60 years later, Rotary Club still going strong

The are many groups in Baldwin that look to help others and bring the community together, but one of the longest running organizations is the Baldwin-Rockville Centre Rotary Club, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

But while the organization has been around for six decades, its new president Jeffrey Koch Jr., a 30-year-old who used to live in Baldwin, is looking toward the future. “We’ve got a lot of things on our plate,” he said, “but we’ll take it one step at a time.”

On the plate for the 23 current Rotary members are the club’s annual events, like its Thanksgiving food drive and June track event for elementary school students, but also new ideas. Koch Jr. said he’s looking to host a bowling fundraiser at Baldwin Lanes in the future and reach out to younger people to see if they would like to get involved.

When the club raises money, it is quick to put it to use, Koch Jr. explained. If a local group, like a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop, needed funding for something, the Rotary Club is always looking to give back to the community. Rotary also gives Baldwin third graders pocket dictionaries each year to bolster children’s vocabularies.

Its track event for the Baldwin School District’s five elementary schools and students at St. Christopher School has been held for about 50 years, Koch Jr. said, and is one of the group’s staple events.

The primary way Rotary raises money is through its weekly membership meetings at Novi Restaurant on Merrick Road in Baldwin. The club meets every Thursday and members contribute money, which then goes into an account.

Koch Jr., has been around the Rotary Club his whole life. His father Jeffrey Koch Sr. has been a Rotarian for decades and currently serves as the club’s treasurer.

He moved back to Long Island in 2010 after living in Vermont for eight years. “It was natural that when I came back to Long Island to be a part of the Rotary Club because I’ve known these people since I was little,” Koch Jr. said. “It was the right fit for me.” He previously served as the club’s treasurer and vice president and was nominated to take over as president earlier this year. After a vote, he officially took the helm on July 1.

Like many community organizations, Koch Jr. said one of the biggest obstacles is getting younger people to join and volunteer, but is hopeful that more people will hear about the club and want to get involved.