Belleville Rotary Plans Fall Programs

The Rotary Club of Belleville is going to help local children get a jump start this school year.

The club will deliver dictionaries to students at Belleville’s seven public elementary schools and St. Peter’s School this fall.

"We've done this for a number of years and we all love it," said Phillip Nobile, Rotary president.

Joan Taub is Rotary's spokesperson, and said, "Each member goes to a few different schools, and it is so great to see the kids' faces light up when you hand them the dictionary."

The exact date will be announced, but will be in late October, Taub said.

In addition, the club is planning a Thanksgiving event for the public and will invite children to “hunt” chocolate turkeys this fall.

Taub said it’s similar to an Easter Egg hunt, but instead of eggs, kids look for as many chocolate turkeys as they can find.

This year’s hunt will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. at the Clermont Field, Belleville School  No. 8 at 183 Union Ave.
Children of all ages arrive at the field early Saturday morning with their parents to join the hunt, and despite the chilly air, the kids have a good time munching on some breakfast, interacting with clowns, watching magic tricks, and hunting for chocolate turkeys all over the field, Taub said.
Families are invited to join Rotary for this free event. There will be music, prizes and more, as the club celebrates its ninth decade of serving the town, Nobile said.

The Belleville Rotary members are professionals from a cross-section of careers who volunteer their time, contribute to their local community, along with the global efforts of the International Rotary Club.

The club raises funds and sponsors a Belleville Little League which went undefeated this summer, donates dictionaries to all the third graders, stocks an ongoing food pantry during the holidays and collects coats for a drive which they co-sponsor with the Cerebral Palsy Center in Belleville. 

The club sponsored a cerebral palsy center child at Camp Merryheart in Hackettstown this summer, and has raised money for children’s' surgeries around the world, Taub said.

Taub and Nobile invite anyone who would like to join the club."We're always looking for new members," Taub said.

The Rotary Club of Belleville meets for lunch every Wednesday at 12:15 p.m.  Those interested in attending and becoming part of this group are invited to call Taub at 973-450-3434 for more information.