Middle School Student Recognition
What a celebration! On June 4, 2026, the Ledyard Rotary Club recognized outstanding Ledyard Middle School Students.
Sixth‑grade counselor Jenna Mulvey honored Emily Bacon—who brought her music teacher Mrs. Fitch, her mom, and grandmother—and Dan presented Emily with a $50 award.
Eighth‑grade counselor Hillary Lackman (filling in for Joanna Okosky) recognized Natalie Yuhas, who invited her social studies teacher Ms. Ciotola and her parents; Dan presented Natalie with $50. Hillary then celebrated two more standout 8th‑graders: Elise Dunsmore (joined by math teacher Ms. Delldonna and her parents) and Lucas Martinez‑Garcia (joined by Robotics teacher Mr. Kobelski, his mother, and sister). Dan awarded Elise and Lucas $100 each.
Principal Ryan Earley, Assistant Principal Kelly Jones, and Unified advisor Mr. Rahl were also acknowledged. Family photos and a full group shot capped off the festivities before guests enjoyed the raffle and trivia and headed back to school—what a wonderful morning!
Girl Scout Love...
On May 14, 2026, Girl Scout leader Jennifer Eastbourne spoke to the Club about leading her troop for nine years and serving as a leader in the Great Oak Service Unit (Gales Ferry, Ledyard, Preston), supporting 11 troops and 93 girls from Daisies through Ambassadors.
Beyond selling 17,000+ cookie boxes to fund activities, local troops volunteer widely, collecting clothing for shelters, making crocheted cats for NICU babies, assembling PB&J lunches, and creating Girls for Days kits with sanitary supplies. Older scouts clear trails at Nathan Lester, attend Broadway shows, and mentor younger girls; many troops earn Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards through meaningful community projects.
Why Girl Scouts? Leadership, service, confidence, and cross‑age mentoring. Volunteers like Jenn—balancing jobs and family—make it all possible and inspire the next generation of leaders.
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Chad Sklodosky, a Stretch Zone franchisee who opened the Mystic, CT location 10 months ago and is launching a second site in East Lyme, shared how targeted assisted stretching transformed his mobility after chronic joint issues and how it can benefit others—especially deskbound folks. Unlike short‑lived massage or sporadic home PT exercises, StretchZone’s cumulative stretching yields immediate and lasting gains; a recent study showed significant improvements in back flexion (8–11°) with benefits retained 30 days later and greater gains with twice‑weekly sessions. Each client receives an initial assessment and a personalized plan focused on injury prevention and specific imbalances; practitioners are certified through StretchZone’s nationally accredited program (backgrounds vary from kinesiology to personal training). Sessions (typically $40–$85) can be booked online, HSA/FSA funds apply, and discounts are available for veterans and first responders.
Go the Stretch Zone website for a free 1/2 hour session.
The Stretch Zone
The American Red Cross Needs Donors
DID YOU KNOW… a single serious car accident can require up to 100 pints of blood? Last week, Joe Olzacki from the American Red Cross spoke to our club. He stated we urgently need more blood drives in our area — and you can help save lives! Blood only lasts 33 days, and our area is critically low. Joe asked our club to host two to three blood drives each year in Ledyard — securing locations and recruiting donors. Too many people sign up and don’t show; we need committed donors.
Let’s step up, roll up our sleeves, and make a real difference — one donation at a time!
lJoe Olzacki & Jami Allyn
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Speakers & More
Jackie McCormick, founder of 100 Women Who Care Southeastern CT, was our speaker this morning. Her organization employs an efficient, impactful model to support small local nonprofits: members meet only four times per year, use a structured selection process to choose a quarterly beneficiary, and each member contributes $50 to the chosen organization. The total annual commitment is just $200 and participation in four brief meetings—simple, effective, and highly scalable. This group has only been together for 15 months, and they have already donated $10,450. Interested in learning more or joining? Click here.
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Guest Speaker, January 15, 2026
United Way of Southeastern CT
The ALICE report presented by: Scott Umbel, VP for Community Impact
Scott Umbel from The United Way of SECT discussed the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold, a key measure for assessing financial insecurity in families, contrasting with the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) which is around $32,000 annually, insufficient for basic living costs such as rent. In Connecticut, 40% of households fall below the ALICE threshold, with a similar rate in southeastern CT. He highlighted ALICE levels for different family types, such as a single adult needing around $38,000, and a two-adult, two-child family requiring $103,000 annually. He noted the inadequacy of low-set rent and living expenses in ALICE calculations, pointing to gaps like emergency savings, with 60% of CT households lacking this. The study revealed disparities, such as single mom households being largely below ALICE compared to single fathers, and significant racial and local disparities, with towns like Windham at a 63% ALICE rate.
Left to right: Scott Umbel, Jami Allyn & Lisa Curtis
On Oct 16, 2026, Dr. Michael Graner shared his inspiring story about his recently published book, From Sea to Service: A Vietnamese Refugee’s Incredible Journey to Honor His Promise.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon in Kindle or softcover editions. Click the link below to hear this remarkable story and support Dr. Graner’s journey.
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Service-Vietnamese-Refugees-Incredible-ebook/dp/B0FNRX9LQY
On Sept 18, 2025, Mikayla Bosym became Ledyard Rotary Clubs newest member!
