It’s Been a Busy Year for the Rochester Junior Woman’s Club!

The Rochester Junior Woman’s Club has had a busy year! From September to June the club donated almost than $28,000 to charitable organizations, they provided more than 5,000 hands-on volunteer hours to the community and they managed to have a little fun in the process as well!

Their fundraising year started off in early September with the Art and Apples Festival. Club members Carol Anne Ketelsen and Carol Welte chaired the food tent where the club’s signature Apple Blossoms and Fresh Squeezed Lemonade were sold to raise funds for the Paint Creek Center for the Arts.

A few weeks later, the club held their 17th annual Lobster Boil on September 26th, chaired by members Tanya Armitage –Edgeworth and Lee DeMontigny with co-chairs Karen Geibel and Lisa Geiger. More than 1200 lobsters were sold to raise funds for The Friends of the Paint Creek Trail, RARA’s SCAMP program, Rochester Symphony Orchestra and Vista Maria’s Wing Program and Older Persons’ Commission (OPC).

The group was chosen to be one of three charities to partner with Stein Mart’s Preview Charity Shopping Event on Tuesday, November 10th which raised more than $1200 for the club.

The end of the year brought their annual Christmas Auction, chaired by club members, Mary Anderson and Bethany Perry, which raised more than $2500 for Guiding Harbor and Rochester Area Neighborhood House.

The club kicked off spring, when they hosted their annual “Spring Highlights’ Luncheon and Shopping Boutique at the Royal Park Hotel. Chaired by club members Jennifer Hyvari and Kelly Kamman with co-chairs Michelle Boerman and Tiffany Vojnovski., they raised more than $12,000 additional funds for four recipients.

The club hosted The Greater Rochester Area Inter-Service Club Annual Dinner. Over 150 community members, from more than 30 local non-profit and charitable organizations, gathered at the Royal Park Hotel on April 11th. The highlight of the evening featured keynote speaker, Tom Rellinger, Vice President of Rochester College. In addition, they donated 134 pounds of canned food to Gleaners Food Bank from the event.

April was a busy month! The nonprofit club, which counts almost 100 local women as its members, celebrated its 60th anniversary on April 21st at the Rochester Community House. Approximately 100 past and current club members, 20 past presidents and club members attended the event.

In May, the club held “Haute to Trot,” a Kentucky Derby themed event held on May 7nd at Twin Lakes Golf and Swim Club. The evening, chaired by club members Linda Demarco and Bethany Perry with co-chairs Christie Holzer and Lori Wilson, included Kentucky Derby themed food and mint juleps. Additionally, there was a “Win, Place, Show” Derby Race Raffle as well as prizes awarded for the “Best Hat” and “Best Blazer” and raised more than $17,000 for the club’s charitable projects.

Also, in May, the club presented two scholarships, through the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, to awarded Claudia Cornejo from Rochester Adams High School and Claire Sinacori from Stoney Creek High School, each with a $500 scholarship at the annual awards ceremony held April 19, 2016 at Rochester Adams High School Auditorium.

And, in June they finished their club year by participating in the Rochester Relay for Life where they raised funds for the American Cancer Society.

The club also donated more than $4,000 to 13 area charities; Career Dress, Faith Works Michigan, The Power Company Kids Club, New Day Foundation for Families, Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan, Operation Yellow Ribbon, The Rainbow Connection, Meadow Brook Hall, The Ashley McCormick Flu Foundation and Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm. Funds for these grants were raised through Stein Mart Charity Preview event, Carson Community Days Sales, Amazon Smiles and the Kroger Community Rewards Program.

But, that wasn’t all for the members of RJWC! If all of the check writing didn’t keep them busy enough, they also provided countless hands-on hours to other local organizations including: ushering at Avon Players, assisting with Halloween Hoot at Dinosaur Hill, hosting exhibition openings at Paint Creek Center for the Arts, serving meals and assisting with special events at the Older Persons Commission. The members also assisted with the pumpkin carving station at the Stonewall Pumpkin Festival at the Rochester Hills Museum in October, decorated Dinosaur Hill for the holidays, sold Daffodils for Dinosaur Hill in March, worked each of the Carson’s Community Days Charity Sales, attended the 121st GFWC Michigan Convention in Midland in April and GRWC Michigan Legislation Day in Lansing in May. They also sponsored the Community Kitchen at the Rochester Community House in May.

In addition, throughout the year the members donated nonperishable food items to the Neighborhood House Food Pantry and collected Box T ops and Labels for Education for the schools to fund needed extras., participated in outreach programs with the residents at Vista Maria.

And, since RJWC doesn’t believe in “all work and no play” they did a few things just for the fun of it! Beginning in the Fall, they held their annual Dessert 8’s to welcome new members. Before the holidays, they got creative at Painting With a Twist and had an Ornament Exchange, attended Luncheon on the Aisle to benefit Meadow Brook Theatre, hosted a Wine Tasting and Education Night at Fieldstone Winery, held a Progressive Dinner at members’ homes. Throughout the year they hosted a monthly book club, a dining group and the Euro-Trek Exercise Challenge, which logged almost 12,500 miles by the end of the year!

And, at the end of their club year in June, they celebrated with a lovely dinner in the Christopher Wren dining room at Meadow Brook Hall where they installed their new officers, President – Alicia Chenhalls, President Elect/New Members – Carol Anne Ketelsen, Vice President – Tanya Armitage-Edgeworth, Recording Secretary – Donna Affeldt, Corresponding Secretary – Anne Dieters-Williams, Treasurer – Cyndi Toupin and Past President/Parliamentarian – Lisa Belisle. The club also welcomed 9 new members; Tammy Arcori, Kim Arnett, Sharon Heussner, Jaki Holzer, Alison Hynd, Marie Mangas, Julia Webber, Rhonda Williams and Gloria Young. In addition, Leigh Berkhoel, Lillian Roland and Linda Rumshlag were recognized for celebrating their 5-year club anniversary in the club and Karen Chase, Debbie Glennan and Randa Volbrecht were recognized for the high honor of celebrating 25 years in the club. Outstanding members were also recognized for their significant volunteer activities over the past club year; Volunteer of the Year was presented to Jennifer Hyvari as was “Club Woman of the Year” and “Woman of Achievement was given to Deb Mohre.

As you can see, contributing to the growth and vitality of the community is the core of the Rochester Junior Woman’s Club! For more than 60 years they been giving back to the community through volunteer service and donation of funds to local charities and organizations. Over the years, RJWC has donated more than 1 million hours of community service and raised more than $910,000 to support the local community.

Proceeds from the club’s upcoming fundraising events will go to benefit Neighborhood House, Dutton Farm and Paint a Miracle. The club is currently planning their annual Lobster Boil which will be held on September 24th where live New England lobsters are flown in fresh and members of RJWC cook and wrap the lobsters and have them hot and ready as customers pick them up at the OPC drive-thru site. Lobsters can be purchased at www.rjwc.org/shop.

The club is also currently planning their annual “Spring Highlights” Luncheon and Shopping Boutique as well as the “Haute to Trot” Kentucky Derby event. More information can be found at rjwc.org as it becomes available.

The club currently has approximately ninety women who are committed to serving the needs of the community. They meet on the third Thursday of each month, September through May, at the Rochester Community House. And, they welcome new members all year long!

If you are interested in learning more information about the club, please Carol Anne at 248-417-7685 or ketelsen@oakland.edu. You can also visit their website at www.rjwc.org or follow them on Facebook at “Rochester Junior Woman’s Club.