Newark Rotary Club Spreads Holiday Cheer

The Rotary Club of Newark spread some holiday cheer to about a dozen city kids earlier last week when they held their annual holiday luncheon, part of their outreach efforts to educators and local schools.

With a medley of holiday songs and music, about 30 members of the club regaled the pre-school age children from the non-profit Newark group, Women in Support of the Million Man March, Inc or (WISOMMM). The Tuesday luncheon on Dec. 20 was held at the Rio Rodizio Restaurant along Route 21.

Besides the musical entertainment, rotarians also invited Santa to give out presents to the children, who were called each by their names for their gifts and to have their pictures taken.

"I always think it’s great when different sectors of the community come together, especially for the children," said Fredrica Bey, executive director of WISOMMM, who was there along with about five staff members. "It's a wonderful thing."

The event typified the mission of the Rotary Club, whose motto is "Service Above Self," said Irene Daniels, past rotary president and current executive director of the Newark Literacy Campaign, based out of the Newark Public Library.

"Everybody gives of themselves," said Daniels.

The Rotary Club of Newark was founded in 1910 and is charged with the mission to improve literacy in Newark, said Sophia Smith, current president of the club. Smith's membership is sponsored by her employer, Berkeley College.

The group’s big project is their yearly push to give dictionaries to every third grader in Newark from public, charter, to parochial, said Smith. Approximately 4,000 dictionaries are handed out.

The club’s annual NFL Super Bowl Raffle funds the dictionary project, Smith said. In most years, 3,000 of the $5 tickets are sold to raise about $8,000 for the dictionaries.

The big prize is an all expense-paid trip for two to the Super Bowl along with hotel lodging, Smith said. Other prizes include a new iPad, artwork, hockey tickets to see the Devils, and tickets from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, according to the club's website.

Deadline to buy tickets for the prizes and to support the dictionary project is Jan. 17, Smith said.

The children at the luncheon would eventually receive the dictionaries when they hit the third grade, Smith pointed out.

"It's important. It's truly about giving back to community," Smith said. "It's (Rotary Club) one of the few organizations that gives almost 100 percent of its efforts back to the community," she said referring to the volunteer members and the low overhead of the club.

For more information on the NFL Super Bowl Raffle and the Rotary Club of Newark, go to their website.

To buy raffle tickets, contact Sophia Smith at chi@berkeleycollege.edu or call 201-993-4565.

To join the club, annual dues are $190 and weekly meetings are held every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. at the Rio Rodizio Restaurant, 1034 McCarter Highway in Newark.