Next Meeting is via Zoom
Wednesday May 12, 2021
High School Recognition Awards
Ryan Thomas
The Rotary Club of Santa Rosa’s High School Recognition Award returns on May 12, 2021 to once again honor the Outstanding Students from our local high schools. This program was one of the last programs held by our Club before the pandemic shutdown in 2020. Like us all, these students have endured many challenges over the past year. Please log on to the Zoom invite to honor these well-deserving students.
–> Debi will send you the Zoom login link for the 12:00 meeting. Feel free to put your feet up, grab a sandwich, and join the meeting. <–
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
All in-person meetings are currently on hold. Instead, we will be holding online meetings using Zoom. Please be on the look out for an email with the link from either Jeff or Debi.
Wednesday May 19: Fire Forward
Wednesday May 26: Toastmasters and Rotary Alliance
Keep checking back. New Programs coming soon!
UPCOMING SOCIALS
Keep checking back. New socials coming soon!
USEFUL LINKS
Visit our district at: http://www.rotary5130.org
Check out Rotary International at: http://www.rotary.org
Come see us at: http://rotarymeansbusiness
Watch The Meeting: Did you miss the meeting? Here is a link to the recording of last week’s meeting:
Click Here
Please note it is only available to view until (5/16/21)
Opening Ceremonies
Pledge and Reflection:
Tony Roehrick led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and his reflection on today, May 5th. We celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which really isn’t a holiday in Mexico. It is only celebrated in Puebla, Mexico where the Mexican Army beat the French forces of Napoleon III in 1862. But it is a great excuse to have Mexican food and drink margaritas. Cheers! But the Fifth of May is also National: Astronaut’s Day, Silence the Shame Day, Cartoonist Day, Skilled Trades Day, Totally Chipotle Day, Hoagie Day, Interpreter Appreciation Day and National Bike to School Day. So, if you do not celebrate Cinco de Mayo, maybe you will enjoy these alternatives.
Guests:
Tara Clifford, Laura McNeill, Will Tesconi, Bill Vyenielo, and Lisa Hamilton
Visiting Rotarians:
Will Haymaker and Jackie McMillan
Sunshine Report:
Our dear friend, Jack Abercrombie, is having issues with his COPD and could use some cheering up. You can send him a card to the following address: 2241 N Union Rd, Apt 233, Manteca, CA 95336. Pris would appreciate it too. Also, Casey Carter’s 18-year-old cat passed away a few days ago. John and Judy Poremba also lost their 17-year-old dog this week. We all know how hard it is to lose one of our fur babies.
Auction Time!
Cathy Vicini donated a Corvin Wine Opener to be auctioned off. For those who don’t know what a Corvin is and why they are so expensive, here is why. The Covin allows you to pour a glass of wine without opening a bottle. This is a great way to taste a wine and see how it is aging. Paul Hamiton won the heated bidding with a bid of $250.00 (they retail for $399.00) and Cathy threw in a bottle of wine.
Recognitions:
Ray Giampaoli called out Rio Ray for trash talking Rio (all in fun, of course) about our membership contest. I believe Rio claimed Ray was using Russian hackers to help his team win. Rio Ray, Ray Giampaoli, Robert Pierce and President Jeff all donated $50.00 to the club from this kerfuffle. Too funny!
Mary Graves almost got recognized, but she was missing from Zoom at that moment. President Jeff will get her next week. Pete Lesure donated $50.00 toward our technology budget for any new equipment needed when we start meeting at the Epicenter. Pete also donated it on behalf of Mark Burchill.
Today’s Program: World Community Service and What they have been funding this last year.
Project Amigo (Colima, Mexio) $4000
Achon Uganda Healthcare GG $4000*
Zimbabwe WASH GG $3000*
Nepal WASH GG $1000*
Telemedicine (Global) $1000
Project Peanut Butter $1000*
Huehuetla School (Puebla, Mexico) $ 500
Amigos de Guatemala (Quiche, GT) $ 400
- This includes members donations; $3000 from Dan Balfe and $66 from Rick Allen
Jose Guillen introduced the members of World Community Service (WCS): Rick Allen, Dan Balfe, Bill Crowley, Carolyn Fassi, Tony Roehrick, Jeff Gospe, Shari Shamsavari, Peter Holewinski and himself.
WCS’s guiding principles are the Four Way Test as well as analyzing:
What is Santa Rosa Rotary Club’s role (leader, participant, contributor. Is there a Rotary club in the area? Is the relationship going to be on-going (long term and/or strategic)? What needs, impacts and/or sustainability are of significance? What is the scope of the project? What will be the goal/outcome of the project? Is it in one of the seven areas of Rotary’s focus?
Project Amigo we are all familiar with. Our club has been supporting Project Amigo for at least 20 years. The funds provided help youth and give them an education opportunity that they otherwise would not have. 131 clubs are supporting Project Amigo. For $1200 you can go there and spend a week helping.
Uganda Achon has provided a mobile health vehicle to this area of Uganda. They investigated raising funds for a new ambulance, but Rotary no longer will fund ambulances (because they need to be replaced often). Fortunately, the Australian Foundation Love Mercy donated the needed ambulance. The Global Grant is pending final review. The Cambria RC is the lead club and coordinating the project with the host club in Uganda.
The Zimbabwe WASH Global Grant project will provide clean water, sanitation hygiene and a community garden. The lead club is the Rotary Club of St Helena. This project should be finished this fall.
Nepal WASH is also a clean water, sanitation and hygiene Global Grant project. The lead club is the Rotary Club of Katmandu and the lead from our district is the Sonoma Valley RC. It is providing clean water for schools, feminine hygiene products for the girls (who otherwise don’t go to school when they have their menstrual cycles). This project hopes to be fully funded soon.
Telemedicine-GlobalOffSite Care is another one of our long-term funded projects. It was established by the Sebastopol Sunrise Club and Dr. Jim Gude back in 2012 and now has projects in over 12 countries around the world. These are underserved and little access to health care places. One of those places is Bahamas. Mary Graves shared her experience working with the Eleuthera Rotary Club in the Bahamas since 2008. She and Rotaract kids from Sonoma County have gone to help in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The local Rotaract Club had a fund raiser in 2017, “Night of 1000 Coats” to support this project. The project now has two ultrasound machines to use in the field.
The Project Peanut Butter is celebrating 20 years! More children die of malnutrition than any other childhood disease worldwide. This product, that is much like peanut butter, is cheap and easy to produce in the areas where there is severe malnutrition. It has saved children’s lives. The Rotary Club of Tokyo has donated two Land Rovers to this project.
Huehuetla Indigenous School in Puebla, Mexico is a school for the children of the Totonaca Community. Our club donated funds to provide furniture for the school.
Amigos de Guatemala is another school project to provide an education to the area’s indigenous people. Girls are able to go to school and stay in school.
Koongo Saghai Foot-Bridge: Two bridges in this rural community were rather flimsy and dangerous. The Rotary Club of Mwika wanted to build sturdy, concrete bridges that would be always passable, year-round. Also, the potable water supply is only on one side of the bridges, denying those that lived on the wrong side of the bridge.
The WCS committee seeks out opportunities for growth and improvement working with other Rotary Clubs, and non-profits for Global Grants for new and ongoing projects. They are seeking and advocating for additional funding. This week’s Paul Harris pool is just one way to raise money. They want to do raffles and auctions to raise funds. They would like our members to consider when they do a recognition that they earmark the funds for WCS. They would like to work with other clubs WCS committees for fundraising. They are committed to doing two club presentations per year. They would like to see that the club budget reserve a portion for Global Grant participation. They encourage members to join the committee to do more good around the world.
Program Slides:
Click on above image to open PDF of Presentation
Additional Pictures:
Governor, District 5130
Doug Johnson
Secretary
Debi Zaft P.O. Box 505 Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Board of Directors
Club Service I, Membership, Julia Parranto
Club Service II, Club Meetings, Casey D’Angelo
Club Service III, Fundraising, Diane Moresi
Club Service IV, Member Activities, Anne Gospe
Club Service V, Information Technology and Records, Pete Lescure
Community Service I, Member Involvement, Rio Ray
Community Service II, Youth, Andrea Geary
Vocational Service, Carolyn Fassi
International Service, Dan Balfe
DIGITAL EDITION No. 406 May 5, 2021 EDITOR: Kris Anderson PHOTOGRAPHER: Kris Anderson PUBLISHER: Richard Lazovick