50:50 Raffle

$1,555

Jason Consalvo & Heather Lang

No winners this week!

Visitors and Guest Rotarians 

Gary Stirgwolt was a guest this week, although he feels like a member! 

Volunteer 

Let’s not forget our motto, Service Above Self! The Community Service Committee is working hard this year to find more opportunities for Salem Rotarians to serve in our community. If you are new to the Club, this is a great way to engage with other Rotarians and the Salem community. We even have Rotary t-shirts to wear during these projects. If you do not have one, reach out to President Ryan!

CHILDREN’S BOOK DRIVE – SALEM HOSPITAL
Tuesday, September 30 | Salem Rotary & Phoenix School Collection

We are joining forces with the EarlyAct Club at the Phoenix School to collect children’s books for Salem Hospital. Please bring books to the Phoenix School between now and Tuesday, September 30, or bring them to our meeting that day when the Phoenix School will join us. They will get the books to those who need them at Salem Hospital. Reach out to Leslie Levesque with any questions.

LIFEBRIDGE DINNER 
Wednesday, November 12 | 4 PM | Lifebridge

Lifebridge helps the folks in our community who are most in need with important basics like shelter and food. Once every two months, volunteers from the Salem Rotary Club make dinner. Meal prep typically starts around 4/4:30 PM, with dinner service at 5:30 PM. We still need a team leader for this service. Email Hannah Beth Hembree if you’d like to volunteer to lead and/or cook!

DCF HOLIDAY PARTY
Date and Location TBD

We will once again be participating in the DCF Holiday Party, which serves foster children across the North Shore. This event allows foster children the opportunity to celebrate the holidays with their foster families and often their siblings who are not able to be housed in the same foster home. There are many opportunities to get involved, from wrapping the gifts in advance to volunteer shifts on the day of the event. More details will be shared in the coming weeks!
 

Club Events 

Dutch Drinks+: Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy
Friday, October 3, 2025, 6 – 7:30 PM | Cinema Salem

Matt Callcut is organizing a Rotary outing to The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy. A chilling cocktail experience dedicated to the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, you will hear four of his most famous stories, retold and reimagined by Poe historians, at a dark speakeasy. Reservations are restricted to a small number of guests for a 90-minute experience. Matt will secure 20 tickets for this event, which can be purchased by Rotarians on a first come first serve basis. Tickets are $65. If you wish to help make this a fundraiser for our Club, donations are also welcome! RSVP to Matt asap if you would like to attend.
 

SAVE THE DATE: 
Salem Rotary Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Auction and Gala
Friday, March 13, 2026 | Hawthorne Hotel

As we prepare for this year’s Mad Hatter Tea Party Gala & Auction, we are excited to bring our community together for an evening of fun, creativity, and impact. One of the highlights of the night will be our auction, which helps raise the vital funds that fuel our Rotary Scholarship Fund.

To make this event truly extraordinary, we need your help in securing high-quality auction items that will inspire bidding and excitement. Think about:

• Unique experiences (travel, dinners, private tours, event tickets)
• Specialty items (art, jewelry, themed baskets, collectibles)
• Professional services or business packages
• Any valuable or one-of-a-kind donations

If you have a great item to donate—or know a business, colleague, or friend who might—please reach out! Sometimes, the best items come from personal connections, and your network could make all the difference.

Please let us know what you can contribute, or who we can reach out to, by February 1, 2026.

Together, we can make this auction unforgettable and raise the resources needed to continue the incredible work of Salem Rotary.  We are anticipating this to be a crowd drawing event, so be sure to get your tickets early and please share the event and ticket links on your social media platforms. Thank you for being part of the magic—we can’t wait to celebrate with you at the Mad Hatter Gala!

With gratitude,
Jason & Heather Lang
Auction Committee Chairs
 

Salem Rotarians Say . . .

President Ryan kicked off happy dollars this week by sharing that Hannah Beth Hembree and Phil are getting married this weekend! We wish the happy couple well!!

Leslie Levesque shared that the EarlyAct Club will have their officer elections next Tuesday, September 30 at 11 AM at the Phoenix School. All Rotarians are welcome to visit the school to see the elections and hear the children’s speeches. The newly elected officers will join us for lunch that day as well.

Jim Rose went to Washington State to visit a friend who runs a winery in Chelan. He also popped into the Chelan Rotary Club meeting and shared that we have a lot of similarities, although they call their “happy dollars,” “happy bucks!”

Jason Consalvo shared the trials and tribulations of child management last weekend during Kerri’s Mom Ball Softball Tournament in Beverly. While Kerri’s team lost in the end, they put up quite a fight and made it pretty far in the tournament. Way to go Kerri!

Gerrit Bradley shared three stories in record time! He and his family went to New York City for a reunion trip and saw Cole Escola’s “Oh Mary,” a Tony Award-winning dark comedy about Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to her husband's assassination. They were particularly excited to see Jinx Monsoon, his kids’ favorite drag queen, in the role of Mary. Gerrit also shared that he saw his brother-in-law and nephew play in a concert that his friend hosts at the Medford Shell, and that Dipper (the family dog) had so much fun that he slept until 12 the following day. Lastly, he announced that he is now the assistant soccer coach at the Tower School where his team just won against their rivals at the Pike School!

Jane Stirgwolt provided more context around our Club’s partnership with Eliot. She first learned of the organization during her time working in the trial courts, noting a lack of services for those struggling with mental health issues. She further thanked the Rotarians and friends who supported this event including Rinus and Gina, Gary Barrett, Jim Rose, Marie Cardillo, and President Ryan, aka the grill master! Jane also gave us an important reminder that Rotary is unique in striving to be fair to all concerned and to build good will and community.

Jason Lang was pleased to share that Heather surprised him by entering his garden in the Bridge Street Neck Garden Competition, and he won second place! Imagine what he and Bill could grow together!!!

Gary Stirgwolt closed out happy dollars with his very first, sharing that he and Jim Rose are planning to go to the community meeting on Shetland Park’s Redevelopment on Tuesday, September 30 at 5:30 PM at the North Shore CDC. This is a good opportunity to hear more about the community benefits and redevelopment plans. Join them to weigh in on this project or wait for one of them to report back soon!