Ithaca Rotary Club

06/18/2026

The Rotary Club of Ithaca is now accepting applications for its 2026 Community Grants Program, offering grants of up to $1,500 for Tompkins County nonprofit organizations and community projects.

Small nonprofits are especially encouraged to apply, with funding available for special projects and one-time needs that improve quality of life in our community.

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2026.

See details of how to apply on our website:

The Rotary Club of Ithaca is now accepting applications for its Community Grants program, which is intended to promote the quality of life in Tompkins County. We intend to fund grant requests in full. We encourage small non-profit organizations to apply. 

06/18/2026

Another honor for Ithaca Rotarian Harlin McEwen. Well-deserved, Chief!

The Tompkins Co. Legislature Tuesday recognized former Ithaca and Cayuga Heights police chief Harlin McEwen for his decades of public safety leadership and continued volunteer service supporting County emergency communications efforts. Last month, he was named Outstanding Volunteer of the Year by Tompkins County Office for the Aging. Pictured here (l.-r.) are Legislature Chair Shawna Black, McEwen, DoER Director Michael Stitley, Ithaca Police Chief Tom Kelly, and Sheriff Derek Osborne.

06/16/2026

Great turnout at the Inn at Taughannock! Such a fun time with members and friends of both the Ithaca Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Trumansburg NY!

05/15/2026

Another great afternoon with the Ithaca Rotary Club this week as members gathered for fellowship, community updates, and an informative program from Robert Lawlis, CEO of Centrallus Health. Robert shared updates on the organization and the work being done to improve healthcare access and services across our region.

The club also discussed several upcoming Rotary initiatives and volunteer opportunities including the All Club & Youth Exchange Picnic, Rotary Burger Night at Taughannock, the Rotary Road Rally coming up on August 2nd, and this year’s Rotary Harvest dates later this summer. Members also heard updates about the Soap for Hope collection, the annual audit, and future fundraising ideas.

As always, the meeting wrapped up with Happy Dollars and a thoughtful message from Katie Marks before adjourning.

A big thank you went out to all of this week’s volunteers who helped make the meeting run smoothly. Looking forward to the next Rotary Social at the Canopy Hotel on May 20th from 5-7!

05/07/2026

Let's play "where's the Rotarian?"... Once you spot them, name them in the comments!

🙌THANK YOU TOMPKINS COUNTY FOR A GREAT MAC 'N CHEESE BOWL YESTERDAY!!!!!🧀

🙏Huge thanks to all of the competitors, sponsors, nonprofit vendors, volunteers, and of course all of the attendees who came out in the chilly Ithaca weather to eat copious amounts of mac 'n cheese to support Foodnet Meals on Wheels!!!

We are hard at work today feeding older adults and others in need across Tompkins County, and will be tabulating the votes and picking raffle winners as soon as we can! We expect to announce winners today or tomorrow; thank you for your patience!! 💖

(Photo by Mike Carroll)

05/06/2026

Rotary showed up and showed out at the Foodnet Meals on Wheels Mac 'n Cheese Bowl - Foodnet Meals on Wheels !! Thanks to everyone who came out to support.

05/06/2026

Great turnout at today’s Rotary meeting!

We kicked things off with welcome and social time before coming together for the call to order, the Four-Way Test, and introductions of guests and visiting Rotarians. We also had some fun with Exchange Student Jeopardy, which brought great energy to the room.

During announcements, members shared updates on ongoing ReUse volunteering opportunities, the Mac n Cheese Bowl, the All Club & Youth Exchange Picnic on May 14, and May birthdays and anniversaries.

Our program featured Mary Jo Dudley from Migrant Advocacy & Support (MAS), who gave an insightful presentation on the important work being done to support farmworkers in our region.

We closed with a thoughtful Mother's Day message from June Losurdo before adjourning.

A big thank you to today’s volunteers who helped everything run smoothly. We appreciate all that you do!

Next meeting: Wednesday 5/13 at noon featuring speaker Robert Lawlis, CEO, Centralus Health (Moakley House)

04/27/2026

Great press for the Cornell Rotaract Club!

Ana Loter ’27 is recognized for her work in youth leadership development with the Rotaract Youth Leadership Institute.

04/23/2026

Yesterday’s Ithaca Rotary meeting was a great mix of connection, updates, and meaningful conversation.

We kicked things off at noon with welcoming faces and table conversations before President Mike Katz called the meeting to order.

Announcements highlighted a busy and impactful season ahead. We heard a report on the recent Route 13 highway cleanup, along with reminders about upcoming opportunities to get involved including RYLI on April 25, the Chamber Annual Meeting on April 29, ReUse volunteering (Tuesdays and Thursdays), the Mac n Cheese Bowl on May 6, the All Club & Youth Exchange Picnic on May 14, and the Epic Day of Service on May 16. The Ithaca Festival Parade on May 28 is also on the horizon!

Our featured program welcomed Joe Sammons, Executive Director of Hospicare, who shared insight into the organization’s compassionate work supporting individuals and families during end-of-life care. It was an important and moving presentation that reminded us of the power of care and community.

We wrapped up with raffle drawings, Happy Dollars, and a thoughtful message from Dale Johnson before adjourning.

A big thank you to all of our volunteers who made the meeting run smoothly. We appreciate you!

We’ll see everyone next week at Moakley House for our next program featuring Dr. Bruce Monger from Cornell.

04/18/2026

Great turnout for the RT 13 cleanup!! Thank you Rotarians, Zero Waste Ithaca, Village of Lansing and community members!!