Rochester Rotary Club to host Rochester Area Neighborhood House Christmas Party

Club continues to celebrate the holidays with the local community

Media Contact:  Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.651.7536/586.817.8414, barbara@eafocus.com; Sara Przybylski, EAFocus Communications, 248.877.9200, sara@eafocus.com

Rochester, Mich. ---Nov. 18, 2013 – Rochester Rotary, a member club of Rotary International, a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service and encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, will host the fifth annual Rochester Area Neighborhood House Christmas Party on Saturday, Dec. 14.

Each year, the Rochester Area Neighborhood House (RANH) invites 50 children and their parents, ages 10 and under from the families who receive services from the organization, to attend the party. The Rochester Rotary Club then shops for Christmas gifts for the children. The children receive the gifts from Santa at the party on Dec. 14.

In addition to Santa and the distribution of gifts, children enjoy a day of food, games and other holiday festivities including singing and crafts. Rochester Rotarian Christine Hage has helped organize the party for the past five years and notes what the event means for the club and the children.

“As Rotarians, we are always looking at ways of giving back to our local community,” said Hage. “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the joy on the children’s faces when they are handed a gift from Santa and get to spend a day partaking in holiday events most of us take for granted.”   

The Christmas party is one of several holiday events the Rochester Rotary Club participates in annually to help celebrate the holidays and change lives within the local community. Rotarians recently finished their annual poinsettia sale to raise money for local charities; approximately 42 Rotarians will serve as Salvation Army bell ringers during lagniappe on Dec. 2; and Rotarian John Modetz and his wife Mary will serve as Grand Marshals for this year’s Rochester Hometown Christmas Parade on Dec. 8.

About Rochester Rotary

Formed in 1954 and one  of 34,000 member clubs of Rotary International, Rochester Rotary raises and disburses funds for charitable, educational and scientific purposes. Monies are raised through social events and service projects organized by the club, ‘fines’ collected at Rochester Rotary meetings and gifts offered to the club through members and supporters.

The club welcomes new members who live or work in Rochester, Rochester Hills or Oakland Township. For membership information, contact Jeff Whitbey at Jeff@whitbey.net.  Rochester Rotary meets each Tuesday at noon at the River Crest Banquet Hall on Avon Road and Livernois in Rochester Hills.  Learn more at http://www.rochesterrotaryclub.org/.

About Rotary International

Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and around the globe. The 1.2 million Rotarians who hail from Rotary clubs in nearly every country in the world share a dedication to the ideal of Service Above Self. Rotary clubs are open to people of all cultures and ethnicities and are not affiliated with any political or religious organizations. Learn more at http://www.rotary.org/en/Pages/ridefault.aspx.

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