Home Page | Rotary Club of Salisbury

Speakers at our Lunch Meeting 5-26-26

Jon Higgins, Treasurer, and William Hallihan, Director, attended our Rotary Lunch meeting and spoke to our club regarding the Salisbury Winter Sports Association, SWSA. To learn more, visit their website at: Home - Salisbury Winter Sports Association

The mission of the Salisbury Winter Sports Association is to acquaint our nearby communities, especially the children, with Nordic ski-jumping, cross-country, and Alpine skiing, and to teach the skills necessary for their enjoyment and lifelong pursuit. As part of its mission, SWSA hosts and perpetuates the annual ski-jumping competition on Satre Hill to sustain ski jumping in Salisbury and the Eastern United States.

Pictured left to right: Bill Pond, Rotary President, and Willie Hallihan, director from SWSA.

Speaker at Lunch Meeting-5-19-26

Kristen, the Project SAGE Executive Director, spoke to our Club about Project Sage, located in Lakeville, CT, on what they do and offer for our local communities.

VISION
We envision a world in which everyone can be themselves,
have healthy relationships, and live free of
interpersonal relationship violence.

MISSION
We create social change to end interpersonal relationship violence by challenging attitudes and beliefs about power, control, and gender norms and by advocating for victims and survivors.

We welcome anyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, race or ethnicity.
Project SAGE is here to support you.

To learn more, visit their website: https://project-sage.org/

Speakers at our Lunch Meeting 5-12-26.

Lou Bucceri, the Executive Assistant, and Chris Abel spoke to our club regarding what the Salisbury Association does.

Pictured left to right: Chris Abel, Lou Bucceri, and Rotarian Randy Chapell.

Salisbury, Connecticut, is a quintessential New England town founded in 1741. The Salisbury Association was established in 1902 to promote the best interests of the town and to protect its natural attractions. Today, that mission includes preserving our history, conserving our land, and celebrating our community.

To learn more about the Salisbury Association, visit their website: Home - Salisbury Association Site.

Rotary Day of Service-May 2026

For this year's Rotary Day of Service, some of our Rotarians sat at Labonne's Market in Salisbury collecting food and donations for our local food banks.

We had great success. Pictured, left to right, are Rotarians Peter Fitting, Carol Schultz, and Susan Dickinson; not pictured are Bill Spalding and Rudi Stoer, who helped earlier.

Rotarians Randy and Fran Chapell volunteered to help plant a community vegetable garden in Canaan, CT.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Posted by susan

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the generous sponsors who made this year's Kentucky Derby Social fundraiser possible. Your support plays a crucial role in our success!

WIN

Rudiger & Nancy Stoer

PLACE

METZ FAMILY ENTERPRISES, LLC

SHARON ELECTRIC COMPANY, LLC

SHOW

Lee & Barbara Collins

Drury, Patz & Citrin LLP

Jane Pinckney & Richard Shanley

Mona Staaf-Gunther

Ogden Starr

GRANDSTAND

CMB Contracting

William Thompson

Sharon Pharmacy

Kentucky Derby Social

To purchase tickets or make a donation, please click on the "DONATE" button link at the top of this page. Under the note section, please put "Kentucky Derby" and indicate whether you are purchasing tickets or making a donation. Thank you very much for your support!

Click on "Read More" to access this year's letter.

Welcome new member-Michele Burns

For those of you who attended our Rotary Luncheon on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026, welcomed our newest member, Michele Burns. Another great Rotarian who happens to work at Noble Horizons in Human Resources. Welcome Michele!

Holiday Gift Swap-Paul Harris Award

At our 3rd Tuesday evening social dinner at the Boathouse on January 20th, 2026, we had our annual holiday gift swap. Great fun with fellow Rotarians and friends.

To see more pictures, click here: Holiday Gift Swap-1-20-26 | Rotary Club of Salisbury

Fellow Rotarian, Randy Chapell, also received a Paul Harris Fellow pin presented by President Bill Pond.

Lunch Meeting Speakers 1-13-26

Those of you who attended our Lunch Meeting on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, enjoyed hearing all about what's happening at the Sharon Playhouse.

Carl Andress, Artistic Director, Meghan Flanagan, Managing Director, and Michael Baldwin, Education & Community Director, spoke to our club about what's going on and what's upcoming.

"The Sharon Playhouse is a regional, non-profit theater producing high-quality performances with Broadway-caliber actors as well as talented local community members. Its mission is to entertain the community of Northwest Connecticut and beyond, while also serving as a teaching theater to encourage aspiring actors and other theatre artists of all ages to develop their craft."

To read and hear more about the Sharon Playhouse, visit their website at: About — Sharon Playhouse

Meeting Speaker-1-6-26

For those of you who attended our Lunch meeting on Tuesday, January 6th, 2026, you heard Russell Antonacci from NBT Wealth Management give us an update on the financial Market Insights. To learn more, visit the website: Wealth | NBT Wealth Management.

Lunch Meeting-R. Stoer-12-16-25

At our lunch meeting on Tuesday, December 16th, our fellow Rotarian Rudiger Stoer entertained the audience by playing holiday music on his harmonica.

Thank you, Rudi, it was terrific to hear.

For those of you who were not able to attend, you can listen to a portion of it here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qfi18NMXTY5HuWaF8

New Rotarian-Lynn Familigetti

During our Holiday Dinner, Bill Pond, President, inducted our new Rotarian, Lynn Familigetti as our latest member of the Salisbury Rotary Club.

Lynn works at Noble Horizons as a Registered Nurse, Wellness Director, and Director of Independent Admission. Welcome Lynn!!

Holiday Dinner 12-9-25

The Salisbury Rotary Club celebrated another Holiday Dinner on Tuesday evening, 12-9-25. Everyone had a wonderful time with their fellow Rotarians, friends, and family.

The food at Noble Horizons was delicious, and it ended with a fabulous peppermint cheesecake.

We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy holiday season.

Sue Dickinson-receiving gift cards

Those who attended the lunch meeting on November 11th witnessed Susan Dickinson receiving gift cards from the Rotary Club members in honor of her retirement of 42 years in the banking industry and for all she does for the Rotary Club. Susan thanked everyone for their very generous gift and is very happy to start her new chapter in life.

Louise Riley-Meeting Speaker 8-12-25

Louise Riley is the Executive Director of the Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry in North Canaan. She spoke at our lunch meeting on August 12, 2025, about the increasing need for food and essential items for those in our community.
The pantry serves over 90 clients from North Canaan, Falls Village and Norfolk. They operate out of the Pilgrim House and are open on Tuesday from 4:00 - 6:00 pm and Thursday from 12:00 - 2:00 pm.To find out more click here: https://www.fishesandloavespantrynorthcanaanct.org/

Backpacks to Region One Schools

The Salisbury Rotary Club again participated in the Back-to-School program and gave out more than 100 backpacks for deserving children in region one.

Fall Festival-October 10, 2025

The Salisbury Rotary Club had a booth at the 69th Annual Salisbury Fall Festival again this year.

To read more about this event, click here: https://salisburyfallfestival.org/index.html

Lisa Ferris-speaker -11-4-25

Lisa Ferris, Executive Director of the United Way of Northwest Connecticut, spoke about the United Way in Torrington and all they do for our community.

Together, we help our neighbors in Northwest Connecticut thrive by addressing critical needs and strengthening our community.

To read and learn more, click here: https://www.northwestunitedway.org/

Brian Ohler-Lunch Meeting speaker 9-23-25

Members attending today’s 9/23 luncheon meeting of the Salisbury Rotary Club at Noble Horizons heard Brian Ohler share his thoughts on the importance to our communities of our nonprofit service organizations like Rotary and the YMCA. Brian serves as North Canaan’s First Selectman and CEO of the Northwest CT’s YMCA. With the Y’s branches in Torrington, Winsted & Canaan, he spoke specifically on the decline of volunteerism and the challenging need for nonprofits to work together to “unite for good” for the benefit of all.

Aline Libassi-Lunch Speaker 7-29-25

Aline Libassi, a fellow Rotarian from Tulum, Mexico, visited and spoke about her club and its activities.

Lunch Speaker 5-13-25

Bob Estabrook Intern Presentation

President Bill Pond presenting this year's recipient of the Bob Estabrook Scholarship for the Lakeville Journal to David Carley of Norfolk.

Paul Ramunni-Past President Plaque

Immediate Past President Paul Ramunni giving Past President plaque from Past President and Past District Governor Randy Chapell.

Paul Harris Award

At today's meeting, President, Bill Pond presented Randy Chapell with another Paul Harris Award pin.

End of an Era

After many years of proudly co-sponsoring the Independence Day fireworks at Lime Rock Park, the Salisbury Rotary Club has made the difficult decision to retire this cherished event.

Due to steadily rising costs and declining attendance, the fireworks are no longer a sustainable fundraiser for our club. This was not an easy choice, and we are deeply grateful for the memories this tradition has created.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible co-sponsor, Lime Rock Park, for their years of dedication and support. And to all who’ve joined us through the years—your participation and generosity have helped us make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Lunch Meeting Speaker-6-10-25

Chaired by Immediate Past President Bill Spalding, the Salisbury Rotary Club’s June 10th luncheon featured two presentations.
Past President John Hedbavny welcomed Digby Brown, now a Noble Horizons’ resident and former SRC member, and led a recognition of Digby’s years of service to the Club and the community. A Past President of the Club (2007-08) and past Chair for some 15 years of the Club’s July 4 Fireworks @ Lime Rock Park, the Club’s largest annual fundraiser, and additional leadership roles were recognized.
Club member Bill Willis introduced local resident and noteworthy playwright, Lonnie Carter who shared his latest work, “1781,” that tells the story of MumBet, aka Elizabeth Freeman, and that will be presented June 19 at The Center on Main Street in Falls Village. MumBet’s momentous story tells of her being the first enslaved person to file a legal suit that won her freedom she had heard so much about and wanted so badly. FREE ADMISSION to celebrate Juneteenth.

Lunch Meeting 5-27-25

Those attending the 5/27 luncheon meeting of the Salisbury Rotary Club heard Club President, Angelo Paul Ramunni, share why he decided to open the New England Accordion Connection & Museum Co. in North Canaan. To do so, he told several stories, each which accompanied the acquisition of an accordion by the museum and tied in nicely with the recent observation of Memorial Day. A descriptive and detailed telling of these stories can be found on Paul’s Facebook page. Paul has learned that it is the stories that come with each unique accordion that are the answer to why the New England Accordion Connection & Museum Co. has become a passion with such purpose. FMI: https://newenglandaccordionconnectionandmuseumcompany.com/

Meeting speakers 4-8-25

At our lunch meeting, we enjoyed meeting and hearing from Eileen and her husband from the Rotary District.

Eileen spoke about the Rotary Foundation's importance and expressed her gratitude for all they do. She shared stories about how the money helps other clubs with projects.

Lunch Speaker-Melia Hill-2-28-25

Our speaker on 2-28-25 was Melia Hill agent for the Social Services in Sharon CT. She spoke to our club regarding what her job responsibilities were and what she does and how we could help. Rotarians brought in food and the Club donated $200 to the Food Closet. To reach out to Melia or find out more click here: Social Services | Sharon CT.

Meeting Speaker 1-28-25

Lisa McAuliffe, Recreation Director for the Town of Salisbury spoke about the different programs and events in our community. Everyone is welcome.

Available Programs:

Adult Lap Swim – Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays
Jano’s Senior Exercise Classes – Tuesdays & Thursdays
New Wave (Regional Swim Team)
Paddle Tennis 2024-2025
Public Skating – The Hotchkiss School & Salisbury School
Walking Club at Hotchkiss
Youth Baseball & Softball Programs (Spring 2025)
Youth Basketball (Regional Rec K-6th, Housy Hoops 5th-8th & Hotchkiss Clinic, Ages 7-13)

For more information, please visit the Town of Salisbury's website: salisburyct.us

Lisa McAuliffe, Recreation Director
Phone: 860-435-5186
Email: lmcauliffe@salisburyct.us

Bill Pond

The mission of the Salisbury Rotary Club is to improve the lives of citizens in our local communities and communities around the world. Our motto, Service Above Self, signifies our willingness to place the needs of others over our personal needs. As members of Rotary International, we pledge to live by The Four-Way Test, which is an ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. We close every meeting by reciting these four principles.

The Four Way Test of the things we think, say or do:

First - Is it the TRUTH?

Second - Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Third - Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Fourth - Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

President Club

Bill Pond

President Elect

Randy Chapell

Immediate Past President Club

Treasurer Club

Secretary Club

Director, Club

Director, Club

Treasurer, Club Foundation

Susan Dickinson

Secretary, Club Foundation

Fran Chapell

Director, Club Foundation

Randy Chapell

Rotary Foundation, Chair

Randy Chapell

Director, Club Foundation

Rudiger Stoer

Links

Donate to the Rotary Foundation

District 7890 Home Page

Enter your email address and the message you want to send.

fields are required

Name

Comments

I consent to the collection, storage, and use of my information by Rotary Club of Salisbury as described in this Privacy Policy. I understand that I may receive emails, and can opt out at any time.