Our 2016 District Conference Netted Amazing Results. Early on in our 2016 District Conference planning, as Chair Melisa and I chatted, I mentioned thinking that a Bike-A-Thon with the pledges going to End Polio Day would be a great fun Saturday afternoon event. October cycling is spectacular with Mother Nature cloaked in all her best colors. I could see it! Then, Melisa reminded me this is happening in Batavia, end of October, lake-effect snow. Yup, twenty-some years ago, I had been nearly stranded on I-90 this same very same weekend. Hmmm…. One to Melisa! But we agreed, in theory a bike-a-thon is a great idea! Let’s do a stationary bike-a-thon – logistically it seemed a non-starter. Batavia Downs is not a spa with a well-appointed gym. Then, the Batavia Club came to our rescue! They meet at the Y, they know people, an ‘ask’ was whispered in the right ear; chatter at the club and a group of Rotarians stepped up to move a lot of stationary bikes – 19 in all from the Y to the Downs, set these up. Yup, you got it! Then, reverse the process after the ride, back to the Y, all this done between noon and 4:00 PM! Awesome! Right on schedule, our inbound Youth Exchange students did a spin class led by Dave Greenfield who teaches, yes, at another Y. God bless, our Rotarian movers, our Bike-A-Thon Chair PDG Rick Sterne, our students who really worked up a sweat thanks to leader Dave. What fun! What success! Our Foundation Director Karen Oakes reported we collected $3705 for the riders. YIPPEE! Additionally, we collected another $2158 from other End Polio initiatives during the conference totaling $5863 be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation equaling $16589 USD from our district to Rotary’s End Polio Day. I am so proud of every one of you!
VOCATIONAL TRAINING TEAM ANNOUNCES LEADER - seeks team members
Thomas O’Neill of the Rotary Club of Simcoe has been selected to be the VTT Team Leader for District 7090’s project of training and sharing information on Fruit Farming to the Shepparton and Goulburn Valley regions in the Australian Rotary District 9790. O’Neil brings a wealth of Fruit Farming experience with his 33 years with the Norfolk Fruit Growers’ Association as the General Manager.
During the last week of October, District 7090 and the E-Club of Southern Ontario – Western New York (SOWNY) were notified by The Rotary Foundation’s Rotary Peace Centers staff that two of its six 2016 Rotary Peace Fellowship applicants had succeeded in receiving Rotary Peace Fellowships, and one was an Alternate. Our three remaining Rotary Peace Fellowship applicants had been encouraged to reapply in the future.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals selected The Rotary Foundation for its annual Award for Outstanding Foundation for 2016, a recognition that honors organizations that show philanthropic commitment and leadership through financial support, innovation, encouragement of others, and involvement in public affairs. Read more about the honor.
Following extra games, provided by a winning season for Lancaster High School Legends football team, the Rotary Club of Lancaster Depew enjoyed a successful fundraising year. Successful not only in dollars raised, but the satisfaction of working together as a team. Funds raised by the Football Concession Stand are used to provide college scholarships to worthy students in need of financial support.
Pictured here (left to right) are second VP, Kenneth Graber and President Brian Williams.
On October 26, 2016, the Rotary Club of Lewiston, NY & Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON made it's annual donation to support the NOTL Terry Fox Run to support Cancer Research. Pictured are (left to right) John Shaver, club Treasurer, Joan King, run organizer, club President John Hopkins, and Les Potapczyk, run organizer. Through the club's support of a hot dog stand to raise funds, the club helps to honor the memory of a brave young Canadian who, despite having a prosthetic leg, attempted in 1980, to run across Canada to promote cancer research. He was thwarted in his goal by the recurrence of his cancer. Every year, over 220 locations in Ontario host a Terry Fox run in his memory in order to raise funds for cancer research. This year the event took place on September 18, and is scheduled to take place again September 17, 2017.
Lockport Rotarians (far left) Dave Greenfield, Ellen Schratz and Ellen Roth, participate in the tutor training program offered by Literacy Buffalo Niagara. Also pictured (far right) is Amy Mazur, Director of Education and Special Projects for Literacy Buffalo Niagara.
Members of the Lockport Rotary Club are participating in tutor training as the result of a District 7090 grant to address adult literacy in the Lockport area. Funds from the Lockport Rotary, matched by the grant, have enabled Literacy Buffalo Niagara to purchase additional tutor training kits and thus expand the availability of tutors in Lockport. According to Literacy Buffalo Niagara, illiteracy among adults in the Lockport area is a growing problem. The Lockport Rotary Club sought the district grant in order to address one of Rotary’s Major Areas of Focus. Additional information regarding the program may be obtained by contacting David Kinyon (drkinyon@roadrunner.com).
The Rotary Club of Williamsville installed three new members at its meeting on October 17, 2016 meeting. Pictured (left to right) are Rick Glogowski, Associate Real Estate Broker, Dr. Frank Michalski, Doctor of Chiropractic and Stephen Blass, Museum Development Director, Richard Wojtowicz, club president and the sponsor of these three new Rotarians who has made a commitment to grow Rotary this year.
President Justin Bester of the Rotary Club of Brantford Sunrise is proud to announce its 2016 Paul Harris Fellows. Pictured (left to right): President Justin Bester with Paul Harris recipients Rick Shaver, Elsie Hankinson, and Allan Lovett representing Waterous Holden Amey Hitchon LLP, and guest speaker Bruce Croxon.
District 7090 Paul Harris Society Chair Jim Morabito, Clarence Rotary President Chris Greene, and Paul Harris Society member Paul Justinger recognize Immediate Past President Chrissy Casilio-Bluhm as a Paul Harris Fellow at the 56th annual Clarence Rotary Charter Night. Chrissy joins her grandfather and father as Paul Harris Fellows, keeping the tradition of service alive.
My name is Bob Artis. I am a member of the Rotary Club of Clarence. I was fortunate to be one of approximately 400 recent attendees at the United Nations General Assembly, as was Robb McCloud, PDG of our District 7090. The following represents my impressions of the outstanding presenters (from around the globe). They spoke on a wide range of topics.
Pictured here: RI President John Germ, Bob Artis, Clarence Rotarian, Frank Devlin, RI Past President 2000 - 2001.
Karen Sawicz (left), a member of the Albion Rotary Club, joins in the effort to pack bags with pasta, soy and a cheese sauce that will go to food pantries and community kitchens in the Rotary District. The Rotarians packed about 30,000 meals.
These Batavia Rotarians – Susan Schuler (left), Gregg McAllister and Laurie Mastin – also helped with the meal packing on Saturday.
In October, the Rotary E-Club of Southern Ontario – Western New York (SOWNY) welcomed its newest member: Enzo Martinelli, who is 2016-17 President and Chair of the Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance & Community Development (RAGM), from London, UK.
As a Charter Member and Past President of the E-Club of London Centenary, which was one of Rotary’s original pilot e-clubs, Enzo brings 10 years of active e-club experience to the E-Club of SOWNY.
On Monday, November 7, 2016, an absolutely perfect weather morning, these Norfolk Sunrisers planted 55 of 100 Redbud trees along the Sunrise Trail in Simcoe, ON. In the spring of 2017, another 45 trees will be planted to total 100 in honor of Rotary International's 100th Anniversary. All of the trees have been donated by long time Rotarian John Wallace.
From left to right, Dave Nicolle, Allan Plater, Peter Wheatley, Rudi Atkinson, Jim Simpson, John Wallace, Rusty Kooistra, and Gail Catherwood. Photographer and fellow tree planter Ross Gowan is absent from the picture.
ur annual pasta dinner held at the Allegany American Legion was another great success. 400+ were served, 80 Veterans ate free. Rotarian Carl Vahl was head chef for the event. On November 6 Rotarians, St. Bonaventure Rotaractors, and Interactors from Olean, Allegany-Limestone, and Walsh made 1500 homemade meatballs, sauce from scratch and precooked pasta. The doors opened on Wednesday, November 9 to a decorated hall, live music by the Honey Punks, 50/50 raffle, and a basket raffle!
Local business and individual sponsors stepped up again. We are estimating $5000 in proceeds that will be used as Rotarians doing Service Above Self as Rotary Serving Humanity. YAY!
Several members of The Rotary Club of Lincoln attended the District 7090 Conference held in Batavia October 21-23, 2016. An enjoyable weekend meeting many Rotarians and participating in a lot of fun activities. This is the group from Lincoln all decked out for the GALA festivities.
Pictured from left to right: Margaret Andrewes, Assistant Governor Area 5, Barb Mitges, Paul Roth, Gayle Lucas-Roth & Jennifer Turner, President, Rotary Club of Lincoln.
The Dundas Valley Sunrise Rotary Club had the honour of a visit and presentation from Canadian Astronaut Dr. Robert (Bob) Thirsk on November 15th. A record turnout of Rotary members and guests at Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club was accompanied with 24 students with their teachers from eight local schools.
Dr. Thirsk was introduced by Club member Bob Morrow, who had met Dr. Thirsk though work on the Tomatosphere project. Dr. Thirsk is a much honoured Canadian Space Agency Astronaut. He was selected in 1983 for the Canadian Astronaut program and trained for, and participated in, many parts of the Shuttle and International Space Station programs over the next 26 years. He retired from the Agency in 2012 and is currently the Chancellor of the University of Calgary.
The Third Annual Ancaster AM Rotary Club’s Spelling Bee was held last Saturday at Mohawk College. Sixty plus elementary students from public and private schools as well as home schooled children within the Hamilton Wentworth Board participated.
In the photo on the left (left to right) are Zac Strong, Moderator, Grade 7-8 winners Taylor Lupton, Roland Kim, India Morrish, and Jack DiSalvia, President, Ancaster Rotary AM.
In the photo on the right (left to right) are Grade 4 to 6 winners: Aakill Ridley, Aisha Mahmoud, Ella Capretta.
On November 1, three Rotary District 7090 Vision Facilitation Team Members (left to right) Patti Johnson, PhD - Alumni Chair, Kevin Crosby, PhD - Immediate Past District Governor, and Barbara Ochterski, PhD - Club Visioning Chair U.S., assisted Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville President Mike Harrington (far right) and Westfield - Mayville Rotarians to draft a five-year plan of club goals in the areas of service, membership, fundraising, public relations, and The Rotary Foundation. This club is one of only four among the 69 clubs in Rotary District 7090 to have participated in the development process of its second club vision plan.
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls Sunrise was recognized as a contributor to Autism Ontario’s 2016 Summer Camp. The Club received a report from the Chapter Manager as well as testimonials from parents demonstrating how important contributions from service clubs are to the success of the program.