Caesar Rodney Rotary Club

05/25/2026

We offer sincere thanks to those who sacrificed everything and to their family and friends who honor their memory.❤️🤍💙

05/16/2026

Over the past two weeks, we welcomed three outstanding speakers focused on building stronger, safer communities.

Brian Mullin, Technical Internship Program Manager at Zip Code Wilmington, joined by Gloria Bell, Director of Operations, shared how Zip Code helps Delaware residents launch life-changing careers in technology. The nonprofit coding school provides immersive software developer and data engineering training that can move students from an average income of about $30,000 before training to about $80,000 after training. Since 2015, Zip Code has trained nearly 800 software and data engineers, with many alumni working in the Wilmington region.

We also welcomed Traci Murphy, Executive Director of the Coalition for a Safer Delaware, who spoke about gun violence as a public health crisis and how policy can save lives. Her presentation included sobering data: in 2023, 46,728 people died from fi****ms in the U.S., including 27,300 firearm suicides, the highest number ever recorded. She also highlighted practical prevention tools, including secure storage, background checks, Permit to Purchase, Protection from Abuse Orders, and Lethal Violence Protective Orders.

Thank you to Brian, Gloria, and Traci for sharing your work, insight, and commitment to a stronger Delaware.

05/10/2026

05/02/2026

Last week, we completed a hands-on service project to create 200 “Care Bags” for individuals experiencing homelessness, designed to be kept in your car and shared when you meet someone in need.

Our thanks to Rotarian Ted Harding for leading this meaningful project and to everyone who helped assemble the bags. Please watch the short video for highlights, including a group photo and a moment with one recipient, who was touched by the gesture and wanted to share his joy. ❤️ Soecial thanks to Brandywine-Naamans Rotary Club for joining us.

This week, we were also pleased to welcome Dave Brown, co-author of Shadows of Glory: Memorable and Offbeat World Series Stories, for a fascinating look at the memorable, offbeat, and sometimes heartbreaking stories behind baseball’s Fall Classic. Dave shared stories connected to pitchers Cliff Lee and Tom Browning, reminding us that baseball history is often found beyond the box score. Dave, thank you for joining us (check out his picture in the comments, along with the Car Care Group)!

04/24/2026

Last week, we were honored to welcome Nolan S. Lewis and Bishop Carlton L. Cannon as our recent guests at Caesar Rodney Rotary.

Nolan Lewis, U.S. Army veteran and founder of Delaware Chapter National Association for Black Veterans Delaware Chapter 94
(NABVETS), has devoted years to advocating for veterans across our state through housing support, benefits assistance, community outreach, and service. Bishop Carlton Cannon, a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and National Chaplain of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, shared a lifetime of military service, ministry, and leadership on behalf of combat-wounded veterans and military families.

Thank you both for your service to our country, your continued commitment to veterans, and for spending time with our club. Please click the photos to see full group.

04/11/2026

We were proud to recently welcome Ken Sklenar, President & CEO of Easterseals Delaware & Maryland's Eastern Shore, who shared the many ways the organization serves people with disabilities, seniors, families, and caregivers across our region.

Ken also highlighted the impact of Camp Fairlee and the long-standing connection between Easterseals and Rotary.

Today, we welcomed Seth Rosenberg of Syncretic, an IT and cybersecurity company, who shared practical cybersecurity guidance to help individuals and organizations recognize red flags, avoid phishing and scams, and take simple steps to stay safer online.

Thank you both for joining us and for sharing your time and expertise with our club.

03/22/2026

Thank you Carolan Cross for sharing information about YMCA - Brandywine, De and its 60 years!

03/22/2026

We were pleased to recently welcome Glen Gray, Community Board of Excellence Member for the Alzheimer's Association Delaware Valley Chapter, who shared his personal connection to the disease following the loss of his wife, Ellen, and how volunteering with the Association has been one of the most meaningful experiences of his life.

On Friday, we welcomed Carolan Cross, Community Vice President of the YMCA - Brandywine, & Western, who shared Brandywine's 60-year legacy of impact, from its rich camp and community history to its ongoing work advancing youth development and healthy living across our region.

Thank you both for your time, dedication, and passion, and for bringing guests from your organizations.

03/08/2026

Last week, we welcomed three impressive student leaders — Easton Martinenza, Decker Reitemeyer, and Justin Hutchful of Wilmington Friends School — who shared highlights from their Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) experience.

Through leadership challenges, service work, and speakers on topics such as mental health, human trafficking, and Rotary’s fight against polio, RYLA encouraged students to collaborate, think critically, and lead with purpose. Participants also packed 15,000 meals and developed a project called “Tiny Homes, Big Impact,” focused on addressing homelessness.

This week, we also welcomed Kristen Olsen of Children & Families First, one of Delaware’s longest‑serving nonprofits supporting children and families. Kristen shared how their work supports families from prenatal care through young adulthood and strengthens healthy child development.

Children & Families First serves about 19,000 children and parents across Delaware each year through programs that help infants reach milestones, strengthen parenting skills, and support youth mental health.

Thank you to our students and to Kristen for sharing their experiences and the important work of Children & Families First with our club.

02/22/2026

We are thankful to Dale Kerns, District Governor for Rotary District 7630, along with members of Brandywine-Naamans Rotary Club, for joining us on Friday for a meaningful conversation about the future of Rotary and how we continue to strengthen our clubs and communities.

The discussion prompted honest reflection on growth, leadership, and how Rotary can best support its members and communities around the world in a changing environment.

Creative service efforts across the district were also highlighted, including projects that provide families with crockpots and simple meal ideas — practical solutions that can stretch dollars and feed a family for the cost of a single fast-food meal.

We were honored to receive a Rotary Foundation certificate recognizing financial support of the End Polio Now: Countdown to History campaign.