Club History

Celebrating 35 years of Service

Canada Day 2023

Bingo Caller

Canada Day - Arches Display

Canada Day Flags

Kinsmen Citizen of the Year Frank Frank Adamson

News Clippings

Annual District Governor Visit

Family FunFest

Family FunFest Ringtoss

Youth Exchange Student - Fanny

Family FarmFest

FarmFest Balloons

FarmFest GoFish

Community FoodDrive - Pelham Cares

Founding Member Gail Levay Honourary Member

Youth Exchange Student - Greti

Holiday Social

Past President Collins at the Home Show

Youth Exchange Student Touti receives Honourary Membership

Celebrating 35 years of Service

Rotary International is a community of over 1.4 million Rotarians & Rotaractors: neighbours, friends, and leaders who volunteer their skills and resources to solve issues and address community needs. For more than a century, we’ve bridged cultures and connected continents. We champion peace, fight illiteracy and poverty, help people get access to clean water and sanitation, fight disease, and protect our planet and its resources.

The Rotary Club of Fonthill is part of Rotary International. Over the past 35 years, our Club has championed the humanitarian service of Rotary International here in our community. We have supported local, regional, provincial, national, and global initiatives.

Over these years our contributions have been vast and have included:

Children and Youth

Youth Programs Page
Organize and host numerous children’s activities as part of the annual Canada Day festivities.
Provide scholarships for graduating students at E.L. Crossley Secondary School.
Active involvement in hosting international youth exchanges both inbound and outbound.
Sponsoring and actively supporting an Interact Club at E.L. Crossley Secondary School . and an EarlyAct Club at A.K. Wigg Elementary School (youth versions of Rotary).
Support sending countless youth and young adults to leadership camps.
Yearly support with Interact of Holiday Cheer Adopt a Family through Salvation Army.
Supporting nutrition programs in all the Pelham elementary schools and through Food4Kids and Niagara Nutrition Partners.
Supported the build of an outdoor amphitheatre at E. L. Crossley.

Local Community Leadership

Supported the capital campaigns of Pelham Cares, Wellspring, the Meridian Community Centre, the Bandshell, and the Lincoln Pelham Public Library.
Yearly involvement in Canada Day events, Pelham Summerfest, and the Fonthill Bandshell concerts.
Yearly participation in the Great Lake Watershed Cleanup which was initiated by our District Governor.
Regular tree planting in partnership with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.
Temperanceville creation, maintenance and set up in Peace Park.
Initiated the Gateway signs for Pelham with the Town of Pelham.
Played a founding role in the creation of the Steve Bauer Trail.
Supported community campaigns such as the development of the Isaac Riehl Memorial Skate Park.
In partnership with the Pelham Summerfest Committee took the lead in the fundraising, design and construction of the “Pelham Summerfest Rotary Club of Fonthill Arches”.
Celebrated Rotary's Centennial with our biggest campaign to date to outfit uniforms and musical instruments for the E.L. Crossley Marching Band.
Regular funding for the Pelham satellite clinic of Pathstone Mental Health.
Support for Ronald McDonald Room at Marotta Hospital.
Organize and facilitate Mayoral Debates for the Town of Pelham.
Annual support for Migrant Worker’s Health Fair.
Funding support to the Royal Canadian Legion, Scientists in Schools, Rose City Kids, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Hospice Niagara, Niagara Sexual Assault Centre, ELC Rowing, and the First Ontario Performing Arts IMPACT program to name just a few.

International Leadership and Involvement

Yearly support of the END POLIO NOW campaign.
Supported purchasing Autoclaves in Brazil, building gardens in Kurdistan, building homes in Honduras, Wells in Haiti, supporting literacy programs in Pakistan to touch on some of our work.
Yearly support of Global grant projects with 10 other Rotary Clubs
Campaigns to support collection of items for Ukraine this past year and other countries or areas in need over the years.

Each year we celebrate community members – both Rotarians and non-Rotarians who contribute to the Pelham community by hosting a Paul Harris Awards dinner. At the dinner, we present Paul Harris Fellowships to these individuals in recognition of their tremendous contributions. Our club contributes $1,000 USD in the recipient’s name to Rotary International, which then uses these funds for even more global projects. Past Paul Harris Fellows include:

The Bandshell Committee
Local educators and community volunteers such as John Ruscitti, Carol Berkhout, Tim Droppert, Dorothy Bielby, Vilma Moretti, David Swan, Jane Gilmour, Larry Boggio to name a few.
Members of other Fonthill and Pelham service clubs

All this community service is possible through our regular fundraising events such as the Mudfest Challenge, Family Funfest, Cornhole Tournament, Rotary Online Auction, Golf Tournaments, and annual Purse Bingos.

June 11, 2026