Club History

The Club was founded on April 13, 1987, sponsored by the Groton-Ledyard Rotary Club. The initial membership of the Ledyard Rotary Club was 27, under the Presidency of Bob Craft. Our current President is leading the Ledyard Rotary Club into it's 17th year. Our club currently has 33 members. Meetings are held every Thursday morning from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. at the Groton Inn And Suites in Groton, CT. The cost is $10.00 per person per week. Our address is: Ledyard Rotary Club, P.O. Box 605, Ledyard, CT 06339 and our website is: www.ledyardrotary.org

The LEDYARD ROTARY CLUB currently has several major fundraisers annually, in addition to the ongoing funds raised at weekly meetings through contributions, "Good News/Bad News," and a raffle. In 2002-2003, a raffle of a 100th anniversary edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle raised thousands of dollars for our club. A Bowl-A-Thon, held annually in the summer or fall, has raised over $10,000.00 since it's inception in the mid 1990's. Prior to the major prize raffle, the Ledyard Rotary Club presented annual spring dinner theaters, complete with gourmet dinners and very professionally performed comedy plays. All chefs, wait staff, actors & actresses, set designers, sound & lighting crew & support personnel were Ledyard Rotary Club members and their families and friends. Plays have included "The Good Doctor" (1992), "Squabbles" (1993), "Bedside Manners" (1994), "No Time Like The Present" (1995), "Wally's Café" (1996), "Greater Tuna" (1997), and "Moon Over Buffalo" (1998). Prior to the dinner theaters, Christmas trees were sold as an annual club fundraiser.

Funds are distributed primarily to local organizations, concentrating on the Ledyard Schools. Other organizations supported by The Ledyard Rotary Club include, but are not limited to: Adopt A Highway, Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center, Family Service, Focus on Hunger (sponsored by Norwich Rotary), Habitat For Humanity of Southeastern Connecticut, Haitian Health Foundation (Dr. Jeremy Lowney), Ledyard Food Locker (Holiday Food Baskets), Ledyard High School Athletic Booster Club, Ledyard High School Drug and Alcohol Free Graduation Party, Ledyard High School Music Department, Ledyard Interchurch Emergency Fund, Ledyard Public Libraries, Ledyard Transport, Men Against Destruction, People To People, Regional Multi-Cultural Magnet School, Rotary Foundation (Paul Harris Fellow Awards), Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (Ledyard High School students), SIDS Network, Special Olympics (regional, state and international games including one year the games were held at Connecticut College in New London), Student Recognition Awards (Ledyard Middle School and Ledyard High School), Submarine Memorial Parade, and Three Rivers Family Program.

The Student Recognition Awards, mentioned above, is one of our club's primary and ongoing projects. These awards are presented annually to students from both Ledyard Middle School and Ledyard High School. The students are nominated by their teachers for outstanding performance in any area. Recipients are selected on any or all of the following attributes: citizenship, scholarship, athletics, music and attendance. The award consists of a plaque and a check for $100.00 (Middle School) or a plaque and a check for $300.00 (High School). The selected students, their parents and their nominating teachers are invited to our club for breakfast to be recognized for their achievements.

The LEDYARD ROTARY CLUB also volunteers time as well as donating funds. Some of the activities our club members have donated their time to include: Adopt A Highway quarterly cleanup (Route 12, Gales Ferry), Erikson Property cleanup (Gales Ferry), Habitat For Humanity, Ledyard Fair, Ledyard Fair Grounds Gazebo Project, Ledyard High School Drug and Alcohol Free Graduation Party (chaperones), and the Ledyard Memorial Day Parade. We have also changed the batteries in the smoke detectors in Ledyard's Senior Housing complex. At each weekly meeting, The LEDYARD ROTARY CLUB hosts a speaker program. Speakers have included club members and other Rotarians, politicians, students, educators, charitable groups both local and worldwide, Rotarians from foreign lands (Group Study Exchange), health organizations, storytellers, and sports figures (ie: Norwich Navigators) among others. A club business meeting is held once a month as well.

In 1999, the LEDYARD ROTARY FOUNDATION, INC. was formed. Since that time, thousands of dollars have been raised by our Foundation and given directly back to our community. The Ledyard Rotary Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501 c(3) organization and an affiliate of the Ledyard Rotary Club. All gifts to the Foundation are tax deductible, as allowed by IRS regulations. Dedicated to supporting programs that serve the local community and advancing the needs of Rotary International, the Foundation supports causes that enhance educational opportunities, improve quality of life, improve access to health care, address social problems, advance charitable giving, or provide emergency relief. The Foundation exists primarily for the benefit of Ledyard and Gales Ferry residents, but also supports regional, national and international programs. The creation of this Foundation represented a major step forward in living up to the motto of Rotary which is "Service Above Self" Though a small club, we accomplish much and have a wonderful time doing it.

Updated 08/04
Doug Chung, Club Historian
Email: tabascotenpin@comcast.net

 LEDYARD ROTARY CLUB - (Incorporated: April 13, 1987)