Rotary Club of Dracut, Ma

President Frank Antifonario and the Board of Directors announced plans for the coming year at last week’s meeting. The Club has a busy agenda over the next several months and Dining Around Dracut will again be the main event for spring 2020, according to Frank. 

On Saturday, September 7th, DRC will host the New Hampshire Garden Railway Society at this year’s Dracut Old Home Day.  This is the start for the fall/winter season. Our One 2 Another campaign will be collecting items for Catie’s Closet for students in need as they head back to school.

On October 8th, the Club will hold its first of 2 evening meetings in the month. This year’s RYLA attendees have been invited to share their RYLA experiences with us and their parents or guardians. This is a chance for us to promote our upcoming year as well. On October 29th, DRC will hold an evening meeting focused on the new cannabis laws, regulations and industry development as it relates to Dracut. Business leaders will be invited to join us for this presentation. We will also be using this event to promote Rotary. Our One 2 Another drive will be collecting blankets in October as well for Dracut’s annual blanket drive for the needy. 

We will start November with a gala event celebrating the Club’s 50th Anniversary. A dinner dance on Saturday, Nov. 2, will begin a Golden Year for the Club, with past members, family and friends invited to look back on 50 years of “fellowship and service above self.” Nov. 12th will mark our 3rd Annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon. We will be thanking those who provide services for our veterans and their families. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we will again be inviting the seniors from the DHS football team and their coaches to our noon meeting to wish them well as they take to the field on Thanksgiving. This is a tradition that began decades ago and provides a festive kick-off for a month of holiday happenings. We will be delivering our Thanksgiving Dinners to area churches on that day as well. Also a long standing tradition with the club, members each donate a complete holiday dinner for those in our community in need. 

Out Annual Gingerbread Competition will be held on Saturday, December 7th at Harmony Hall. In conjunction with the town’s Tree Lighting, it is our holiday gift to the community. It’s also a fundraiser for the Dracut Food Pantry. Our Club’s Christmas party will be held on Friday, December 13th, at the home of president Frank and wife Rachel. In December we will be collecting toys for needy children for the Dracut Firefighters’ toy drive as well.

As usual, it’s a busy season for the Club. The new year will kick-off with the start of RYLA 2020, and we will be working, full steam, on all the details for our next Dining Around Dracut. 

Past President Chuck Moran hands gavel to Incoming President Frank Antifonario

The installation of officers for the coming Rotary year was held on June 18th, Frank Antifonario is our incoming president. A longtime member, Frank is a past president and a very active member. President-elect Diane Clark, is a former member of the Westford club. A banker in Dracut, Diane is married to member and past president Pete Clark.

President-Elect is Diane Clark.

Outgoing president Chuck Moran is assuming the position of secretary, recently held by Sue Neary. Chuck held the position of secretary in the past and is an active member of the club and District 7910.

Treasurer for the new year is Lee Ouellette. Lee is also a past president and has served as Sergeant at Arms and a member of the board. She is also active with the district.

Al Daigle administers the oath to Treasurer Lee Ouellette .district.

Past president Renee Plummer will serve as Sergeant at Arms for the coming year.The members of the board are past presidents Kate Dame, Al Daigle Jr. and LouAnn Jendro. New to the board is Victoria Hogan. Victoria has been in the club for several years and is our social media specialist.

Board MembersLouAnn Jendro, Kate Dame and Al Daigle, Jr.

Charter club member, Al Daigle Sr., officiated, administering the oath of office to the incoming president, officers, and board members. Al Sr. has been a member of Dracut Rotary for half a century, and has received an award for perfect attendance for more than 45 years.

The new officers and board members are looking forward to a busy year, marking the 50th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Dracut.

Guests crowd Lenzi’s for Dining Around Dracut

Best Appetizer – Burton’s

Best Presentation – Dracut House of Pizza

The Club’s 3rd Annual Dining Around Dracut was a huge success. Despite a March snow storm, more than 500 diners showed up to enjoy the offerings of 31 local restaurants, caterers and bakers. They came to sample the taste treats and take chances on dozens of raffle baskets. One lucky winner even left with the door prize, a television. “Even with the storm, the hall was packed with happy people,” said event chair Frank Antifonario. 

New this year was “Music by Laite Event Management” to entertain the crowd. Dacey Zounas from the Lowell Sun’s Z-List was also on hand to try the yummy offerings and chat with guests. She was impressed with the event and vowed to put the first Monday in March, 2020 on her event calendar.

As in past years, patrons got a chance to pick their favorites in four categories. Earning the right to boast about their selection were Burton’s of Nashua for Best Appetizer, Brown and Budnick Meats for Best Entree, Laura’s Sweet Treats for Best Dessert, and Dracut House of Pizza for Best Presentation.

The restaurants, caterers and bakers said they are definitely planning for next year’s event and the patrons said they are sure to be back in March, 2020.  Plan to be there, March 2, 2020.

Best Entree – Brown and Budnick

Best Dessert – Laura’s Sweet Treats

DHS Chorus at DRC Meeting

In keeping with a long standing tradition, the Dracut High School Chorus came to lunch on December 18th and brought with them holiday favorites to delight members and guests. Following the meal and regular club meeting, the Chorus regaled those at the gathering with a short program featuring several holiday and winter numbers that they will be performing at the Holiday Concert at DHS later in the week. Then director Ethan Lobenstine turned the program over to a “Sing Along” with Rotarians joining in. Again this holiday season, Club members left the meeting with true holiday spirit thanks to these excellent young performers. Thank you Dracut High Chorus!

Dracut Rotary rang in the holiday season in style with its 12th Annual Gingerbread Competition on Saturday, December 1st. Hundreds of local residents packed Harmony Hall to see this year’s gingerbread creations. The event, held in conjunction with the town’s Tree Lighting Ceremony at the adjacent Daoulas School Complex, is the annual kick-off for Dracut’s holiday season. Visitors got to view dozens of entries, take chances to win their favorites and pick their choice for first, second and third place winners. Entertainment was provided by a string trio of Dracut High School students. Santa visited between 5:00 and 7:00 pm and there were free cookies, doughnuts, cocoa and coffee served all day along, with hundreds of gingerbread cookies for children to decorate. Donations and proceeds from the event are contributed annually to the Dracut Food Pantry.

This year’s creations were among some of the best ever, according to event chair Susan Neary. Choosing the winners was a tough choice for this year’s visitors. The creations were divided into four categories;  professional, amateur, young adult and children age 12 and under. Club members added to the creations, baking up their own entries. This year’s winners were:

1st place Professional Category

Professional:  1st – Bittersweet Bake Shop (Lynn Donnelly & Elisbet Dupont);  2nd – Sugar Coated Bakery (Jennifer Gryckiez);  3rd – Collette Turgeon

1st place Amateur Category

Amateur:  1st – Tricia & Lauren Natale;  2nd – John Cole;  3rd – Joann Smith

1st place Young Adult Category

Young Adults:  1st – Bryce Kelly;  2nd – Marissa Jones & Olivia Keating;  3rd – Sarah Turner & Addie Nelson

1st place Children 12 and Under Category

Children:  1st – Dimitri, Alyson & Kate Asikis;  2nd – The Bergeron Family;  3rd – Thomas Tziotzioras & Charlie Keating

1st place Rotary Category

Rotarians:  1st – Rachel & Frank Antifonario;  2nd – LouAnn Jendro:  3rd – Kate Dame

Middies Head Coach Jason Rivers is honored for Patriot’s Head Coach of the Week award.

In a tradition dating back more than 40 years, Dracut Rotary hosted the senior players on the Dracut Middies Football team at their meeting on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving . The senior team members were the club’s guests at their regular meeting to wish them well in their Thanksgiving eve game against Methuen.  

The players got a chance to experience Rotary and the club got a chance to congratulate Head Coach Jason Rivers on being named the New England Patriots High School Coach of the Week on October 30, 2018, marking the Middies first playoff win since 2008.

On November 13, DRC held its 2nd Annual Veterans Appreciation luncheon at Lenzi’s. Members of the Dracut American Legion Post 315, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Greater Lowell Veterans Council, Nam Knights, the Veteran Outreach at Christ Church United, and the Veterans Resource Center at Middlesex Community College attended the meeting and shared their mission to serve those who served us. Staff from the MCC Veterans Resource Center provided extensive resource materials about their program for all present.

Dracut’s new Veterans Service Officer, Jeffrey Hollett, spoke about his experience as a returning veteran and his commitment to serve veterans in our community. Hollett expressed his thanks to the DRC for sponsoring this event and stressed the importance of letting all veterans know what help there is and how to access that help.

DRC is committed to making this event our yearly opportunity to thank those who dedicate their time and resources to helping and honoring our veterans.

RYLA students share their experiences at June conference. From l. to r. RYLA Chair LouAnn Jendro, Andrew Salois, Shakira Kawuba, Jillian Gomes, Rachael Doyle, Paige Dame, and Club President Chuck Moran.

The 2018 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) attendees were the guest speakers at Dracut Rotary Club’s annual RYLA Night on October 30th. They had been selected by Dracut Rotary to attend RYLA in March. High School sophomores  from suburban Boston, Metro West and central Massachusetts gathered at Fitchburg State University for the 3-day conference last June. The event included presentations, activities and workshops in leadership fundamentals, ethics, communication, and problem solving.

The students, along with their parents, enjoyed dinner and fellowship as guests of the club. It was then their turn to share their RYLA experiences with club members. Each spoke about the activities that they participated in that helped to build their confidence and leadership skills, as well as the friends from other communities that they made that weekend.

RYLA is a Rotary International event designed to promote leadership skills for sophomore students to use in high school and beyond. Approximately 200 students participated in RYLA 2018. Dracut Rotary Club has been selecting students to attend RYLA since the program’s inception in 1994.

Plans are currently underway for Dracut Rotary Club’s 12th Annual Gingerbread House Competition to be held this year on Saturday, December 1st, at Harmony Hall.  This annual event is held in conjunction with the town’s tree lighting ceremony at the adjacent Daoulas School Complex. Bakers are currently registering to participate in this holiday event.

The competition is open to four groups: professional bakers, amateur adults, young adults ages 13 to 19, and children up to age 12. Individuals and groups (clubs, classrooms, church groups, families, scouts, etc.) are always welcome to enter. Gingerbread creations of any design are eligible, but they must be edible and become the property of Dracut Rotary Club. All entries are raffled off to lucky event guests.

Bakers are encouraged to register now to participate. Creations are to be dropped off at Harmony Hall on Lakeview Avenue in Dracut on Friday, November 30th, between 4:00 and 7:00 pm. The entries will be on display on Saturday, December 1st, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. The public is invited to view the gingerbread masterpieces and enjoy the music, snacks and coffee and cocoa … and its all free.  There will be free gingerbread cookies for children to decorate all day and Santa will be dropping by from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The public will vote for their favorite entries and winners will be notified that evening at 7:00 pm.

There is no charge for admission and all proceeds from the raffle and donations will be presented to the Dracut Food Pantry. The community is also encouraged to donate non-perishable food items. Prizes will be awarded for 1st place ($75), second place ($50 ) and third place ($25) in all categories and entrants will receive a sheet of raffle tickets.  For information or to enter please contact Susan Neary, Dracut Rotary Club at Dracut_Rotary_Gingerbread_House@comcast.net.

Plan to join us for this community event to celebrate the Joy of the Holiday Season.

Diners selected taste treats offered by 31 restaurants.

Dracut Rotary’s Dining Around Dracut was a huge success,according to DRC’s president Chuck Moran. Nearly 500 attended the event, the club’s major annual fundraiser, held March 5th at Lenzi’s, 810 Merrimack Avenue in Dracut. Thirty-one restaurants participated, offering guests tasty treats to sample during the two hour celebration. The “diners” chose their favorites in four categories. Taking home bragging rights for “Best Appetizer” was Not Your Average Joe’s in Methuen. “Best Entrée” went to Brothers Sports Bar & Grille. Two Chefs Are Better Than One took two awards… “Best Dessert” and “Best Presentation”.

Again this year, tickets for Dining Around Dracut were $20 if purchased in advance. They were available at six locations in Dracut. Tickets were also available online with eventbrite.com.You could still get tickets at the door for $25. “The majority of our guests bought their tickets in advance,” said Dining Around Dracut chair, Lee Ouellette.

Also new this year was expansion of the venue to include Lenzi’s front function room. “This is where we had our dozens of gift baskets,” said Ouellette. “They were on display throughout the evening.” Patrons agreed this was a plus. According to one gentleman who attended last year’s Dining Around Dracut, the layout gave people time to check out the baskets and gifts. It paid off too, according to raffle chairs Jessica Silva and Dot Amborsini The Club sold twice as many raffle tickets as the year before. The room was set up with tables and chairs as well, giving guests a spot to enjoy some food offerings, before returning to the banquet hall to try something new.

In addition, an admission ticket was a chance to win this year’s door prize, generously donated by Lynette Duggan. One of the evening’s diners walked away with a flat screen television. The door prize, raffle prizes and delicious fare from 31 of Greater Lowell’s restaurants and caterers kept Dining Around Dracut hopping and guests happy. As they left, many in the crowd thanked the Rotarians for hosting the event and said they would be back next year.