Nanuet Rotary Announces Japan Relief Aid, New Members

With the recent quake leaving much of Japan devastated, it's good to know that there are local efforts reaching out to help out those in crisis.

The Nanuet Rotary Club announced a donation to the Japanese relief efforts and inducted three new members into their chapter at their Thursday lunch meeting at the Clarksville Inn.

President Jim Damiani said that $1000 will be sent to purchase “a shelter box for a Japanese family, which acts as a self-contained survival kit.”

The latest Rotarians include:

• Aney Paul, a nurse in Nyack Hospital’s Mother-Baby Unit
• David Riolo, a financial advisor with the Barnum Financial Group’s White Plains office
• Accountant Shannon Modafferi, who joins her father Joseph Modafferi, a Nanuet-based CPA, as members of the local Rotary chapter

Damiani also commented on several other fundraising initiatives including rebuilding the playground in Nanuet, the upcoming selection of a Nanuet High School senior to receive a $6000.00 college scholarship and the Rotary’s campaign to eradicate polio worldwide.

It is this kind of outreach that led the newest members to join the Rotary.  To Riolo being a member of the club means “performing service to the community and doing whatever I can do to help society.”

"I am very interested in being of service to the community and also being a club member with my father,” said Modafferi.

Paul echoed the same sentiments and hoped that her membership will give her more opportunities to “give back to the community.”

The next Rotary fundraising event is scheduled for April 8 at the Nanuet Library when they join forces with the Friends of the Nanuet Library to present “The Story of Woodstock:  Back to the Garden.”  The program will be hosted by legendary disc jockey Pete Fornatale and will focus on the historic 1969 rock concert.  It will be held in the upstairs Community Room at the library from 7 - 9 p.m. and will benefit the Highview Park Playground Project. Admission is $20.00.