, whether through time, resources, or donations, has made a real impact on the lives of our community members. Let's continue spreading love and joy as we approach the holiday season!
The Rotary "Service Above Self" motto conveys the humanitarian spirit of our organization. Each year, the Highland Rotary Club recognizes the people in our community who live by the same motto and are dedicated to serving our local community.

Award Honorees for 2023 are (from left to right) Fred and Sharon Wilklow of Wilklow Orchards; John ”Mango” Manganiello, Highland Central School District; Jessica Rendon, Highland High School Interact Club; Shyam and Kristen Patel, Shamrock Liquor; and Shawn Clark, Brick House Resellers.
Club Information

Welcome to the Highland Rotary Club

Highland

Service Above Self

We meet Wednesdays at 7:10 AM
Gateway Diner
3579 US Highway 9W
845-691-6326
Highland, NY 12528
United States of America
DistrictSiteIcon
District Site
VenueMap
Venue Map
What We Do
Club Executives & Directors
President
Steve Laubach
President Elect
PDG Chrissy G. Giangrasso
Vice President
Don Verity
Secretary
PDG Chrissy G. Giangrasso
Treasurer
Shawn Shaughnessy
Membership Chair
BJ Mikkelsen
Public Relations
Holly Brooker
Immediate Past President
David Lambert
The Rotary Foundation
PDG Chrissy G. Giangrasso
Rotary Links
 

Mission:

The Highland Rotary Club mission is to support local community and international needs through the Five Avenues of Service:  Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, New Generations Service, and International Service guided by the ethical standards of the Four-Way Test.

Vision:

The Highland Rotary Club is one of the leading service organizations in the community, serving as a positive resource for the local community and expanding our humanitarian support internationally. As a service leader in the community, we make a difference in the lives of many people during their time of need and work to foster our service ethics with our youth.

It's time to buy your tickets for the Super 25 raffle! Weekly drawings for 25 weeks and each prize valued at a minimum of $200. One ticket is $30 or get 4 for $100. Buy your tickets online or see a Rotarian! 
 
Upcoming Events
We were honored to present the Highland Hose Co. No. 1 Fire District with a check for $10,000 to aid in the purchase of safety equipment. The funds were raised through the generosity of our sponsors of and participants in our first-ever golf outing to benefit first responders. Special thanks to our title sponsor JSP Home Services.
Read more about it here and be on the lookout for details about next year’s event which is being planned already!
We are so pleased to provide Taso Bakatsias with a donation towards his Eagle Scout Project! Taso came to a recent Rotary meeting and discussed his project, “Anchors Away,” which is an informational kiosk of the Black Creek Watershed that will be installed at the canoe/kayak launch. Taso has worked with the town's Environmental Committee, Town of Lloyd, Scenic Hudson, and John Burroughs Black Creek Trail Committee to design and get approval for his project, which will cost approximately $3500. Once he has secured the funding needed, his Boy Scout Troop and students from Highland High School will help build the kiosk. Good luck Taso!
Gunnar Smith, a Highland High School junior, attended the 2023 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) conference at Mount Saint Mary College this past summer, gaining experiences that he hopes will serve him well in college and beyond. His participation was sponsored by the Highland Rotary Club. 
 
RYLA is an annual event that brings youth from across the region together for an intensive experience designed to help them develop skills in leadership, team-building, problem-solving, and communication, while also having fun and making connections. RYLA’s main goal is to teach youth about the power of confidence, comfort, and cooperativeness. Participants are provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience that builds social and working skills. 
 
Smith returned from the conference excited, energized and full of confidence. He says that the most valuable thing he took away from RYLA was “definitely leadership, which will be needed down the line for college or my future career.”