Rotary Peace Poles
“May Peace Prevail On Earth”
Honoring the Rotary initiaitve Westport & Sunrise Rotary clubs joined together to create Peace Poles displayed on Westport entrance roads.
Westport Rotary Is Co-Sponsoring the Compo Beach Playground Renovation
Upcoming Speakers For Tuesday Lunch Meetings
Info Below
May 6 : Charitable Giving Day
May 13: Liz Vega, The Circle of Care
Circle of Care provides practical, emotional, and financial assistance for families, from the day of diagnosis through treatment and beyond, with programs and services that meet the unique and challenging needs of a child’s cancer journey.
May 20: Bill Harmer, Westport Public Library
A native of Michigan, Bill Harmer is a passionate advocate for public libraries and their essential role in today’s society. He has more than two decades of experience in library management, fundraising, strategic planning, programming, and community building. Prior to joining the Westport Library, Harmer served as Executive Director of the Chelsea District Library in Michigan.
While in Chelsea, Harmer garnered national recognition for the library, including its selection as the Best Library in America by Library Journal and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2009, Library Journal named Harmer a Mover & Shaker for his dynamic leadership and the creation of the groundbreaking Rock & Roll Library Tour, which brought live music to more than 250 libraries in 48 states and Cuba.
In 2013, the Gates Foundation selected Harmer as one of 120 global library leaders to participate in its international summit on the future of libraries, held in Cape Town, South Africa.
Since joining the Westport Library in 2015, Harmer has led a transformative reimagining of the institution, culminating in the $21 million Transformation Project. Completed in 2019, the reimagined Library features cutting-edge technologies, world-class programs, and versatile, modern facilities—most notably the Trefz Forum, a state-of-the-art performance space with professional lighting, sound, and multimedia capabilities.
The Westport Library was recently awarded a 5-star rating by the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service—making it the only library in Connecticut and one of just 85 in the nation to receive this distinction. In early 2023, the Library also received a $1 million endowment pledge from the Nancy J. Beard Foundation to create a dedicated Lifelong Learning and Education Fund.
Harmer holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University in Detroit. He is a dedicated member of the Westport community, actively participating in the Sunrise Rotary Club of Westport, Startup Westport, and the Advisory Board of the Suzuki School of Music. He lives in Ridgefield with his wife Jill, their three children—Grant, Miranda, and Lily—and their golden lab, Winston. When not at the Library, Harmer enjoys playing tennis, hiking, spending time with his family, and catching live music whenever he can.
June 3: Community Service Awards
Community Service Awards for the volunteers and service individuals who make a big difference in our community.
June 10: Robert Cohen, Blau Gardens & Estates
Blau House & Gardens — a hidden but beautiful spot, high on a ridge at the end of a 1-lane road off Bayberry Lane in Westport.
The gardens were developed over 50 years by the late advertising entrepreneur, Barry Blau. The intimate series of interlocking garden rooms, incorporating native plants interspersed with a blend of exotics — surround a mid-century modern house designed by celebrated theatrical designer, Ralph Alswang.
June 17: Dr Robert Brady, Straight Caribbean Spine Foundation
The Straight Caribbean Spine Foundation was incorporated on August 18, 2006. As founder and chairman of the Straight Caribbean Spine Foundation, Dr. Robert L. Brady has come to realize his dream to help impoverished children with complex spinal conditions on the island of Jamaica.
With much support, Dr. Brady and Dr. Justin Bundy, with his support staff from Georgia have organized a United States team; consisting of surgeons with spinal deformity expertise, nurses, scrub technicians, neuro-monitors, implant coordinators and implant company representatives. With collaboration from Dr. Dayanand Sawh and Dr. Kenneth Vaughn, the Jamaican ministry of health and ministry of finance, local Jamaican orthopaedic surgeons, anesthetists and nurses, this project has provided safe and comprehensive care to these precious children.
The team from the United States makes semiannual trips to Jamaica in order to run a specialty clinic which sees and examines the most complicated cases of spinal deformities throughout the island and prioritizes the most severe patients. During the remainder of the week, the children deemed most urgent are operated upon. The clinic is run through Bustamante Hospital for Children, and the surgeries are performed at Bustamante Hospital for Children and University of West Indies Hospitals in Kingston, Jamaica.
Teaching is an important aspect to these trips. Through surgical instruction and evening didactic conferences, SCSF works to help educate local physicians on how to help children with spinal deformities. These charitable missions would not be possible without the support and generous donation of the most innovative surgical implants by one of the largest implant manufacturer in the world Globus Medical.
Want to Join the FUN of Westport Rotary LobsterFest?
The Goal of LobsterFest
All funds raised at LobsterFest are donated to local and international charities. Giving to the Westport Rotary Club is “one-stop shopping”. Donations support a wide range of both local nonprofit organizations and many international humanitarian projects. The Westport Rotary Club Charitable and International Giving Committees vet each grant application determining suitability and the greatest levels of need.
Interested in becoming a LobsterFest sponsor?
Please contact one of our Co-Chairs of Fundraising:
Kenny Epstein – [email protected]
Leslie Roberts – [email protected]
What Is Rotary?
Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.4 million business, professional, and community leaders spread throughout 37,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 countries.
Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, share the main objective of service — in the community, in the workspace and throughout the world.
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Membership is by application or invitation.
Westport Rotary Club invites you to join a meeting to learn more
Meetings are held every TUESDAY except the last Tuesday of the month in person at 12:00 pm. For more information please contact the club president or member chair.
In person lunch meetings are held at: Greens Farms Congregational Church – 71 Hillandale Rd Westport, CT 06880
Member Chair: Audrey Demetres – [email protected]
Mailing Address:
Westport Rotary Club
P.O. Box 743
Westport, CT 06881-0743
AVENUES OF SERVICE
We channel our commitment to service through five avenues, which are the foundation of club activity.
Club
Service
A thriving club is anchored by strong relationships and an active membership development plan.
Vocational Service
Rotarians work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society.
Community Service
We find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest.
International Service
We promote peace & understanding globally by sponsoring or volunteering on projects around the world.
Youth
Service
Rotarians work to empower young people through leadership development programs, encouraging the next generation of leaders.