President
Secretary
Treasurer
Immediate Past President
President Elect
Director - 2 Year
Director - 2 Year
Director - 2 Year
Director - 1 Year
Director - 1 Year
Director - 1 Year
Rotary Foundation
Membership
Program Chair
PR - Co-Chair
PR - Co-Chair
PR - Co-chair
Chartered on May 23, 1931
Welcome to our Club!
Service Above Self
We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m.
The Sea Star/ Twin Fork Beer Co. in summer
431 East Main Street
(TFB Co.) 807 Raynor Ave.
Riverhead, NY 11901
United States of America
(TFB Co.) 807 Raynor Ave.
Riverhead, NY 11901
United States of America
Rotary Club of Riverhead
PO Box 518
Riverhead, NY 11901
This year, our Rotary Club of Riverhead was delighted to be able to award an amazing $145,000 in scholarships to 2026 graduating seniors in the Riverhead area. For the first time, the awards included a special Past President Maryellen Ellwood [Memorial] Scholarship of $2000. Scholarship Committee chairperson Annmarie Zilnicki led the celebration which was complete with a wonderful video of all of the recipients.
Along with the scholarship winners who were able to join us for our meeting, Annmarie is pictured here with Rotary President Rob Stromski and philanthropist Brian Stark. 
Congratulations and good wishes to all!
The Architect Guy Gets a New Cape
Rob Stromski Installed as the Newest President
of the Rotary Club of Riverhead
The weather was picture perfect and set the stage for a wonderful night of celebration and song.
Not only was President Rob and the new Board installed, but many of our members were also recognized for their hard work and generous contributions to our club.
Rob Stromski Installed as the Newest President
of the Rotary Club of Riverhead
The weather was picture perfect and set the stage for a wonderful night of celebration and song.
Not only was President Rob and the new Board installed, but many of our members were also recognized for their hard work and generous contributions to our club.
Outgoing President Randy gave shoutouts to Dariia and Kim for their efforts with our new Oyster Program, and to Mary H. for her work with the new Hometown Hero Banners and continued work with the special Rotary Days of Service. The Uncorked and Garden Fest teams, raising $75,000 and grossing $273,000 respectively, were applauded for their amazing efforts, and the Scholarship Committee, led by AnneMarie Z. gave out a record of $145,000 in scholarships.
Randy also pointed out that we were blessed by six -- um, eight as it turns out -- new members during his tenure as President: John Castella, Jill Gevinski, Renee Gosselin, Brandon Ip, Dominick Morreale, Jacob Smith, Jennifer Talley and Britney Zatarga. A warm continued-welcome to you all.
Next in line were the Paul Harris award winners. They went to Kimberly Judd (for amazing work as our Secretary), Thud Hill (recruiter extraordinaire), Chrisand Castella (the cheerful and always ready volunteer), Sean Murray (for service as Program Chair and Web Master among other doings), and in absentia to David Troyan (for his work as Survey Master and help with website and PR) and Dariia Protsiuk -- her first -- for her work on several of our projects including the Oysters and Strawberries. Randy, too, was honored for his service as President.
Other awards included Rotary jackets for Beth, Dariia, and David who completed their work on the board, backpacks for outgoing past-President George and Kim C., our Treasurer Phenom, and watches for both Ron and Randy.
Of course, the big event was the official installation of our President Rob, which was nicely handled by Danny Lanieri, Rob's caping by Ron, and the formal installation of the board. And finally, the evening was capped off with Rob's address as new President. Among other things, this year will see a return of club member bios, several evening events, and continued building on our strengths.
The teasing, followed by the awkward straight-boy hug, and the caping:
The full new board:
And what happens when you give Ron your phone when you go to pick up an award:
Please consider a donation in Mel's honor:
Mary Ellen "Mel" Ellwood, a cornerstone of the Riverhead community and a tireless champion for humanitarian service, passed away on May 7, 2026. A woman of deep conviction and action, Mel’s life was defined by the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.”
Mel was a devoted member of the Riverhead Rotary Club since 2008. Her leadership within the club was distinguished, eventually leading her to serve as its President starting in July 2013. Her commitment to the organization’s mission saw her rise through the ranks to become the District Governor for Rotary District 7255 for the 2021–2022 term. During her tenure, she oversaw dozens of clubs across Long Island, inspiring thousands of members with her vision for community impact and global outreach.
Beyond her volunteer work, Mel was a respected professional in the East End real estate market. As an Associate Broker with Douglas Elliman in Mattituck, she was known for her integrity and deep knowledge of the North Fork. She was a fixture at local events and a mentor to many, always willing to share "Tips and Tricks" for organizational success or professional growth.
Mel will be remembered for her infectious energy, her unwavering dedication to the Riverhead community, and her ability to bring people together for a common cause. Whether she was organizing a local fundraiser or presiding over a district-wide installation, she did so with grace and a focus on helping others.
Visitation for Mel will take place on Thursday, May 14, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
at the McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home, 336 Marcy Ave., Riverhead, NY. Funeral Mass will take place on Friday, May 15, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 546 St. John's Pl., Riverhead, NY 11901. Private cremation to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Riverhead Rotary Club by using the link that follows her pictures.
May God comfort the hearts of all who mourn.
NICE JOB... check this out. Lots of pictures included:
https://riverheadlocal.com/2026/04/19/riverheads-hometown-heroes-honored-with-155-banners-in-towns-hamlet-centers/
The Town Veterans Advisory Committee has requested our assistance in installing the Hometown Hero Banners along Main Street (and side roads) on Saturday, April 18th.
The Downtown Riverhead Hometown Hero Veteran Banners program honors local past and present veterans, active-duty, reserve, and National Guard members by displaying their photos, names, and branches of service on downtown lamp posts. This initiative is managed by the Riverhead Town Veterans Advisory Committee in partnership with the Riverhead Business Improvement District
Please meet at Parking Lot of Town Hall on 2nd Street at 10 am. Below is an instruction sheet for those who volunteer, it is recommended to work in teams of two.
What you need:
Work Gloves
Step-Ladder (6 feet in height)
WD-40-for the knobs that won’t unscrew
Work in teams of two or more- one person to go up the step-ladder and another person to either take the banner or hand the banner. Work gloves may well be needed.
Unscrew round knobs from arm poles- turn counter-clockwise. If they are stuck, use WD-40 or leave it and contact Kim Judd, someone with a tool will take it down. New banners will fit tightly, so you may have to squeeze top and bottom arms together and shimmy the banner on or off. After banner is installed or removed, screw knobs back on. Banners are located along Main Street, starting west on the light poles across the street from the Suffolk County Historical Society, proceeding east.
Veteran banners are also located on Peconic Avenue, Roanoke Avenue, McDermott Ave and the Town Square.
Please e-mail Kim Judd if you can help: kim@kjuddlaw.com
On Jan. 31st, the North Fork Breast Health Coalition and the Keri Lynn Stromski Stage IV Breast Cancer Research & Support Fund sponsored a fabulous event at Hotel Indigo for those undergoing cancer treatment. Physicians and medical professionals from Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, Northwell Health Cancer Institute, Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone and Stony Brook Cancer Center discussed blending conventional and holistic approaches to cancer treatment. This event was spearheaded by our very own Rotarian president elect Robert Stromski and was an outstanding success!
Our club was treated to some extraordinary guests at our meeting Wednesday, December 7. Members of the Town of Riverhead's America 250 Committee presented the plans for our town's celebrations marking our nation's semiquincentennial anniversary, beginning with the Red White and Blue Ball on January 23.
Club president Randy Morreale is joined above by Town Chief-of-Staff Debi Burkowsky, Councilwoman Joann Waski, member-at-large Meaghan Howard, Councilwoman Denise Merrifield and the President of East End Tourism Alliance Bryan DeLuca. Plans not only include festive gatherings, parade and fireworks, but also banners and stars to adorn our Town. We've been asked to spread the word and share the excitement...and to consider some sponsorships of our own!
May all your winter celebrations be filled
with love and laughter,
and your New Year long remain bright
with hope and good cheer.
with love and laughter,
and your New Year long remain bright
with hope and good cheer.
After helping out with our Holiday Food Baskets, Riverhead's Interact Club delivered holiday cards and socks to the residents of Acadia Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, Dec. 19
Our club was honored and delighted to be a part of the historic signing of the bill of sale of the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall on December 16, 2025. As part of the ceremony Rotary Club members Beth Hanlon, Sean Murray and Dariia Protsiuk presented the Jazz Loft President Thomas Manuel with a ceremonial check representing our club's $25,000 donation and extended a prayer of blessing on the endeavor.
Our club members also posed with the Jazz Loft players, Board of Directors, Town officials and top donors who have championed the venture.
Wonderful outing! Big THANKS to Sherry for a superb job of organizing the trip. Plus, there were two added delights in the day. It was our Club President's birthday (perhaps you heard). There was some singing to him that was done -- well, okay, a lot of singing to him, and even some cake with the song:
And the BIG NEWS of the night was Diane and John's engagement! For real. Even done the right way:
