Home Page | Rotary Club of Houghton Lake

Service Above Self

We meet In Person & Online

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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In Memory of former Rotarian Art Gonzalez

Now through August 20, the Houghton Lake Rotary Club will match donations up to $1,500 to the Houghton Lake Rotary Club Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Roscommon County Community Foundation, in honor of our dear friend, past President, and HLHS Interact Club founder Art Gonzalez.

Art dedicated his life to serving others, this is our way of continuing that legacy and investing in the next generation of leaders.

August 20, 2025 UPDATE: The match has been exceeded! THANK YOU to everyone who made a donation in Art's memory!

Celebrating Our Houghton Lake Rotary Scholarship Recipients!

We are thrilled to honor two outstanding students, Madison Rankin and Aiden Partenio, who have been awarded a $2,000 Houghton Lake Rotary Scholarship!

Madison will be attending the University of Michigan this fall and pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, we’re excited to see her make a difference in healthcare!

Aiden is heading to Central Michigan University to pursue a degree in Political Science, we can’t wait to see how he shapes the future!

A heartfelt congratulations to both Madison and Aiden, along with their families! Your hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence have truly paid off. We can't wait to see all the incredible things you’ll accomplish in the years ahead.

Pictured: Houghton Lake Rotary Treasurer Ben Elliott, Madison Rankin, and Aiden Partenio.

Promoting Literacy in Our Community!

A huge thank you to Koreen Pray of Kabinetree Koncepts, Inc. for her continued generosity and commitment to literacy in our community!
Each year, Koreen purchases books selected by the amazing staff at the Houghton Lake Public Library, and throughout the Rotary year, our guest speakers sign these books at each Rotary meeting. At the end of the year, they are donated to the library for local readers to enjoy! What a meaningful and lasting way to support reading and learning.

Last week’s Rotary meeting featured Erika from the Houghton Lake Public Library, who shared some exciting updates:

The library now offers 20 hot spots for checkout — with residents getting first access!
Patrons can also check out Kindles, laptops, and iPads!
They have Wonder Books for all grade levels — audio and physical books combined in one rechargeable format!
A traveling book cart brings books to Our Lady of the Lake!
Erika even does book recommendations at local coffee shops.
Thanks to an RCCF grant, they now have a Nintendo Switch with educational games available for checkout!
Don’t forget their amazing e-book collection through Libby!

We’re so grateful for Koreen’s continued support and to Erika for sharing the library’s amazing resources with us. Together, we’re helping literacy grow in Houghton Lake.

Pictured- Koreen Pray, Erika Luck, and HL Rotary Past President Rhonda Fossitt.

Rotarians of the Year!

Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Houghton Lake Rotarians of the Year: Anita Sheppard & Rob Bonkoski!
Anita Sheppard has been a true force behind the success of our club this past year! Her dedication to the Rotary Auction brought in over $6,000 in donations, and she didn’t stop there — Anita also organized two additional fundraisers at the Springbrook Tiki Bar, each raising over $1,000! She also hosted our Rotarians Night Out event and a Business After Hours Mixer, adding more fun and fellowship to our year. From managing accounting for our events to tallying votes for the Car Show, Anita's behind-the-scenes work keeps us running smoothly. She's worn many hats in Rotary over the years — Committee Chair, Board Member, Treasurer, and President! Thank you, Anita, for your continued passion, hard work, and service to our community!
Rob Bonkoski may be newer to our club, but he dove in headfirst and hasn’t looked back! In just his first few months, Rob hosted a Business After Hours Mixer, took part in the Rotary Auction, donated to all of our events, and even opened his doors to host our Christmas Party and Passing of the Gavel celebration! He recently joined the Board of Directors and is already planning to chair our Camel Race this fall! We are so grateful for your enthusiasm, generosity, and commitment, Rob!
Please help us congratulate these two incredible Rotarians! Your leadership and energy inspire us all!

2025 Car Cruise & Show!

It’s the Fun & Fabulous 28th Annual Houghton Lake Rotary Pumpkin Run Car Cruise & Show - August 15th & 16th, 2025!

CAR CRUISE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 15th
LOCATION: Don Nester Auto Group - 7566 W. Houghton Lake Dr., Houghton Lake, MI

Cars gather: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
26-mile Cruise begins: 6:30 PM
FREE to enter!
Food provided by R&J’s Best Choice Marketplace (for 1 car owner & 1 guest)
Big signs will guide you at every turn!
Judges will be stationed on Iroquois to pick: Best Cruise Car & Best Cruise Truck (Specialty Trophies awarded at Saturday’s Car Show!)

CAR SHOW – SATURDAY, AUGUST 16th:

LOCATION: Walmart of Houghton Lake
Registration: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Entry Fee: $20
70 Trophies!
Awards Ceremony at 3:30 PM
T-Shirts!
Multiple Food Trucks
50/50 Raffles

Questions? Please contact Tom: 989-915-1001 or Jim: 989-666-6778

Mark your calendars & cruise into one of Northern Michigan’s most exciting automotive weekends!

The Gavel Has Been Passed!

At our recent Rotary gathering, we celebrated a meaningful moment of tradition and transition as Past President Rhonda Fossitt officially passed the gavel to our 2025–2026 Houghton Lake Rotary President, Gary Gandolfi!

We are excited as Gary Gandolfi steps into the role of Club President! Gary brings passion, dedication, and a strong vision for Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self.

With Gary at the helm, we’re looking forward to a year filled with meaningful service, and continued fellowship. His commitment to our club and community makes him a strong leader to guide us into another successful Rotary year.

Let’s give a warm Rotary welcome to President Gary Gandolfi! We’re ready for an amazing 2025–2026!

Rhonda Fossitt Recognition

On July 11th we had the honor of celebrating the incredible leadership and service of Rhonda Fossitt, who has served as the Houghton Lake Rotary Club President for TWO full Rotary years – from July 2023 to July 2025! Rhonda was presented with a plaque of appreciation by Heather Marra, recognizing her dedication, and commitment to our club.

Her leadership during her Presidency has been a driving force behind so many accomplishments:

3 District Grants completed

Countless community contributions

Served on multiple committees

And a constant source of encouragement and friendship

But the night didn’t stop there...

In a truly special moment, President Gary Gandolfi presented Rhonda with a Paul Harris Fellow Award, recognizing her contribution to the Rotary Foundation and her deep commitment to Rotary’s global mission of peace, education, and goodwill.

As a Paul Harris Fellow, Rhonda joins a distinguished group of Rotarians around the world who are changing lives and building brighter futures.

Please join us in thanking and congratulating our fearless leader, and now a Paul Harris Fellow — Rhonda Fossitt!

Mid-Michigan Honor Flight Support

The Houghton Lake Rotary Club was honored to support the Mid-Michigan Honor Flight with a $250 Gold Sponsorship Grant! Kyle Kehn accepted the grant on behalf of the organization — this incredible event is in its 10th year and continues to give our Veterans the trip of a lifetime. A group of heroes is heading from Flint to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor — a powerful and emotional experience they so deeply deserve. We are proud to stand behind this mission and show our appreciation for those who served.

Pictured: Houghton Lake Rotary Past President Rhonda Fossit and Michigan State Police Kyle Kenn

2025 Golf Outing!

Join us for the 4th Annual Houghton Lake Rotary Golf Outing!

Date: Friday, June 13th, 2025
Location: Pineview Highland Golf Course, 4761 W Houghton Lake Dr, Houghton Lake MI
Shotgun Start: 10am

Get ready for a day of golfing fun with contests and prizes including:

Longest Drive
Closest to the Pin
Skins Game
Putting Contest
Raffles and more!

Entry:

$75 per golfer
$300 for a team of 4 golfers

All proceeds support local programs like:
Shop with a Hero
Local Scholarships
ACT NOW Kids Helping Kids
Sheriff Present Patrol
Memorial Thanksgiving Dinner

...and many more community initiatives with local grants.

Registration and Hole Sponsor Fees due by June 13th.

Businesses can sponsor a hole:

$100 for Gold
$200 for Platinum

Contact Scott Bates at 989-965-5792 or email batess403@gmail.com to sign up to play or sponsor a hole. Let's make a difference together!

Support for DHHS Bedding program

Houghton Lake Rotary is proud to support Roscommon County DHHS with a $1,100 Rotary Grant to purchase Bedding in a Bag sets for children in families in need. Last year alone, over $5,000 was spent to provide beds and bedding to children across Roscommon County. This year, our grant will provide 28 brand-new bedding sets — each including a comforter, fitted sheet, flat sheet, and two pillowcases These items may seem small, but they make a big difference in the lives of children — giving them a warm, clean, and comfortable place to rest and grow. Houghton Lake Rotarian and DHHS Family Resource Specialist Lindsey Hile, along with DHHS Community Resource Coordinator Lynsey Zawacki, accepted the grant from Rotary President Rhonda Fossitt and Treasurer Ben Elliott.

Food Distribution Grant!

We had the pleasure of hearing from Wally Wozniak of Roscommon Food Distribution.

Wally shared the incredible impact their team is making in our community:

283 pallets distributed (that’s 211,000 lbs of food!)
Served 2,900 families and 6,300 individuals in 2024
Supported by 779 amazing volunteers
Food pickups serve up to 2 families per vehicle
Partnered with Family Fare to provide hams and turkeys for the holidays!
Grants have helped purchase tables, heaters, grocery carts, and more!

We’re proud to support this important work with a $1,200 grant from the Houghton Lake Rotary Club! Houghton Lake Rotarian, Heather, had the honor of presenting the check to Wally at our club meeting. Thank you to Wally and all the hardworking volunteers for helping fight food insecurity in Roscommon County.

30 Years of HLHS Interact!

Celebrating 30 Years of Interact, Interact Presentation, and end of the year awards!

Chris Sura (Interact advisor), Danielle Csapo (Interact advisor), Art Gonzalez (Houghton Lake Rotary President 1995-1996), Jeff Goodwin (HL Principal), Chad Watson (HL Assistant Principal), Ben Williams (HL Superintendent and Rotarian) and Interact Students- Qianden Lindsey, Sidney Horshi, Aiden Partenio, Isaiah Goodwin, Trisha Kartz, Collin Hamp, Dedia Palmer, Chelsi Ensing, Kelsey Owens joined us for this wonderful event!

Interact Advisor Recognition Danielle Csapo, Chris Sura, and Ben Elliott (Rotarian). Each received flowers, interact pins, interact pens, and retiring teacher Chris Sura also received a Special Service Award.

Art Gonzales was Houghton Lake Rotary President during the 1995-1996 year when our Interact Club was chartered. 30 years a few weeks ago. Art gave a thoughtful talk to our Interact students present at today’s meeting.

Ben and Rhonda recognized and gave certificates, pins and pens to this year’s Interact Officers and Class Representatives (see names above). Aiden Partenio also received the Conference Alit for Conferee of the Year during the 2024 Life Leadership Conference.

The Interact Members present provided a slide show and discussion of their year in review. Here is a list their projects for the year:

Stuff the Bus
Thomas L. McNamara Memorial Rotary Nature Trail
Suicide Awareness Project
M 18 Sign Project
District Conference
Polio Plus Candy Sale
Kids Helping Kids
Christmas Care Cards
Shop with a Hero
Pop a Shot
Flocking Flamngos
Mid Year Review
Cans
Hygiene Collection Project
El Salvador
Comfort Closet Clean Up
Membership Presentation
By Laws Renewal
Mental Health Awareness Project
Color Fun Run/Walk

Visit Houghton Lake Rotary Interact for more information about their club!

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!