Welcome

Do you remember this quote from Fred Rogers?
 
 
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
 
 
   I’ve been involved in Rotary for over 20 years and at last realize what motivates us: We are helpers. The Rotary Club is an international service organization celebrating over 100 years of service. Our service is based on the premise of developing friendship among the community’s business and professional leaders. We carry out projects that improve our community. And we advance international understanding, goodwill, and peace.
 
- Dr. Rick Liftig, West Hartford Rotary
  WE CONNECT PEOPLE
➤ 1.4 million members worldwide
   WE TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES
➤Approximately 47 million volunteer hours each year
   WE FUND SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS
➤ $333 million awarded for global service initiatives in 2020-21
 
 
 
 
Each club has its own flavor:
 
Our West Hartford Club meets on most Mondays at 12:15 PM at The Pond House Café. Since this is not the perfect time for everyone to participate, we are going to be working hard to expand our meetings and include service projects and social events at varying times of the day and week. The Rotary Clubs of today are adapting. The desire to be of service to others is not going away. Our West Hartford Club works locally and internationally.
 
Locally, we support many causes including:
 
  • The West Hartford Police Department
  • Scholarships for the West Hartford Schools
  • The Noah Webster House
  • The Town Food Pantry (Town that Cares)
  • Gifts of Music
  • Johnny’s Jog
  • and so much more.
We have sponsored international projects:
   
  • A water project in the Philippines to supply clean water to a village
  • Dialysis machines in The Philippines
  • Soon, a dental clinic in Nkozi, Uganda, that will serve an area of 100,000 residents.
 
Let me share a few more stories:
 
  • One of the things that excited me when I first joined was how we helped villages in Nicaragua. There had been landslides throughout one area and our club sent money directly to the local Rotary Club in that town to help people rebuild. No government was involved.
  • Because of Rotary’s efforts, Polio has almost been eradicated from the Earth. In 2023, polio is endemic in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
  • Locally – My dental office had a flooded basement in 2019. All of the West Hartford Special Olympics Gear which was stored there was ruined. Later that day, when I related the story to our Rotary Club, the club immediately decided to write a check to West Hartford Special Olympics to replace all of that gear. The upcoming Fall season for WH Special Olympics was saved.
  • For the last three years, we have held a 'food caravan' to supply the food pantry in West Hartford. This year (2023) we purchased $13,000 worth of food from COSTCO and brought that over to Town Hall en masse.
 
We do make a difference - locally and internationally!
 
  • Rotarians are generally leaders in their field and they know how to get things done.
  • Rotary offers tremendous networking opportunities: locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
  • We’re a group of people who believe in high moral and ethical standards. 
  • We are a positive group of people who want to do good in the community and the world.
  • We try to be nimble and adapt the club to the needs of the members and the community. Everyone is on the committee.
  • And maybe most importantly, we try to have fun and build good friendships along the way!
 
 
As a first step to joining the Club, we would love to have you attend one of our meetings! Let's get to know each other first, and then, we can discuss the commitments involved when you join a Rotary Club: both in financial support and time involved. Together, many hands make light work. 
 
Please let us know a little bit about yourself by clicking this link: https://westhartfordrotary.org/form/membership-inquiry/
 
e-mail me (Dr. Rick Liftig):
 
 
Thank you again for checking this page out.