Stories

The Rotary Club of Buffalo Sunrise is always looking to collect and repair bikes (bicycles). 

Rotary of Buffalo Sunrise hosted a Paul Harris Fellow Community Service Award reception in Downtown Buffalo We filled the room with many Rotarians to honor these 3 individuals who exemplify Rotary. Congratulations to those were recognized: Robert G. Shibley SUNY Distinguished Professor, Thomas Beauford Jr. President and CEO Buffalo Urban League and Brigid Jaipaul-Valenza Executive Producer WBFO What's Next? Being in their company was special. Rotary established the recognition in 1957 to encourage and show appreciation for substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships. It is the highest honor a Rotary Club can bestow upon a person, and represents extraordinary service to the community, whether locally or globally. Congratulations!

OUR CURRENT PROJECTS

Bicycle recycling: We collect donated and discarded bikes (and occasional tricycles and scooters!), refurbish them, make any needed repairs, and distribute them to local organizations (Journey’s End, the Jericho Road Refugee Center, the St. John Kanty Youth Program) as well as several individuals in need. The hope is to provide transportation for adults, along with helmets and bike locks and bikes for children for their exercise and entertainment – all with the goal of helping to create a healthier, happier community. While most items are “found”, we do need to purchase some parts like inner tubes, bells, helmets, or locks to donate along with the bikes.

 

 

*Beautification Project - Tree-Planting along Grant Street: on Saturday, November 6, 19 of our members showed up at Buffalo State – shovels in hand - to plant 40+ trees along Grant Street. Trees included Eastern Redbud, Lindens, and Oaks. Cost: $1,457

 

 

*Muslim Wellness Center – Jami Masjid, 1955 Genesee Street. We presented a check for $3041 (half from our club, half to be matched by the District) to the new clinic on Genesee Street, for needed medical equipment.

 

 

 

 

*Providence Farm Collective – Empowering Just and Equitable Access to Food and Farmland; A Place to Share Cultural Farming Traditions and the Benefits of Nature Our club raised $1,387, which was matched by the district, enabling PFC to purchase a seed-spreader for their cooperative farm in Orchard Park. https://providencefarmcollective.org/

 

 

* Shoreline Trail – Adopt a Trail segment from Vulcan St. @ Riverside Park to Hertel Ave. @ Tow Path Park (Approximately 1.2 miles). Our club has adopted that portion of the Niagara River–Greenway Trail along the Black Rock Canal. We have purchased benches that were placed along the Trailway ($2000) and we’re now planning clean-up and beautification projects in the spring.

 

 

*Global Scholarship: our Club spearheaded a Global Grant to enable a Western New York woman to study Community Economic Development (a focus of Rotary), at Oxford.

 

 

 

 

 

Let There Be Light (LTBL) – SEE VIDEO AT https://www.lettherebelightinternational.org/safe-births-healthy-homes/journey/

In unelectrified rural Uganda, clinics are only open during daylight hours, and homes are lit with dirty and costly candles or kerosene lamps. In collaboration with the non-profit LTBL (https://www.lettherebelightinternational.org/) we are raising funds to support a grant that will provide solar electrification for a rural clinic in Uganda, and provide every new mother with a solar light. We were at the point of applying for a Global Grant for the project, but the pandemic made communication with our partners in Uganda spotty or impossible. We had to withdraw the application. The cost of a lamp is $10.

 

*Our club’s contributions in these cases, described above, will be matched 1:1 by our Rotary District.

 

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. EIN: 85-3247439
TO DONATE:

https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/4384380

or

Mail a check to:

Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Foundation

620 West Ferry Street

Buffalo, NY  14222

SUGGESTED DONATION LEVELS:

We greatly appreciate your support for our programs, both locally and internationally.

Every dollar donated is 100% tax-deductible, will go to our 501(c)3, and will be used entirely to support our service projects.

___ $25 (could buy a helmet, inner tubes, or a lock for a bike)

___ $50 (could supply solar-powered lamps to 5 homes without electricity in Uganda)

___ $100 (could buy a wheelbarrow to be used by immigrant farmers at the Providence Farm Collective, growing fresh vegetables for their community)

___ $250 (could cover the cost of 7 beautiful trees planted along Grant Street)

___ $1000 for a donation of $1000, you can designate a person of your choice, who demonstrates “Service above Self”, to receive a Paul Harris Fellow award

___ $ other 

In June, Rotary Club of Buffalo Sunrise hosted a clean-up of the Jesse Kregal Pathway alongside Scajaquada Creek. 

Rotary 101:  All you Ever wanted to know about Rotary in 1 hour!

I currently work for a small local construction company in the Buffalo area.  I have been directly involved in many development projects in Uganda and I try and visit there at least once a year for a month or more to oversee the ongoing work.  I enjoy cycling and classic cars, and I spend an inordinate amount of time collecting Canadian coinage.  Rotary has introduced me to like-minded people who strive for social equality and are hands on in their pursuit of making a difference. Cheers 

Melissa is the Director of Marketing, Communications & Business Development for Millington Lockwood, Inc. She also serves as a member of SUNY Buffalo State College's Board of Directors, Chair of the Industry Advisory Board for the Data Science & Analytics Program at the College and is active with St. Luke’s Mission and their companion ministry Build Promise in the City of Buffalo. She resides in Buffalo, N.Y.

Rotarian since 2020, Ben is a consultant helping nonprofit agencies and philanthropists amplify their impact.

Retired private secondary school administrator.Served as principal at Mount Mercy Academy and Head of School at Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart. Upon retirement in 2008, owned and operated  Graves Do Matter,a personal grave care service, until 2018.

I joined Rotary in 2009 because I wanted an opportunity to get involved in both my local community and in projects worldwide!

Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Mourns Three Club Rotarians

Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Club collects, refurbishes, and distributes over 150 bicycles to those who truly could benefit.

Kevin Crosby appeared on Healthy Communities, hosted by our friend and fellow Rotarian, Phil Haberstro for an informative 30 minutes on how Rotary can be part of a healthier community!