Batavia Rotary Club

Press Release:

The Rotary Club of Batavia has contributed $7,635 in disaster relief to aid persons impacted by the recent hurricanes in the southeast portion of the country. 

The total donation was fueled by a $5,000 contribution from members of the Batavia Rotary Club. The remainder was raised over a five-day period from members of the Batavia and Genesee County Community.

Batavia Rotary Club President Michael Hodgins explained that the original appeal provided for a Rotary Club “match” of community donations up to $5,000. 

“Given the tight time frame, Batavia Rotarians decided to contribute the full $5,000 to go along with more than $2,600 from the community at large,” said Hodgins.

The local funds were sent to the Rotary International Zone 33/34 Foundation. This foundation was established to provide disaster relief in hurricane prone areas. These two zones encompass 10 states in the U.S. and 29 countries across the Caribbean. 

Hurricane Milton made landfall on 9 October in Florida as a powerful Category 3 storm. Mere weeks before, Hurricane Helene battered areas in and around the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the United States’ Eastern Seaboard.

Storm surges and heavy rains produced extreme flooding throughout the region. More than 250 people have died in the U.S. states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Press Release:

The 5th Annual Rotary Club of Batavia Trick or Trot fun run and walk will be held on Saturday, October 26.

Over 100 runners and walkers are expected to participate, according to Co-Chairman and Batavia Rotarian Jamie Mott. The event will begin and end at the Dewitt Park Recreation Area on Cedar St., in Batavia. 

Runners can begin to assemble in the Upper Pavilion at 3:30 p.m. and walk the course beforehand if they wish. 

“In keeping with the season, the route will travel through Batavia’s St. Joseph’s and Elmwood Cemeteries,” Mott said. “The course is 5km or 3.1 mi.”

The Rotary Club Trick or Trot was founded by Rotarian Douglas Forsyth as a family oriented fun event for persons of all ages. Forsyth encouraged participants to dress in Halloween costumes and not to be surprised by “spirits” that may jump into your path.

Registration for Trick or Trot is $25. Runners can sign-up on-line or the day of the event. Registration includes pizza after the race and water along the route. Swag bags will be given out as supplies last.

The Trick or Trot is one of many fundraising events held by the Batavia Rotary Club throughout the year. The local club supports dozens of Batavia area non-profit organizations, many involved with activities for young people. This year Batavia Rotary awarded over $20,000 in Community Grants. 

The club is also sponsoring a collection of household items to benefit Eagle Star Housing in Pembroke providing safe and comfortable housing for veterans. Donations can be made at the race or dropped off at Lawley Insurance at 20 Jefferson Ave. in Batavia.

Items needed by Eagle Star include:

• New standard size pillows
• Winter Hats
• Gloves
• 13-gallon garbage bags
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• New pillows
• New Twin- & Full-size sheet sets
• New bath towels and wash cloths

Press Release:

The Rotary Club of Batavia is inviting the Batavia and Genesee County communities to join in a Disaster Relief fund to aid the people devasted by the recent hurricanes and resulting floods in the southeast region of the country.

The local club voted unanimously on Tuesday to match the local community’s total donations up to $5,000.

“Because time is of the essence, we are seeking monetary donations deemed to be the fastest and most effective way to help the thousands of people impacted by these latest storms,” said Batavia Rotary Club President Michael Hodgins.

Persons or groups wishing to make a cash donation are urged to make checks payable to: The Rotary Club of Batavia and bring those checks to Lawley Insurance, 20 Jefferson Ave. in Batavia between 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. weekdays. The deadline for donations is noon on Monday, October 14. All cash raised will directly benefit relief efforts across disaster areas in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

Rotary clubs across the nation play a crucial role in assisting the affected areas. By leveraging their extensive network and resources, Rotary clubs can mobilize quickly to provide immediate aid, including food, clean water, and medical supplies. Additionally, Rotary members can volunteer their skills for rebuilding efforts, help coordinate disaster response activities, and support long-term recovery projects.

However, during the initial phase of any disaster recovery, the most important way to assist an impacted area is through cash donations.

Donations may be tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.

Press Release:

The 24th Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Baseball Tournament will take place on Saturday, May 4 at Dwyer Stadium.

Oakfield-Alabama and Notre Dame will play in the first game at 11 a.m. followed by Le Roy vs Batavia at 1:30 p.m. The Consolation Game will be at 4 p.m. with the Championship Game at 7 p.m.

An All-Day Admission Pass is $5 for an adult and $3 for a student or senior. Cash, Venmo, or credit card will be accepted for payment. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

New this year:

• We will be having the Batavia High Baseball Team’s “Senior Night” prior to the 1:30 p.m. game.
• Youths age 12 and under will get in free if they wear their baseball or softball uniforms to any of the games and attend with a parent/adult family member.
• Any Challenger Sports athletes and Unified Sports athletes will get in free if they wear their uniform or tee-shirt, and come with a parent/adult family member or adult caregiver.
• Tickets for the Rotary Club’s Fly-In Breakfast on Father’s Day will be available for purchase.

We look forward to seeing the community come out to cheer on our local athletes!

Press Release:

The major fundraiser for the Batavia Rotary Club concluded with the grand prize drawing, but the real winners are the many local organizations that receive support from Rotary all year long.

"This is the major fundraiser that allows our club to make so many contributions to the community, such as $18,000 in college scholarships to area students each year," said President Susie Ott. 

Rotary is also contributing $250,000 toward the Healthy Living Campus under construction on Main Street, a joint project for the YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Most recently, Rotary has offered a $150,000 matching pledge for the renovation of the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, Mrs. Ott said.

Rotary's motto is Service Above Self, she explained. Rotarians actively engage in projects to improve the local community. 

"Fundraisers like this Corvette event are critical for helping us help others," said Lisa Ormsbee, who co-chairs the event with Laurie Mastin. 

Once again, the grand prize winner receives the choice of a Corvette or $50,000. The winning ticket that was drawn last week belongs to former Batavia resident Ned Chatt.

In addition to the grand prize, there are 10 additional prizes of $500 each, Mrs. Mastin explained.

Those winners are:

• Christie Komarek
• David Nelson
• Howard Cohen
• Patrick Kennedy
• Parker Moeder
• Kristen Shirtz
• Vincent Pellegrino
• James Main
• Brett Rhinehart
• Zachary Fuller

The drawing was live on Facebook.

Press Release:

Still looking for the perfect Christmas gift? The Batavia Rotary Club is now selling its annual Chevrolet Corvette Raffle tickets.

“We are pleased to bring back our popular Corvette Raffle,” said Susie Ott, this year’s Batavia Rotary Club president. “Every dollar raised stays in our community and supports Rotary’s many charitable causes including high school scholarships, major contributions to local non-profits including our hospital, the YMCA and YWCA, and many more worthy local charities.”

Tickets are $50 each or 3 for $100 with donations fully tax-deductible. The first prize is a new 2024 Chevrolet Corvette or $50,000 cash with ten additional prizes of $500 also being awarded. Only 4,500 tickets will be sold. The drawing will be held on January 19, 2024.

Tickets can be purchased from any Batavia Rotarian or online at www.bataviarotaryraffle.com. 

“The Corvette Raffle allows the Batavia Rotary Club to do what we do best – support our community,” Ott said.

Press Release:

The major fundraiser for the Batavia Rotary Club is underway, and once again a Corvette or $50,000 is the prize. 

The first winner was announced on September 5 since an early bird component has been added. Early bird prizes are $500 each and will be drawn the first Tuesday of the month now through January. Early bird winners' tickets will be placed back into the drawing for the grand prize.

"This is the major fundraiser that allows our club to make so many contributions to the community, such as $18,000 in college scholarships to area students each year," said President Susie Ott.

Rotary is also contributing $250,000 toward the Healthy Living Campus under construction on Main Street, a joint project for the YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Most recently, Rotary offered a $150,000 matching pledge for the renovation of the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, Ott said.
Rotary's motto is Service Above Self, she explained. Rotarians actively engage in projects to improve the local community. All proceeds from this fundraiser go toward community service projects.

"Fundraisers like this Corvette event are critical for helping us help others," said Lisa Ormsbee, who co-chairs the event with Laurie Mastin. 

The winner may choose between a 2024 Corvette made available through Joe Basil Chevrolet or $50,000. In addition to the grand prize, there are 10 additional prizes of $500 each, Mastin explained. The early bird winners will be drawn monthly, then five $500 winners will be selected the night of the grand prize drawing on Jan. 19, and will be live on Facebook.

"Your odds of being an early bird winner are great because fewer tickets will have been sold early on," she observed. "So we encourage folks to go online and buy early." 

Persons interested in purchasing tickets may go to www.bataviarotaryraffle.com or contact any Rotarian. Only 4,500 tickets are sold. For more information, go to www.bataviarotary.com

Press Release:

The Batavia Rotary Club awarded eight Paul Harris Fellows during its annual awards night at Terry Hills Restaurant. Community supporters Todd Jantzi and Jerry Reinhart received the award along with current Rotarians Dave Metzler, Dan Fischer, Marlin Salmon, Donna and Paul Saskowski, and Jane Scott. 

Paul Harris Fellows, named after the founder of Rotary, is given to a Rotarian or a member of the community that has made an outstanding contribution to the community and is the highest award given in Rotary.

Sixteen Rotarians were also recognized for perfect attendance of one year or more, led by Ed Leising with 38 years of perfect attendance.  

Outgoing president John McGowan handed over the gavel to incoming president Susie Ott, who takes over on July 1 for the 2023-24 year.

Press Release:

The Rotary Club of Batavia has awarded college scholarships of up to $6,000 to each of the three local students. This year's Rotary Scholarships were awarded to: Hannah Spencer, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (GVEP), LeRoy; Courtney Daniel, Notre Dame High School and Lauren Reimer, of Batavia High School. 25 applications were received for 2023 rewards, according to Andrea Aldinger, co-chairperson of the Rotary Scholarship Committee.

“Narrowing the selection down to three was close to impossible,” Aldinger said, “after all the interviews, it still was unclear as these students were so incredibly talented.” She noted that many of the students had already achieved their Associate's Degree before graduating high school.

The Rotary Scholarship program began more than 40 years ago. Each year one student is selected from Notre Dame HS, Batavia HS, and the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, formerly known as BOCES. Rotary awards each student $1,500 per year for four consecutive years as long as the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.0.

Committee Co-chair Mike Hodgins said at any one time, as many as 12 students are receiving annual awards totaling $18,000. The program is funded by various Rotary events throughout the year. The scholarships were awarded during a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Batavia. The students and their parents were invited to attend. 

Hannah Spencer, who attends LeRoy HS, told Rotarians that she studied with the Justice Academy at GVEP. She plans to pursue a Nursing Degree at GCC and transfer to another school for a Bachelor’s degree.

Scholarship winner Lauren Reimer of Batavia High School said she plans to pursue a medical degree at the University of Albany. She earned an unweighted cumulative high school average of 99.65%. Lauren will graduate high school with honors and has already earned an Associate’s Degree from GCC.

Courtney Daniels, Notre Dame’s awardee, is set to study Political Science at Fordham University. She was a member of the National Honor Society and attended The NY Governor’s Youth Council as a representative for Wyoming County. Her ultimate goal is to become a New York State senator.

Two previous winners attended this year's ceremony to update the club on how they were able to use their Rotary Scholarships. Carissa Kesler used her scholarship to buy a laptop computer in 2019 when the COVID pandemic hit.  She said it was her pipeline for remote learning at GCC and later at SUNY Brockport. “With the help of Rotary, I graduated with no student debt,” Carissa said.

Taylor Sanders attended Niagara University and is now pursuing her medical degree at LECOM in Bradenton, Florida.

Photos submitted by Dan Fischer

Press Release:

Batavia Rotary Club’s annual Fly-In Breakfast is set for Father's Day, Sunday, June 18 at the Genesee County Airport. The Fly-In Breakfast is open to the public and features an all-you-can-eat breakfast and an opportunity to get up-close to a variety of private air craft flown in by pilots from throughout the region.

Serving begins at 7:30 a.m. and continues through 11 a.m. The breakfast consists of eggs, pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee, tea and milk. Again this year, the breakfast will feature a special Rotary Egg Bake, which includes: eggs, peppers, onions, sausage and cheese that promises to be totally delicious.

The Breakfast is prepared and served by members of the Batavia Rotary Club. Proceeds from the Fly-In Breakfast will benefit the club’s youth and community service programs.

Adult tickets are $12. Tickets for children ages 4 to 12 are $8. Children under 4 are admitted free. Tickets may be obtained at Lawley Insurance, from any Batavia Rotarian or at the door.

The Genesee County Airport is located at 4701 East Saile Drive, which runs between Route 98 and Bank Street Road, west of the City of Batavia. Saile Drive is just north of the Batavia exit of the Thruway.

The Rotary Club will serve over 1,000 breakfasts. Most of the food has been donated. Volunteer chefs and servers are Batavia Rotarians and their families.

Tournament Director Tom Turnbull is sticking to "23rd Annual" for the 2023 Rotary Baseball Tournament, even though there have only been 18 champs actually crowned over the two-plus decades since the first game.

Rainouts and two seasons lost to COVID-19 have kept a few names off the championship trophy -- which is new this year (see photo above) after the former trophy filled up with the plaques of previous winners.

Notre Dame's coach, Rick Rapone, at Tuesday's Rotary Club meeting in Batavia, called it the premier tournament in the area that every local baseball player is excited to compete in.

The first pitch Saturday is at 11 a.m. with the battle of the Blue Devils, Batavia vs. Attica.  Game 2 is at 2 p.m. when two hot teams face each other for the second time this season -- Oakfield-Alabama vs. Notre Dame.  Notre Dame is a pitching powerhouse, and the Hornets pack a lot of offensive punch. The last time these two teams met, Notre Dame prevailed.

The championship game is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday.  However, if Attica beats Batavia, the game will be played at 2 p.m. on Sunday because Attica has its senior prom on Saturday night.

Admission is $5 for an adult all-day pass and $3 for a student or senior all-day pass. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

Press Release:

The 23rd Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Tournament will take place Saturday, May 5th, at Dwyer Stadium.

Attica will play Batavia in the first game at 11 a.m., followed by Oakfield-Alabama vs. Notre Dame at 2 p.m. 

The winners of those two contests will play in the championship game under the lights starting at 7 p.m.

Admission is $5 for an adult all-day pass and $3 for a student or senior all-day pass. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

 

Press release:

Gretchen Hawley was inducted into membership of the Batavia Rotary Club this month and continues a long-standing family tree that stretches back to the club's founding. 

Her great-grandfather, Warren W. Hawley Jr., was one of the club's charter members in 1919 and served as club president in 1924.  He was also honored for 60 years of perfect attendance in 1979. 

Next in line is her grandfather, R. Stephen Hawley, who was club president in 1966, then her father, Theodore P. Hawley, who was club president in 2009. 

Other relatives who have been Batavia Rotarians include Warren W. Hawley III, her great-uncle, and Stephen M. Hawley, her uncle.

Gretchen is a native Batavian who has recently returned to the community.  She is a physical therapist and specializes in working with multiple sclerosis patients through her business called the MSing Link.

"I grew up watching my dad and grandpa be part of Rotary, so I knew that once I was in a position to volunteer, I'd want to do it with Rotary," she said.

Rotary International is a volunteer-driven organization whose motto is "Service Above Self."

Locally, the Batavia club makes multiple contributions to the community, such as $18,000 in college scholarships to area students each year, said President John McGowan. 

Rotary is also contributing $250,000 toward the Healthy Living Campus under construction on Main Street, a joint project for the YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Most recently, Rotary has offered a $150,000 matching pledge for the renovation of the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, McGowan said.

For more information about Batavia Rotary, go to www.bataviarotary.com.

Former county Manager Jay Gsell made a brief reappearance Monday at the Old County Courthouse to seek approval on behalf of the Batavia Rotary Club for the annual Fly-In breakfast later this year.

Apparently, the group is anxiously waiting for the summer fundraiser to arrive.

“We’re ready to rock and roll again,” Gsell said to the Public Service Committee members.

Rotary Club expects 800 to 900 attendees to the pancake breakfast, which has become a well-organized event that keeps drawing people for more, he said.

“That’s why we keep getting people coming back,” Gsell said.

Rotary Club had requested permission to host the breakfast at Genesee County Airport on June 18, and to also have related access to and use of the grounds prior to and after the event on June 16 through 20, “subject to the rules and regulations of the Genesee County Airport.”

The budget impact is minimal expense offset by Rotary’s promotion of the airport and increased fuel sales, the resolution states. Gsell added that attendees are expected to arrive by plane in addition to automobiles this year.

The Committee agreed to the request, and it will eventually go before the county Legislature for final approval.

File Photo of Jay Gsell serving up pancakes during a Rotary Fly-In Breakfast, by Howard Owens.

Press release:

The major fundraiser for the Batavia Rotary Club concluded with the grand prize drawing Saturday night, but the real winners are the many local organizations that receive support from Rotary all year long. 

"This is the major fundraiser that allows our club to make so many contributions to the community, such as $18,000 in college scholarships to area students each year," said President John McGowan.

Rotary is also contributing $250,000 toward the Healthy Living Campus under construction on Main Street, a joint project for the YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Most recently, Rotary has offered a $150,000 matching pledge for the renovation of the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, McGowan said.

Rotary's motto is Service Above Self, he explained.  Rotarians actively engage in projects to improve the local community. 

"Fundraisers like this Corvette event are critical for helping us help others," said Lisa Ormsbee, who co-chairs the event with Laurie Mastin.  Once again a Corvette or $50,000 is the prize.  The winning ticket that was drawn Saturday belongs to John Kinsella. 

In addition to the grand prize, there are 10 additional prizes of $500 each, Mastin explained.

Those winners are:

• Tom Mazurkiewicz
• Dan Ireland
• Todd Bender
• Vincent Bucciferro
• Paula Wortzman
• Bobbie Griffin
• John Green
• Nicolas Roth
• Daniel D'Amico
• Mine VanDenwere

Submitted photo:  Woman on the left, unidentified, with Laurie Mastin, co-chair of the fundraiser, and Rotary Past President Marlin Salmon. 

Thursday's Rotary Girls Basketball Tournament championship game was everything hoops fans could hope for -- timely shooting, aggressive defensive, top players playing hard, and a final outcome that wasn't certain until the buzzer at the end.

Notre Dame beat Pavilion 44-43.

"It's been a while since we've had a nail-biter like that," said Tom McCulley, head coach of the Fighting Irish. "You've got two good teams that are well coached and with some players that can do special things and who are competitors, so at the end, you know you never feel comfortable as a coach with a two-point lead with 10 seconds left. It's never over in that situation."

Avelin Tomidy won the tournament's Ray Shirtz Service over Self Award, and the two free throws she made with eight seconds left may have swayed a few judge's votes.  Those free throws gave Notre Dame a four-point lead. If she missed either shot, it may have been a different game. Karlee Zinkievich, who was already having a big night and a bigger second half, hit a three-point shot with four seconds left. The Gophers were out of position to foul to stop the clock on Notre Dame's inbound pass eliminating any hope, how small it might have been, of getting another possession.

"It makes it exciting for the fans and the players and gets my heart pumping a little bit," McCulley said.

Pavilion's head coach Ben Schwenebraten would like to have notched the win, of course, but it was an exciting game.

"We knew it would be tough playing against Notre Dame," he said. "Notre Dame is in our class this year, and they're really tough, so it's a good game. It came right down the end, and we had a chance it just didn't go our way a couple of shots. We missed a couple of shots, missed a couple of box outs, and they finished, so it was a good game."

Schwenebraten said he was proud of how his team overcame a 10-point half-time deficit.

"It's all you hoped for in a game, that you have a chance at the end," Schwenebraten said. "We wanted to battle back and be in the game, and the girls did go right back out in the third quarter and played hard and then we had a chance at the end."

A big reason Pavilion had that chance was the play of Karlee Zinkievich in the second half, who played fearless basketball.

"She's a workhorse," Schwenebraten said. "She drives the bus for us. Once she gets going it helps everybody else out and she really did in the second half. She played great. She was attacking on offense, driving to the basket, taking jump shots, and she made that shot at the end of the game."

The difference maker for Notre Dame on Thursday was Emma Sisson, who was named the tournament MVP.  

"We needed her," Tom McCulley said. "Amelia had a big night the other night, but she's been sick, and it really hit her today. Emma had the opportunities, and she took full advantage of them. I mean, she made big shots, and she drove to the basket, so we started to adjust the game plan a little bit because we couldn't run everything that we needed to run because another one of our starters was out sick. We kind of had to go a little bit vanilla tonight and just run some basic stuff. Emma did a really good job of freelancing and getting to the basket and getting us some big layups at some big times."

Notre Dame is now 7-1 and Pavilion is 6-2.

Notre Dame scoring: 

• Emma Sisson, 23 point
• Amelia McCulley, 10 points and four rebounds and four steals
• Avelin Tomidy, eight points, nine rebounds and nine steals

Pavilion scoring:

• Lauren Kingsley, 16 points
• Karlee Zinkievich, 15 points
• Kylie Conway, eight points

In the consolation game earlier in the evening, Pembroke beat Batavia 45-41.  

Pembroke scoring:

• Karli Houseknecht: 13 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
• Elle Peterson: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals
• Olivia Breeden: 8 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Photos by Howard Owens.  For more, or to purchase prints, click here.

Emma Sisson was named tournament MVP. The all-tournment team was Anna Varland, Batavia, Karli Houseknecht, Pembroke, Amelia McCulley, Notre Dame, Lauren Kingslee, Pavilion, and Karlee Zinkievich, Pavilion. Avelin Tomidy received the Ray Shirtz Service Above Self Award.

The Batavia Rotary Club hosts its 33rd Girls Basketball tournament at GCC starting tonight with games between Notre Dame and Pembroke and Batavia and Pavilion, with the championship game scheduled for Thursday.

The club held its tipoff luncheon today, introducing the teams at the Arc GLOW facility on Woodrow Road in Batavia.

Notre Dame is aiming to repeat its championship of a year ago, and Head Coach Tom McCulley complimented the Rotary Club on the quality of its tournament.

"This is a great, a great thing you guys put together," McCulley said. "I mean, I know a lot of teams really wanted to get in this tournament, and it's because of this environment and what you guys do, not just the one night or two days at the college, but you're out here for sports. It's a well-run tournament. From the concessions to the award ceremonies to the games to the timing, everything is top notch."

Game one tonight is Notre Dame vs. Pembroke at 6 p.m. Batavia faces Pavilion at 7:45 p.m.  The championship is at 7:45 p.m. Thursday.

Top photo: Karlee Zinkievich, Pavilion, Karli Houseknecht, Pavilion, and Amelia McCulley, Notre Dame (Batavia's team was unable to attend the luncheon).

Photos by Howard Owens.

Note Dame: Tom McCulley, Avelin Tomidy, Maggie Monachino, Maylee Green, Emma Sisson, and Amelia McCulley.

Pembroke: (from right) Head Coach Jamie Johnson, Karli Houseknecht, Isabel Breeden, Elle Peterson, and Assistant Coach Aralyse Johnson

Pavilion: Head Coach Ben Schwenebraten, Lauren Kingsley, and Karlee Zinkievich.

Press Release:

The major fundraiser for the Batavia Rotary Club is underway, and once again a Corvette or $50,000 is the prize. 

"This is the major fundraiser that allows our club to make so many contributions to the community, such as $18,000 in college scholarships to area students each year," said President John McGowan.

Rotary is also contributing $250,000 toward the Healthy Living Campus under construction on Main Street, a joint project for the YMCA and United Memorial Medical Center.

Most recently, Rotary has offered a $150,000 matching pledge for the renovation of the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit, McGowan said.

Rotary's motto is Service Above Self, he explained.  Rotarians actively engage in projects to improve the local community. 

"Fundraisers like this Corvette event are critical for helping us help others," said Lisa Ormsbee, who co-chairs the event with Laurie Mastin. 

In addition to the grand prize, there are 10 additional prizes of $500 each, Mastin explained.

Only 4,500 tickets are sold.  The drawing will be Jan. 21, 2023, at 7:30 pm live on Facebook.

Persons interested in purchasing tickets may go to www.bataviarotaryraffle.com or contact any Rotarian. 

Photo: Lisa Ormsbee and John McGowan. Photo by Howard Owens.

Hockey players in Batavia have a new learning tool, one that Marc Staley, head coach of Batavia United, said will help younger players improve their technique and help the high school team get more proficient in its play.

Batavia Rotary Club gave a gift of a computer and large-screen monitor for players and coaches to review practices and games at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena.

"It's an amazing gift by Rotary," Staley said. "It's obviously a pretty expensive piece of equipment, but it puts our local organization and certainly our high school program on par with anyone now in terms of having technology and ability to help these kids develop."

Staley said he's hoping youth coaches will use it to help members of their squads improve how they skate as hockey players.

"It's more technical -- how does your stride look? How's your head position, your knee, bend of your stick?" Staley said. "I mean, all those things when they can see themselves, it's a really impactful teaching tool than just telling a kid, you got to bend your knees, they don't get it, right? So this is something that right after practice, coaches can come off the ice and say, This is what I was talking about. So that's awesome."

For the high school team, which is used to reviewing a lot of film anyway, they now have a location right at their practice site to do it so the review is better synchronized with the practice.

"In particular, where we might run the power play for a couple of minutes then bring them right off, let them watch immediately what they did," Staley said. "Here's where you could have more poise. Here's the back door that's open. Here's where we need more movement. And then they get back on the ice and it can happen in some training. It just speeds up that learning curve for kids instead of waiting two days later when we can get the guy to the high school and they go, 'oh yeah, I remember that.'"

Photo: Marc Staley, head coach of Batavia United, Marlin Salmon, Batavia Rotary Club president, and John Kirkwood, assistant coach. Photo by Howard Owens.

With a course that encompassed the lake at DeWitt Recreation Area and took runners through two fall-colored cemeteries, the Batavia Rotary Club hosted its second Trick or Trot 5K on Saturday evening.

There were 61 runners in this year's contest, and Zak Jantzi (top photo in white shirt) won with a time of 18:05.

The top woman runner was Joanne Kachelmeyer (second photo) with a time of 21:31.

Photos by Howard Owens.