Rotary Club of Vineland Newsletter March 16th, 2026 (Mar. 10, 2026)

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Highlights from our March 10th meeting:

Josie Spinelli, Club President, welcomed everyone and conducted the meeting.

Notes Taken By: Alicia Fichera

Pledge: Sherri Prescott

4-Way Test: Nick Surace

Prayer: Pastor Heather Sugden

Guests:

Preston Foster's guest, Christina Pike

Together, Rotarians and students sang "God Bless America".

Rotarians sang "Happy Birthday" to President Josie Spinelli who will celebrate her birthday on March 15th!

Announcements:

Josie thanked everyone who volunteered in any way for all of their hard work at the Spaghetti Dinner. It was a huge success. Great job to Sherri Prescott for a wonderful event.

Josie reminded everyone to pay your quarterly bills! See Bonnie for payments. Thank you, Bonnie for all you do!

Josie reminded everyone about the Membership Meeting this Thursday, 7:30AM at the Black Olive.

Sherri Prescott let everyone know to save the date for June 11th. We will have a fellowship at Terra Nonno winery in Rosenhayn from 5:30pm-8:30pm. George Perez will be performing. There will be several celebrity guest appearances, autographed items auctioned off and more. (see flyer below under save the date)

Sherri Prescott shared her heartfelt appreciation to everyone who volunteered and supported this year’s Spaghetti Dinner. With the help of many dedicated hands, we served an impressive 486 meals in just four hours. It was truly a great day for Rotary and our community!

Josie shared some fun facts about Italy:

- Pizza originated in Naples in the 1800's.

- Espresso was invented in Italy.

- The average Italian person eats around 50 pounds of pasta a year.

- There is a town in Italy where it is illegal to die. Reason: the cemetery is full.

- The #17 is very unlucky there. Most apartment buildings and hotels do not have a 17th floor.

- The oldest olive tree is 1700 years old.

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Program:

Our luncheon meeting had a delightful Italian flair thanks to the thoughtful touches of President Josie Spinelli, who beautifully decorated the room with an Italian theme. The festive setting created the perfect backdrop for a special program by Rob Buono, who demonstrated how to make homemade gnocchi.

Members enjoyed learning about the traditional process while sharing in great fellowship over lunch. From the charming décor to the delicious culinary demonstration, it was a wonderful midday escape to Italy right at our Rotary meeting. Grazie to Josie for setting the scene and to Rob for sharing his talent with us!

(Photos below capture the beautiful Italian-inspired setup and highlights from the gnocchi demonstration.)

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Please see Linda Foster with donations!

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USE YOUR CAMERAS!

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Sending Sunshine, Love and Support:

Please keep Carol Musso in your thoughts and prayers.
Carol was recently diagnosed with cancer and while the journey hasn't been easy,

she remains in good spirits.

If you would like to send a card or a note of encouragement, they may be mailed to:

Carol Musso 721 Morton Avenue, Bridgeton, NJ 08302.

Your prayers, kindness and support are deeply appreciated and mean more than

words can express to Carol and her loved ones.

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Please keep Caitlin Terri’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
Her brother-in-law (Peter) is recovering from a serious injury and recent surgery.

Cards and notes of encouragement may be sent to:

Peter Pelosi 5114 Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360.

Your kindness and support mean so much during this difficult time.

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Please keep Andy Browne's mother in your thoughts and prayers.
Wishing Andy's mom healing and strength as she recovers in rehab.

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Recent Events:

Pasta-tively amazing day serving up spaghetti, friendship, and a whole lot of Rotary spirit 3/8/2026

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Peanut Butter & Jelly 3/6/2026

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Save The Date:

Our next PB&J: 4/3/2026

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Challenger League Registration and information: CLICK HERE

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Let's Wine & Dine!

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Flags. Flowers. Freedom.

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Reminder: the Hydromissions Store is open! 🎉

Now you can show your support for water projects with every shirt, hoodie, or mug you buy. All items are printed on demand, so there’s no inventory, no waste — just impact.

Your purchase helps Hydromissions provide water wells, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education to communities in need across the globe. 🌍💙

Shop the store here 👉 Hydromissions | Official Merchandise | Bonfire

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Membership Announcements

Get to know our Newest Members:

~ Welcome Erik Young!

Erik Young and Mari Collazo from Bay Atlantic Federal Credit Union are sponsored for Business Membership by Rotarian Gail Marino. Erik will be the Rotarian and Mari will be the Business Alternate. Erik was inducted on 3/10/26 by Ed Morvay.

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~ Welcome Michael DiSalvo!

Michael DiSalvo was sponsored by Rotarian Joe O'Rourke. Mike is a retired UPS driver and was inducted on 3/10/26 by Ed Morvay.

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~ Welcome Donata Dalesandro!

Donata is a Representative of VDID/Main Street Organization. She was inducted on 2/3/26 by Ed Morvay. Sponsor- Dawn Hunter.

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Proposed New Members:

Dr. Dana Palma is proposed by Rotarian Jim Siwek. Dana is a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones.

Additional Notes:

Any concerns or objections to new memberships should be directed to President Josie Spinelli, josiecatlover@verizon.net

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Rotary Board 2025-2026

(14 Member Board)

Jay Einstein, Immediate Past President

Josephine Orlando Spinelli, President

Joseph O’Rourke, President Elect

Sherri Prescott, Vice President of Fundraising

David Schad, Charities Treasurer

Bonnie Laube, Club Treasurer

Melody Montgomery, Club Secretary

Sherry Soutiere, Community Service Chair

Karen Bauman, Club Administration Chair

Nick Surace, Membership Chair

Dennis Palmer, Foundation Chair

Maria LeBlanc, Youth Services Chair

Susanna Philippousis, International Chair

Preston Centuolo, Community Awareness Chair

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Contact Bonnie at: bll@GreenblattLaube.com or 856-691-0424

The club now accepts Zelle as a form of payment!

Search: bll@GreenblattLaube.com

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1 Log in to your bank's mobile app or online banking: to access Zelle.

2 Navigate to the Zelle section: by looking for options like "Send Money with Zelle" or "Pay & Transfer".

3 Select a recipient: from your contacts or by entering the recipient's email address.

4 Enter the amount: you wish to send and add an optional note if desired.

5 Review: the transaction details to ensure they are correct.

6 Tap "Send": to complete the payment.

If your bank isn't a partner, you can still use Zelle by downloading the standalone Zelle app, but you'll need a U.S.-based bank account, a U.S. mobile number, an email address, and a valid U.S.-based debit card.

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