Moriches Rotary News

The Rotary Club of the Moriches is now a 501(c)3 corporation. The corporate name is The Moriches Rotary Foundation Inc.

This now enables the club to supply anyone or entity that makes donations to the club, or holding a fundraiser in the name of the Rotary Club of the Moriches, with a receipt to claim a deduction on their upcoming tax filing.

This is a benefit to the donor that the club was not previously able to provide in the past, in addition to other advantages of having 501(c)3 status.

The Rotary Club of the Moriches participates in many service projects in the local community, across Long Island, and internationally.

The Moriches Rotary Health Camp Inc., also known as and most recognizably known as Camp PaQuaTuck, on the shores of Kalers Pond, has been owned and operated by The Rotary Club of the Moriches since 1947.

The camp, which operates year-round, serves the needs of special-needs children and young adults. The busiest time of year at the camp is during the summer months, when the camp has 11 weeks of overnight and day camp sessions consisting of one week per session.

Each session runs from Sunday afternoon check-in through Friday morning pickup. Each weekly session, the campers enjoy arts and crafts, educational activities, boating and fishing on Kalers Pond, swimming in their brand-new pool and spray deck, camp fires, storytelling, and creating new and lasting friendships with their peers and counselors.

At Camp PaQuaTuck, “Summer Is For Everyone.”

The camp’s staff is led by executive director Kristin Cafiero and governed by the board of directors consisting of 13 members, not only from the Moriches Rotary Club, but also other Rotary Clubs from Suffolk County, and the PaQuaTuck Fundraisers.

The camp’s original mission was to provide a summer camp experience for children and young adults afflicted with the polio virus, which was so prevalent in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Most recently, that focus has shifted toward physical and developmental disabilities of all kinds and across all spectrums.

As part of the club’s focus on international service, the Moriches club and the camp recruits most of its summer counselors and support staff from abroad. Those young people come from a variety of countries including Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, South America and Central America as well as the United States. It’s a great experience for both the staff and the campers.

The camp encompasses 38 acres of land, bordered from north to south by the LIRR to Montauk Highway and east to west from Kalers Pond to Brookfield Cemetery.

In 2012, the Town of Brookhaven bought the development rights to all 38 acres of the camp property. The Rotary Club of the Moriches is the owner of the property, but development on the parcel is limited to a designated 10 of the 38 acres. The remaining 28 acres will remain forever wild.

Thanks to the forward thinking of the Brookhaven Town Board and under the leadership of then-supervisor Ed Romaine and now supervisor Dan Panico, many parcels in the town, including the camp, are now environmentally protected.

The camp is open to anyone who would like to make an appointment to come and see what we are all about and visit the site. Call 631-878-1070 to make an appointment to come visit.

For more information about the Rotary Club of the Moriches or to join the club, visit our website at morichesrotary.org or give Tom Chieffo a call at 631-294-5365.

The Moriches Rotary meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at JC’s restaurant at Pine Hills in Manorville from 6:30 to 8 p.m. All are welcome to attend and give back to our great community.

Don’t forget—coming up on Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25 at the camp is the annual spectacular Spooky Walk, hosted by the PaQuaTuck Fundraisers. Come support the camp and have a great, spooky time.