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Club President's Message
Sandy Naragon
International Spotlight:
Akron Rotary & Akron Children’s Hospital
Help Heal Pediatric Heart Patients in Haiti
Members & Friends of the Rotary Club of Akron:
I just wanted to drop all of you who contributed funds to the Vocational Training Team that is providing a Pediatric Heart Surgery Unit at St. Damien's Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti a note to verify that the grant application has been accepted and approved by Rotary International.
Akron Rotary and sixteen other clubs in District 6630 and District 6600 (Toledo) have contributed funds totaling almost $30,000 and provided total grant funding with matches from District 6630 DDF and TRF of $101,750! If any of you have an investment advisor who can turn $30,000 into $101,750 in 3 months please get back to me immediately as I want to meet this person. This is truly one of the best examples of the strength of the Rotary Foundation I have ever been involved in. Please feel free to use it as an example whenever you talk about TRF. I am extremely proud, as your club should be, of this effort to date.
Training will begin with the arrival of a team of medical professionals from St. Damien's on May 18th. They will spend a total of six weeks at Akron Children's Hospital working with Akron's pediatric heart surgery team. Two to three surgeries are planned during this time on young patients from Haiti. The project will culminate in both teams traveling to Haiti in September or October to work together on multiple surgeries at the new pediatric heart surgery unit at St. Damien's.
I cannot thank all of you enough for your dedication to Rotary and doing good in the world. I will try to get to each club as the project moves forward to personally thank you and your club. Please pass this information along to your members.
Robert "Bob" Johnson
RC of Burton-Middlefield - International Service Chair
District 6630 PDG and VTT Coordinator
►Akron Club President, Sandy Naragon
Thank you for supporting our Youth Services Projects
Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) Students Help Feed Homeless
On April 15, 2016 19 RYE students, Rotarians and volunteers met at the Haven of Rest to feed the homeless. Prior to our service, we took a tour of the facility. Many of our students were in “awe” at such a well-run facility mostly run by volunteers. There was some sadness among the younger students that men, women and children were homeless, a concept that some had never been exposed to. During dinner, our duties including sanitizing the chairs and tables, setting the tables, delivering food. After the meal we had clean up, sweeping, mopping and sanitizing again. At the end of cleaning and clearing tables our students broke into singing songs. It was a great bonding time for all. We finished the evening at the Angel Falls Coffee Shop where Brian Chima debriefed the students and collected their thoughts. Many said it was a great experience and eye opening. Thanks to Brian for arranging a great event.
Many clubs in our district are participants in Rotary’s youth and young adult programs such as Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), The Four Way Speech Contest and Rotary Youth Exchange. Youth service recognizes the positive change implemented by youth and young adults through leadership development activities, involvement in community and international service projects, and exchange programs that enrich and foster world peace and cultural understanding. The RI Strategic Plan encourages clubs to balance their activities in all five Avenues of Service, and regarding the New Generations Avenue of Service, it acknowledges the exceptional work that Rotarians do to support youth programs.
Thank you to Bob Oborn (RC of Stow-Munroe Falls) for contributing to this article and for organizing a Youth Service project during our 2016 District Conference and working with over 60 Interact and Rotaract students who sorted over 6,000 books. Books were donated by district high school and college Clubs and district Rotary clubs to fill bookcases destined for community centers and battered women's shelters. Lowes in Brimfield donated the wood. Julie Brandle (RC of Akron), owner of Metis Construction, cut the wood into the patterns and Kent Elastomer built the bookcases. Interact clubs from Woodbridge High School, West Geauga High School, James A Garfield High School, Twinsburg and Stow-Munroe Falls High school painted them and worked with the Rotaract Club of Kent State University and Mayfield High School Interact to sort books and fill the cases. The remaining books were donated to the United Way to replenish books in bookcases they have at various locations.
We hope this is the first of many District Service Projects by our great Interact and Rotaract clubs within the district. We hope to double the amount of clubs participating next year and hope to see everyone on November 5th at Interaction 2016 being hosted by West Geauga High School. More details to follow. Rotary Rocks and so do the district Interact and Rotaract clubs! Thanks again to Bob for contributing this information for our news article!!
These Rotarian's spent a fun morning at the United Way Smart Start Baby Shower Sort-A-Thon! We packed 500 bags for economically challenged moms. All of the items were donated. Moms will receive a bag of the essentials needed for a new baby.
The purpose of Rotary Cares is to show our support for Akron Rotary
members and their families when dealing with the loss of a loved one, the
hardship of illness and also to celebrate the joy of a new baby, job, marriage
or other event in their lives..
>> Condolences to Roger Read and his family. Judy Read passed away May 12, 2016. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Bath Church, United Church of Christ, 3980 W. Bath Rd., Akron 44333, with Rev. Mark W. Frey officiating. Friends may call 3-8 p.m. Thursday at the Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bath Church or a charity of choice. To share a Memory, Send a Condolence, Light a Candle or Send Flowers, visit the Tribute Wall at www.billowfuneralhomes.com (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel). Condolences may be sent to the Read Family at 1793 Brookwood Drive., Akron, OH 44313.
>> Condolences to the family of Honorary Rotarian Charles Pilliod, Jr. who passed away April 18, 2016. Cards may be sent to 49 Twin Oaks Road. Akron, OH 44313.
>> Prayers and well wishes go out to Lance Chima who is scheduled for heart surgery on May 18th.
>> Speedy recovery wishes are sent to Jack Harig who is healing from hand surgery.
>> Pat O’Neill and his wife Sarah are adding to their family as well! Congratulations on the baby news!
>> Congratulations to Cathryn O’Malley and her husband Michael. They are expecting twins!
>> Big Hooray for Kevin Keeney on his graduation from The University of Akron. He earned an Associate Degree in Art and Bachelors Degree in Information Systems Management.
>> Pictured below: Dan Reynolds and Oscar Hunsicker congratulate Akron Rotary Camp's 2015 Adult Volunteers of the Year, Bill Manby and Barry Dunaway, and 2015 Youth Volunteer of the Year, Kimberly Brandle at the YMCA Annual Meeting. Thank you for all you do for Camp, where there are no disabilities, only abilities!
And yes, you heard right . . . Elvis WAS in the House . . .Cleveland Rotarian Ron Felgenhauer joined us on Saturday as “Elvis”, an impersonator that would rock your socks. Thanks to Sandy Naragon from the RC of Akron who rocked out as Pat Benatar!
Enjoyed the Cuyahoga Valley train for a murder mystery night with Sandy Naragon, DG Cheryl Warren, Mella Hawk Castner, Lynda Farkas, Jan Ryan, PDG Julie West, Steve Shechter AKA Joey Bucca (a suspect in the play). Julie Brandle and her husband were also spotted on a different section of the train!
Club & Member Awards Picnic - June 25, 2016, Noon - 3:30PM
All Rotarians and your families are invited to have fun and celebrate as we present our 2015-16 Rotary Club and Individual Awards on June 25th. This is Akrotarian Cheryl Warren's last event during her year as District 6630 Governor. The festivities start at Noon at The Akron Rotary Camp. Kick off with a picnic lunch of hamburgers & hot dogs followed by the award ceremony. The camp has a playground and weather permitting, pontoon boat rides will also be available.
June 25, 2016 | Noon - 3:30 PM.
Akron Rotary Camp
4460 Rex Lake Drive | Akron, OH
We recently took our Rotary meeting on the road when we visited OpenM for a wonderfully eye opening presentation on all of the good they are doing in our community. Special thanks to Dottie Achmoody for her and her teams hospitality and a delicious lunch! Dottie then joined us the following week and became a new Rotarian!
While at OpenM we inducted new Rotarians, Kimmie Hoch, Novus Clinic and Karen Hrdlicka, Mature Services, Inc.
Over the past few weeks we have also welcomed Ken Babby, Akron Rubber Ducks, Lisa King, Summit Metro Parks,,Laura Duda, Goodyear Tire & Rubber and (no photo) Donald Gordon, Cascade Locks Park Association.
Dick Farkas was selected to serve as District Governor for District 6630 for our 2016-2017 Rotary year. When Dick passed away suddenly last July, many of us, including his wife and fellow Akron Rotarian, Lynda, continued to work diligently to ensure that his dream is realized for the Rotary Foundation Centennial Celebration. Two great events will take place October 23, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dick understood that our District (Rotary International District 6630), as the Home of Arch C. Klumph, Father of The Rotary Foundation, has a special responsibility and privilege to honor Arch Klumph’s memory and his vision while celebrating The Foundation’s accomplishments over the past 100 years. Dick was excited and committed to doing something very special because Dick was also a passionate Rotarian with a vision.
Once of Arch's many achievements included bringing professional music to Cleveland. Because of the relationship between Arch C. Klumph and the Cleveland Orchestra and because the Cleveland Orchestra entertained the attendees at both Rotary International Conventions held in Cleveland in 1925 and 1939 where Arch was involved in coordinating the Orchestra’s performance
We are hosting are TWO separate events on October 23, 2016:
A private afternoon Concert at Severance Hall featuring the Cleveland Orchestra.
A dinner recognizing those who have made new donations and commitments to The Rotary Foundation in honor of the Foundation’s 100th Anniversary. Featured speakers will include Rotary International President-Elect John Germ and The Rotary Foundation Chair-Elect Kalyan Banerjee. You will have the opportunity to create your own legacy with a 100th Anniversary contribution to the Rotary Foundation and become a Foundation Centennial Celebration donor or a member of the Foundation Centennial Celebration class of the Arch Klumph Society. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you don’t want to miss.
ROTARACT OUTSTANDING PROJECT AWARD RECOGNIZES INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS
Members of the Rotaract Club of Bugolobi, Uganda, participate in their annual 1000 Smiles project, which has been recognized as the 2016 Rotaract Outstanding Project Award winner.
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of The Rotaract Club of Bugolobi
Pope Francis greets Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran at a Jubilee audience at the Vatican on 30 April, where 9,000 Rotary members were special guests of the pontiff.
Though they were a long way from home, members of the Rotaract Club of Bugolobi, Uganda, felt confident they could tackle problems in rural Kanabulemu during their annual 1000 Smiles project.
Their original plan focused on curtailing the spread of HIV/AIDS. It's in the Rakai District, where the first case of AIDS in Uganda was uncovered in 1982 and about 12 percent of the population has been infected with HIV in recent years. But the Rotaractors discovered that problems in the village extended far beyond the disease.
"The community lacked water, the school was in a sorry state, and the...
Thousands of Rotary members, motivated by a special invitation from Pope Francis, gathered at the Vatican in Rome on Saturday to celebrate a message of compassion, inclusiveness, and service to humanity.
At midmorning, the group -- numbering some 9,000 members from 80 countries -- made its way through the congested streets of Rome, past the tight security surrounding St. Peter's Square, and settled into the area reserved for Rotary in front of St. Peter's Basilica for the Jubilee audience.
Francis, a 79-year-old Argentine, urged the crowd of more than 100,000, which included members of the...
From the May 2016 issue of The Rotarian
If there is one absolute truth about millennials, it is this: Anyone who says there is an absolute truth about millennials risks being subjected to their collective eye roll.
Millennials are individuals, and fiercely so. According to the Pew Research Center, most of them don’t even like being called “millennials,” let alone hearing generalizations about their shared attitudes and behaviors.
Case in point: Christa Papavasiliou, 31, recoils at the notion that older folks see her generation as a bunch of selfie-snapping smartphone addicts. “I’m the...
Editor's note: After the May 2016 issue of The Rotarian went to press, we were saddened to learn of the death of Garvin Evans, who along with his son, U2 guitarist The Edge, appeared on the cover of that issue. Evans was a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Dublin North. We are grateful that we were able to share his remarkable story with our readers.
***
The boys of U2 are home. It’s Friday, 27 November, two weeks after the terrorist attacks in Paris. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. had been in Paris that terrible evening, rehearsing at the venue where they were...
From the May 2016 issue of The Rotarian
More than a million refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan streamed into the European Union last year. Most entered via Greece after a harrowing raft trip across the Aegean Sea from Turkey. Once there, they made their way north, often on foot, traveling more than 1,000 miles through the rugged mountains of the Balkan countries toward Germany.
That was the uncertain odyssey facing Muhammad Mallah Hamza, a 26-year-old ethnic Kurd, in late 2014 when he decided to leave his native Syria. The trip would lead the recent college graduate to a picturesque...
Since 1914, The Akrotarian has been the
official publication of The Rotary Club of Akron, Ohio.
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