This part of the Rotary year is always a rewarding time as we move along in the final quarter. Pleasant activities such as attending club meetings to receive polio and/or Foundation contributions, Paul Harris events, Rotaract meetings, fundraisers, inducting new members and club anniversaries. Before I share a few of these experiences, I have to express a concern. That concern – Rotarian participation in District activities and registering on a timely basis. It’s happening again now with Club Leadership Training at Erie Community College in downtown Buffalo on May 7th. Friday, April 20th is our contractual deadline for providing food numbers and yet as I write this, we are nowhere close to anticipated numbers. Why do we procrastinate? Please, get on the district website now and register! It will be a great event with sessions for everyone.
Now – back to those experiences I mentioned. First off, the induction of two new members at the Waterdown club with President Sabih was a special occasion. What made this fantastic for me was that Annette Nyland, a Rotarian since only October, referred them both, making her responsible for three new members in that short space of time! I wish all clubs had an Annette!
Another highlight was the Westfield-Mayville’s club PolioPlus-apalooza. What a great evening! An anonymous donor came forward two years ago and offered to match up to ten thousand dollars for new money raised by the club for polio. Over the two years, numerous events raised a total of $11,715.46. The $21,715.46 total was then doubled by the Gates Foundation contribution, resulting in a total of more than $65,000 for Polio Plus! An incredible event that brought big smiles to District Polio Chair Pat Castiglia and Zone 24E Foundation Coordinator Karen Oakes. Thanks to President Jan Berkhouse and club Foundation chair Jim Wakeman for their leadership! And to all the club – job well done!!! Pictured (left to right) Karen Oakes, DG Reg, Pat Castiglia, Jim Wakefield and Jan Berkhouse.
Thanks to Doug Harty, President of East Aurora, for a warm reception at their breakfast meeting to receive club donations to Polio Plus and the annual fund.
Finally, the Niagara Falls and Niagara Falls Sunrise clubs hosted a Paul Harris evening on April 16th to present Paul Harris Fellows to six recipients. Unfortunately, we couldn’t attend because of the spring ice storm that weekend. To BJ Romans and all the Rotarians, again our regrets and I’m sure it was a wonderful evening!
By the time you read this, I will have had the pleasure of collecting and presenting Foundation money to the Dundas Valley Sunrise club, we will have attended a joint luncheon meeting of all the Niagara clubs, the Lincoln Paul Harris evening, a Rotaract event at the University of Buffalo, and will have celebrated the 80th birthday of the Lewiston-Niagara club! What a fantastic experience to see, first-hand, these clubs Making a Difference!
If you joined Rotary in the last 12 months, or if you have members in your club who have joined in the past year, we are offering a free webinar for new Rotarians:
This webinar will help new Rotarians learn about the wonderful world of Rotary from the club, to the district, to the Zone, to The Rotary Foundation, and to the 1.2-million-member organization known as Rotary International. Tune in on May 23 and find out what it’s all about.
The latest Rotary Leadership Institute was held at Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, New York on March 24. The day saw 35 + Rotarians (26 registrants and facilitators) meet to discuss all things Rotary.
Another 9 District 7090 Rotarians completed the RLI program and were presented with their certificates and RLI pins. The Rotarians receiving their certificates and pins from PDG Jack Amico (pictured in blue t-shirt), along with a congratulations were in alphabetical order: Fiona Barretto, Cynthia Cotten, Bill French, Lauren Humphrey, James Mott, Bernard Neziol, Ellen Roth, Sabih Uddin and Michael Woods.
The RLI committee is now beginning its work for the next RLI courses to be held during the next Rotary Year which starts July 1. Watch the District website for dates once they are finalized.
We are exploring other options as well as it relates to the delivery of RLI. Also, there are graduate courses for RLI Grads, and delivery of these courses in District 7090 is also being explored. Stay tuned!!
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls held its 20th Annual Trivia Night fundraiser at Club Italia on February 21, 2018. The event was a great success with over 400 people attending, raising $14,000.00 for the Rotary Club to donate back into our community for those in need!
The 50/50 draw and raffle table was also a great success. The club sends thanks to everyone who donated prizes and to the many volunteers and attendees.
During the April 10th special gathering of 32 Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville members, Rotary dignitaries and guests at Brazill’s On Main in Westfield, three club members were honored with their first or next level of the Paul Harris Fellowship. The award recipients were Tracy Bennett, Dan Smith and Sue Hammond.
The Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club recognition ceremony was held in conjunction with this group’s “PolioPlus-apalooza” celebration for the club having surpassed its PolioPlus Challenge goal. Jim Wakeman, Club Foundation Chair, led the recognition ceremony. Janese Berkhouse, Club President, proudly congratulated the club’s three newest PH Award recipients, as follows:
Tracy Bennett, Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville Treasurer, was presented with his first Paul Harris Fellow by Reg Madison, Rotary District 7090 Governor. Bennett, who joined Rotary in 2015, is a certified public accountant. He was challenged by District Governor Madison to continue earning PH Awards in order to receive the Major Donor recognition, which is given when cumulative donations reach $10,000.
Dan Smith, Westfield-Mayville Rotary Youth Services Chair, was honored with his Paul Harris Fellow+1 (Level 2) recognition. Smith also serves as the Rotary District 7090 Vocational Training Team Chair. He was proudly given his award and congratulated by District Governor Madison. Smith, who joined Rotary in 1998, served as Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club President in the 2001-2002 club year. His profession is computer software sales.
Sue Hammond, Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville Public Relations Chair, received her Paul Harris+3 (Level 4) recognition from Karen Oakes, Rotary International Zone 24E Foundation Coordinator. Hammond, who joined Rotary in 2008, served as Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club President for two consecutive terms, 2010-2012. She is a retired high school principal.
Linda Dunn, a fourth Westfield-Mayville Rotarian who also earned her next level of the Paul Harris Fellow recognition, was unable to attend this event.
Pictured (left to right) are Jim Wakeman, DG Reg Madison, Tracy Bennett, Dan Smith and Sue Hammond.
In eighteen months members of the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville raised $11,715.46 and donated it to The Rotary Foundation PolioPlus Fund for Polio eradication efforts. This organization had set an original goal of raising $10,000 within two years. On April 10th, thirty-two Rotary International Zone 24E and District 7090 officials, guests and club members gathered at Brazill’s On Main in Westfield for the official announcement and dinner celebration, which was titled “PolioPlus-apalooza.”
This Rotary club had been challenged by an anonymous, local foundation to raise $10,000 in two years, through new fundraisers, each with an educational component about the disease of polio. The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville energetically met its challenge. The club first submitted its major donation of $11,715.46 to The Rotary Foundation (TRF) PolioPlus Fund, and then the local foundation generously made its major contribution of $10,000.
Because the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is offering a $2:1 match of all donations, the Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club played a significant role in generating $65,146.38 in the fight against polio. A single dose of the polio vaccine costs about sixty cents. The polio virus remains in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under 5 years of age. According to the World Health Organization, “Cases due to wild poliovirus have decreased by over 99%, since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases then, to 22 reported cases in 2017. As a result of the global effort to eradicate the disease, more than 16 million people have been saved from paralysis. As long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio.” (Source: WHO Media Centre, Mar. 2018 Fact Sheet.) To date in 2017, only 7 new cases of the wild polio virus have been identified. (Source: WHO Global Polio Eradication Initiative; polioeradication.org, Apr. 2018.)
Jim Wakeman, Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville Foundation and PolioPlus Challenge Chair, announced, “As we celebrate the achievement of our club’s goal, and recognize the fantastic efforts of all those who were involved, it is most important that we especially remember the end result. Because of our efforts, 108,577 children will receive doses of the polio vaccine. These children will not suffer the effects of this crippling and sometimes paralyzing disease, nor will their lives be forever negatively impacted by it.”
Rotary International Zone 24E Foundation Coordinator Karen Oakes stated, “This truly is an amazing achievement by the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville. It is a major contribution in support of global polio eradication efforts.”
Rotary District 7090 Governor Reg Madison said, “How proud I am of this Rotary Club for its PolioPlus Challenge campaign efforts. When I first learned that this organization had not reached, but surpassed its challenge goal, I was overwhelmed and just cried tears of joy. This is a remarkable accomplishment.”
Pictured (left to right) are Sue Hammond - Club Public Relations Chair; Karen Oakes - Rotary International Zone 24E Foundation Coordinator; Reg Madison - Rotary District 7090 Governor; Pat Castiglia - Rotary District 7090 End Polio Now Chair; Jim Wakeman - Club Foundation and PolioPlus Challenge Chair; and Janese Berkhouse - Club President.
The Pathways to Opportunity Award represents a unique collaboration among Rotarians, educators and businesses in the Lincoln community. In its commitment to both Vocational and Youth services, the Rotary Club of Lincoln is pleased to work with the Chamber and Beamsville District Secondary School to celebrate businesses that go out of their way to support co-operative education.
Each year, approximately 110 Grade 11 and 12 BDSS students spend between one and four periods of each school day over four months in the workplace. This would not be possible without the voluntary participation of some 50 businesses and organizations. In essence, the companies are providing ‘pathways to opportunity’ experiences that help students find their way to post-secondary employment, career and education opportunities.
To select the Pathways Award recipient, the BDSS Co-op Education Department uses the following criteria:
The opportunity to engage in a meaningful work experience
The mentoring relationship provided to the student during the work term
Going above and beyond to support students at their co-op placements
The Rotary Club of Lincoln is pleased to announce that the 2018 Pathways Award recipient is Conversations Cafe' & Bistro. For more information go to: http://conversationscafe.squarespace.com/#about
Pictured aremembers of the Lincoln Chamber, Mayor Sandra Easton, Deborah (with the award) & David Dueck, Sue Foster President Rotary Club of Lincoln, members of Lincoln Chamber.
The Rotary Club of Lincoln recently welcomed Oluf Lauridsen, as its newest member. Michael Hahn was the sponsor and performed the induction ceremony. Oluf is a retired tennis professional and instructor.
Pictured is President Sue Foster presenting the Rotary pin to Oluf.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg recently inducted Jill Martucci into its membership. President Jerry Bastedo, right, conducted the ceremonies welcoming Ms. Martucci who is employed in the Enterprise Risk Management Division of the Bonadio Group. At left is Rotarian Tyler Shaw, her sponsor.
The Rotary Club of Welland is beginning to plan for its 100th Anniversary on April 1, 2020 (not an April Fool’s joke). The club has been actively involved both locally and internationally. In fact, the first international support was in 1941 in support of the British War Victims.
Welland Rotary was a charter member of what is now the Niagara Children’s Centre in St. Catharines, and began it’s support for, what was then referred to as, crippled children, in 1945-1946.
To celebrate 100 years of Rotary service, the club has initiated a call for proposals from the public, Rotarians and former Rotarians for a legacy project. The project should reflect the Objects of Rotary that include: Making a Difference, Service Above Self, Community Service and Goodwill that can, in the broadest sense, benefit Welland residents and visitors to this great city.
The project will have up to a $100,000 nominal value, based on up to a $100,000 contribution from the Rotary Club of Welland. The project value could be significantly more if it can attract sponsors, partners, matching funds or grants from foundations, etc. The club is looking for donations toward it’s $100,000 contribution, with all donations eligible for a Canadian income tax receipt.
Leslie Burow was the 7th member to be inducted into the Rotary Club of Norfolk Sunrise Rotary family this year. She was introduced to Rotary through her 15 year-old daughter who pursued an opportunity to do a short term student exchange which was communicated to her high school by our Rotary Youth Exchange Committee. Her daughter is going to Italy and now, as a result, we are thrilled to have her mother as our newest member!
Pictured (left to right) are Keith Jones, President Elect, Leslie Burow, newest RCNS member, Lucine McKay, Past President.
GRANT PROMOTES SELF ESTEEM BUILDING IN REMOTE COMMUNITY
The Rotary Club of Norfolk Sunrise has been working with Pikangikum First Nation in northwestern Ontario for five years. This year, Rotary teamed up with supplier Algonquin Outfitters, OPP and the Rotary District 7090 to help outfit the school’s outdoor program with $4500 worth of camping and canoeing equipment so that the school now has the ability to outfit complete canoe trips and hiking adventures.
Jim Dawson, a long time Norfolk Sunrise Rotary member, commented, “Formerly, the outdoor program had to travel outside the community to participate in an annual canoe trip, the culmination of the spring outdoor program. Now with the canoe packs, life jackets and water filters supplied under this grant, the students can also go on more local trips, weekend trips right from the community which has ideal canoe trip conditions and best of all - this can be done in a much more cost-effective manner”.
The Rotary District provides matching funds to help local projects be able to do more with the funds raised locally. In this case, some of the funding came from the popular “Catch the Ace” progressive lottery which was held at the Port Dover Legion last year (and will be starting again April 6).
The outdoor program is very important in building self esteem, resilience, confidence in traveling in the wilderness and provides training for future careers in adventure tourism and outfitting. Because of the support by Rotary over the past few years, including yearly visits by Rotarians Jim and Marjorie Dawson to help with canoe training, the program is now going to be expanded to include the fall term next year.
Rotary Club of Jamestown held it's 5th Annual Fire & Ice Ball at Chautauqua Suites recently. The Ball is one of the club’s annual fundraisers. As attendees entered the event, they were able to view pictures of projects our club has directly been involved with or donated to in the past both locally and internationally.
This year the raffle prizes included a vacation package to the Grand Mayan in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico and an ice blue diamond jewelry set. During the event there was also a silent auction where attendees were able to bid on some amazing prizes.
The 24th International Curling Fellowship of Rotarians was held from April 6 to April 13 at the Lanarkshire Ice Rink, Hamilton, Scotland. This fellowship event is held every two-years either in Scotland, Canada or the USA.
Rotary Club of Grimsby was proudly represented (pictured left to right) by Bill Hughes aka Skip, Sharon Rizzuto, Wayne Fertich and Charles Daly.
Grimsby was playing in the Friendship Division of 14 teams and Bill Hughes skipped his rink to a first place finish in a 7 team Round Robin with 5 wins and one loss. They advanced to the semi-finals but lost to Perth, Scotland.
All members of the Grimsby Team Rink were smartly dressed with the Canadian flag proudly displayed on their trousers.
Members of the Flamborough AM Rotary Club had a social evening in March at Flamboro Race Track, including dinner and a Race named after them.
Pictured (left to right) are Sherry and Duncan Bell, President, Frank Keelan, Past President, Margaret Robertson, Chair of Public Relations, Dan Posavad, Youth Services Chair, Ryan Bridge, President Elect, and Frank Spiridoulias, Community Services Chair.
Apparently, the Rotary horse, named HOWMACFIESTY, did not win, but fun was had by all.
Rob Nagy sent in this excerpt from the president of Brantford Rotary, Lance Calbeck, (pictured on left) regarding a fundraiser the club is involved with. "One of the perks of being club President is getting your mug in the news. Today, Bob Cassie came to our meeting and wrapped up the 18th Great Northern Ride. Over $212,000 from a group of guys who combine their love of snowmobiling with some serious fundraising. The money raised goes directly to the Lansdowne Children’s Centre Foundation. Well done fellas, well done."
G. Robert Moeschler Jr., a member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo for 47 years, passed away on March 11, 2018. Bob generously remembered Rotary with a $50,000 gift to the Buffalo Rotary Foundation. Bob was a Paul Harris Fellow, Chairman of the District Conference in 1988, Chairman of Sunshine Day at Cradle Beach Camp, and Chairman of the Annual Outing for about 15 years. Bob’s father, G. Robert Moeschler, Sr was a Buffalo Rotarian for 25 years.
Rotary Club of Lancaster-Depew President Rob Benzel gladly distributed more checks for the club’s local giving this month. Shown are a presentation following their breakfast meeting at Russell’s, to LEAF. LEAF is a foundation formed by educators to fund things that cannot be ordinarily purchased with regular funds, and directly benefits students.
Following that same vein, an annual sponsorship is made to the Lancaster Opera House to fund a summer youth theater projects, for students interested in exploring acting and stage.
The members of the Rotary Club of Hamilton conducted a hands on service project - volunteering to purchase and make dinner for family members staying at the Mark Preece House on March 1st 2018. The Thyme4Dinner volunteer program engages volunteers to prepare a meal for the families staying at the house.
Mark Preece was a young, respected physician working in the Intensive Care Unit at Hamilton Health Sciences until his untimely death in 1997. While undergoing specialized cancer treatment in the United States, Mark’s family and friends experienced first-hand the value and support of a welcoming, affordable residence during such a difficult time. In honour of Mark, friends and colleagues worked for years to bring the Mark Preece Family House into existence.
The Mark Preece Family House is located close to the Hamilton Health Sciences’ General Hospital site, a prime focus site for Critical Care, Trauma Services, Burn Unit and a full range of Cardiac Surgery and Services. Until now, there has been no affordable place for patients’ families to stay near to their bedside. This creates an unnecessarily stressful situation for those involved.
After a long, stressful day at the hospital, a home cooked meal is very appreciated by all of the families staying at the Mark Preece House. The Rotarians prepared dinner for 30 people. Dinner included beef burritos, homemade guacamole, Mexican rice, salad and chocolate cake.
Working together to prepare a meal was a great service and team building project. Knowing that you are making a special meal for the family members - priceless.
The Rotary Club of Hamilton offers a free after school program for inner city children. Part of the program is the opportunity to experience the great Canadian sport of Curling.
For 12 weeks students walk to the Victoria Curling Club to learn the sport. Rotarian John Clinton mentors these young people as they learn basic skills, how to sweep and curl. At each curling session, students receive a healthy snack and gain a better understanding of skills such as teamwork and communication. The last session, the students have the opportunity to have a game and then enjoy a pizza party. Thanks to this great partnership with the Victoria Curling Club, students have access to join their Little Rocks Curling program on weekends, covered at a reduced fee by Hamilton Rotary.
This year, Victoria Curling Club recognized Rotary’s partnership by putting the Rotary logo on the ice for an Under 18 Curling Bonspiel. It was exciting to watch the rocks sliding over the Rotary logo and to see kids engaged in this sport!
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G. Robert Moeschler Jr., a member of the Rotary Club of Buffalo for 47 years, passed away on March 11, 2018. Bob generously remembered Rotary with a $50,000 gift to the Buffalo Rotary Foundation. Bob was a Paul Harris Fellow, Chairman of the District Conference in 1988, Chairman of Sunshine Day at Cradle Beach Camp, and Chairman of the Annual Outing for about 15 years. Bob’s father, G. Robert Moeschler, Sr was a Buffalo Rotarian for 25 years.
Rotary Club of Lancaster-Depew President Rob Benzel gladly distributed more checks for the club’s local giving this month. Shown are a presentation following their breakfast meeting at Russell’s, to LEAF. LEAF is a foundation formed by educators to fund things that cannot be ordinarily purchased with regular funds, and directly benefits students. 
