Local projects funded by Forked River Rotary Club

The Rotary Club of Forked River and Lacey Township have partnered several times for to complete community projects in the township.  The Rotary Club contributed $60,000 toward the completion of a new playground area in Gille Park and $6,000 toward a paver walkway to the park pavilion, and $10K along with $5K from Walmart to purchase exercise equipment for all to use.

UPDATE:  April 11, 2024, Forked River Rotary donated $30,000 to Lacey Township to replace this sign.   Do to age and advances in technology, the sign became non-operational.  

Originally, The Rotary Club of Forked River donated a $12,000 sign announcing town events which is located at Haines & Manchester.

The sign is available to display community messages for recreation groups, service organizations, Township sponsored organizations and for churches and schools.

Your donation can make a significant impact on the programs and services we provide. Every little bit helps, and we appreciate your support.

Our Members raise annually approximately fifty to sixty thousand dollars which is used exclusively for charitable purposes in our local community and for international projects.  

Stay up to date on Forked River Rotary's upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. From community cleanups to fundraising galas, there's always something going on.

See firsthand the impact Forked River Rotary has made in the community. From providing food and assistance to those in need to promoting environmental sustainability, we are dedicated to making a difference.

Each year, on a Saturday prior to Thanksgiving,  Rotarians organize this food non-perishable food collection event to help stock the shelves of our Lacey Food Bank.  We want to thank all the generous people who donated food. Pictured are Forked River Rotarians receiving donations of food  in front of Walmart.    Rotarians and Interact students also collect cash from existing shoppers who want to make a donation. 

The Christmas Elf Program is one of our major service projects each year.  The Elf Programs is funded by proceeds from fundraisers, grants, donations from individual Rotarians and from generous citizens and local businesses.

Clothing and gifts are provided to needy children by age group associated with kindergarten through the 8th grade.  Need is determined based on children who qualify for either the free or the subsidized school lunch program.  

Starting in the Fall, Rotarians shop for appropriate gifts.  Distribution occurs at a rented venue.  Gifts are arranged by categories and the parent/s select a gift from each category for their child.

The Thanksgiving food program is a long-standing annual Club charitable activity.  Eligible Food Bank recipients are provided with a Thanksgiving meal ingredient package consisting of a frozen turkey, boxed potatoes, canned peas or corn, and pumpkin pie ingredients. Distribution, supervised by Rotarians, is done by local Lacey High School Interact Club members on the Friday before the Thanksgiving holiday.  Historically, and in 2024, the Forked River Rotary Club budgets $3,000 for the Thanksgiving program.  Costs are sometimes reduced by generous donations from local grocery stores and by Fulfill, the Monmouth and Ocean County Food Bank. 

The Interact Club an organization sponsored by local Rotary Clubs worldwide. It is composed of service minded high school students.  The Forked River Rotary Club sponsors the  Lacey High School Interact Club.  Local Rotarians Linda Kostrowski and Heather Scanlon are the Club's Rotarian advisors.  They attends Interact board meetings and work with teacher, Keena Frechete, who is the high school's advisor.   The Forked Rivier Rotary Club also assists the Interact Club with their fund raisers, such as last fall's Harlem Wizards basketball game.  The students are a big help to our Thanksgiving turkey distribution, the Elf program and the annual Doggie Derby.