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A group of Chestertown Rotary Club members gather equipment in preparation for planting trees in a community service project. As of this April, Chestertown Rotary has been active in northern Warren County for 70 years.
CHESTERTOWN | With the Chestertown Rotary Club now completing its 70th year of service to the communities of northern Warren County, several local Rotarians talked this week about the club’s activities, events and community service work — and the impact of it all on area citizens’ lives.
Throughout the years, Chestertown Rotary has not only reached out to others through their charitable efforts, but they’ve enriched area citizens’ lives.
Town of Chester Supervisor Craig Leggett’s father Charles Leggett was among those signing up as a charter member of Chestertown Rotary when it was founded in 1949.
Craig Leggett recalls that as a boy, he attended the club’s Father and Son Dinner, probably in 1966, at the Rising House hotel.
In the Club’s early years, Charles Leggett hosted the Rotary Club’s annual horse show at the Leggett family farm.
“Its amazing for a small rural service club to raise and distribute about $30,000 per year through its charitable projects,” Leggett said. “These actions make a notable impact on the lives of people in our area communities.”
The Rotary Club’s 2019 president, Chris Aiken, outlined the range of such projects.
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Ready to ride the ‘Rotary Rocket’ down Dynamite Hill in a recent edition of the annual Krazy Downhill Derby are Chestertown Rotary members John Nick (passenger) and Barb Kearney (pilot) while Gary Confer (left rear) and A.J. McGuire (right rear) watch competitors line up for the sledding race.
For decades, the Chestertown Rotary Club has been deeply involved in the development of Dynamite Hill Recreation Area, which includes a family-friendly ski slope, warming hut and skating rink.
A few years ago, the club bought and constructed a new ski lift base, doubled the number of slope lights and installed high-voltage electrical service for lighting, snowmaking equipment and the venue’s ski lift.
They also helped construct the warming lodge. Rotarian John Nick, project manager for many of the improvements at Dynamite Hill, offered his thoughts.
“It’s really great to see kids ski at Dynamite Hill,” he said. “I’ve heard that many of them would not be able to afford skiing if they had to go to to a ski center.”
YOUTH A FOCUS OF CHESTERTOWN ROTARY'S WORK
Chestertown Rotary is also deeply involved in ongoing volunteer projects at North Warren Central School, including sponsoring the Organization of American States leadership development group as well as conducting the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards program.
The Club also holds an annual career day for North Warren high school students, and sponsors a Student of the Month Program which has for decades not only recognized outstanding pupils, but inspired academic achievement and volunteerism among all students.
The Rotarians have also sponsored a foreign exchange student program at North Warren, helping arrange host families, coordinating transportation, and getting the exchange students acclimated. In recent years, club member David Schlansker has been directing this local program.
Also, the Rotary Club has presented personalized dictionaries to third graders at elementary schools in Bolton, Johnsburg and Warrensburg as well as at North Warren. Rich Dwyer has been in charge of this program for many years, which has reportedly sparked lifelong interest in learning among students.
In addition, the Rotarians also annually award about $3,000 in scholarships to local graduates.
DEDICATED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE
A semi-annual roadway cleanup effort — clearing up litter alongside Route 9 from the former Silver Star Diner to Loon Lake — is also a commitment of theirs.
The Club’s highest-profile program is the annual Visit with Santa event in Chestertown, beloved for many decades in the region.
About 200 children from area communities spend time with Santa at this event — during which the jolly elf not only listens to Christmas wishes, he gives each child a valuable gift, plus a photo of the meetup as a keepsake.
Also, the Rotarians support the food pantries and libraries of Chester and Horicon, as well as the activities of local scouting groups — and the projects that Boy Scouts undertake to earn Eagle Scout status.
That’s not all. The Chestertown Rotary Club annually makes substantial contributions to the Helpers Fund, which has for years provided vital assistance to families enduring hardships or calamities. The Rotarians also have a special fund dedicated for their own outreach efforts to families in need, Aiken said.
“We help out several families per year, whether a family needs fuel to heat their home or have suffered a fire,” he said.
The Club also contributes to a variety of other community groups and events — including the annual Bob Whitford Fishing Tournament in Horicon.
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During a rodeo at Ridin’ Hy Ranch, a woman ordering food at the Chestertown Rotary Club’s concession booth hands a chili dog to her son, while she listens to Rotarian Rich Dwyer fill her in on local lore. In the background are club members Jim McDermott (left) and Bob Case.
'MEMORY TREE' IS BELOVED BY CITIZENS
A favorite Rotary-sponsored event in recent years has been the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony which features the Memory Tree with more than 50 corporate sponsors — led by the Peckham Family Foundation — plus hundreds of individuals buying bulbs to recognize loved ones who have had a positive impact on their lives. This year, several hundred individual donors participated, including relatives of Joan Conway, who portrayed Ms. Claus locally over many years but passed on Nov. 12 at the age of 88, Nick said.
“We thoroughly appreciate businesses and individuals who step up and contribute, year after year,” he said.
The group’s fundraisers not only include the Memory Tree, but a townwide garage sale, a golf tournament, a food stand at Ridin’ Hy rodeo, and various raffles.
Also, Chestertown Rotary annually participates in both Woofstock and the Krazy Downhill Derby, the latter scheduled this year for Saturday Feb. 23 at Dynamite Hill. Rotarians will be directing traffic at this event, as well as collecting returnable containers from Derby attendees as a fundraiser for charity.
ROTARY CLUB NOW SEEKING NEW MEMBERS
The Chestertown Rotary Club meets at 6 p.m. every Tuesday at O.P. Frederick’s Restaurant for socializing, networking, enjoying a meal together as well as conducting a business meeting. The Club has about 35 active members, men and women, most of whom attend meetings during the summer months. Prospective members are invited to attend the meetings, Aiken said.
“We’re always looking for people who want to step up and volunteer, which is quite rewarding,” he said.
Aiken also noted that the club is setting up an offshoot group called “Friends of the Chestertown Rotary,” which has no dues — and there is no pressure to attend meetings. The purpose of the group will be to help out by being available to volunteer for events.
Rotary’s work to brighten others’ lives is why John Nick said he joined Rotary when he first moved to Loon Lake in 2010. He said he attended the Chestertown Rotary’s ‘Visit with Santa event’ and witnessed how generous the club was toward hundreds of area families.
“It warmed my heart to the point that I got involved in Rotary,” he said. “Chestertown is such a great small town, and the volunteerism in northern Warren County is just phenomenal.”
