Skip to content

DACdb Login         Home         My Rotary         RI Zones 33-34         Public Image Resources

0
MEMBERS


MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

With our growing community of 1.4 million members,
located around the world.

0
VOLUNTEER HOURS


WE TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES

Rotarians invest approximately 47 million volunteer hours every year, into improving the lives of those around them

$0
DOLLARS INVESTED


WE FUND SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS

Rotary awarded $333 million to global service initiatives throughout the 2020 pandemic

Join Us

Dear Rotarians and Friends of Rotary:

I am honored to serve as the 99th President of the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale as we approach our 100th anniversary, March 1, 2022. I am excited to carry on the legacy of those who came before me and the hundreds of Rotarians who have been a part of our history, always mindful of our motto, “Service Above Self.”

Keeping with our motto and this year’s Rotary International theme, “Serve to Change Lives,” our club will strive to make a positive impact in our community through our Rotary Cares 100 projects.  With this initiative our Rotary club has committed to participate in and/or support 100 local and international projects during our centennial celebration.

Through our fund-raising activities we will continue to promote our College and Vocational scholarship program which has given close to $3 million to more than 530 deserving students.

We will be able to enhance our local efforts towards our annual Holiday Toy Drive, Thanksgiving Basket program, and bell ringing for the Salvation Army. We will also be able to impact those with disabilities with our support of the Wheelchair Foundation and our annual Challenge Air for Kids Fly Day.

On the international scene our actions will center on helping to provide clean water, enhancing education, and building sustainable gardens in areas of the world most in need. We will also be ever mindful of Rotary International’s enormous effort to eradicate polio from all countries.

Our Rotary club offers individuals so many opportunities to serve others, while fostering fellowship and fun among our members.  The collective power of Rotary gives us the ability to create lasting change in our community, the world, and ourselves.

We invite you to join the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale and be a part of the spirit which has driven our organization for the past 100 years.


Terry Robinson, Club President 2021-22
Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale
 

Rick Riccardi

2023-2024 Club President


Club President Letter 2023-24

Hello Fellow Ft. Lauderdale Rotarians,

I’m so proud to be your President this year. This is not a “job” I had hoped for in my later years but one that I’m excited about, and more than willing to do. “Service Above Self” and being a “Servant Leader” are principles in life (not just in Rotary) that I, hopefully, will be positively measured by.

This year, thankfully, does not have the obstacles of COVID and the aftermath of COVID to deal with. Thanks to Perry, Terry, and Jaye, our three previous leaders, I now have the opportunity to lead this club to new heights of accomplishments.

We are off to a good start with so many of you stepping up to participate in so many ways. Every member will be asked and given the opportunity to be of service to the club or to the community. We are all here to be of service, and hopefully you will all find that opportunity by serving on a committee or participating in one or more service projects. For that reason, I will make sure you all know about each committee and service project, week after week.

I would like to initiate two new long-term service projects for our club that, I believe, conform with Rotary International’s initiatives on “Bringing Hope to The World”. The first is Homelessness and Behavioral Health (including mental health and substance-use disorder).  The second is Urban Farming or “Agrihood” to bring better health (mental and physical) to our neighborhoods.

I will make sure that the new members are welcomed with enthusiasm and are included immediately in our weekly luncheons and service projects. I will ask you members with more time in our club to be of service to the club by sharing your time with other members who need to feel wanted and included. To help this along, I’m promoting the idea of a random seating system at lunch for those of you who don’t have a guest or have some reason to have to sit with a specific member.

I’m also trying a new weekly meeting structure. In order to get to know each other better, I’m asking you to volunteer to tell us who you are. On the first Wednesday of each month, we will have a club meeting that will include two of our members who are willing to tell us their story in a 12-minute presentation, with or without slides.

We will continue to have our evening social meeting on the last Wednesday of the month and continue to have our speaker luncheon meetings the other two or three Wednesdays each month.

We now have about 120 members, of which about 50 are new in the last two years. Our intention is to have more new members to replace and exceed the average 15% of members who leave the club each year. This club is here to serve each other and to serve the community – local and worldwide. Let’s let the community know what we do and how we serve, so others may have the opportunity to join us in service. I look forward to our Public Image Committee, with all its Information Technology commitment and talent, being very busy this year getting the word out on our club’s behalf.

Let’s be the best we can be.

Rick

Rick Riccardi, Club President 2023-24
Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale

International Projects

Volunteer With Us

As we begin our Rotary year, here is a quick reminder of the service projects we have on our schedule so far. We do not have exact dates for everything, but please keep these projects in mind and be on the lookout for more information. If you would like to help with any of these projects, please contact the chair directly. If you have ideas for new projects, please contact Kristin LaFleur or St. George Guardabassi.

  • Find Your Way Home – Jorg Hruschka – Select Tuesdays and Thursdays
  • Holiday Toy Drive – Linda Cooke – October – December
  • Thanksgiving Baskets – Steve Botkin – Saturday, November 18
  • Salvation Army Bell Ringing – Steve Botkin – December
  • Challenge Air – Dan Rizzi – January 26 & 27
  • Agape Love Breakfast – Gail Auguston-Koppen – February 9 & 10

Rotarians In Action


Back To Top