A time of firsts for McMurray Rotary Club

After more than half a century of serving the community, McMurray Rotary Club is experiencing some firsts.
Sandra Castro is serving as the first female president of the club, and she came up with the idea of a “Dinner En Blanc” as a first-time theme for the club’s annual fundraising gala. And Albert DeLucia is on his way to becoming the first McMurray member to serve as governor of Rotary International District 7330.

Harry Funk / The Almanac
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Installing a new McMurray Rotary Club sign along Route 19 is Bob Corson of Corson Custom Graphics in Canonsburg.
The gala, scheduled for the evening of May 19 at Lindenwood Golf Club in North Strabane Township, features a theme begun 30 years ago in Paris when a man named François Pasquier invited a group of friends to an elegant outdoor dinner, requesting that they dress in white. The concept since has spread throughout the world.
Castro, the first woman to own J.J. Gillespie Gallery in Peters Township – founded in 1832, it’s the oldest fine art gallery in the United States – said she was looking for a simple, fun idea for the event, which generates money toward the club’s philanthropic giving.
“I want people to be however they come, if they want to be casual or if they want to be more elegant,” she said. “And for Rotarians in general, for all of our hard work and to have an enjoyable evening.”
The gala starts with a champagne toast and waving of white napkins, with a buffet dinner and plenty of giveaways throughout the night.
“At the close of the evening, usually there are sparklers or there are fireworks that go off, but we’ll be having the popping of the white balloons. Inside each one is a number,” Castro said, with prizes for the holders of the lucky ones.

Vida and Donnie Kuhns are bringing their vocal dynamics from the North Hills for an evening of favorites from oldies through today.
Entertainment is by the Vida Loves Donnie Duo: husband and wife Donnie and Vida Kuhns of Gibsonia, who come prepared to make people dance.
A McMurray Rotarian for eight years, Castro said she learned about the club through a newspaper article with a photo that included her friend Jim Mortimer, himself a past club president.
Her question to him: “Is it an all-men’s group?”
“I said, ‘Yeah, it’s a bunch of old, fat men smoking cigars and drinking martinis,'” Mortimer joked. “She laughed, and I said, ‘No. Of course, we’d love to have you!'”
Because of customs in some countries where Rotary International is active, the organization, in fact, started allowing women as members only about 30 years ago. Many clubs these days have close to a 50-50 split between the genders.
“It has been extremely rewarding, nice to have spent my time trying to make a change, perhaps, in many people’s lives,” Castro said about her tenure as president.

McMurray Rotary Club members participated in Peters Township’s cleanup day by picking up refuse along East McMurray Road on April 21. (Photo by Kelsey Sylvester)
In recent years, the club has raised about $30,000 annually, all of which is given back to the community through the likes of scholarships, donations of dictionaries to students, support for families in need and contributions to a wide variety of deserving groups. The club supports international projects, as well, including an orphanage in Colombia for nearly 20 years.
McMurray members also participate in community activities, such as the annual Peters Township Fishing Derby for children, which the club sponsors, and most recently the township’s cleanup day.
McMurray is two-time club of the year for District 7330, which spans from Cambria to Greene counties. DeLucia will take over district leadership for the 2020-21 Rotary year.
“I’ve always had a passion for the service of Rotary, and I’ve gotten to a point where my kids are grown, and some of the responsibilities with them have eased a little bit,” DeLucia, a Bethel Park resident and Peters Township native, said. “So it’s allowed me some more time to be able to devote to something that means a lot to me.”

Michael Silvestri, right, passes the gavel to Albert DeLucia as he takes over as McMurray Rotary Club president for 1996-97.
The owner of DeLucia & DeZomba Insurance Agency in North Strabane has been a McMurray Rotary Club member since 1991 and served as president in 1996-97. The club was founded in 1965 and, in fact, one of the charter members was the late Russ Wylie, who founded Lindenwood Golf Club.
McMurray’s longest-serving member is Bill Gullborg, who is marking his 50th anniversary of joining.
“We’ve had lots of very, very qualified Rotarians before me who could have been great district governors,” DeLucia said.
McMurray Rotary Club meets at 12:10 p.m. Wednesdays at Atria’s Restaurant, 4059 Washington Road, Peters Township. Guests always are welcome. For more information about the club and the “Dinner En Blanc” gala, visit www.mcmurrayrotary.com.

Harry Funk / The Almanac
Harry Funk / The Almanac
Rotary Plaza, near the Arrowhead Trail at East McMurray and Valley Brook roads in Peters Township, was completed in 2015 in honor of McMurray Rotary Club’s 50th anniversary.