Officers & Directors
President
Lauren Gardner
President Elect
Josh Gillooly
Secretary
Catherine Pellino
Treasurer
Phil Ferrari
Immediate Past President
Sue Budde
Membership
Peter Vignati
Sergeant-at-Arms
Salin Low
Rotary Foundation
Joanne Santiago
Board Member-at-Large
Peter Vignati
Assistant Treasurer
Gary Hyde
Board Member-at-Large
Heather Pantano
International Service Chair
Yvonne Gardner
Community Service Chair
Dick Kisiel
Interact Chair
Gary Miller
Committee Chairs
Public Relations
Mike Mezheritskiy - Social Media
Membership Committee Chair
Peter Vignati
Community Services Chair
Dick Kisiel
International Service Chair
Yvonne Gardner
Rotary Youth Services
Gary Miller, Cherie Morris
Interact Advisors
 • Canton HS - Leigh Connole and Julie Monico
 • Avon HS - Maria Mascoli
Program Chair
Ike Eickenhorst
Sunshine Chair
Chris Lamadrid
Webmaster
Gary Miller
Golf Tournament 
Sue Budde
Tastes of the Valley Co-Chairs
Dick Kisiel & Colleen Grasso
Senior Luncheon
Salin Low & Debbie Elcock
ByLaws Review Committee
Greg Demanche & Josh Gillooly
Investment-Scholarship Fund Committee
Phil Ferrari 
Financial Review & Advisory Committee
Phil Ferrari, Greg DeManche, Robin DiNicola
 
Important Documents
Rotary of Avon-Canton - Founded 1973
Avon-Canton

Service above Self

We meet In Person
Fridays at 7:30 a.m.
FAVARH Life Education Center
150 Commerce Drive
Canton, CT 06019
United States of America
Fax:
(860) 760-6364
Email:
RotaryClubofAvonCanton@gmail.com
All meetings are hybrid with both in-person and Zoom available. Check our website for any weekly changes. Please park in the lower entry lot.
District Site
Bulletins
Venue Map
News About Our Activities and Members
2026 Meeting Notices
Posted on Jan 02, 2026

Our regular meetings are held in-person
at the FAVARH Life Education Center
150 Commerce Drive in Canton, CT (unless posted otherwise)

Please park in the lower entrance lot only

Members and guests are able to attend via Zoom
Instructions can be requested
by emailing: Rotary of Avon-Canton

Read more...
Dinner Meeting
Evening Oktoberfest Dinner Meeting

Thursday October 15th at 5:30 pm 
No regular meeting on October 16th
Favarh Life Education Center
150 Commerce Drive in Canton
 
Dinner Menu
Avon Prime Meats will be preparing an Oktoberfest themed dinner.
Appropriate beverages included.
The menu will be posted here soon.
 
The cost for members will be $25 paid in advance.
Prospective members are FREE.
Click here to sign up and pay
Price at the door:   $30/per person
2026 Charity Golf Tournament

Our Annual 2026 Charity Golf Tournament
was held on
Monday, September 14, 2026
at the Golf Club of Avon
at 160 Country Club Road in Avon, CT
 
Thank you to all our sponsors and golfers. 
We also thank the staff of the Golf Club of Avon
and our many volunteers including
our great crew from FAVARH.
 
Read more...
Hartford Loaves & Fishes
 
Every 3rd Wednesday of the month our members volunteer at Hartford Loaves & Fishes
 
On June 17 2026 Community Service Chair Dick Kisiel presented a $1000 check to ExDir Allison Hild. 
 
Our members serve a plated hot lunch to members of the Hartford Community who come to the soup kitchen at Immanuel Congregational Church at 10 Woodland St. Lunch is served from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Monday - Friday.
 
If you would like to volunteer, contact Salin Low.
Getting to Know Doug Fisher
We are delighted to welcome to the Rotary of Avon Canton, our newest member, Doug Fisher.    Doug comes to us from the Rotary of Millbrook, NY where he received a Paul Harris Fellow Citation from Rotary International.  Doug is delighted to continue his love of Rotary and Service Above Self as a member of the Rotary of Avon-Canton. Doug was born and raised in Valley Stream, Long Island and is a graduate of St. John’s University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts. He earned a Master of Divinity at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, NY and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1980, later becoming a Doctor of Ministry from Episcopal Divinity School.
 
In 1984, Doug married Elizabeth Fisher and joined the Episcopal Church. He served as rector of Holy Innocents Church in Highland Falls, NY, chaplain at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and chair of the Standing Committee for the Diocese of New York.  He became rector of Grace Church in Millbrook, NY, from 2000 to 2012, and was elected Bishop of Western Massachusetts on June 2, 2012.
 
Doug is known for his work with veterans, including his role in founding the Building Bridges Veterans Initiative of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, which addresses veteran social isolation, depression, and suicide ideation through community meals and support networks. Doug is an ardent advocate for gun safety legislation. His membership in Bishops United Against Gun Violence has led to direct engagement and public witness at Smith and Wesson, Corp. in Springfield. Under his leadership the Trustees moved diocesan assets away from fossil fuels. Bishop Fisher has authored resolutions related to gun violence that were passed by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2018 and 2022.
 
Doug’s career spans over four decades in ministry, from Catholic priesthood to Episcopal leadership, marked by service to the military community, advocacy for social justice, and a focus on mercy, compassion, and hope in his diocese.  He has been recognized for his pastoral care, leadership in mission, and commitment to serving those in need. Doug enjoys golfing, hiking, rooting for the NY Yankees and Knicks as well as extensive travel around the globe to Ghana, Canada, Europe, Taiwan, Alaska and Israel.
 
Doug and his wife, Elizabeth, also an ordained minister, are the parents of three children and grandparents of five, ages newborn to six. They are new residents of Avon, CT. In retirement Doug will be helping the Bishop of Connecticut with ministry to a number of churches.
 
Welcome Doug Fisher!
 
Read more...
Fill the Pantries
Fill the Food Pantries Service Project
 
What a great day of service for Avon-Canton Rotary on April 20th. With the help of 10 Rotarians, we packed and delivered 2 pallets of food — about 60 cases per pallet — to support local food pantries in our community. The food was distributed through 4 carloads, with 2 cars going to each pantry, helping make sure these donations got where they were needed most. We are especially grateful that this project was supported by a Rotary Foundation District Grant, which helped make this important effort possible. Thank you to ShopRite (Canton, CT) for supplying the food we purchased through our District Grant and club funds.
 
Follow this link to see the full story and pictures
 
We Stand with Ukraine
Help us support the Rotary Clubs in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Maldova which are providing aid and comfort to the war torn areas and nearly 5 million refugees fleeing the war zones in Ukraine.
Read more...

September 2026

S
M
T
W
T
F
S
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
The Rotary of Avon-Canton 
is a charitable 501c3 organization
==============
 
 
 

Lauren Gardner, President 2026-2027
P.O. Box 11, Avon, CT 06001 

Board of Directors
meets 3rd Tuesday at 5:00 PM
Avon Public Library

International Service Committee
meets 2nd Friday at 8:45 AM at FAVARH

Membership Committee
meets 3rd Friday at 8:45 AM at FAVARH

Community Service Committee
meets 4th Friday at 8:45 AM at FAVARH
 

Member Directory
Suggest a speaker for an upcoming meeting
Speakers
Dick Kisiel
Sep 25, 2026
Photographs of Connecticut State Capital
April Breston
Oct 02, 2026
Polio Plus
Jerry Waters
Oct 09, 2026
Pergola Project, Canton
No Meeting
Oct 16, 2026
Oktoberfest October 15
Karen Cook
Oct 23, 2026
Summit Adaptive Sports
Steve Morris
Oct 30, 2026
Favarh
Available
Nov 06, 2026
Michelle Traub
Nov 13, 2026
Brian Magna, Magna Physical Therapy
Nov 20, 2026
TBA
View entire list...