As the Glen Cove Rotary Club celebrates its 100th anniversary, it is honoring old traditions while implementing new fundraising techniques.
The club, which typically meets weekly, aims to help Glen Cove residents in various ways, from school children and seniors to pets and animals.
“We’re small but we’re mighty,” said club President Toya Davis, who has been involved with the organization for over 30 years. Davis said she served as president briefly about 20 years ago, which marks this as her second term in the role.
Davis, who works at the Teigerman School in Glen Cove, said she was initially drawn to Rotary’s motto of “service above self,” and has remained a member ever since. Rotary International is a global organization that is over 110 years old, which dedicates itself to supporting local communities.
The Glen Cove chapter, which turned 100 in April, has many long-standing traditions. One of which, named “Dress a Child,” provides underprivileged children with winter coats during the colder months. Another long-term program sends children to summer camp at the Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA.
Davis said that membership typically fluctuates due to people moving in and out of the city, but that the club collaborates with other Rotaries regionally and internationally.
The club meets weekly—with a brief hiatus in the summer—at different local businesses to plan various events and programs. Davis said the club rotates through Glen Cove’s restaurants every few months to support different locations. Currently, the group meets at Lorenzo’s on Cedar Swamp Road.
In addition to the club’s annual events, like the coat drive and the summer camp program, its fundraising efforts have expanded. Davis said the club gathers new ideas for fundraisers from other rotaries in Rotary District 7255, which is comprised of 62 clubs throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties.
Davis said the Glen Cove chapter has implemented new fundraising efforts based on other clubs’ success, like the pickleball fundraiser they put on last June. The event was inspired by other clubs in the district and raised money for Cove Animal Rescue.
Davis said that the club occasionally throws fundraisers for individuals in need, in addition to fundraising for groups and organizations. In November, the club raised money for Eric Hansen, who is battling a rare form of childhood cancer.
At one of its most recent events in May, the Rotary held a sold-out fundraiser for Glen Cove resident David Geliashvili, who is searching for a kidney donor. Davis said the event was “mind-blowing,” and that the club had to turn some people away due to high interest.
Davis said that Geliashvili is a well-known member of the community, especially since she works at the Glen Cove Senior Center and La Bussola.
She said the May event, held at the Angler Club, featured food, drinks, and raffle prizes to raise money for Geliashvili and his family. Local officials, including Nassau County Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and Rotary member and mayor Pam Panzenbeck, attended to showcase their support.
Davis said the fundraiser showed the strength of the community. Even those who couldn’t attend the event donated checks for Geliashvili, she said.
“David is so well-loved within the community… It was an awesome event, and I was so glad that I could be part of it,” she said.
Looking ahead, Davis said the Rotary will next meet in September, when it will begin planning to “dress 100 children in celebration of 100 years.”
Davis said she always encourages “like-minded people to join the Rotary Club,” especially the city’s younger residents.
For more information on the club, visit https://rotary7255.org/clubinfo/glen-cove.
