President John Racine called the meeting to order with God Bless America and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Lee Olewinski offered the invocation. Marsha Minervini first led us in “Happy Birthday” to Wendy Irwin which was followed by technical issues. After a slight delay, Marsha returned for “Let’s Call the Whole Thing off” and “I’ve Got Rhythm”.
Mack Beers introduced visiting Rotarians and guests.
And then something stupid happened….. Yup, Paul LaPorte heckled a few Rotarians before calling up Tom Kern. Tom was our newest recipient of Smart Pills. Apparently, Tom drove his BMW through a water-filled parking lot and the water got sucked up into the engine. The repairs are quite steep which led everyone to wonder “What were you thinking?”
Paul LaPorte Giving the Gift of Smart Pills to Tom Kern
And then Giving Tuesday gained some momentum. We had a plethora of opportunities for giving!!
Vern Gauthier made his bell ringing pitch for Rotarians. We’ll be ringing for the Salvation Army Dec.11 - 16 and you don’t want to miss out on the fun. If you haven’t signed up, Vern has a few spots left that need bodies able enough to ring bells.
Al Bonney announced that the indoor Ride to End Polio raised $3,000 and with the match from Bill and Melinda Gates, $3,000 becomes $9,000. Thanks to all who participated and donated!
Susan Kraus needs a final headcount of all the cool kids who will be attending our holiday party on Dec. 5 at the Yacht Club. Parking is available next door at the Verdian parking lot. Please get with her ASAP by Friday if you plan on attending.
Herb Lemcool announced that 200+ coats were collected for One Way Coat Day. The coats will be distributed to our community through Father Fred. Herb thanked Tony Anderson and Mike Caruso for their help with this committee.
It’s getting close to Christmas Basket time and Dan Rickard made his plea to fill the envelopes on the tables to serve our adopted families this year. We have only one more week to give and then the committee will start distributing the families to our Rotarians beginning Dec.8. Toys should be available on Dec. 11.
Sharron Zimmerman followed up on her eulogy for John McCarthy last week and provided options for Rotarians for memorial giving. Donations of water filters for Haiti through Pure Water for World Global Grant can be made through Rotary Camps and Services. Also, Pure Water for the World is also accepting donations for a 4WD truck. Donations for Safe Passage can be made online and the Rotary Foundation will accept donations in memory of John. John served this club very quietly and most of us didn’t know he was a 10x Paul Harris Fellow.
Kurt Rivard announced that donations to the Rotary Foundation provide our club access to district grants that are leveraged not only for local projects but global ones as well. Last year 11,000 grants were given out for global causes. This year our club has 14 new Rotarians who joined the ranks for Every Rotarian Every Year. Giving can be done online or through the club.
Tim Tate walked away with $90 from the 50/50.
Warren Call introduced our speaker today. Judi Schwalbach spoke today on behalf of the Attorney General’s office for Michigan. Judi serves the 1st congressional district.
The Attorney General’s office oversees several areas and departments. Judi reviewed a few that are noteworthy.
Human trafficking is a huge issue in our state that goes largely undetected. Youth who don’t have a home life can easily go missing and no one is around to report the issue. These victims are starting to be rescued through the efforts of the Attorney General’s office.
Other timely issues the Attorney General’s office pursues include: opioid abuse and mental health, clean water issues and education for kids. The OK 2 Say program is presented to grades K - 12 and allows anyone to confidentially report tips on criminal activities or potential harm directed at Michigan students, school employees, or schools via an app. Through this program, bullying, teen suicide and inappropriate texting can be addressed in a timely and efficient manner.
And with that, Giving Tuesday is a wrap!
as well as monitor and evaluate projects to measure efficacy. Today, the PWW Haiti team is falling short of meeting the needs of some of the families, simply because they are short on wheels.
