Thao Do was our guest speaker on 8/27 to tell us about her transformative experience as a student delegate at the World Affairs Seminar. The week-long experience provides an opportunity for international students from a variety of backgrounds to discuss issues in a non-threatening environment. This Bethlehem Catholic HS Student is the first person in Rotary District 7430 to attend the World Affairs Seminar. Thao was sponsored by our club as a student delegate at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin in June 2025. This year's theme was Peacebuilding: Creating Lasting Change.
On August 22, Rotarians joined together to hand out backpacks to the students of Donegan Elementary School. Thanks to Rotary and CALV for filling our backpacks and giving these students a joyful start to their school year!
Pictured are: Joan Pierce, Cheryl Doll, Lori Knerr, and Darlene Heller.
We’re sending a huge THANK YOU to Jamie Mantilla and Violet Mitchell from Liberty High School Interact Club for their incredible support of Bloom!
These two passionate students organized a bake sale and also showed up strong at the Highmark Walk, raising an amazing $500 to support survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation.
Thank you for using your voices and your time to make a real impact in our community.
We co-sponsor an exchange student from Warsaw, Poland - Antek Grous. He spoke at our club on May 14 about his family and the cultural experience of living abroad and attending Liberty High School. Pictured is Antek and his host Mom, Sara Collins.
Rotarians attended Join the Movement Luncheon, a Bloom for Women event at the Hotel Bethlehem. Panelist shared their expertise, while survivors of sex trafficking inspired us all with their powerful stories. We collected 4 cars full of clothing to donate to My Sister's Closet, a woman's charity boutique in Bethlehem. Thanks to everyone that supported this project. We also presented a check for $1,000 to Carol Anderson, CEO of Bloom. What a difference this organization is making in the Lehigh Valley, and we are proud to support their mission. Change happens when we stand together!
We have partnered with Morning Star Rotary of Bethlehem on a grant to renovate a primary school in Kenya. Working in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Machako, Kenya, we are providing a brighter future for these children. 
Our annual Holiday Luncheon at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. Rotarian, Hank Barnette and Charlene Donchez Mowers spoke about Bethlehem's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, we had a surprise musical guest, Rick Santee from the Morning Star Bethlehem Club to help get us in the holiday spirit.
Toys for Tots drop off at the Hotel B Ice Cream Parlor.
We filled 4 boxes - Our biggest collection since we started 5 years ago.
Thank you Pete Mickolay and everyone that contributed.
Photo from left-right:!
Liberty HS Interact Club
Hotel Bethlehem
Lehigh Valley Chapter Penn State Alumni Assoc.
Rotary Club of Bethlehem
Carol Ferguson spoke at the June 26, 2024 meeting about how Rotary's efforts in support of the World Health Orgnization's live-oral vaccination program has helped the World Health Organization accomplish nearly 100 percent elimination of wild polio virus throughout the world. The low cost of live orally-administered vaccines makes them widely available, yet because the vaccine uses a live form of the virus, the virus can derive variants that may have paralytic capabilities. The speed and volume of air travel worldwide makes the spread of such novel viruses likely, even in the US where we are used to thinking that Polio no longer exists. Thus childhood vaccination in the United States cannot be emphasized enough. Please take a few minutes to watch this important video, that Carol intended the audience to see on Wednesday, but that would not run on the Moravian Village projection system.
Click HERE to watch.
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Celebrating 109 Years of Service
Bethlehem, PA 18017
United States of America