Home Page | Rotary Club of Houghton Lake

Service Above Self

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Wednesdays at 12:00 PM

Buccilli's Pizza

2949 W. Houghton Lake Dr.
Houghton Lake, MI 48629
United States of America

MEET WEDNESDAYS AT NOON, EXCEPT ON THE LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH THAT HAS OFFSITE 6PM-8PM SOCIAL OR SERVICE EVENT, AS ANNOUNCED. Join via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83309191510?pwd=Aa5VTzn5cs2ZaXzl63fAfejsjPqvob.1

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Rotary Community Auction 5/3/2025

COME ON DOWN to the 26th Annual Houghton Lake Rotary Service Auction! 🛶💙❤️
You won’t want to miss this exciting night of fun, food, and fabulous prizes — including this amazing pair of His & Hers KAYAKS generously donated by Dan Fossitt! 🚣‍♂️🚣‍♀️💦 Whether you’re ready to paddle into adventure or just float into summer vibes, this prize is calling YOUR name!
🎟️ TICKETS ONLY $50
Includes:
🍽️ Primos BBQ Dinner
🍹 Open Bar
🎟️ Entry to the Auction
💰 Entry into a $500 CASH PRIZE Drawing!
🗓️ Mark your calendars: May 3rd at the Four Seasons Event Barn in Lake City!
🌟 Stay tuned—we’ll be revealing our full list of auction items VERY SOON and trust us, you’ll feel like you’re on The Price is Right! 📣📦🎁
🎓 All proceeds raised go right back into our community through local grants and scholarships — supporting our schools, students, and service projects right here in Houghton Lake! 💛
💬 Message our page or stop at the Pet Parlor in Houghton Lake to get your Tickets Today!

Thomas L. McNamara Memorial Rotary Nature Trail

L to R: Gary Gandolfi (R), Jim VanSice (R), Bob Pacella (R), John Dougherty (R), Rhonda Lamberg (R), Cole Morison (R), Barb Souder (R), Heather Marra (R) Sherry Lahey, Susan Tyer (R), Charlie Sylvester (D), Diane Nielsen (R), Tom Moreau (Past Rotarian), Rob Bonkowski (R), Gary Locht (D), Rhonda Fossitt (R President), Jim Hoover (D), Anita Sheppard (R), Jordan Grimm (D), Paula Fuller (D), Dick Pederson (D), Susan Seaford (D), Ralph Harrison (D), and Marcus Cole (D).

On behalf of the Rotary Club of Houghton Lake and Denton Township, we are honored to cordially invite you to the Dedication Celebration of the Thomas L. McNamara Memorial Rotary Nature Trail. The celebration will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 5:30 PM, at the pavilion at the Rotary Club of Houghton Lake Denton Township Community Park located at 2476 E. Houghton Lake Dr., Houghton Lake, MI (on County Road 100 across from the Denton Township Soccer Fields. For GPS use, please type in the address or ‘Denton Township Community Park’). All are invited to attend!

2024 Auto Show - Aug. 16 & 17th!

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION FORM!

It's the Fun & Fabulous 27th Annual Houghton Lake Rotary Pumpkin Run Car Cruise and Show!

Car Cruise - FRIDAY, AUGUST 16th
Cars will gather from 5 PM-6:30 PM at Don Nester Auto Group - 7566 W. Houghton Lake Dr. Houghton Lake, MI.
The 26-mile Cruise around Houghton Lake begins at about 6:30 PM.

No Cost to Enter Cruise. Food supplied by R&J’s Best Choice Marketplace of Houghton Lake (for 1 Car Owner & 1 Guest ONLY).

Large car cruise signs will be at every turn of the entire route.

We encourage the Cruisers do the entire route as we will have Judges on Iroquois to pick the Best Cruise Car and Cruise Truck. We have Specialty Trophies for both winners that will be presented at Saturday’s Car Show at Wal-Mart.

Car Show - Saturday, AUGUST 17th at Wal-Mart of Houghton Lake
Registration is 8 AM-11 AM $20 fee.
Awards Ceremony starts at 3:30 PM
63 TROPHIES! T-SHIRTS! MULTIPLE FOOD TRUCKS! 50/50 RAFFLES!

Golf Scramble June 14th at Pineview Highlands!

2024 Community Service Auction 4/27

Interact Bottle Collection Fundraiser

Shop With A Hero

Thank you to all of the incredible volunteers for your hard work at Shop with a Hero December 13th and all involved with planning this wonderful event! This program allows 50 children in our community the opportunity to shop for themselves and their families who might otherwise not have a Christmas. This is the 21st year of this program and was started by Rotarian, Scott Bates. We are grateful to be able to support this program and it is one dear to our hearts! After the kids are done shopping, all of their gifts are wrapped, they visit with Santa and all were treated to Subway with their Hero.

Act Now Grant

We love to support wonderful programs like Kids Helping Kids and presented a $1,500 check to Act Now in effort to bring Christmas to Foster Families. Our Houghton Lake Interact Club participates in this program by shopping and wrapping gifts for the 34 foster kids in need. Supporting foster families is so important and we are grateful for the efforts of this program! Pictured is 22-23 Club Past President Heather Marra, Julie Hill Administrative Clerk at Ferris Township Police Department, Jodie Perkola of Roscommon & Ogemaw County DHS and Club Treasurer Ben Elliott.

Roscommon Food Pantry Grant

The Houghton Lake Rotary Club is so proud to support the efforts of the Roscommon County Food Pantry and presented a $500 grant towards Holiday Food Baskets that were distributed to families in need before Thanksgiving. As the needs increase for the pantry to serve over 500 families we encourage all who can afford or gather items to donate to them! Visit Roscommon County Food Pantry - pictured 22-23 Past Club President Heather Marra, Kim and Chris Ashcraft Director of the Roscommon County Food Pantry, and Club Treasurer Ben Elliott.

District Governor Visit

Today (Nov 15, 2023) we hosted the Rotary 6290 District Governor, Jeff Coil and also had 5 interact students who attended for the presentation from the District Governor.

Shop With A Hero Grant

Brian Koboldt and Mark McCauley from the State Police received a grant for $1,000.00 for the Shop with a Hero program which will be held on December 13, 2023. A total of 50 students (20 from Roscommon Elementary, 20 from Collins, and 10 from Charlton Heston) will shop at WalMart with either a first responder or a member of the Armed Services. This marks the 21st year for the program which started with Scott Bates. To date they have raised $4,300.00 .

Roscommon Literacy Council Grant

At our last meeting, we presented the Roscommon Literacy Council with a $1000 grant to support the efforts of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Roscommon County. There are currently 518 children from the ages of 0-5 who receive one book per month in the mail for a total of 60 books! Pictured is Rotary Club President Rhonda Fossitt, Michelle Ewar from the Roscommon Literacy Council and Rotary Club Treasurer Ben Elliott.

Paul Harris Fellow - Ed Piglowski

Ed Piglowski - UPS ED is being recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow through a contribution that the Rotary Club of Houghton Lake has made to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Ed has demonstrated a shared purpose with the objectives of the Rotary Foundation and receives this recognition as an expression of appreciation from our club.

A world of peace and goodwill comes closer to reality today as Ed Piglowski becomes a Paul Harris Fellow. In becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, Ed joins a remarkable company of persons throughout the world. They are recognized for their devotion to the ideal of good will, peace and understanding...a goal of Rotarians and one that Ed clearly shares. We congratulate you, and we thank you for your commitment to our community and the world! Please join use in Congratulating Ed!

Paul Harris Fellow - Tom Moreau

Tom Moreau was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow +3! Tom has demonstrated a shared purpose with the objectives of the Rotary Foundation through his humanitarian work with our club and in the community. Tom first became a Paul Harris Fellow on June, 11th in 1997. The Paul Harris Fellow +3 was presented to Tom as a expression of appreciation from our club. A Paul Harris Fellow +3 displays 3 Sapphires in the pin and represents $4,000 in total that has been given to the Rotary Foundation through his personal contributions over the years plus a recognition contribution from the Houghton Lake Rotary Club. Please join us in congratulating Tom and thanking him for his commitment to the programs of The Rotary Foundation, our community, and the world. Pictured is Houghton Lake Rotary President, Rhonda Fossitt, Tom Moreau and Tom's wife Patti Moreau.

Artesia Youth Park Grant

We are honored to support the Artesia Youth Park for their Halloween Event with a $500 Local Grant! This event is free to the community and is expected to draw 400+ participants - don't miss it this Saturday at Artesia from 4-7pm. Pictured HL Rotary President Rhonda Fossitt, Andrew Thompson of Artesia Youth Park and HL Rotary Treasurer Ben Elliott.

Paul Harris Fellow - Gordie LaFontaine

Congratulations Gordy! Gordy LaFontaine is being recognized for contributing to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. A world of peace and goodwill comes closer to reality today as Gordy LaFontaine becomes a Paul Harris Fellow. It is because of gifts such as this that The Rotary Foundation can carry out an array of programs that achieve beneficial changes in our world: Improved living conditions, increased food production, better education, wider availability of treatment and rehabilitation for the sick and disabled. In becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, Gordy joins a remarkable company of persons throughout the world. They are recognized for their devotion to the ideal of good will, peace and understanding.

Veterans Memorial Grant

The Rotary Club of Houghton Lake presented an $800 local grant to Roscommon Township for the Roscommon Township Cemetery to install Veteran’s Memorial Benches. Diane Randall accepted the grant on behalf of the township and shared that she has ordered the benches in hopes they will be here before Veterans Day. Pictured from left to right is Houghton Lake Rotary President Rhonda Fossitt, Roscommon Township Supervisor Diane Randall and Houghton Lake Rotary Treasurer Ben Elliott.

Collins Backpack Grant

The Houghton Lake Rotary Club granted The Collins Weekend Backpack Program a $1000 local grant at our July 19th meeting. The Collins Weekend Backpack Program was started 11 years ago by Gail Haenlein and her husband to provide food on the weekends for students at Collins. The program now uses bags donated by R&J's Best Choice Marketplace of Houghton Lake and Family Fare for the food from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. The program receives food twice a month from October through May. Last year they were able to provide food for 48 students through this wonderful program. Anna and Brian Helpap will be taking over this program in the fall. Pictured are Houghton Lake Rotary President Rhonda Fossitt, Gail Haenlein of the Collins Backpack Program and Houghton Lake Rotary Treasurer Ben Elliott.

2023 Rotary Car Show & Cruise