Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives through its Focus Areas
This month Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives by helping to improve the lives of mothers and their children. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.
This week’s program promises to be an interesting one with the Environmental Committee presenting, as well as a Year in Review from President Gerri.
We have additional avenues for service in the upcoming weeks and encourage all Rotarians to step up to the challenges. Ignite the Night needs volunteers to work a 2hr shift between 4:30pm and 10:30pm on July 5th, please reach out to Ellie directly via email with your availability (eplatt79@gmail.com).
Warren Rotary Club also requires SIX volunteers to help support this baseball event at 6pm on July 4th for the Scrappers at 7/17 Credit Union Field, Eastwood. Please contact President Gerri ASAP if you can volunteer.
Our Little Free Libraries program needs support! Volunteers who are able to help install a few Little Libraries or act as Stewards and help support existing Libraries. Please reach out to Sharon Stringer if you’re interested in getting involved.
Youngstown Rotarians will be visiting Botswana next month to the Rose Charity Orphanage. They will be delivering supplies in person and we can purchase items via the Amazon Wish List before July 20.
Last week Youngstown Rotary facilitated a club health check. The meeting included roundtable discussions with past presidents and prospective members to gather feedback on opportunities for demonstrating Rotary commitment, meeting new people, feeling welcome in activities, and recruiting new members. Groups discussed various club events like Pollinator Palooza, Beerfest, and environmental initiatives as ways to get involved, emphasized the importance of introducing themselves to new members, and noted the club's diverse membership composition with many nonprofit representatives. The discussions also touched on potential strategies to increase business community involvement and reconsider membership classifications.
Thank you for all those who attended and participated in the program!
SAVE THE DATE
President Party for Gerri 6:00pm, June 24th, The Youngstown Country Club, 1402 Country Club Drive, Youngstown, OH 44505
Ignite the Night, 5pm, July 5th, The Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater, 201 S Phelps St, Youngstown, OH 44503
SPOTLIGHT ON BIKE BELMONT
The 4th Annual Bike Belmont is set to roll through Youngstown on Sunday, May 17, 2026, bringing energy, activity, and community pride to the Belmont Avenue corridor. Hosted by the Building a Better Belmont, the event continues to grow as a signature celebration of neighborhood connection and healthy living.
According to the event chair Jack Kravitz, the idea for Bike Belmont began as a simple but powerful exercise. Members of the organization wanted to better understand Belmont Avenue, not just as a roadway but as a place to live, shop, dine, and enjoy. “Many of us had never really taken the time to experience it fully,” Kravitz explained. The solution; a bike ride through the corridor, combining exploration with the group’s shared enthusiasm for cycling.
This year’s event introduces several exciting additions, including a new 5-mile family-friendly ride, a vendor fair, food trucks, and a post-ride “Jazz in the Park” celebration at Wick Park. Cyclists can still choose from the popular 12-mile community ride or the 32-mile airport route, which offers the unique experience of riding on the runway at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
E-bikes are also expanding access to the event. Kravitz notes their growing popularity, emphasizing that they still require pedaling while helping riders go farther and tackle hills more comfortably. E-bikes will be available for the 5- and 12-mile routes.
With a goal of 500 riders this year, Bike Belmont continues to showcase the Belmont corridor as a vibrant destination- one ride at a time. This is a wonderful opportunity for our Youngstown Rotarians to continue supporting this event by signing up to volunteer and join in the ride. For more information check out the Registration Link at Build a Better Belmont.
Pollinator Month
June is Pollinator month and is a time to celebrate the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystems and the agricultural system.
This is a vital opportunity to raise awareness about the essential role pollinators play in our ecosystems and food systems. In a country where chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides are used daily, it’s more important than ever to cultivate conscious growers and informed consumers who can help protect these small but mighty creatures that make a big difference in the world.
Somewhere between 75% and 95% of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination – they need pollinators. Pollinators provide pollination services to over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1200 crops. That means that one out of every three bites of food you eat is there because of pollinators.
April 29, 1946: Rotary Club of Youngstown Past President Atty. Robert A. Manchester was installed as the first Governor of the newly-designated Rotary District 158.
