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Rotary Club of Le Roy sponsors Holiday House Decorating Contest

By Press Release

Press release:

The Rotary Club of Le Roy is sponsoring a Holiday House Decorating Contest for residents of the Town and Village of Le Roy. There is no cost to enter.  Entries must be submitted by Dec. 5.

To sign up click here.

Judging will go live on Sunday, Dec. 6. A map of participating houses will be posted online and with a link to vote for your favorite decorated residence. Winners will be announced Sunday, Dec. 20 through the Rotary Club of Le Roy website and the club’s Facebook page.

The Grand prize will be a $100 gift certificate followed by four additional gift certificates of $50 each. All gift certificates will be from local businesses.   

Let’s help spread holiday cheer!

Rotary Club of Le Roy establishes 'Rotary Community Reinvestment Fund' to help ease impact of COVID-19

By Billie Owens

From the Rotary Club of Le Roy:

It is the Rotary International vision statement that perhaps says it best “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”

Rotarians are a collection of people of action, and we share a strong sense of purpose. In troubled times such as these, Rotarians will rise and meet the needs of their community and the world. It is with that sense of purpose that the Rotary Club of Le Roy has begun the “Rotary Community Reinvestment Fund.”

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt across the globe, but signs of the effects can be seen in our community. In the interest of public safety, nonessential local businesses have been forced to close.

The impact of these closures may not be evident to the naked eye, but the ramifications are impacting our friends and neighbors who own these businesses. As both state and national levels begin to restart the economy, those same businesses that have supported Le Royans in the past will need our support more than ever.

The Community Reinvestment Fund will take donations made by local individuals and families, and direct them to the Le Roy businesses most in need. The Rotary Club of Le Roy, which has served the community for more than 75 years, will oversee the collection and distribution of funds.

There will be a short application for businesses to complete, and a committee of Rotarians will review the applications and submit approved applications to the Board of Directors. The form is available on our website. Fellow Rotarians and their families are not eligible to receive funds through this process.

Individuals or businesses interested in supporting our community can make contributions by mailing a check to: Rotary Club of Le Roy, Attn.: Community Reinvestment Fund, P.O. Box 141, Le Roy, NY 14482.

Any questions can be directed to Jim Ellison (717) 503-5749, or:   jdellison@gmail.com 

Rotary Club of Le Roy apologizes for 'Easter Egg Drive-thru' plan, and thanks supporters

By Billie Owens

From the Rotary Club of Le Roy:

The membership of the Rotary Club of Le Roy felt that Easter is traditionally a holiday and season of hope for many, and anticipated that the continuation “Easter Egg Drive-thru” would boost the spirits of the community in a time of global despair.

The annual tradition of the Le Roy Easter Egg Hunt began nearly 30 years ago. Traditionally, the Easter Egg Hunt is held the Saturday prior to Easter at Le Roy Central School’s Hartwood Park.

This year’s adapted event of the egg drive-thru was scheduled to take place on April 11th at the village’s Trigon Park, which was deemed able to handle the expected traffic safely. Rotary had worked with the Village of Le Roy Board, and Police and devised a plan that worked within the guidelines of both the CDC and New York State to distribute the 8,000 candy stuffed eggs.

Shortly before 8 a.m. the morning of the event, the club's President Mary Young received a call from Le Roy Village Police Sergeant Greg Kellogg, advising that the day's event should be canceled.

Kellogg had received a phone call complaint with concern about the Easter Egg Drive-thru as his shift began at 6 a.m. Kellogg informed the club that this was the first and only complaint the department had received. Upon receiving the complaint, Kellogg then reached out to officials at the Genesee County Health Department.

After conferring, the health department determined that the event should not be held (due to social-distancing protocols prompted by the coronavirus pandemic).

On Monday, April 13th, the club reached out to the Genesee County Health Department for clarification. Sarah Balduf, Environmental Health director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, responded via email.

In the email response, she stated [I based my decision on Governor Cuomo's "New York State on PAUSE" Executive Order: Specifically, points 2 and 3 of his 10-point plan: 2-Nonessential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason (e.g., parties, celebrations or other social events) are canceled or postponed at this time; 3-Any concentration of individuals outside their home must be limited to workers providing essential services, and social distancing should be practiced.]

The Rotary of Club of Le Roy would like to apologize to those agencies and individuals affected by the decision of the club to hold and then cancel the event. It was not the club’s intention to break any or part of Governor Cuomo’s executive order but to promote hope and goodwill in the community.

The club would like to thank the Le Roy businesses and organizations that contributed and sponsored the project. Also, the club would like to thank Mayor Rogers and the Village Board for supporting the event.

The Rotary Club of Le Roy wants to assure the community that the candy will be safely stored until a time when the candy can be carefully distributed.

Drive-thru candy giveaway cancelled today at Le Roy's Trigon Park

By Billie Owens

From the Rotary Club of Le Roy:

Due to circumstances beyond our control, and with respect to the calls placed to the Le Roy Police Department, the Rotary Club of Le Roy has been asked to cancel the drive-thru candy giveaway with the Easter Bunny, which was set for noon today (April 11) at Trigon Park in the village.

"We appreciate the support of our sponsors, Mayor Rogers, the Le Roy Village Board in this effort," says Scott McCumiskey, of the Rotary Club.

CANCELLED: Just like clockwork & right on time: the Easter Bunny will indeed visit Le Roy

By Billie Owens

LE ROY -- Generations of children and their families have grown accustomed to the yearly Easter Egg Hunt at Hartwood Park. This month, plans have changed but Le Roy's community spirit has not, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing.

At high noon on Saturday, April 11th, a drive-thru distribution of prepackaged bags of candy-stuffed eggs will take place at Trigon Park in the village, a site selected for its ability to handle the large volume of expected traffic.

The folks putting this thing together aren't fooling around.

An estimated 8,000 eggs with 24,000 pieces of candy have been sequestered since April 1st.

They will be given out to an estimated 800 children who've all had their childhoods disrupted. As luck would have it, three Easter baskets will be given to the occupants of the 50th, 100th and 150th car in line.

Also, several bags will contain a highly coveted "Golden Egg" -- with special instructions for a Special Prize.

The outsized Easter Bunny will be there, as always, flopsy-eared front and center, assisted by at least 10 members of the Rotary Club of Le Roy and their families, wearing latex gloves and masks 2020 style. The pros at the Le Roy Police Department will handle vehicle traffic and safety.

Many hours of work and strategic planning by volunteers, village officials and civic-minded citizens makes this possible.

Earlier this year, the Le Roy Business Council put the Rotary Club of Le Roy in charge of the project, and they formed a committee, led by Shannon Karcher.

The committee explored avenues to safely distribute the treats. But when schools and a backup location closed due to "New York On PAUSE" mandates, the event was in jeopardy and its cancellation considered.

Working with the Village of Le Roy Board and using the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York State, the Rotary Club of Le Roy hatched its plot to put safety first while using a village street and park for a massive distribution of seasonal goodies.

Taking the trouble to do this matters because American traditions matter here.

Nearly 30 years ago, through the efforts of the Le Roy Business Council, they started holding an Easter Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter at Le Roy Central School’s Hartwood Park.

The date of Easter itself varies. It is observed on the Sunday following the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon that occurs on or after the March 21 spring equinox. So Easter will always occur on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25.

This year Easter Sunday is April 12. And the day before, a midday queue of automobiles in Le Roy might in itself be a testament to something unseen, like COVID-19, but way bigger.

Distribution will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Rain, shine or high water.

Information used in this post was provided by the Le Roy Rotary Club.

Service Above Self Mission Statement: The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Le Roy's whopper of a fundraiser is this Friday

By Billie Owens

One of Le Roy's biggest fundraisers of the year begins at 6:30 p.m. this Friday at The Greens of Le Roy.

It's time for the annual "Graze to Raise," sponsored by The Rotary Club of Le Roy, The Greens of Le Roy, and The Le Roy Village Green.

All proceeds benefit The REA Milne Scholarship (a registered 501 (c) 3 that is tax exempt).

The event is at The Greens of Le Roy and the cost is $15. Admission includes beer, wine, Red Osier roast beef, food stations, hors d'oeuvres and desserts -- plus entertainment.

There will be live, silent and Chinese auctions. The silent auction has more than 100 items and gift certificates from some of the area's finest shops and restaurants. The live auction includes: an eight-day stay in Orlando, Fla., including Disney Park Hopper passes; a helicopter ride over Letchworth State Park, including breakfast; 2012 Sabres tickets; Van Miller Club Bills tickets; a 48-inch flat screen television, and much more.

You can get tickets from any Rotarian, or by calling 502-0450, or e-mailing club Secretary Samantha Vagg at svagg@bhcg.com

Last year more than 200 people attended.

The goal of The R.E.A. Milne Scholarship is to help students who reside within the Le Roy Central School District to further their education. Currently, each scholarship student receives $750 each year for four years. The scholarship is a four-year award as long as the student remains in college, and is awarded based on financial need. The club's hardworking committee members follow carefully outlined guidelines to award the scholarships.

If you would like to learn more about the R.E.A. Milne Scholarship, please visit <http://www.leroyrotary.org/>.

The Greens of Le Roy is located at 1 West Ave.

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