Helen Reisler gave a riveting presentation about her year as President during September 11
During our Rotary Club of New York September 11 Remembrance Dinner on September 9, 2026, our Past President and current Co-Chair of our New York Rotary Foundation gave a wonderfully insightful presentation about the actions our club took during the events of September 11. Helen laid out how she had a strong team in place that ensured a cerebral approach in granting the monies that the club had received from all over the world totaling $1.4 Million Dollars.
We were honored by Natalya Kasatova who was inducted as our newest member and had been introduced by Board Director Ilya Novokshanov.
Visiting Rotarians including two members from the Rotary Club of Seoul, South Korea, Elisa Brown our friend of the club and spouse of Jan Brown, from the Rotary Club of Paramus and a member of the Rotary Club of Hanau Germany.
During her presentation Helen read following poem she wrote:
MEMORIES OF “9/11”
I REMEMBER THE DAY
A day of Hell
The day we cried
When the towers fell
A day of Hell
The day we cried
When the towers fell
I remember the day
A day of joy
To see there was something
They could not destroy
As the shock settled in
We looked at each other
“I don’t know your name
But you are my brother”
“What is your skill?”
“What can you do?”
“Let’s put it to work”
Our mission grew
As we heard the cries
Of those trapped inside
Our fears and anger
Were put aside
We quickly came together
As one
The goodness in our hearts
Could not be undone
The poor helped the rich
The rich helped the poor
On that day
Divided no more
Doctors, lawyers, grocery clerks
All came together to make it work
Nobody noticed black or white
The main goal was to do it right
Every September, I remember
The genuine spirit that prevailed
On the ready we all stood
To save as many as we could
There were heroes that day
We will never forget
That we could not do more
Was our only regret
Helen Reisler
Helen Reisler carried the torch for the 185 members of her New York Rotary Club, leading them
in emergency and recovery efforts, as the first woman president in the club’s 92-year history.
Her leadership skills, logical thinking, and dedication have been recognized around the world.
