Join Leaders - Exchange Ideas - Take Action,
in our community and the world
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 65, Wayne, PA 19087
For recent club news:
WE GENERALLY MEET at 6:05 p.m. ET on the 2nd & 4th THURSDAYS of the month
at Bateman-Gallagher AMERICAN LEGION POST 668, 401 East Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, PA 19087
Check Club Calendar below for the most up-to-date information
Club Directors, Officers and Committee Chairs (click to open)
CLUB OFFICERS
President
PDG Doug Blazey
drb@elliottgreenleaf.com
(215-977-1069)
President-elect
Immediate Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
CLUB DIRECTORS
Membership / Youth Services
Sergeant-at-Arms
Club Chairpersons
Rotary Foundation
Abp. Carroll HS Interact
Cabrini Rotaract / Radnor HS Interact
Gundaker Foundation /
Graduate Grants Contact
Rotary Club of Wayne Foundation Board
Douglas Blazey (ex-officio)
Dale Pope
John Douglas (2020-21 Club President)
John Kopcha (2022-23 Club President)
Janice van de Velde (Treasurer)
NEWS
Pictured (left to right):
Rod Tondreau, Doug Blazey, Julianna Blazey, Mark Cunningham-Hill, Mike Piccioni, Cynthia Petty, John Douglas, Kathy Douglas
Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Wayne, Paoli-Malvern-Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr joined forces to cut down, pull up, and haul away invasive plants and weeds from a large area surrounding the Rotary International Paul Harris Monument at Valley Forge National Historic Park as part of Rotarians at Work Day on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
VFNHP ecologist and IPM Manager Kate Jensen and Ashley Kroon identified invasive plants, tagged native trees and plants with blue ribbons to protect them, and dubbed all participants “Weed Warriors.” Various Rotary Clubs have cared for the monument, dedicated in 1977, over the years. Anyone interested in future work around the RI Monument such as creating a butterfly garden, building a bee pollinator garden, planning for a solar powered flag pole (with flag from 1777) and future brush removal should contact Julianna Blazey.
Special Presentation: "Insurance Options for Managing Personal Risk" was held 4/6/22
Katherine Cole Douglas, Esq., Jake Szulinski, and Linda Pittounicos provided answers to questions about auto insurance, homeowners' and tenant policies, as well as “excess personal liability” and life (both “whole” and “term”), long term care, and disability insurance. Wayne Rotary President Doug Blazey moderated the panel.
Wayne Rotary renews Thanksgiving commitment to Wayne Senior Center
After many years of serving dinner at Wayne Senior Center's Thanksgiving feast, and a year's absence due to Covid-19, Wayne Rotarians returned to the center on Monday, November 15 to pack delivery meals for the upcoming holiday. Shown above are Past Club President Jake Szulinski, current Club President Doug Blazey and President-Elect John Kopcha. Rotarians hope to celebrate with WSC in-person again in 2022!
Wayne Rotary raised over $2,000 in its joint golf outing with
Paoli-Malvern-Berwyn Rotary at Downingtown Country Club on September 30, 2021
Past and present Wayne Rotarians plus family members marched with the club banner in front of Doug Blazey's big red truck at the Radnor Memorial Day Parade on 5/31/21
On Wed., March 10, René F. Najera, MPH, DrPH presented "The History of Vaccines: Before Jenner and After Moderna", on the many different events that have marked the history of vaccines, from events that occurred millennia ago in ancient China to the promising future of genetic technology. The presentation covered well-known events in vaccine development history as well as lesser known "unsung heroes" of the science and technology behind vaccines. The audience became more aware of the cumulative knowledge of vaccinology, and why vaccine development has accelerated to the point of breaking a 50-year old record on vaccine deployment to bring us the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Najera is an Associate in the Epidemiology Department at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Adjunct in the Global and Community Health Department at George Mason University, Senior Epidemiologist at the Fairfax County (Virginia) Health Department and Editor of the History of Vaccines project by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He attended the University of Texas at El Paso for a baccalaureate degree in medical technology, George Washington University for a master of public health degree, and Johns Hopkins University for a doctorate in public health. In his free time -- which has been limited by the pandemic -- Dr. Najera enjoys swimming, cycling and running, and spending time with his daughter and wife.
Please click HERE for a Zoom recording link and view Dr. Najera's talk
passcode is .zS77Tvs
Wayne Rotary Past President Jake Szulinski (left) presented a $300 check to Wayne Senior Center Executive Director Katie Mahon (right) to support the center's meal delivery efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, then helped deliver Virtual Thanksgiving meals to homebound seniors on Monday, November 23
Rotarian Julianna Blazey (right) helped Cabrini University Rotaractor Isabella Romani make crocheted bed rolls for the homeless out of plarn (yarn made from plastic bags).
The college service club, which is sponsored by Wayne Rotary, was named Best Rotaract Club at the District 7450 SASY (Service Above Self) Awards in 2017-18.
Club President John Douglas welcomed Mark Rudiger of the Westtown-Goshen Rotary Club's Rotarians Against Distracted Driving program to the Wednesday, April 11, 2018 dinner meeting at Margaret Kuo's.
At the club's Annual Holiday Party in December 2016, Past President/District Governor Doug Blazey (right) presented an award to Officer Charles R. Yespelkis, a 35-year veteran of the Radnor Police Department. During his career, Yespelkis saved three people by CPR and four more by medical treatment, delivered two babies, apprehended two bank robbers, and led the department in DUI arrests and traffic citations for many years with 550 the top number. He’s also helped numerous stranded motorists with flat tires.
Annual Wayne Rotary Projects:
End Polio Now "Purple Pinkie" awareness at Radnor Fall Festival and Wheels at Wayne car show
Gift drive for CASA Youth Advocates of Delaware County
Distribution of American flags at Wayne Memorial Day Parade
Preparation of meals for Mercy Hospice women's shelter
Other Wayne Rotary Projects:
First Baptist Church of Wayne Cemetery restoration project
Health education for the heart - CPR and education for Wayne Rotarians and their families
Literacy Dictionary for 3rd-4th graders of the Lea school
Radnor Festival Health Fair
Rotaplast cleft palate surgeries
Support Our Troops
Valley Forge Park restoration project
Wayne clean-up
Clean Water project
Home of the Sparrow
Club History:
2020: New projects supporting Wayne Food Pantry and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
2017: Largest donation of holiday gifts to CASA Youth Advocates, Inc. in past decade
2012: Donated $3,000 to Radnor Township Police Dept. for Officers' Bicycles
2010: Stacy Filopoulos, Esq. represented club in Group Study Exchange to Greece
'08-09: Club was #1 in District in per capita Rotary Foundation giving
'04-05: Doug Blazey led Group Study Exchange team to Queensland, Australia
1990: Renewed Radnor HS Scholarship: oldest continuously funded RHS award
1981: Hosted Pro-Am golf tournament benefiting St. Edmond's Home for Children
1979: Inaugurated annual 10k Run at Radnor High with Interact Club
1969: Radnor HS Interact Club sought to create Special Needs center
1964: Annual "Service Above Self" medal presentation to VFMA cadet
1962: Held Career Conference for local youth as Vocational Service
1961: "Sounds of the Big Bands" concert on WRCV Radio at Wayne Theater
1960: Club named Rotary Foundation Builder with 300% Participation
1959: Purchased 100 U.S. sidewalk flags for display along Lancaster Avenue
1956: Sponsored new Rotary Club of King of Prussia, PA
1950: Hosted 9 English King (Eagle) Scouts at Boy Scout Jamboree
1949: Sponsored new West Chester Pike [now Newtown Square] Rotary Club
Purchased motorette-scooter for crippled local resident
1947: Helped fund Radnor Fire Co.'s first ambulance, a Packard
'42-43: Inaugurated Radnor HS basketball tourney as club service project
'39-40: New club had highest attendance percentage in District (94.84%)
4/12/39: Paoli-Malvern-Berwyn Rotarian P.C. Hollis "Pete" Lapp organized the Rotary Club of Wayne
Roster of Past Presidents (click to open)
2023-24 John W. Kopcha
2022-23 John W. Kopcha
2021-22 Douglas R. Blazey
2020-21 John Douglas
2019-20 Henry Stewart
2018-19 Jake Szulinski
2017-18 John Douglas
2016-17 Mary Lee
2015-16 Julianna Zekan Blazey
2014-15 Tae Seangpoeam
2013-14 Mary Ann Cusack *
2012-13 Douglas R. Blazey
2011-12 Paul Sloate
2010-11 Al J. Marland *
2009-10 Dale A. Pope
2008-09 Margaret Kuo
2007-08 Mary Ann Cusack *
2006-07 Mary Ann Cusack *
2005-06 Merrill H.J. Roth *
2004-05 Merrill H.J. Roth *
2003-04 Al J. Marland *
2002-03 Douglas R. Blazey
2001-02 Dale A. Pope
2000-01 John Baxter
1999-00 Charles W. Boohar
1998-99 Mary Lee
1997-98 Judith B. Howson
1996-97 Henry Otterson *
1995-96 Phillip Bertoft
1994-95 Col. Donald S. Rowe
1993-94 Dale A. Pope
1992-93 J. Reed Taylor
1991-92 Joseph Fratoni
1990-91 D. Richard Knauff *
1989-90 Al J. Marland *
1988-89 Robert E. Preston
1987-88 Fred H. Pargeon
1986-87 Henry P. Jansen *
1985-86 Benjamin V.M. Wilson *
1984-85 Gordon Ralph
1983-84 Benjamin L. Taylor, Jr.
1982-83 J. James Cancelmo *
1981-82 George H. Leyrer *
1980-81 Luther A. Schwalm *
1979-80 John Quinlan
1978-79 Joseph C. Iacone
1977-78 J. Bruce Hagan *
1976-77 F. Harry Spiess, Jr.
1975-76 Courtney Rockefeller *
1974-75 John A. Tifft *
1973-74 Paul M. Kistler, Jr.
1972-73 Charles R. Meyers, Jr. *
1971-72 Norman L. McMahon
1970-71 James R. Kelley III *
1969-70 Joseph W. Thomas *
1968-69 Mark H. Smythe *
1967-68 John R. Shaw
1966-67 Robert Fraunberger
1965-66 Charles E. Park
1964-65 John Williams
1963-64 Frederic E. Hendler *
1962-63 Russel P. Wood *
1961-62 G. Rodney Park, III *
1960-61 William R. Wood *
1959-60 William H. Self *
1958-59 Thomas O. Lewis *
1957-58 Henry J. Campbell *
1956-57 Benjamin L. Taylor *
1955-56 John Y. Howson *
1954-55 Anthony R. Flores *
1953-54 Frank H. Tagye *
1952-53 Robert W. Thompson *
1951-52 Robert E. Porter *
1950-51 Paul M. Kistler, Sr. *
1949-50 Louis E. Toro, Jr. *
1948-49 C. Walton Hale *
1947-48 Jacob C. Fisher *
1946-47 Elmer J. Matthews *
1945-46 Frank A. Ludden *
1944-45 Charles R. Meyers, Sr.*
1943-44 O. Louis Ehmann *
1942-43 Jason L. Fenimore *
1941-42 John Y. Howson *
1940-41 Joseph M. Fronefield *
1939-40 George R. Park *
1938-39 Charles A. Alexander *
*deceased
Rotary Club of Wayne Scholarship Recipients at Radnor High School (click to open)
2022: Meghan Moyer (Penn State Univ.)
2021: Min Ji Kim (Univ. of Pennsylvania)
2020: Daniel Campos (Thaddeus Stevens Tech)
2019: Sneha Roy (Univ. of Pittsburgh)
2018: Julianne Reddy (Drexel Univ.)
2017: Jacob Schwack (Univ. of Florida)
2016: Zachary Parrish (West Chester Univ.)
2015: Emilie Grace Horstmann (Univ. of Arizona)
2014: Elizabeth Hilt (Ursinus Coll.)
2013: Natalia Salinas (Yale Univ.)
2012: Shelby Richardson (Loyola Univ.-LA)
2011: Katherine Sydnes (Temple Univ.)
2010: Giselle Blanco (Manhattan Coll.)
2009: Meaghan McGinty (Occidental Coll.)
2008: Elizabeth Hilberts (Denison Coll.)
2007: Kathleen Williamson (St. Louis U.-Spain)
2006: Catherine Stamateris (Boston Coll.)
2005: Julie-anne Savarit-Cosenza (American Univ.)
2004: Caroline Pearsall (Univ. of Pennsylvania)
2003: Daniel Bloom (Penn State Univ.)
2002: Sarah Cryan (Boston Univ.)
2001: Kara Seaton (Bates Coll.)
2000: Patrick Farley
1999: Hannah Go
1998: Christi Bartel
1997: Michael Berry
1996: Dahlia Halicki
1995: Brian Mathews
1994: Rayne Soret-Johnson
1993: Lori Consalvi
1992: Kevin Mathews
1991: Steven Gord (Dartmouth Coll.)
1990: Janine Kramer (Albright Coll.)