Skaneateles Rotary Clubs'
~ Rotary Youth Exchange Program ~
CLICK HERE to view the many countries our expanded 2024/25 District are planning to exchange with.
Skaneateles Rotary Club - Built as a stage coach stop in 1807, The Sherwood Inn, located in the Village of Skaneateles, has been a favorite place to meet for over two centuries. Overlooking the pristine Skaneateles Lake, the historic Inn was the perfect setting for the Skaneateles Rotary Club’s ‘Charter Night’ ceremony in 1927, and continues today as the primary location for the Club’s regular weekly meetings. 
From its humble beginnings 97 years ago, the Skaneateles Rotary Club has left an indelible mark on the local community and in the world, through its member’s “service above self” efforts in support of local and international Rotary initiatives. Local projects have included: the restoration of the Village’s lake front Gazebo restrooms; the building of a public pavilion at the Skaneateles Conservation area; new fencing and backstop for a little league field; the construction of a community built playground area; a community brochure and map; and providing dictionaries and thesauruses to students. International projects supported include: 500 sewing machines for rural India, water projects in several countries, and the CNY Books for the World project. Started in 2008 as a germ of a project by one Club Rotarian, the “CNY Books for the World” project is now a massive multi-district Rotary effort which, to date, has resulted in the movement of 700,000 pounds of books to Africa and other developing nations. With strong support and involvement of the Skaneateles School District, the Club also enjoys a vibrant and active Youth Exchange program and Interact Club. Since 1996, 75 in-bound exchange students have attended Skaneateles High School, becoming a part of the fabric of our community, while over 120 Skaneateles students have traveled abroad. Our Club and community are clearly creating a more peaceful world through Youth Exchange. Our 35 energetic Interact Club members participate in many service projects and fund raising activities throughout the year. Recent national and international efforts have included fund raising for victims of Hurricane Sandy and for the John Dau Foundation’s medical clinic in South Sudan. Both of these projects involved the creation of logos for popular t-shirts and a community wide awareness campaign.
In order to support the many worthy organizations in our Skaneateles Community and throughout the world, our Club conducts two major funding efforts annually. (1) Our record breaking Fathers Day Pancake breakfasts every year at which we feed around 3,000 folks every year. CLICK HERE to view a time-lapse video of one of our breakfasts. And (2) we host a dinner event, for the benefit of our local Food Pantries, and the Community Outreach Program.
Our Rotary club enjoys a long and proud history of serving the Skaneateles and our world communities, while having fun CLICK HERE to learn more that history. To engage in Rotary is to change lives! Why not consider attending one of our weekly meetings to experience breathtaking scenery, warm conversations about our commitment to Service Above Self.
(Click Here to learn about Skaneateles Rotary Club's history)
Rotary International unites people from all continents and cultures who take action to deliver real, long-term solutions to our world’s most persistent issues. Through volunteering, our 1.2 million members make lifelong friendships that transcend political and cultural boundaries and foster global understanding and respect. In addition to our 35,000 clubs, Rotary also offers expanded service opportunities including:Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. There are more than 20,300 Interact clubs in 159 countries. (Click Here for the SHS Interact Club)
Rotaract clubs bring together young adults, starting at age 18, to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service.
Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. Each year, Rotary members invest hundreds of millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours to promote health, peace and prosperity in communities across the globe. Rotary members take action by providing access to clean water snd sanitation, supporting education, preventing and treating disease, saving mothers and children and growing local economies.
Ending polio
For more than 30 years, Rotary has been the driving force in the effort to end polio worldwide. Alongside our partners in the Global Polio Eradication 
Initiative, we have achieved a 99.9 percent reduction in polio cases, with but 3 cases of wild polio reported in 2019 compared with 350,000 a year in the late 1980s. Our members have contributed $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Today, just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary remains committed to ending polio, and will raise $50 million per year, with every dollar to be matched with two additional dollars through a matching agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Initiative, we have achieved a 99.9 percent reduction in polio cases, with but 3 cases of wild polio reported in 2019 compared with 350,000 a year in the late 1980s. Our members have contributed $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect more than 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Today, just two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary remains committed to ending polio, and will raise $50 million per year, with every dollar to be matched with two additional dollars through a matching agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.History
For 117 years, Rotary members have been addressing challenges around the world. It started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas, form meaningful, lifelong friendships, and give back to their communities. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of its members.
To learn more about Rotary International, visit: https://www.rotary.org/en
AND THERE GOES ANOTHER
SUCCESSFUL PANCAKE BREAKFAST
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Another Skaneateles Rotary successful Father's Day Pancake Breakfast was achieved on June 18th, 2023. Our 53rd!, The total attendance was about 2,200 happy pancake enthusiasts & volunteers. A sunny and cool day, with high spirited attendees & volunteers. Thanks to all the energized Rotarians and the many volunteers of; family, friends, Firemen, Boy Scouts, American Legion folks and Skaneateles Community Band members, great fun and a greats breakfast was had by all. Many pictures by Lori Ruhlman & others of the event can be viewed on our Photo Album page of our website or CLICK HERE for a quick-link to the page.
Hwy 20 Spruced up for the Spring
Skaneateles Rotarians and guests met at Mr. Putters for their semi-annual Adopt A Highway project this Spring, June 3rd. Twice a year the club gather to pick up trash along Hwy 20 from the western village limit to Town Line Road. As they were preparing to start, the driver of a large cattle transport acknowledge them with a friendly horn-toot "tucker's salute" and a wave of thanks. Cool!
Rotarians working together for the community!
The 2023 FOOD DRIVE in now
officially in the books. ... by Andy Stevens, project chair
It was a successful event, with 10+ rotarians, friends & students actively participating, approximately 60 boxes of food and personal care items distributed to the Skaneateles and Spafford food pantries. While maybe not as financially lucrative as in past years, we also collected several checks credit and card donations, which will be passed on to the pantries as well. The pantries were thankful for the club's efforts, and I am grateful as well. Without the collective efforts of the members of this organization, this event wouldn't have gone off as smoothly as it did. Thank you all for reaching out to your friends and neighbors, and working with us to sort, box and deliver the food. Specifically, big thank yous go out to Lori for help in crafting and delivering the PR message in advance of the event, and also to Ed Evans, who provided the venue, vehicle and time to sort and deliver the food to the pantries.
Pictured are many of the volunteers with Ed's trailer, following an active morning of gleaning and sorting, ready to deliver the donated food to the food pantries.
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Service Above Self
Skaneateles, NY 13152
United States of America