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8th Annual Trick or Trot 5K

8th Annual Trick or Trot 5K

🎃 2026 Trick or Trot 5K

Run, Walk & Get Spooky for a Great Cause!

The Rotary Club of Batavia is proud to present the 8th Annual Trick or Trot 5K on October 24th!

Grab your friends and family, put on your favorite Halloween costume, and join us for a fun-filled morning of running, walking, community, and Halloween spirit!

All proceeds benefit the Rotary Club of Batavia’s community support efforts, including youth sports, scholarships, and other local community beneficiaries.

🏃 A Spooktacular Community Tradition

The Trick or Trot 5K continues to grow! With our USATF-certified course and age-bracket award system, we are excited to welcome back many of our past runners while also giving new participants the opportunity to join the fun.

Our 12-and-under Monster Mile Fun Run is back too! Complete with course scarers and plenty of Halloween excitement, it’s a great way for our youngest participants to get in on the fun.

Whether you're a serious runner, a casual walker, or simply looking for a fun family activity, come dressed in your favorite costume and join us for one of the most unique and fun 5K events in Genesee County!

🏃‍♀️ Register Today!

Ready to join the fun? Registration is now open!

👉 Register for the Trick or Trot 5K & Monster Mile

🎃 Become a Trick or Trot Sponsor!

Want to help make this year's event a success?

We are looking for local businesses and community supporters to join us as sponsors. Your support helps us reach our fundraising goals while allowing the Rotary Club of Batavia to continue supporting important programs throughout our community.

All sponsors and donors will be recognized on our Trick or Trot Facebook page and in our event grab-bag brochure.

Have promotional items, coupons, or goodies you'd like to share with our runners? We'd love to include them in our swag bags!

🧛 Dracula’s Elite – Platinum | $500

  • 2 race entries
  • 2 event T-shirts
  • Logo recognition on race T-shirts
  • Digital Advertising Add-On: Prominent logo placement with a direct link on online registration platforms, a dedicated sponsor spotlight on the Trick or Trot Facebook page, and recognition in digital email blasts to registered participants

🐺 Wolfman’s Pack – Gold | $300

  • Logo recognition on race T-shirts
  • Digital Advertising Add-On: Medium logo placement on the registration page and a shared sponsor spotlight across our social media channels

👻 Phantom Force – Silver | $150

  • Business name recognition on race T-shirts
  • Digital Advertising Add-On: Business name listed in the digital sponsor directory

🎃 Pumpkin Pledger – Bronze | Custom Amount

  • Any donation amount is greatly appreciated
  • Included in event acknowledgments

Ready to Get Involved?

To become a sponsor, make a donation, or contribute items for our participant swag bags, contact:

trickortrotbatavia@gmail.com

Lace Up. Dress Up. Show Up!

Join the Rotary Club of Batavia on October 24th for a Halloween tradition filled with fun, fitness, community, and a great cause!

Trick or Trot 5K — where every step makes a difference!

Batavia Rotary Club Installs Peace Pole in Rotary Park
Batavia Rotary Club Installs Peace Pole in Rotary Park

Batavia Rotary Club Installs Peace Pole in Rotary Park

The Rotary Club recently celebrated the installation of a Peace Pole in Rotary Park, creating a lasting symbol of hope, unity, and goodwill for the community. Bearing the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in multiple languages, the Peace Pole reflects Rotary’s commitment to promoting peace, understanding, and service both locally and around the world.

The club extends its appreciation to the Rotarians who volunteered their time and talents to complete the installation. Their hard work helped bring this meaningful project to life, creating a welcoming reminder that peace begins with each of us and the actions we take to strengthen our community.

2026 Father's Day Fly-In Breakfast
2026 Father's Day Fly-In Breakfast

Batavia Rotary Father's Day Fly-In Breakfast Draws Hundreds for a Memorable Community Celebration

The Rotary Father's Day Fly-In Breakfast was a tremendous success this year, welcoming hundreds of guests for a morning of great food, aviation, music, and family fun. Visitors enjoyed a delicious breakfast featuring real maple syrup from Mountain Maple, while children explored aircraft displays and met members of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and Batavia Fire Department. The event provided a memorable Father's Day experience for families while raising funds to support Rotary's service projects throughout the community.

The Rotary Club extends its sincere appreciation to the following Community Sponsors:

• Arctic Refrigeration
• Batavia Downs Gaming
• Boshart Enterprises
• Genesee County Airport
• Genesee Lumber
• Kreher's Farm Fresh Eggs
• Mountain Maple
• Nash Dsylva / BBG Group
• Niagara Upstate Milk Corp
• Reinhart Enterprises
• Suburban Propane
• Tops Friendly Markets
• United Memorial Medical Center
• Wright Beverage Distributing
• Zeliff Aviation

Special thanks to our Event Partners:

• OnCore Aviation
• DJ Biggs Johnson
• Batavia Fire Department
• Genesee County Sheriff's Office

Their generosity and support helped make this cherished Father's Day tradition another tremendous success.

United Way Day of Caring
United Way Day of Caring

Rotarians Lend a Hand at Purple Pony for United Way Day of Caring

Rotarians from the Batavia and Le Roy Rotary Clubs rolled up their sleeves for this year’s United Way Day of Caring, joining forces to support Purple Pony Therapeutic Horsemanship and its mission of enhancing the lives of individuals with diverse needs through therapeutic horsemanship. Volunteers spent the day making meaningful improvements to the facility, including building a new run-in shed for the horses, cleaning and refreshing the sensory trail, and installing a new gate to improve safety and accessibility.
Ellicott Trail Clean-Up 2026
Ellicott Trail Clean-Up 2026

Rotary and Friends of the Ellicott Trail Come Together for Spring Trail Clean-Up

Rotary members joined forces with the Friends of the Ellicott Trail and community volunteers for a successful Trail Clean-Up Day following the long winter season. Volunteers worked together to clear debris, clean pathways, and help restore the trail for residents and visitors to enjoy throughout the spring and summer months.
 
This community effort reflects Rotary’s continued commitment to service, environmental stewardship, and community pride. We are grateful to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to help maintain one of Batavia’s treasured outdoor spaces.
 
We also thank Video News Service for covering the event and helping highlight the positive impact of community collaboration and volunteerism.  
 
Human Trafficking Educational Seminar
Human Trafficking Educational Seminar

Rotary District 7090 and PATH (People Against Trafficking Humans)

Join Rotary District 7090 and PATH (People Against Trafficking Humans) for a crucial educational seminar focused on understanding human trafficking and learning how to take actionable steps in our community. This event features expert insights from PATH, Project Mona’s House, and Hilbert College.

The seminar is open to all community members and includes a complimentary lunch. While the event is free to attend, an RSVP is required via the QR code on official event flyers.

  • When: Saturday, May 23, 2026 | 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM

  • Where: Batavia Downs Gaming, Park Place Room (8315 Park Rd, Batavia, NY)

  • Cost: Free (Includes Lunch) - https://bataviarotary.org/events/human-trafficking-educational-seminar/ 

Successful Meat Raffle
Successful Meat Raffle

Rotary Meat Raffle Fundraiser – Thank You!

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who attended and supported our Rotary Meat Raffle Fundraiser. Your enthusiasm, generosity, and community spirit made the event a tremendous success!
Congratulations to our prize winners:
  • 1st Place: Marty Nephew – Freezer filled with meat
  • 2nd Place: Donna Saskowski – Basket of Booze
  • 3rd Place: Rhonda Lund – Batavia Downs Stay & Play Package
  • 4th Place: Joe Volino – Two VIP Tickets to Wings Over Batavia
We would also like to give a special thank you to our incredible sponsors whose support made this event possible:
The YNGODESS Shop, Wings Over Batavia Air Show, Ben's Appliance, Biggs Sound and Entertainment, Mr. Wine and Liquor, Arctic Refrigeration Co., Eli Fish Brewing Company, Batavia Downs, Eastown Beverage, Batavia Redemption Center, the GLOW YMCA, and Jimi Jamm.
 
Because of all of you, we are able to continue supporting important programs and initiatives in our community. We look forward to seeing you again next year!
2026 Meat Raffle
2026 Meat Raffle

Batavia Rotary 2026 Meat Raffle

Join the Rotary Club of Batavia for an evening of fun and prize! Your $15 ticket includes beer, wine, and soda. There will be door prizes, a basket raffle, and plenty of meat prizes to win. Guests are encouraged to bring snacks for their table and a cooler to take home their winnings! For tickets and info, visit www.bataviarotary.com.

Doors Open at 5PM

First Drawing is at 6PM

Tickets Available Here! 

Batavia Rotary Membership Growth
Batavia Rotary Membership Growth

Adapting to Grow Membership – Offer Options and Support

Membership growth is a goal shared by every Rotary club—but meaningful, sustainable growth requires more than recruitment alone. Over the past year, our club has taken a thoughtful, relationship-centered approach to both attracting new members and, just as importantly, retaining them.
 
Our club has a highly active membership committee. We meet monthly to discuss ways to not only grow our membership but also retain the members we have.
 
Over the past five years, we have removed thirty-four members from our roster. While that may seem like a staggering number, we currently sit at 73 members - two members higher than our previous five-year average.
 
Attrition is natural and many of the reasons are unavoidable – Rotarians move out of the area, resign for health reasons, and some pass away. Of the thirty-four former Rotarians, thirteen left due to job or family obligations. Our answer was to develop a different philosophy when engaging potential members. We no longer place the focus on attending weekly meetings. We instead provide members with a menu of options to support our club, while filling their bucket in a meaningful way, that also recognizes their job and family commitments. We also encourage family involvement in our fundraising and service projects.
 
We have also implemented a Mentor Program to bridge the gap between new member enthusiasm and long-term engagement. Each new member is thoughtfully paired with an experienced Rotarian who serves as a guide, resource, and connection point within the club. Mentors connect regularly with their mentees during the first year, helping them navigate meetings, service opportunities, and club culture. New members are introduced to key aspects of Rotary - committees, service projects, and fundraising efforts.
 
Our Mentorship Program continues to grow and adapt based on feedback from both mentors and mentees. As we refine the process, our goal remains the same: to create a Rotary experience where every member feels valued, connected, and inspired to serve.
 
 
 
 
Club Membership Goals
 
While still evolving, the impact has been clear. We’ve seen improved engagement, stronger attendance, and most importantly, a noticeable decrease in early attrition. New members are not just joining—they’re staying, participating, and stepping into leadership roles.
 
Membership growth isn’t just about numbers—it’s about people. By investing in relationships and creating a supportive environment, we are building a stronger, more vibrant club for years to come.
 
Submitted by Tracy Ford, Membership Chair
Rotary Club of Batavia, NY
Batavia Community Grants
Batavia Community Grants

Making Music, Building Community

Thanks to the generosity of Rotary fundraising efforts, local organizations like the Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble are able to thrive and expand their impact in our community.
 
Rotary support helps bring high-quality live music to the Greater Genesee Valley by funding the purchase of new and contemporary musical works opportunities that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive. This means richer performances, more engaging concerts, and continued artistic growth for musicians ranging from professionals and educators to talented students.
 
Beyond the stage, Rotary funding strengthens community connections. Grants support outreach and promotional efforts that increase awareness, grow audiences, and ensure more people can experience the joy of live music. At a time when operational costs are rising, this support allows organizations to focus their resources on sustaining performances and enriching cultural life.
 
Because of Rotary, our community doesn’t just hear music, it feels its impact.
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