Rotary for Reading – Lorain County Imagination Library

North Coast Rotary President Cathy Pugh presented Jamie Simoneau of Community Foundation of Lorain County with a $500 donation to the Lorain County Imagination Library. Rotary club members also contributed to the campaign. At a February meeting, Jamie explained that when enrolled at birth, each child is going to receive 60 books, an age-appropriate book each month. Lorain County Imagination Library (approximately ten years old now) is a program that Community Foundation of Lorain County is the fiscal sponsor for. The Community Foundation helps to raise funds for it, to enroll children in it, and to spread the word about it. There are currently 2,023 children in Avon, Avon Lake, Sheffield Lake and Sheffield Village communities that are registered in this wonderful program.

Jamie also explained the impact. Survey results show that children who receive books through the Imagination Library program have a higher Kindergarten Readiness Assessment score. Further, that the higher that score, there’s a positive correlation with a child being able to read in third grade. And the success continues through high school graduation!

Want to make a difference in a child’s life by instilling the love of reading by gifting books from birth to age five? From now until March 14, you can donate to “Rotary for Reading” https://givebutter.com/ohiorotary. All donations received will support this program in our local area!

North Coast Rotary Donates $1000 to Brookside Robotics

North Coast Rotary President Cathy Pugh presents a donation for the Brookside Robotics Club to Principal Emily Adkins and Robotics Club Leader Val Rion.

Sheffield/Sheffield Lake students in grades 4 – 12 can participate in the program. This year they have seven elementary school teams, four middle school teams and three high school teams.

The teams compete all over Ohio throughout the season October through February. Last year SSL Robotics Club teams came home with 25 judged awards, 5 skills championships, 8 tournament finalist trophies and were tournament winners at 3 competitions!

The Robotics Club’s mission of promoting lifelong skills, including teamwork, leadership, and communications, is exactly what North Coast Rotary can stand behind!

February is Rotary Peace Month

February is Rotary Peace & Conflict Prevention Month, and North Coast Rotary is supporting the upcoming Rotary District 6600 Community Peace Summit hosted by Rotary District 6600 and the Elyria YWCA.

The summit focuses on peace, non-violence, and courage — topics that matter to our community.

The event is free to all, but registration is required at the link below. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

📅 February 7, 2026, 8:30 AM – 4 PM
📍 LCCC Stocker Arts Center, 1005 North Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035
🔗 Learn more & register: https://www.d6600peacesummit.org

#PeopleOfAction #RotaryPeace #RotaryDistrict6600 #StockerArtsCenter #YWCAElyria #RotaryDistrict6630

Welcome New Members Jen Fitch and Paul Appel!

Welcome Jen (Virginia) Fitch and Paul Appel, new North Coast Rotary Club and North Coast Rotary Foundation members.  Both bring strong community commitment and active involvement in our local schools.  

Jen, a resident of Avon, is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Avon Local Schools.  

At her induction she said:  “I am excited to discuss our community’s needs and develop ways that we can not only meet them but expand outside of what we could even imagine.” Jen is already actively supporting the club’s Youth Engagement Committee.

Paul is a resident of Avon Lake and works as a Financial Consultant with Civista Wealth Management.  He shared that he has been a part of Rotary clubs since he was young assisting his father with Rotary service projects and fundraisers.  

At his induction, Paul expressed his enthusiasm for community service and his desire to contribute to the club’s initiatives. We look forward to Paul’s involvement in North Coast Rotary Projects.

Great Pizza Bake-Off Event and the Awards went to….

Wow, thank you to all the 300+ pizza lovers and Rotary supporters who came to Avon Lake High School on Homecoming Thursday for the North Coast Rotary and Avon Lake City Schools’ 17th annual Great Pizza Bake-Off!

We also want to thank Doug Maurer, our Coordinator, and our amazing event sponsors, Avon Lake City Schools, Brian Kyles Landscapes of Distinction, Greenspace Construction Services, Minuteman Press, Peter & Co. Jewelers, and Rich Benoit and Jinnyn Tata and our pizzerias. They all made this event possible!

Jack Dibee kept the energy high as emcee! Student volunteers from ALHS Key Club and North Coast Interact helped out the Rotary club members with check-in, cookies, drinks, and fun activities for the kids.

And guess who won the awards? Here they are: 

People’s Choice – Big M! 

Master Pizza – Best Pepperoni! 

Domino’s Pizza – Best Crust!

Dirte Pi – Best Specialty!  

Pizza Hut won the Pro’s Choice Award!  

(Guests vote for their overall favorite – the People’s Choice Award and for Best Pepperoni, Best Specialty and Best Crust.  The Pro’s Choice Award is selected by our mystery guest who samples every single pizza!)  

Proceeds from our Great Pizza Bake-off fund community and youth initiatives.  Thank you again!

See more:Did you enjoy Pizza and More on Homecoming Thursday September 25, 2025 Avon Lake High School Commons?

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR PIZZA FUNDRAISER!

Mark your calendars for our 17th annual Great Pizza Bake-off at Avon Lake High School happening on Homecoming Thursday, September 25, 2025. We’d love for you to join us in support of our youth and community initiatives! Avon Lake schools we support Students of the Month recognition, 7th and 8th grade Essay contests, High School Students Speech contest, Leadership programs and scholarships.

This Library is on the Little Free Library Map!

North Coast Rotary has teamed up with the French Creek Family YMCA to install a Little Free Library —a children’s book-sharing box—now located near the Y’s vibrant children’s room.

This initiative is part of a larger District 6600 Rotary quadrant literacy project involving multiple clubs who purchased kits, painted parts and assembled the Little Free Libraries for the locations of their choice contributing to community-based book access. North Coast Rotary was proud to collaborate with Robyn Gauder and the French Creek Family Y for the  placement of the library.

Thanks to generous donations from Avon Lake City Schools, the Little Free Library is already brimming with children’s books to inspire young readers and spark imaginations. 

Little Free Library is a registered trademark, officially recognized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2013. These beloved boxes invite anyone to take or leave a book, operating on the honor system. North Coast Rotary and the French Creek Family Y will continue to maintain the library. Stop by, pick up a story, and help us grow a community of readers!

Medical Equipment – Used but Usable Collection Saturday 10 AM – 12 Noon

Once again Sprenger Towne Center, Anne Naumann, Becki Russell and staff, are collaborating with North Coast Rotary to collect used and usable medical equipment.  Bring donations to 200 Community Drive, the Clubhouse at Sprenger Towne Center on Saturday August 16th from 10 AM – Noon.  Rotary volunteers will help unload your items and our Rotary Medical Equipment Supplies Abroad truck will take them for storage in our MESA Warehouse in Fostoria Ohio.  Any items that can be used domestically are shared with organizations here.  Shipments to countries in need occur regularly. Thank you in advance for your donations!

2025 Scholarship Awardees/ HOBY Grad

During its summer meetings, North Coast Rotary proudly honored a group of exceptional students whose leadership, compassion, and community engagement reflect Rotary’s enduring motto: Service Above Self. Scholarship Awardees each received $1000, were recognized during their school’s awards night and joined a North Coast Rotary meeting when they could!

Noah Adkins, Ava Rosemark, Termeh Shahmir

This year’s honorees include:

  • Jane Kuzman Memorial Scholarship – Ava Rosemark, Avon High School
  • Bon Russell Memorial Scholarship – Termeh Shahmir, Avon Lake High School
  • Marilyn Weems Memorial Scholarship – Gana Youssef, Avon Lake High School
  • Interact Scholarship – Noah Adkins, Brookside High School
  • Service Above Self Scholarship  – Arushi Phukan, Brookside High School

Alexander Hick, Brookside High School, also joined us to share his experiences from a Rotary funded Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar.