Home Page | Rotary Club of Central Ocean Toms River

Serving Central Ocean County & Toms River NJ

Join Us For Lunch!

We meet In Person

Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m.

Olive Garden

OLIVE GARDEN
1277 Hooper Ave
Toms River, NJ 08753
United States of America

Phone:

(732) 773-6293

Email:

centraloceanrotary@gmail.com

Networking & socializing begin at 12 Noon. Please check our Calendar and Facebook page for changes and special events. Visitors are always welcome! Join us for lunch!

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Designer Bag Bingo

Please join Central Ocean Rotary for our first Designer Bag Bingo! Your $40 ticket includes 10 games, 4 boards per game, 1 door prize ticket, and an ink dabber. There will be 50/50s, door prizes, 2nd chance drawings, and more. Bring a non-perishable food item and receive an additional door prize ticket (one ticket per donation). Ticket purchases of 8 or more will receive reserved seating. Feel free to bring snacks and beverages. All proceeds benefit Toms River High School students.

March 7, 2026
Doors open at 6PM, games start at 7PM
St. Barbara's Church, Toms River, NJ

A big shout out of thanks to all our donors / sponsors:

A Blossom Shop Florist, A Main Antiques, Burger25, Touch Nails, The Grateful Dog, ServPro of Toms River, Nick The Plumber, Toms River Fitness, Coastline Pilates and Wellness, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Xina Restaurant, Teresa’s Osaka Asian Bistro, Melaleuca, Elizabeth Rastelli LLC, and Insectropolis

➡️ Get your tickets online NOW

Breakfast for TRPD K-9 Unit

Help support the Toms River Police Department K-9 Unit by joining us for a morning meal at the Applebee’s at the Ocean County Mall.

For just $15 per person, you’ll enjoy a delicious spread including:

Fluffy short-stack pancakes and savory sausage
Scrambled eggs
Your choice of beverage (coffee, juice, soda, or tea)

100% of the proceeds go directly toward supporting our local K-9 heroes and their essential work in our community. We can’t wait to see you there!

➡️ Buy your tickets today!

Welcome Community Medical Center Foundation

We welcome Community Medical Center Foundation as our new corporate member into Central Ocean Rotary Club of Toms River. Kelly Servodio and Jennifer Shufran will be joining us as representatives. We are looking forward to seeing how our partnership can help our community.

Gifts for Ocean's Harbor House

This holiday season, our club was proud to partner with the Rotary of Toms River to collect wish-list items for the young adults of Ocean's Harbor House. Thanks to the generosity and teamwork of our members, we were able to help bring comfort, care, and a little extra magic to those who need it most.

Service above self shines especially bright during the holidays, and we’re grateful to everyone who helped make this effort so meaningful.

From all of us, Happy Holidays to our Rotary family and the community we are honored to serve.

: Members Jill Rand and George Hanna dropping off gifts.

50/50 Raffle Winners

Holiday Cheer 50/50 Raffle

Hosted by the Central Ocean Rotary Club of Toms River

Spread some cheer this season and support a great cause! Our annual Holiday Cheer 50/50 Raffle is officially underway, with proceeds benefiting our Scholarship Fund and local non-profit organizations that support families and youth in our community.

Three Chances to Win!

• 1st Prize: 35% of the total pot

• 2nd Prize: 10% of the total pot

• 3rd Prize: 5% of the total pot

Drawing Date: December 16

(No need to be present to win!)

Tickets: $20 each

Purchase yours here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2025-holiday-cheer-5050-raffle

We invite you to take part and help make a positive impact right here in Toms River.

Let’s spread a little joy together this season!

Planting Bulbs at the TR Housing Homeless Coalition

We had fun planting bulbs at the Toms River Housing and Homeless Coalition

Spring will be very beautiful!

Back-To-School Supply Drive

Our Back-to-School Supply Drive is here!

Let's come together to ensure every child has the tools they need to succeed this school year.

Donation Details:

Deadline: Drop off donation by August 29

Drop-off Location: Toms River Fitness & Aquatic Center

Items Needed:

- Backpacks

- Folders

- Glue sticks

- Crayons

- Erasers

- Pencils

-Pencil boxes

- Dry-erase markers

- One-subject notebook/composition

- Books

- Student scissors

- Construction Paper

Every contribution, big or small, makes a significant impact.

Whether it's a pack of pencils or a new backpack, your generosity will help these young learners start the school year on the right foot. Let's fill those classrooms with the supplies they need and show our community spirit!

As always, thank you for your support!

Ocean County Health Department

Last Tuesday, we were pleased to welcome Matt Holland and Kathy Speelman from the Ocean County Health Department as our guest speakers. They shared valuable insights on healthy eating and diabetes prevention, practical tips that benefit all of us!

Thank you, Matt and Kathy, for joining us and helping us stay informed and inspired to lead healthier lives.

Cooling Centers Supply Drive

Our club and the good folks at Toms River Fitness & Aquatic Center helped collect cleaning supplies and toiletries for the Code Red overnight shelters in Toms River and Bayville, hosted by True Vine Healing & Deliverance Ministries. Thanks everyone for your donations!

New Member: Stacey Cofka

We are thrilled to officially welcome Stacey Cofka to our club! Stacey recently transferred from the Sunrise Morning Club, and while we’re sad to see that club close its doors, we are incredibly excited to have her join us.

Stacey brings with her many years of Rotary experience and has held high-level leadership roles within the organization. Her dedication to service and deep knowledge of Rotary will no doubt be a tremendous asset to our club.

We’re so lucky to have you, Stacey — welcome aboard!

: President Laurie Singer and new member Stacey.

2025 Installation Dinner at the JBJ Soul Kitchen

We hosted our annual Installation Dinner at the JBJ Soul Kitchen this past Thursday night. Thank you Assistant District Governor Dion Johnson for installing our new round of Board Members!

Ocean Partnership for Children

Tara Boyle and Justin Montefusco from Ocean Partnership for Children spoke at our last meeting, sharing their programs for LGBTQ+ youth. Thank you for the work you do in the community!

2025 Scholarship/Laptop Presentation

One of the most meaningful moments of our Rotary year is our Annual Scholarship & Laptop Presentation Luncheon which took place this past Tuesday, and our hearts are full.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of some scholarship sponsors like member Bill Kaufmann, Science Research for All, The Koerner Family, member George Hanna, honorary member Jeff Bassett, we were able to award around $15,000 in scholarships and laptops to exceptional students pursuing higher education.

These scholarships and laptops represent more than just financial assistance, they are a symbol of belief in our local students and the bright futures ahead of them.

Scholarship Recipients:

• Robyn Youmans – OCVTS

• Kareem McGrath – Central Regional High School

• Rylie Mahon – Toms River HS North

• Alex Fortunato – Toms River HS East

• Riddhi Jariwala – Toms River HS South

• Grace Rhine – Toms River HS South

Laptop Recipients:

• Xochtil Hernandez Arteaga – Toms River HS East

• Valeria Velazquez – Toms River HS North

• Malaiya Salley – Toms River HS North

• Mario McCoy – Toms River HS South

Congratulations to each and every one of you. Your hard work, perseverance, and commitment to your future have not gone unnoticed. We’re honored to be part of your journey and can’t wait to see where it takes you.

To everyone who supports our club year-round, thank you. Your continued generosity and commitment to service make it possible for us to uplift and empower students across our community. We truly couldn’t do it without you and our amazing members.

View all photos here

Guest Speaker: Jonathan Petro

We were thrilled to welcome guest speaker Jonathan Petro at this week’s Rotary meeting! Born and raised right here in Toms River, Jonathan’s deep roots in our community fuel his passion and dedication to local causes.

By day, he’s an attorney at Carluccio, Leone, Dimon, Doyle, Gutman & Petro LLC, but in his spare time, he wears many hats, serving on the Ocean County Library Foundation, the OCVTS Foundation, and more.

Jonathan spoke to us about this weekend’s 7th Annual Toms River Pride Festival. A celebration of love, inclusion, and community where all are welcome. If you're in the area, stop by and show your support. It’s going to be a GREAT time!

Thank you, Jonathan, for all you do to make Toms River a stronger, more vibrant place!

Find all our news here

Applebee's Pancake Fundraiser
Applebee's Restaurant

Apr. 25, 2026
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Donations

Your support can make a real difference! Help us continue our mission, every contribution, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to making a lasting impact.