You’ve got to hand it to the Marblehead Rotary—we certainly like to stay involved. Looking back at our recent calendar, two events in particular offer a glimpse into the heart of what we do. First, there’s the stuff of local legend: Our Easter Egg Hunt—10,000 chocolate eggs, gone in five minutes! This morning at Seaside, the grounds were a sea of excited children and—true to our tradition—500 toothbrushes, thanks to Rotarian Corine Barone. With our mascots, Dolly the Chick, Cory the Bunny, and Donny the Duck, presiding over the chaos, we celebrated a decades-long legacy of simple fun. And just like that, the fields were left exactly as we found them: green and clean.But our work often extends to those moments the whole town feels called to support. On March 29, Marblehead Rotarians and the Interact Club were proud to cheer for Superhero JJ. Watching him in his roaring red sports car, surrounded by dozens of caped heroes, was a poignant milestone for everyone involved. To JJ Weiss and the Make-A-Wish Foundation: Marblehead was honored to celebrate you.
Whether we are upholding a town tradition for the kids or showing up for a neighbor when it matters most, we are just grateful to be part of our community’s most important stories.
For more photos, please see our post on Facebook…
The Marblehead Rotary Club is proud to sponsor our next 
You don’t usually see pink balloons and cupcakes at a business meeting, but that’s exactly what defines our club. While we are built on professional networking and community service, the real magic is treating each other like family. Last Thursday, we celebrated a baby shower for Pretty Meier, who also gave a fascinating talk on her work in drug development and clinical trials. It was a perfect reminder that we aren’t just names on a roster! We are a community of experts with evolving lives.
Who says the 4-Way Test can’t have a 5th?
We had a fantastic “exchange” at our last meeting! We were joined by (pictured, left) Paul Gardner and Rebecca Wiese, all the way from Decorah, Iowa! who shared their global service stories from Malta and Romania. Their club adds a vital 5th line to the 4-Way Test: “Is it fun?” (Spoiler: With Marblehead Rotary, it usually is.) Meanwhile, our own Alison Richards (third from left), presenting flags to our president, Aviv Hod (right) proving that “Visit Other Clubs” is the best way to learn, as she shares her Rotary club trek from Bal Harbour to Miami. It just goes to show: whether you’re from Iowa or Miami, the “wide web” of Rotary gets smaller every time we connect.
We mourn the loss of our fellow Rotarian, Helen MacLaughlin. Helen’s quiet kindness and lovely spirit brought smiles to many in our club. She will be remembered with gratitude and affection. Our thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.
Oh my goodness — it’s still January! 
But who’s afraid of cold and ice? Not the Marblehead Rotarians. Winter hasn’t slowed us down at all. We were especially excited to learn that our own Kimberly Grad, director of the Abbot Public Library, has been selected as one of 15 judges nationwide for the prestigious Caldecott Medal. This award, given annually for the most distinguished American children’s picture book illustration, is one of the highest honors in children’s literature. What a remarkable achievement—and what a source of pride for Marblehead to have one of its own serving at the national level.
When the first snowflakes started to fall last Sunday, Marblehead Rotarians didn’t cancel plans. We doubled down. And our mission spelled one thing: B-I-N-G-O.
January may be gray, but our first meeting of the year wasn’t. 
Looking Back at the Past Few Weeks | 2025
Whatever you celebrate, wherever you are, may we all take this moment to nurture peace and joy in our families, our community, and beyond.
Marblehead, MA 01945
United States of America