The Rotary Club of Wilkes-Barre
Celebrates Significant Milestone in Rotary
The Rotary Club of Wilkes-Barre celebrated its 95th Anniversary on May 1, 2011.
The Rotary Club of Wilkes-Barre was proud to celebrate this milestone and will continue to serve others in the community. Over
the past nine decades, the club has strengthened the community by
taking an active role in developing programs for the community.
Following is a timetable that list some of the projects and services completed over the past 94 years:
1916 Through City Council, procured a nine-hole public golf course, now Hollenback Golf Course.
1916 Provided funds for a heavy duty (White) truck for the local National Guard unit.
1917 “Smileage Campaign” in support of World War I effort. Provided thousands of books for the servicemen. Established 107 stations to sell war savings stamps and certificates. Total sales of war savings stamps were $3,606.
1924 Organized
and supported the Wyoming Valley Crippled Children’s Association (now
Wyoming Valley Children’s Assn.) Rotary has contributed over $100,000
and thousands of hours of individual leadership and service to the
Wyoming Valley Children’s Association.
1949 Rotary played a major role in returning professional baseball to Wyoming Valley.
1960 The
Rotary Student Exchange Program is most significant activity in Rotary
and a main project for Wilkes-Barre Rotary since the program was
introduced in district 7410 in the late 50’s.
Wilkes–Barre Rotary hosted exchange students from other countries and we have sponsored American students to go abroad.
1962 The
“Willets Coleman Student Loan and Scholarship Fund” was established, a
major community service project for Rotary. (For Wilkes University and
King’s College students)
1962 Rotary Leaders Camps established. In 29 years, Wilkes-Barre Rotary has provided the tuition
for high school students.
1965 Rotary
financed the construction of an athletic field at the YMCA camp and
dedicated the field to Andrew C. Overpeck, our longtime secretary.
1973 First Annual Rotary Kentucky Fried Chicken party for crippled children at Irem Temple Country Club.
1974 Rotary Charities completed $10,000 commitment to General Hospital to partially finance a Hemodialysis Unit.
1976 Rotary Charities authorized a contribution to Guatemala City for earthquake relief.
1977 Wilkes-Barre Rotary contributed $12,000 to Dr. Ruggerio and General Hospital
for the establishment of a cardiac catheterization program.
1981 Annual car raffle initiated for the purpose of funding Wilkes-Barre Rotary’s commitments to charity. Since 1981, over $80,000 has been raised to support our commitments to worthy projects.
1984 First Annual Spaghetti Dinner.
1985 The Spaghetti Dinner generated $1,700, which was contributed to Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen.
1986 Wilkes-Barre made a commitment of $30,000 to Rotary International’s Polio Plus.’ The funds were raised over a period of three years.
1986 Wilkes-Barre committed $2,500 to the Paramount Theater restoration project,
now the Kirby Center.
1987 The first Annual Charities Golf Tournament was sponsored by Wilkes-Barre Rotary.
1989 Wilkes-Barre Rotary was the first service club to make a contribution for disaster relief after Hurricane Hugo. The amount contributed was $1,100.
1997 First Service club in Wyoming Valley to initiate Kid Care. A program that
assists law enforcement in identifying and recovering abducted children by
supplying photographs and fingerprints.
2002 Instituted the “Reading with Rotary” program at the Wyoming Valley Children’s
Association
2003 Among the first service clubs in the area to participate in the Dictionary Project,
A program that supplies dictionaries to grade school children.
2005 Completed the Club’s Rotary Centennial Project: the renovation of the Native
American Museum at the Luzerne County Historical Society
2007 The Rotary Club of Wilkes-Barre Joins the Millennium Circle.
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