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Babylon Rotary Club celebrates 60th anniversary This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Babylon Rotary Club. For members, it's a chance to celebrate all of the contributions that the club has made to the Babylon community. A party was held on April 20 at La Grange Inn in West Islip to commemorate the anniversary. "Pride and fulfillment," said board member Peter Schleifer, about being a member of the club. "It's a chance to give back to the local community and to the world." Attorney Paul Harris organized the first Rotary Club in 1905. He founded the club in Chicago in an attempt to develop a club, which captured the friendliness of the small towns he grew up in. From those beginnings, Rotary International has grown into a worldwide organization with over one million members known as "Rotarians". According to its website, Rotary International "provides humani- tarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world". One of the club's most well known mottos is "service above self". The Babylon Rotary Club traces its history to the Babylon Exchange Club and the Babylon Service Club. In 1947, the Babylon Rotary Club was chartered. The club is part of Rotary International District 7260, which serves all of Suffolk County. Officially, the Babylon Rotary Club's territory includes Babylon Village, North Babylon, West Babylon, West Islip and Deer Park. The club works to contribute to both this local community and the rest of the world. "Being a member requires dedication and wanting to help other people," said Schleifer, who is chairperson of the 60th anniversary celebration. Among recent contributions made by the club is the installation of restroom facilities at the Babylon Little League facility. Every Rotary Club undertook a centennial project two years ago in celebration of Rotary International's 100th anniversary. The Babylon Rotary Club sponsored the installation of these new restrooms at the Locust Avenue Little League Fields as their centennial project. The club also recently funded new lampposts alongside Argyle Park to provide much needed light for the area. In addition, the Babylon Rotary Club is also involved in other projects. The group co-hosted the Dirty Sock Run, which raised money for Clergy Cluster Food Pantries, which provides food for the needy. The Babylon Rotary Club also awards scholarships to local students, is very involved with Habitat for Humanity and has donated a van to Meals on Wheels along with other charitable pursuits. On a global scale, Rotary International provides help throughout the world such as the Gift Of Life Program, which transports children around the world to receive life-saving operations that would be unavailable otherwise. There is also a program called Polio Plus, which is dedicated to eradicating Polio from the world. According to Schleifer, when Hurricane Katrina struck, the Babylon Rotary Club contacted Rotary Clubs from the affected areas to offer whatever help they could.
Those who are interested in learning more about the Babylon Rotary Club are invited to attend any of the club's weekly luncheons, which take place every Wednesday at La Grange Inn in West Islip. The luncheons begin at 12:15 pm and end at approximately 1:30. Information is also available on the club's website www.babylonrotary.com.
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