Stories

 

    

Tickets are now available to the annual Gloucester Rotary Comedy Night, featuring Carolyn Plummer, Jim Colliton, Jimmy Cash, and Boston's Dave Rattigan on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at Cruiseport Gloucester. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm.  Don't miss this evening of fun and laughter! Tickets are $30 each, and are available from any Gloucester Rotarian or contact Ruth Pino (ruth@ruthpino.com, 978-764-6710).

 

(This event always sells out!!)

 

The Gloucester Rotary has named Tracy Arabian as a Paul Harris Fellow, the prestigious award named after the Chicago lawyer who founded Rotary in 1905. Tracy was selected by a committee of previous recipients of the award, and will be honored at a special dinner on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at Cruiseport Gloucester, located at 6 Rowe Square in Gloucester. The social hour will begin at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6:30pm.

Tracy Arabian was born and raised in the southwest U.S. The daughter of a career Marine, Tracy grew up in southern California, Hawaii, and Arizona—graduating from high school in Phoenix, Arizona. She then joined the U.S. Army, where she was trained as a Russian linguist. Her seven years in the service saw her stationed in Missouri, California, Texas, Washington DC, Kansas, and Berlin, Germany.  
 
Tracy married a fellow soldier she met in Berlin and moved to Gloucester, where she was welcomed warmly into the large Gloucester Doucette/Jenkins/Klopotoski/Arabian family. Tracy fell in love with the Cape Ann area quickly.  In 1997, she accepted a position at the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and learned firsthand the importance of community service. She met business leaders who commit to the betterment of their community through their service as little league coaches, scout leaders, Chamber volunteers, members of local service organizations, and more.  Tracy now works at SeniorCare, a non-profit human services agency that serves nine communities on the North Shore.
 
Tracy was heavily involved in the planning of the annual Gloucester Schooner Festival for several years, first as a part of her job at the Cape Ann Chamber and, later, as a consultant and volunteer when Maritime Gloucester took the festival helm ten years ago. Tracy joined the Gloucester Rotary in 2011 and has been very involved since that time. She has volunteered in the Rotary Youth Leadership Award program, working with high school student mentors in developing and running a leadership training weekend for underclassmen; the Gloucester Polar Plunge for the eradication of polio held annually at Long Beach; trivia fundraising events, and the marketing of Rotary both locally and statewide. Tracy was the Gloucester Rotary President last year (2021-2022) and will be co-President next year (2023-2024).

Tickets to the Paul Harris Dinner are $53 per person and may be reserved by contacting event chair Steve Kaity at 978-879-1051. The dinner is open to the general public, and friends and colleagues of Tracy are encouraged to attend.

 

The Gloucester Rotary has published a 12-month Cape Ann photo calendar for 2023, featuring the photography of several local photographers. In addition to the beautiful photography, each calendar includes a raffle ticket for a $50 weekly raffle drawing throughout the year.  The calendars are $25 each and proceeds from sales will be used for the Gloucester Rotary’s many community and international activities. The calendars are available for purchase at the Weathervane Gift Shop, located at 153 Main Street in downtown Gloucester (phone 978-281-1227), at BankGloucester, located at 160 Main Street in downtown Gloucester (978-283-8200), at the Building Center, located at 1 Harbor Loop in Gloucester (978-283-3060), and from any Gloucester Rotary member. Calendars may also be purchased online at https://gloucesterrotary.org/page/calendar. 

 

Dig into a fresh stack of blueberry pancakes at this year’s Gloucester Rotary Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at Stage Fort Park on Saturday, August 20, 2022, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

 

This community-friendly tradition brings people together for a good cause and offers a hearty al fresco breakfast with stunning views from the bandstand. Finish up a plate of pancakes and head down the hill to the Gloucester Waterfront Festival, sponsored by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, running on Saturday-Sunday, August 20-21, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days. A special free parking area is available for Pancake Breakfast attendees. For information on Gloucester attractions, visit www.capeannvacations.com.

 

Tickets for the Pancake Breakfast are $8 per person, $5 for children six and under, and are available in advance online or from any Gloucester Rotarian. Tickets will also be available on the morning of the breakfast.

 

Proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast will benefit local projects that support people. The Gloucester Rotary has served Gloucester and the world beyond for 100 years.