Stories


Flags for Heroes Flags for Heroes: October 15 - November 15 Who’s your hero? Who are the people who have made a difference in your life? Here’s your opportunity to honor them for the impact they have made. The Clinton Sunrise Rotary will hold our 5th annual Flags for Heroes event this fall. Flags for Heroes is designed to honor the many heroes in our lives – parents, relatives, friends, veterans, first-responders, teachers, healthcare personnel, essential workers – anyone who has made a positive impact. Flags will be displayed October 15 – November 15 at the NJ Water Authority property on the corner of Route 31 and Halstead Street in Clinton, north of the library. Each full-size flag will be displayed on a pole and with a medallion including the name of the honoree, and the reason for the honor. There is no fee to honor your hero – this is a free community service. We have 50 flags to display; each flag will also have a small medallion with the honoree's name and the reason they were nominated. The ability to honor your hero is on a first come, first serve basis. Flags will remain the property of the Clinton Sunrise Rotary Club after the event; you may request to receive the medallion. Our Flags for Heroes Recognition Event will be held onsite on Saturday, 11/7 at 10am. Details to follow. To honor your hero, send an email by October 10th to clintonsunriserotaryclub@gmail.com with your name, phone number, the name of your hero and a brief description of how they have impacted your life (descriptions are limited to 250 characters max). For further details, call 908-279-0112. The Clinton Sunrise Rotary Club has been a part of our community for many years and supports a variety of programs and organizations such as the Open Cupboard Food Pantry, student scholarships, Rotary educational & service projects and crisis needs in our area.	Flags for Heroes	Lu Ann Aversa	2026-09-17 04:00:00Z	0
World Polio Day 10-24-26 DID YOU KNOW? ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN POLIO ERADICATION – Why You Should Care *“As long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat to children everywhere.”* The eradication of polio is one of Rotary’s longest standing and most significant efforts. Since 1988, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have made great strides to reduce polio cases by 99.9% worldwide over the past 38 years. Along with our partners, we have helped immunize more than 3 billion children against polio in 122 countries. In total, over 17 billion dollars has been invested in this effort. We’ve reduced the circulation of wild polio to just 2 countries - Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, until poliovirus transmission is interrupted in these countries, all countries remain at risk for a resurgence of polio. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments with six core partners - the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Its goal is to eradicate polio worldwide. That’s why as we approach this World Polio Day on October 24^th, Rotary is pleased to recognize this progress. However, there is still work to do to finish the job and end polio for good to ensure that this paralyzing disease does not return to polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk. *3 Actions – 3 Minutes – You Can Make A Difference* *Learn* – get informed and help make polio a topic of conversation in your community; *Share* – most people have heard of polio but few know that the disease still affects children around the world. You can help by spreading the word; *Donate* – every donation helps. Right now, all donations are matched 2:1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, tripling your impact! There are so many ways in which we can each support polio eradication efforts. We must all do our part to prevent polio outbreaks in our own communities and continue the march toward global eradication. We have an opportunity to make history by ending polio, which will be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated, following smallpox, and the time for action is now--visit www.endpolio.org to learn more about how you can get involved, or contact one of your local Rotary Clubs – Clinton Sunrise Rotary, 908-279-0112, www.clintonsunriserotary.org; Flemington Rotary Club, www.flemingtonrotarynj.org; North Hunterdon Rotary Club, www.nhunterdonrotary.org	World Polio Day 10-24-26	Lu Ann Aversa	2026-09-17 04:00:00Z	0
37th Annual Great Hunterdon Rubber Ducky Race Is Only Weeks Away! PURCHASE YOUR DUCKS NOW! The duckies will be back in full force on Sunday, July 12^th when Clinton Sunrise Rotary once again hosts The Great Hunterdon Rubber Ducky Race at 2:00pm on the South Branch of the Raritan River near the Art Museum! This will be our 37^th year of quacking for charity. Not only is it a fun day with hundreds of ducky fans crowding the Town of Clinton to watch the little rubber ducks go over the Falls, but it is a community day for all who donate as sponsors, prize donors and supporters. Rotary is proud to partner with these businesses and community agencies. Our 2026 Major Sponsors are: Gentlestone Wealth/Michelle Heide, Clinton and Unity Bank, Clinton. We especially thank them for their many years of continued support at this level; our Gold Sponsors are Farmer’s Insurance of Flemington; Hunterdon Health; Osaic Advisors; and Weichert Realtors, Clinton. All have also provided wonderful continued support. OUR DUCKY SPONSOR PRESALES ARE NOW OPEN! Duck sponsorships are just $10 each, and you'll have the chance to win one of several fabulous prizes. Click here to access a sponsorship form for a complete list of prizes and sponsorship details. Forms and checks can be mailed to: Clinton Sunrise Rotary, PO Box 5435, Clinton, NJ 08809. Mail must be received by Friday, 7/10. Missed the deadline? Sales of duckies and merchandise on race day start at 11:00am in downtown Clinton. Every duck sponsored helps support the community programs and charitable initiatives of the Clinton Sunrise Rotary. Your participation truly makes a difference. Return your sponsorship form today and get your ducks in the race before they all float away! Thank you for supporting this fun community event! Rotary is global network of 1.4 million passionate individuals in 46,000+ clubs worldwide. We are both an international organization and a local community advocate made up of friends, leaders, and problem-solvers. We see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Together we lead change in our own backyards and across the world. The Clinton Sunrise Rotary Club has been in service to improve our local and global society since 1989. We are always looking for people who want to give back to their communities to join our club. Interested in membership or further information about our club? Call us at 908-279-0112 or drop in at one of our meetings. We meet Thursday mornings at 8:00 am at the Clinton Firehouse.	37th Annual Great Hunterdon Rubber Ducky Race Is Only Weeks Away!	Lu Ann Aversa	2026-05-04 04:00:00Z	0
Rotary Sponsors New Clinton Town Signs We're proud to be a sponsor of the new Clinton Town signs! Look for us on Rt. 173W in front of DeMott Pond.	Rotary Sponsors New Clinton Town Signs	Lu Ann Aversa	2025-05-29 04:00:00Z	0
Rotary’s Response to the 1918 Flu Pandemic An estimated 500 million people worldwide became infected. Many cities closed theaters and cinemas, and placed restrictions on public gatherings. Rotary clubs adjusted their activities while also helping the sick. This is how Rotary responded to the influenza pandemic that began in 1918 and came in three waves, lasting more than a year. The Rotary Club of Berkeley, California, USA, meets in John Hinkel Park during the 1918 flu pandemic. Photo by Edwin J. McCullagh, 1931-32 club president. Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Berkeley. Read more...	Rotary’s Response to the 1918 Flu Pandemic		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
Rotary at the Start of the United Nations Rotary and the United Nations have a shared history of working toward peace and addressing humanitarian issues around the world. During World War II, Rotary informed and educated members about the formation of the United Nations and the importance of planning for peace. Materials such as the booklet “From Here On!” and articles in The Rotarian helped members understand the UN before it was formally established and follow its work after its charter. Many countries were fighting the war when the term “United Nations” was first used officially in the 1942 “Declaration by United Nations.” The 26 nations that signed it pledged to uphold the ideals expressed by the United States and the United Kingdom the previous year of the common principles “on which they based their hopes for a better future for the world.” Read more...	Rotary at the Start of the United Nations		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
History of Women in Rotary Women are active participants in Rotary, serving their communities in increasing numbers and serving in leadership positions in Rotary. The 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary. “My fellow delegates, I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different to the world of 1905. I sincerely believe that Rotary has to adapt itself to a changing world,” said Frank J. Devlyn, who would go on to become RI president in 2000-01. The vote followed the decades-long efforts of men and women from all over the Rotary world to allow the admission of women into Rotary clubs, and several close votes at previous Council meetings. Read more...	History of Women in Rotary		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
Young Inventor Eco-Friendly Bricks Come Full Circle Every hero has an origin story. “I was 10 years old when the entire journey started,” explains Binish Desai. It began with a cartoon called Captain Planet, an animated TV series from the 1990s about an environmentalist with superpowers. Desai can still recite the show’s refrain: Captain Planet, he’s our hero / Gonna take pollution down to zero! “That tagline stuck in my mind,” he says. “I wanted to do something to help Captain Planet.” Read more...	Young Inventor Eco-Friendly Bricks Come Full Circle		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0
First Club in Philippines Opens Door to Rotary in Asia In early 1919, Rotarian Roger Pinneo of Seattle, Washington, USA, traveled to the Philippines to try to organize a Rotary club in Manila. Leon J. Lambert, a Manila business leader helped Pinneo establish the club. Several months later, on 1 June 1919, the Rotary Club of Manila was chartered and became the first Rotary club in Asia. The club would be the only one in the country for more than 12 years. Eventually, Manila club members organized Rotary clubs in the Philippine cities of Cebu (1932) and Iloilo (1933). Iloilo club members then started a club in Bacolod (1937), and Rotary continued to expand across the country. Read more...	First Club in Philippines Opens Door to Rotary in Asia		2020-11-05 06:00:00Z	0