Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 80 for certificate studies at one of our peace centers.
Fellows earn either a master’s degree or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies at one of the Rotary Peace Centers, located within seven leading universities around the world.
The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. Our fellows are committed to community and international service and the pursuit of peace.
Through academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities, the Rotary Peace Centers program develops the capacity of peace and development professionals or practitioners to become experienced and effective catalysts for peace. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,800 fellows who now work in more than 115 countries.
Many serve as leaders in governments, NGOs, the military, education, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.
For more information, and to apply by May 15, go HERE.
On April 10, 2025, the spirit of inspiration, resilience, and ambition was alive and thriving at McMaster Innovation Park during Junior Achievement’s World of Choices Career Exploration Day. Hosted in partnership with Junior Achievement and proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Hamilton, this transformative event brought together students, industry leaders, and community champions for a day focused on shaping the future of the next generation.
As part of the event, over 240 students from St Ann’s Elementary and Cathy Wever Elementary Schools attended the Rotary @ Noon Meeting for lunch and networking. This makes it the largest Rotary Meeting this year with members and over 240 guests!
The World of Choices Career Exploration Day event created a space where students could explore a wide variety of career paths, ask meaningful questions, and hear firsthand what it takes to turn dreams into reality. For many, the highlight of the day came through the voices of two dynamic keynote speakers who exemplify success, community engagement, and the power of believing in oneself.
The Rotary Club of Hamilton is proud to play a role in supporting Junior Achievement’s World of Choices Career Day. As part of our continued commitment to youth leadership, education, and community development, this event perfectly reflects our mission: Service Above Self. Creating meaningful connections between today’s leaders and tomorrow’s changemakers is not just a goal—it is our responsibility.
PHOTO: Students networking with Rotarians and 18 Career Mentors as part of the World of Choices Career Exploration
For more information about how the Rotary Club of Hamilton supports youth-focused initiatives in our community, visit rotaryclubhamilton.ca.
On April 2, 2025, Hamilton AM Rotary members were treated to a presentation by a Hamilton legend, Mark McNeil!
Mark gave a very entertaining talk supplemented by a PowerPoint trip down memory lane and with some excellent self-composed, humorous songs with ukulele accompaniment!
Mark is a retired, award-winning Hamilton Spectator journalist, author, playwright, singer-songwriter, speaker, and former Cable 14 television host.
He has a keen interest in Hamilton-area history and was recently honoured with a King Charles III Coronation Medal for his many ventures in telling stories about it.
Mark is especially known for his popular weekly freelance history column, Flashbacks, which appears Tuesdays in The Spectator.
Rotary Club of Buffalo members were happy to lend a hand this month with sorting clothes, clearing shelves, stocking food and other tasks at the Hearts for the Homeless facilityin Buffalo's Riverside section.
Thank you, Stacy, from Hearts for the Homeless for showing us the ropes.
We are amazed at all the work you do with the food kitchen, clothing store and food store at this one location.
If you have not yet purchased a $20 USD raffle ticket to support the good work of our club in such efforts as:
Combatting human trafficking in the Western New York area and neighboring Ontario
Supporting the unique and highly successful Youth Exchange Program
Partnering with area Rotary clubs along the Niagara River in the upcoming Erie Canal Historic Site Rejuvenation
Enhancing our BSR Adopt-A-Trail section and perennial pollinator garden at Towpath Park, Buffalo with a Peace Pole and Little Library.
Please help our club to be able to make a positive contribution to the citizens of WNY and beyond! Cash or checks are accepted. and you don’t have to be local to win or participate. Contact us to be a part of making a positive difference! Timothy Priano: timothy@abtp.com or Barbara Ochterski: barbarao2@aol.com
The Rotary Club of Fonthill is once again ready to celebrate the humanitarian contributions of the Pelham community through the Paul Harris Fellowship, one of the highest honours Rotary can bestow upon a person.
Recipients are community professionals and volunteers, in recognition of their outstanding contributions exemplifying the highest ideal in Rotary: “Service above Self.”
This honour accompanies a donation of $1,000 or more, in the recipient’s name, to Rotary International’s “Annual Fund SHARE program,” which supports Rotary’s world-wide programs centered on saving and enhancing lives by providing educational programs, food, potable water, health care, immunizations, shelters for millions of people, good environmental practices, and peace centers. The activities are funded, implemented, and managed by Rotarians and Rotary clubs around the globe, including our own Rotary Club of Fonthill.
Past recipients who have earned this honour include: teachers who have run after-school programs; volunteers from Pelham Cares; neighborhood builders such as the principals behind the myPelham online community; business owners who give of their time and financial resources to make life better for those in need; and many others whose passion is to serve the community.
The club is currently seeking nominations from the wider Pelham/Niagara community, as well as from our fellow service clubs and from within our own Rotary membership.
Our Paul Harris Award evening will be on Wednesday, June 4th, 2025.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg will be holding our annual Shredding Event on May 17.
Join us at our annual Shredding Event on May 17th from 9am - noon.
We will once again be located at the Northwest Bank parking lot at 5751 Southpark Avenue, Hamburg.
This event is perfect for small business owners and families but open to all. Lincoln Archives assure all documents will be securely shredded.
Those who want to watch their records be shredded are welcome to do so. You do not need to unload your boxes, just pull up and someone will unload them for you!
At the regular club meeting on January 15, 2025, Hamilton AM Club members welcomed Shannon Kyles who gave an excellent presentation on some of Hamilton's wonderful examples of outstanding Ontario architecture. Shannon has chronicled hundreds of prime examples of historic Ontario architecture on her website http://ontarioarchitecture.com/
A key reason for the presentation was to interest club members in the upcoming event, Open Doors, which will take place May 3 and 4 at as many as 50 historic buildings in Hamilton.
As well as being able to see the inside of these interesting structures, she is also looking for those interested in volunteering at a particular location - essentially recording the number of visitors.
Those who have done this in the past have found it quite an enjoyable experience.
Hamilton, Ontario has many historic buildings to explore, and Shannon is hoping her passion for the subject will encourage Hamilton AM members to enjoy "Open Doors Hamilton" in some capacity.
Mike may be best known in Western New York for his connection to the sport of baseball. In 1983, he began a 13-year career with the Buffalo Bisons, working with the Rich family in developing and constructing a downtown ballpark and helping promote the team to the elevated status of the only franchise in minor league baseball history to sell more than one million tickets in six straight seasons. Upon retirement from the Bisons in 1996, Mike was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Cardinal O’Hara High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. In the mid-90s, Mike also helped in the effort to relocate the Single A Niagara Falls professional baseball team to Jamestown after it was announced that the Jamestown Expos were leaving for Vermont. That effort resulted in a new professional team, the Jamestown Jammers, playing in the city for the next two decades. The effort also led to Mike meeting and developing lasting friendships with many local individuals, including Russ Diethrick. Mike came to Jamestown last fall to celebrate Russ's 90th birthday but was unable to present him with a gift due to a production delay. However, during a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, NY, Mike was finally able to present the belated birthday gift - a customized baseball bat with Russ's name inscribed on it. As part of presenting the gift, he thanked Russ for his years of community service and dedication to keeping baseball in Jamestown, including making it a regular location for the annual Babe Ruth World Series tournament.
The Olean Rotary Club presented its seventh-annual "Service Above Self" Award to the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany at the Woodside Tavern on the Range. This is a congregation of Catholic women religious and their Associates, serving the poor and marginalized of Bolivia, Brazil, Jamaica, Mozambique, and the United States for over 160 years.
The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany will jointly become the seventh recipient of our annual Rotary award. Previous winners include Meme Yanetsko; Olean Area Service Club with the Exchange Club, Lions Club, and Zonta; Allegany American Legion Ritual team; Crandall's family Curt, Cathy, and Cory, Dan Evans, Linda O’Brien and Dan Spring; and last year's winners, Enchanted Mountain Garden Club of Allegany and Olean Gardens and Beautification Committee.
Our club meets most Tuesdays at 12:10 PM at the Bartlett Country Club. New members are always welcome. Our members have been a part of the fabric of the Olean area community since 1928. Rotary’s current members patronize virtually all Olean-area businesses and have donated literally hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to many Olean-area causes and organizations. For example, Olean Rotary has given mini-grants to many area teachers, provided thousands of dictionaries to third graders, helped construct a high tunnel garden at the Olean Food Pantry through a Rotary grant, funded supplies to the Olean Food Pantry and Operation Warms Hearts, and many other worthy endeavors.
The Olean Rotary Club Community Improvement Fund includes the Dictionary Fund, and this fund also supports the Lincoln Park gazebo repairs and renovations and other community projects. For more information or to make a donation to the fund click HERE.
PHOTO (L to R): Sr Judith Terrameo; Sr Melissa Scholl; Sr Mary Lou Lafferty; Sr Margaret Magee; Area Governor and Olean Club President, Paula Bernstein; Immediate Past District Governor, Scott Marcin
With about 100 people in attendance, the Rotary Club of Simcoe celebrated 100 years of Service Above Self. Rotarian and Sergeant-at-Arms John Vallee did a masterful job as Master of Ceremonies. The dinner was held at the Simcoe Legion where Bobbie Ann Brady, MPP, Haldimand Norfolk presented a certificate and addressed the primarily Rotarian crowd. Mayor Amy Martin, County of Norfolk was unable to attend but a "testimonial" was received and read to the audience. Dave Alexander, Rotary District 7090 Governor outlined the accomplishments of the Club and its rich history of service. Thanks to @kingsflowersimcoe for the beautiful flower arrangements.
Join us at @lynnwoodarts Lynnwood Arts Centre from June 5 to August 30 for the Dr Gordon C Watts Memorial Fine Arts Exhibition.
Ronald McDonald House Charities® South Central Ontariois honoured to be celebrating the impact of Niagara's Ronald McDonald Family Room located in Marotta Family Hospital. Since opening its doors in September 2024, the Family Room has become a vital resource for families in the Niagara region. Each month, the Family Room hosts about 3,000 visits and has provided more than 18,000 meals and snacks to caregivers and families with children in hospital - not to mention the countless loads of laundry, hours of support and much-needed respite during challenging days and nights.
Niagara's Ronald McDonald Family Room was made possible by an incredible partnership with Niagara Health, Mountainview Building Group, Silvergate Homes, and ongoing fundraising efforts through the Because We Carecampaign led by The Rotary Club of St. Catharines South and The May Court Club of St. Catharines. Their combined contributions have been pivotal in bringing this much needed space to life.
As the Niagara Family Room enters its seventh month, its impact continues to grow. Ronald McDonald Family Rooms like the one in St. Catharines are an extension of RMHC's mission to care for families with sick children, bringing our services directly into the communities we already serve.
Check-out the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South and The May Court Club St. Catharines' FUNDRAISER on June 14th!
The Rotary Club of Welland welcomed our newest Member, Julia Matthews.
A former member of the Rotary Club of Waterloo, Julia recently moved to Welland.
She became a member on February 17, 2025, but was officially inducted by our own District Governor David Alexander, assisted by President Paul Leon.
Julia is the founder and CEO of Not Your Child Corp., a nonprofit organization on a mission to reduce alcohol-related harm by normalizing the use of breathalyzer in society.
PHOTO (L to R): District Governor David Alexander, Julia Matthews, President Paul Leon
We are excited to invite potential members to our upcoming Membership Enrollment Drive happening on May 7 at the Eagle House Restaurant, 5578 Main St, Williamsville, NY 14221.
This is a wonderful opportunity to join our community and contribute to our cause of growing local economies, supporting education, improve lives and to create a better world to support our peace efforts.
We will have delicious bites to enjoy throughout the night and refreshing drinks to toast to friendship. It's all about inspiring fellowship among remarkable individuals who share a commitment to service.
We warmly invite you to bring friends, family, and anyone eager to experience the camaraderie and warmth that Rotary offers.
Don't miss out on this incredible night of fun, food and fellowship.
Honolulu, Hawaii, no longer host city for 2027 Rotary International ConventionRegrettably, the 2027 Rotary International Convention will no longer be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, as planned. This is due to a recent decision by the Hawaii
Amplifying impactRotary and our sister magazines are a key player in rallying Rotary clubs globally, helping raise awareness and funds to support our causes.Mykola
Thousands set to gather in Calgary for Rotary’s international convention, one of the ‘Blue Sky City’s’ most multicultural events to dateRotary members from 120 countries
Each year, 
On April 10, 2025, the spirit of inspiration, resilience, and ambition was alive and thriving at McMaster Innovation Park during Junior Achievement’s World of Choices Career Exploration Day. Hosted in partnership with Junior Achievement and proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Hamilton, this transformative event brought together students, industry leaders, and community champions for a day focused on shaping the future of the next generation.
On April 2, 2025, Hamilton AM Rotary members were treated to a presentation by a Hamilton legend, Mark McNeil! 
Hearts for the Homeless
If you have not yet purchased a $20 USD raffle ticket to support the good work of our club in such efforts as:
The Rotary Club of Fonthill is once again ready to celebrate the humanitarian contributions of the Pelham community through the Paul Harris Fellowship, one of the highest honours Rotary can bestow upon a person.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg will be holding our annual Shredding Event on May 17.
Open Doors Hamilton is Coming, May 3, 4, 2025
Mike may be best known in Western New York for his connection to the sport of baseball. In 1983, he began a 13-year career with the Buffalo Bisons, working with the Rich family in developing and constructing a downtown ballpark and helping promote the team to the elevated status of the only franchise in minor league baseball history to sell more than one million tickets in six straight seasons. Upon retirement from the Bisons in 1996, Mike was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Cardinal O’Hara High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. In the mid-90s, Mike also helped in the effort to relocate the Single A Niagara Falls professional baseball team to Jamestown after it was announced that the Jamestown Expos were leaving for Vermont. That effort resulted in a new professional team, the Jamestown Jammers, playing in the city for the next two decades.
The Lancaster-Depew Rotary Club reflects on 2024 as we plan for 2025. 
The Olean Rotary Club presented its seventh-annual "Service Above Self" Award to the 
With about 100 people in attendance, the Rotary Club of Simcoe celebrated 100 years of Service Above Self. Rotarian and Sergeant-at-Arms John Vallee did a masterful job as Master of Ceremonies. The dinner was held at the Simcoe Legion where Bobbie Ann Brady, MPP, Haldimand Norfolk presented a certificate and addressed the primarily Rotarian crowd. Mayor Amy Martin, County of Norfolk was unable to attend but a "testimonial" was received and read to the audience. Dave Alexander, Rotary District 7090 Governor outlined the accomplishments of the Club and its rich history of service. Thanks to @kingsflowersimcoe for the beautiful flower arrangements.
“Because We Care” presents "Ain’t Misbehavin’", a Big Band Evening Spent Under the Stars
Ron
ald McDonald House Charities® South Central Ontario
The Rotary Club of Welland welcomed our newest Member, Julia Matthews.
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