Raymond Cassel is a new member of the Rotary Club of Aurora and calls Aurora, Colorado home. Originally born in Waukegan, Illinois, he grew up in Round Lake Park before heading to college, where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry. Raymond spent an impressive 50 years in the industrial chemical cleaning industry—working his way through roles including supervisor, sales, project manager, and division manager with several companies in the same specialty.

Raymond also proudly served two years of active duty with the U.S. Naval Reserve during the naval blockade along the Vietnam coastline (1972–1974). Now retired, he continues to stay engaged through consulting work in chemical cleaning services. With more time in this season of life, Raymond is excited to give back to the community—especially by working with youth and helping get them interested in the outdoors. His favorite passions include fishing, hunting, archery, sporting clays, and wildlife photography.

Fun fact: Raymond is bald (and owns it!). He’s also a proud dad to two daughters and a grandpa to three grandsons and one granddaughter—and he shares his home with two spirited pups: a Scottish Terrier and a West Highland Terrier.

Each holiday season, the familiar sound of a bell outside local stores becomes a reminder that small moments of generosity can create big change. This year, the Rotary Club of Aurora was honored to support the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign by stepping up in a meaningful way—showing up, ringing bells, and inviting our community to give.

The Rotary Club of Aurora “adopted” two Aurora King Soopers locations, committing to cover bell-ringing shifts every Saturday and Sunday throughout the season, plus Christmas Eve, to help raise crucial funds that directly support Salvation Army programs and services. That’s a lot of hours standing in the cold, greeting neighbors with a smile, and spreading encouragement one donation at a time—and our Rotarians showed up with heart.