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Message from DG Stephanie Meyer
When I joined my local Rotary club eleven years ago (last month!), the main reason was the ability to increase the amount of good I could do in my local community.  I knew at the time that my club was very active in our city through a variety of hands-on service projects, donation drives, and several really terrific annual events and activities.  What I didn’t realize was the incredible national and international reach my membership would provide. 
 
Last year, Rotarians across the globe completed more than 147 million volunteer hours, and distributed $333 million in funds to international projects. That good continues to ripple through communities in need in every time zone. 
 
In addition to service, Rotary is also actively involved in restoring peace to these struggling regions, even at the local level.  February marks Rotary International’s Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution month, and I’m proud to say that our District is a Peacebuilder District, donating $25,000 annually towards the cause, and are equally active in recruiting new potential Peace Fellows.  This important work is leading the way in creating a world in which peace is truly within reach. 
 
On the subject of service, I want to thank – and welcome – our new district Education and Literacy chairs, Jeremy Poling (Topeka South) and Timothy Moran (Leavenworth)!  I’m excited to see this effort take shape under your leadership. 
 
Lastly, I hope you’ve marked your calendar for our annual Gathering for Good celebration!  Make plans to be at Maceli’s in Lawrence on Saturday, May 6 for a night of fun, fellowship, and raising money in support of the Rotary Foundation!  It’s sure to be an exciting night of Imagining the future of Rotary…and I hope to see you there!  
 
Stephanie Meyer
District Governor

Club & District News and Events

Rotary and Polio Plus
IMAGINE” A WORLD WITHOUT POLIO!
DISTRICT 5710 IS HELPING MAKE IT HAPPEN!
TWENTY-THREE WEEKS WITH ZERO WILD POLIO CASES
 
Congratulations to all of the Clubs in 5710 who have already made significant donations to Polio Plus this year with many on the way to exceeding their annual Goal.  And here’s hoping for more success for the clubs that are still planning their annual Polio Fundraiser – be it a Run, a Bake Sale, a Pancake Breakfast or taking part in a Pints4Polio microbrewery pub-crawl.
 
We should all be proud of the progress that has been made already towards the District Goal of at least $100,000 for Polio Plus from the clubs as we are now 70% along the path to meet or exceed last year!!! Your donations continue to make possible the success shown in our “Countdown to History” below.
 
And in more good news: APPROXIMATELY 585 MILLION DOSES OF NovelOPV2, have been administered to date, in 27 countries, since rollout of the vaccine began in March 2021. In 2022 alone, 385 million doses were administered, across 22 countries to prevent cVDPV. Now, 14 more countries have met WHO’S requirements to use this advanced vaccine in the event of an outbreak. In fact, in addition to ZERO Wild Polio cases, there has not been a single cVDPV case in Pakistan or Afghanistan so far at this year as more National Immunization Days continue.
 
DID YOU KNOW THAT ROTARY PUTS OUT IT’S OWN “END POLIO NOW” NEWSLETTER? If you go to the link below you will find a listing of various newsletters that Rotary staff produces regularly to keep us up to date on the various aspects of Rotary life. And the first one listed on this signup webpage is the End Polio Now Newsletter. If you haven’t signed up for it yet, it’s easy to do and takes about one minute to accomplish. http://rotary.highroadsolution.com/ri_preference_center/Form.aspx
 
Thank you for helping to keep the promise we made to children everywhere...a polio free world.
 
And “We are…This Close” as shown in our “Countdown to History”
Call or email me for ideas or help: Jim Arnett, Polio Plus District Chair
 (913) 200-0514 ~ maajca@gmail.com
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Wild Poliovirus Weekly Update
COUNTDOWN TO HISTORY!
Week Ending 28 Feb 2023
Total number of wild cases in 2019:  176
Total number of wild cases in 2020:  140
Total # of wild poliovirus cases in 2021: 6
Total # of wild poliovirus cases in 2022: 30(20 in Pakistan!)       
Total # of wild poliovirus cases this week: 0(For 23 Weeks!)
      (compared with Total of 1 for the same period in 2022)
Total number of Circulating Vaccine Derived cases - 2023:3
 (vs. totals in 2020: 1113; & 689 in 2021, with 724 in 2022)
 
Please Donate @ https://www.myrotary.org 
OR CHECKS TO YOUR CLUB’S CHARITABLE ACCOUNT DIRECTED TO “POLIO PLUS”
The Rotary Foundation 
We are, now, one month closer to our Gathering For Good Foundation event on May 6th!  Our live entertainment for this event will feature Tyler Korso Illusionist. This year’s Rotary theme of “Imagine Rotary” will be showcased in this night to remember. As before, there will be a silent and live auction with our auctioneer extraordinaire, Charlie Moon, calling our live auction once again. This year, the Gathering For Good will be held at Maceli’s in Lawrence. This event, as before, will be a very fun filled night with all of the funds raised going to The Rotary Foundation Annual fund in the name of the person purchasing any item that is available. DGN-D Chuck Udell recently sent an email out to the club presidents about putting together club baskets for our silent auction.  If you have an idea for a silent or live auction item, please contact me (fbarr@t-mfinancial.com) or Chuck Udell (chuckudell@msn.com). We can discuss where your item or auction package can be placed. Last year, we raised over $27,000 in one night and had a wonderful time! I hope you can join us and help us raise even more this year.
 
I am happy to announce that Todd Payne from The Rotary Club of Topeka will be our new Endowment/Major Gifts Chair following Bill Richter starting on July 1, 2023. Congratulations to Todd and I am expecting this to be very smooth transition. Any of us in the District Foundation committee would be happy to speak with you or present to your club on several Foundation topics, including Endowment/Major Gifts, Global Scholars, Global grants, District grants, Paul Harris Society, Polio Plus, and alternative ways to give a significant gift to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). I encourage you to reach out to us if you would like us to present to you.
 
As of February 27th, we have, as a district, given 51% of what we contributed last year to TRF Annual fund and 58% to Polio Plus. With 4 months left in our Rotary year, we still have time to match or exceed our numbers from last year. Your District Foundation committee is dedicated to helping our members with various ways of contributing to TRF and with various ideas for projects that can benefit from those funds.
 
The impact of all your TRF contributions is truly amazing and is enhancing lives in our communities and the world! Thank you for all of your efforts so far! Let’s continue the momentum and finish this year better than the last!
District Training
The 10-11 Feb 23 Hybrid RLI class was a success! We had a full class of participants who were engaged, shared their perspectives, and appreciated the updated curriculum. The graduates pictured are: Jason Buening, Kirk Crabtree, Emily Dixon, Diane Hinrichs-Toburen, Andy Hutchinson, Andrea Law and Ben Kohl, all from the Rotary Club of Manhattan Konza; Joseph Bast from the Rotary Club of Shawnee Mission; Mickey Edwards from the Rotary Club of Emporia; Linessa Frazier from the Rotary Club of Topeka; Daisy More from the Rotary Club of Gardner; Jeremy Poling from the Rotary Club of Topeka South; Vera Rogers from the Rotary Club of Overland Park South; Elizabeth Ward from the Rotary Club of Manhattan Noon and Blake Waters from the Rotary Club of Leavenworth.
 
The feedback we received was positive, and of course, we will continue to always gather participant comments. Thank you to the inaugural District 5710 Hybrid RLI volunteer facilitators:  Chuck Udell, Bill Musgrave, Tom Gray, Vernon Turner, and Debra and Patrick Schaub. What a positive impact your energy and expertise made!
 
A very special thanks to DG Stephanie who spent all day Saturday with us in Manhattan. So many folks helped to make this a purposeful and fun class. Let’s not forget Michelle Sink who coordinated with Scott Sieben at the Rockin’ K.  Scott loaned us a conference room in the K-State Foundation Building, and we had a great lunchbreak at the Rockin’ K.
 
DG Stephanie also presented a Paul Harris Fellow to Andrea Law from the Rotary Club of Manhattan Konza.  Andrea’s name was drawn for the award at the August TEAM Training Event. Congratulations, Andrea!!
 
We are continuing to meet with the 2023 PETS committee. This next training event is in Salina from 31 March-1 April.   PETS is designed to support you as you become a club president or leader. Time seems to fly--so register now! See you in Salina.
 
There are some seats available in the Kansas Leadership Center classes. See the info below!
 
Yours in Rotary,
DeEtte and Ellen
District 5710 Leadership Transformation Grants
There are a limited number of grants to participate in the programs of the Kansas Leadership Center. The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is a non-profit organization committed to fostering leadership for stronger, healthier and more prosperous Kansas communities.
The KLC offers three programs that build on each other:

Your Leadership Edge is the introductory program that focuses on personal leadership competencies.  It helps participants stretch and grow their leadership while addressing their toughest challenges.

Lead for Change is the advanced, deep dive into individual leadership – helping leaders understand how to mobilize others to deal with tough problems and change processes.

Equip to Lead focuses on communications, integrating leadership principles into the organization, and facilitating real change.

These programs range from $399 to $799 in value.  The grant allows Rotarians to attend for free.

Who Should Attend?

Each club should consider sending up and coming leaders from their club and community.  The virtual sessions are ideal for clubs in western Kansas. Leaders who have done the first program should consider the second and third programs.

How To Register

To Sign Up for one of the three programs, we ask that you do two things:

1. Visit the KLC website at:  www.kansasleadershipcenter.orgCreate a personal account and register using the code RotaryMiniGrant to waive the tuition fee.
2. Notify District 5710’s Trainers, Ellen Bogdan and DeEtte Lombard, of your interest in order that we might track Rotarians who are taking advantage of this grant.  Our contact data is:

ellenebogdan@gmail.com   (C: 913-683-3906)

dlombard@kc.rr.com    (H: 816-858-5759)

Rotary Youth Exchange 
District 5710 Rotary Youth Exchange is seeking Rotary Clubs to sponsor high school age exchange students for the 2023 - 2024 school year. The program will start the first week of August 2023. 
 
Is your club interested in getting involved in Rotary Youth Exchange but need help finding host families?  Keep in mind that host families don’t have to be Rotarians, so broaden your search beyond just making announcements at club meetings. You might just recruit a host family and a new club member at the same time. 
 
Selling points for the program and tips for recruiting host families:
RYE likes to have at least two and preferably three host families for each student, so a host family doesn’t have to commit to a full year of hosting.
  1. With two or three host families per student it is only a three to five-month commitment.
  2. If you sign on to be the first host family, you get to select the student.
  3. The other host families and the student’s counselor are backup for you if you need to take a trip without the student or if family emergencies come up.
  4. The D5710 Rotary Youth Exchange program provides lots of support with a network of Rotarians to help, experienced counselors, local coordinators, and district coordinators readily available.
  5. You don’t have to be a traditional family with kids in high school to be a good host family and you don’t have to be a Rotarian. Single parents, empty nesters, gay couples, or other non-traditional families can all be considered.  We are looking for stable homes with loving host parent(s) and an extra bedroom.  
  6. The students are great kids that you get to form life-long relationships with (and have great places to visit overseas!)
More details can be shared if you have any interest. Contact D5710 YEO Stephen Wheatley (913) 426-0576, wheatleydc@sbcglobal.net or Inbound Coordinator David Beck (785) 817-0144, David.BeckRYE@gmail.com for more information about sponsoring a student.  More information about Rotary Youth Exchange is also available at SCRYE.org.
District 5710 Membership Update
Attract New Members – Engage All Members
 
Our Rotary year is now 7 months old with 5 months to go.  During this time our clubs have added 134 new members which is super.  Thank you to our club leaders and members for making this happen. However, we have lost 157 members which brings our net district membership to 1,933 – a net loss of 23 since July 1, 2022.
 
15 of our district clubs are bucking this trend in that they have a net gain of members – and 5 of these clubs have a net gain 5 or more Rotarians — congrats to these clubs!
 
How are these clubs doing this?  Consider the following three keys to attract and keep more members by Emily Tucker, Supervisor, Regional Membership Development at Rotary International: 
  1. Make sure your club experience is delivering what people want. Jennifer Jones, Rotary International president continually states that the care and comfort of your members is critical to the long term success and sustainability of your club
  2. Tell your story so well your community knows what you’re doing. How well do you know the folks at your local news outlets? Do you consistently send them stories about all the wonderful community support your club does?
  3. Be thoughtful about who’s missing from your club and work to establish genuine
relationships and partnerships with those people in your communities.  Are their vocations not represented in your club?   Do you invite those from these vocations and other non-Rotarians to participate in your service projects?
 
The club experience is what Emily and President Jennifer state is so important. How is yours and how do insure this experience is what your members want and prospects seek? 
 
We need to first find out what your club is doing well and areas where more attention is needed.  The Rotary Club Health Check can help your club find this out fast.  It can be downloaded from the District 5710 website – membership tab at https://rotary5710.org/sitepage/membership-club-resources.  Our membership team can and will be happy to help your club administer this,
 
There will be coming soon from your district membership team some tools that will help your club experience especially for new Rotarians to get even better.  We will let you know when they will be available on the membership tab, district website. One tool will be a mentorship template & orientation check list that clubs can use. 
 
So back to my question about how are some clubs in our district showing a net growth in membership?  To find some answers - attend our Monday February 13th Quarterly Membership Zoom Conversation (5:30 pm to 6:27 pm) to find out!   Hear from some of these club presidents and a president from a club outside our district. 
 
Club presidents, PE’s, and membership chairs will soon receive their zoom invite.  Others, please email me at chuckudell@msn.com for the link.  Our membership conversations are open to all Rotarians
 
Rotary offers so much to people of all ages thru community service, friendship, and a chance to develop professionally. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we can introduce more people to the wonderful gift of Rotary?
Thanks to District 5710's Donors to The Rotary Foundation
Bill Richter, Endowment and Major Gifts Chair
Thanks to District 5710's Donors to The Rotary Foundation
 
Thanks to all of you who contribute to The Rotary Foundation (TRF) – however much, however often, and whether to the Annual Fund, Polio Plus, or The Endowment. You know that TRF is one of the most effective and efficient charities in the world and that most of the good work it does is carried out by fellow Rotarians. Our district has seen the positive impact TRF support has had through global grants, district grants, support to peace fellows, and much more. I am sure that most Rotarians donate to TRF for the good our donations accomplish rather than for the thanks or recognition we might receive. But Rotary does provide recognition for significant contributions to TRF – and we rightly celebrate when Rotarians or others are named Paul Harris Fellows (in recognition of a $1000 gift to the Annual Fund and/or Polio Plus) or Benefactors (in recognition of an outright or planned gift of $1000 to TRF’s Endowment). Rotary also recognizes levels of cumulative giving and planned giving. I want to give special thanks to all of you who are Major Donors and members of the Bequest Society – and to share some numbers to let you know how many of you there are in District 5710.
 
Major Donors
 
Rotary designates individuals who have cumulatively donated $10,000 or more as Major Donors. Our most recent records list 115 Major Donors in our district, including some who are no longer living and a few who are still living but no longer reside in Kansas. The 91 living donors include 75 at Major Donor Level 1 ($10,000-$24,999), 11 at Level 2 ($25,000-$49,999), 4 at Level 3 ($50,000-$99,999), and 1 at Level 4 ($100,000-$249,999). Donors at $250,000 and above are invited to join the Arch Klumph Society (AKS), named for the founder of The Rotary Foundation a century ago. Four living District 5710 couples are AKS members.
 
Bequest Society
 
Similarly, Rotary recognizes commitments of future gifts of $10,000 or more with membership in the Bequest Society. A total of 76 Rotarians (individuals or couples) in District 5710 have become Bequest Society members, of whom 72 are still living. Again, there are various levels (with the same dollar ranges), with 52 at Level 1, 13 at Level 2, 2 at Level 3, 4 at Level 4, and 1 at Level 5 ($250,000-$499,999). In several instances, Bequest Society members are also Major Donors.
 
Club Participation
 
Major Donors and Bequest Society members are found in 30 of our district’s 45 clubs, scattered throughout the district. The club with the largest number is the Topeka Rotary Club, with 22, of whom 19 are still living. Second and third are Shawnee (14, all living) and Shawnee Mission (13, of whom 9 are still living). Congratulations to these clubs for their outstanding support to The Rotary Foundation.
Rotary History Moment
In the world of Rotary, March is Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Month.  D5710 clubs have a long history of water and sanitation projects in Guatemala and Panama.  Rotary has a RAG – a Rotarian Action Group, that supports and provides assistance to club and district water projects.  If your club (or you, as an individual) have an interest in water and sanitation, here and abroad – WASH-RAG is the place to start.  You can find a listing of on-going water projects being planned by clubs around the world that are always looking for partner clubs.
 
13-19 March is  World Rotaract Week.  And these days, Rotaract is not oh-so-last-decade’s Rotaract.
 
And now for a little bit of history – did you know Rotary has an official flag?  And that it has a local connection? The flag was formally adopted by RI during the 1929 Convention in Dallas, Texas. The first “official” version of the Rotary flag consisted of the “legacy Wheel” centered on a white background. you can now get that flag with the new branding and with either a white or blue background.  According to Past RI President Cliff Dochterman, “…the first official Rotary flag was flown in Kansas City, Missouri, in January 1915. In 1922 a small Rotary flag was carried over the South Pole by Admiral Richard Byrd, a member of the Rotary Club of Winchester, Virginia, U.S.A. Four years later, the admiral carried a Rotary flag in his expedition to the North Pole.  I’ve included a grainy picture of that first flag, flown by Kansas City Club 13, the club that many of our District clubs descend from.
 
The flag has gotten around.  Even to the Moon (well, a club banner went to the Moon, but let’s not quibble).  The Rotary Club of Homantin Hill, Hong Kong, reports that in 1932, Professor Auguste Piccard was presented a flag by the Rotary Club of Zurich, Switzerland, and he carried it on his balloon ascent 55,777 feet into the stratosphere. In 1933, the Rotary Club of Houghton, Michigan, U.S.A., took the Rotary International banner to the bottom of the shaft of the Quincy Copper Mine – 6,254 feet deep.
 
US Astronaut Frank Borman, a member of the Rotary Club of Space Center (Houston), Texas, U.S.A., carried not a flag, but a club banner on the Apollo 8 flight for the first manned orbit of the moon on Christmas Eve, 1968. He presented it, framed on a plaque, to Rotary International at the Honolulu Convention in 1969.
 
In 2005, in commemoration of Rotary’s centennial, Rotarian and Rotaract climbers carried flags to the summits of Mount McKinley and Mount Everest.
 
So, if your club meeting space displays the US and State flags, you can always consider adding the Rotary flag to the mix.
Now Accepting Applications for the 2024 Rotary Peace Fellowship!
Rotary International 2024 Peace Fellowship Applications will be available on the RI web site starting February 1, 2023!   Go to https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/peace-fellowships to begin to learn more about this amazing program.
 
During 2024, Rotary will award up to 90 fully funded Peace Fellowships to dedicated leaders from around the world to study at one of seven peace centers.  They will start their studies during 2024. The Rotary Foundation  will award up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 40 for certificate studies. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses.
 
Our district has had a rich history of nominating outstanding candidates. Recently, Jennifer Montgomery from the Kansas Attorney General’s office in Topeka completed her Peace Fellow studies at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. The process is global and very competitive - based on  personal, academic, and professional achievements. Qualified candidates can NOT be a Rotarian. Candidates must have three years of related work experience for the master’s program and five years of related work experience for the certificate program. They must be able to explain how their plan to promote peace aligns with Rotary’s mission. They must have a bachelor’s degree, demonstrate leadership skills and have a strong commitment to cross-cultural understanding and peace. Candidates come from all professions: government, university faculty and staff, business, non-for-profit, law enforcement, and veterans.
 
Please help identify potential candidates in your community. If they want to find out more, email Chuck Udell at chuckudell@msn.com.
 
Applications and more information are available at https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/peace-fellowships.  They must be submitted to the District Rotary Peace Fellowship Committee by May 15, 2023.
 
Chuck Udell, District 5710 World Peace Programs Chair
Upcoming Club Events
 
Each month we will share with you upcoming Club Events, that you might like to participate in.
 
Music Bingo Fundraiser
Western Johnson County Club
Coming up on March 28th
(more info to come)
 
Brews, Bags & BBG
Village West Rotary
April 20, 2023, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Olde Mill Properties
 
Olathe Rotary Golf Tournament
May 3, 2023
Heritage Park Golf Course
Check-in at 7:00 am, Tee-off at 8:30
Find more info at https://olatherotary.org/
Click here to register.
 
Overland Park South Crawfish Festival
May 6, 2023, 6:00 - 10:00 pm
St. Pius X Church, 5500 Woodson, Mission, KS
CAAHT Club
CAAHT President Sharon Sullivan gave a presentation about human trafficking to the Kansas House Judiciary committee on January 11.  Representing STARS (Stop Trafficking and Reject Slavery), Rotary District 5710 and the Topeka Shawnee County anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, Sullivan talked about human trafficking in Kansas and ways legislation can address HT in our state. 
 
We asked the committee to bring back SB 497 from 2022-it is now HB2153.  “Authorizing the attorney general to coordinate training regarding a multidisciplinary team approach to intervention in reports involving alleged human trafficking for law enforcement agencies and requiring training on human trafficking awareness and identification for certain child welfare agencies, juvenile justice agencies, mental health professionals and school personnel.”
 
We also requested legislation to help hospitality/lodging employees receive the training and support they deserve to identify and report human trafficking.  Approximately half of the states require this type of training already.  The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) has collaborated with ECPAT, Polaris, and Marriott International to create a free program called “No Room for Trafficking.” https://www.ahlafoundation.org/human-trafficking  The principles of the program support employees in identifying and reporting human trafficking in their workplace and help keep our businesses and families safe. 
 
The Intersection to Care program needs reading glasses (aka as magnifiers or readers). The program works with incarcerated women at the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center.  Many of these ladies need vision correction, but don’t have the resources.  They are allowed to have reading glasses, but the jail has limited availability.  Donate your gently used readers and clear a drawer.  I found 6 pairs I don’t use anymore!  To donate drop off or mail to: Key Staffing, c/o Patti Mellard, 5840 SW Huntoon St, Topeka, KS 66604.
 
The Rotary Satellite Club Ending Forced Organ Harvesting is hosting a documentary screening and panel discussion of "Medical Genocide." The event is February 23, 7 - 8:30 pm at Washburn University. Please see the flyer for details. Everyone is invited to attend!
Emporia Rotary
Madison Ross and Prisca Mendez Asaro from the Alzheimer’s Association visited the Emporia Rotary Club on January 17 to discuss the upcoming Alzheimer’s Walks which are critical fundraisers for the research and family support efforts operated by the organization.  The 2023 Alzheimers Walks in District 5710 are: 9/23 in Topeka, 9/30 in Manhattan, 10/7/ in Kansas City, 10/14 in Emporia, and 10/21 in Lawrence.  The Rotary Club also presented a check to the Alzheimer’s Association for $336 which came from the Rotary Club’s fourth quarter happy bucks.
 
Pictured in rear row from left to right are Madison Ross, Alzheimer’s Association; Rachael Correll, President of the Emporia Rotary Club; Prisca Mendez Asaro, Alzheimer’s Association: front row, the big check.
Leavenworth Rotary
Welcome to our newest member, Cliff Cribb; his sponsor is Mark Schoeneman. We look forward to serving with Cliff! Marcia Irvine is one happy Rotarian about our Kansas City Chiefs - Superbowl Champions! Past President and past Assistant Governor Tom Gray provides our Rotary Minute at our meeting on 22 February; Tom talked about his time while serving as President of our club.
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Upcoming for Rotary Club of Leavenworth:
Our 41st Annual Irish Stew Dinner (13 March 2023) - please join us for some great food, fellowship and fun!
May be an image of text that says 'Please join the Leavenworth Rotary Club 1621 for their 41st annual Irish Stew Dinner on Monday, 13 March 2023, at the RiverfrontCommunityCenter Leavenworth, Kansas Come out and enjoy some delicious Irish Stew, greatentertainmentand silent auction! For additional information or tickets, email: bsktlady29@aol.com bsktlady29@ call/text Tamara O'Sevcik @ 913 240- 7132'
Bi-Annual Over-the-Counter Medicine Drive (1 April 2023)
Bi-Annual Non-Perishable Food Drive (6 May 2023)
Manhattan Rotary
Under the direction of the past District Governor, Vern Henricks, the club embarked on the "Love the Little Apple Project”. In collaboration with the Overland Park Rotary Club and Feed the Hungry, the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and the Manhattan University Christian Church, the Club receives truckloads of products (alcohol wipes, deodorant, perfume, makeup, lotion, and more). Club members then staff the facility and encourage local and regional nonprofits to shop for products that will serve their clientele. All products are free.
 
The club welcomed new members Gary Powell, Senior Manager for Sink, Gordon & Associates LLP, and Katharine Hensler, Director of the Riley County Historical Museum.
 
The Club revived the Student of the Month program with the first student of the month for the year, Darleen Ferrer-Stricker. Her parents Darwin Ferrer and Eileen Stricker were in attendance when their student was honored.
 
The club celebrated Dr. Paul Bullock (pictured at right), an optometrist, for 50 years of membership in the Manhattan Rotary Club. Paul joined on February 20, 1973. The club donated a $100 in his honor to the Rotary Foundation and presented him with a Rotary hoodie. Members will be presenting another Paul Harris Fellow to Paul at a later date. 
 
In conjunction with the Konza Club, Rotarians Julie Gibbs, Director Riley County Health Department, and Bob Copple, President Via Christi Hospital, were honored with a Paul Harris and a Paul Harris +1, respectively. Both were jointly honored for coordinating COVID relief efforts in Manhattan and the surrounding communities.
 
Rotaract advisor Chris Culbertson shipped two 40+ pound boxes of birthing kits to a Rotary Club in Nigeria. This is the third such shipment to clubs in Nigeria this fiscal year.
  
During February Rotaractors and President Steven volunteered at the Manhattan Emergency and cleaned, restocked the food pantry, and sorted donations. Rotaractors also participated in the K177 Boat Ramp Cleanup at the Fairmont Boat Launch.
 
The Club sponsored two students for the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship. Students were interviewed in Lawrence in mid-February.
 
The club elected officers: Mitzi Richards - President; Randy Peterson - President Elect and Chair of the Grants and Contributions Committee; Chris Culbertson - Vice Chair and Chair of PolioPlus; Steven Graham - Past President; Tara Claussen - Secretary; and Janet Lowell - Treasurer.  Directors elected are: Shelley Carver; Jayson Cyr; Rebecca Gould; Claudia Petrescu; Tom Phillips; and Bob Ward. All take office July 1, 2023.
   
Randy Peterson presented the January Cup Money to Scott Voos, Director of Be Able, a day facility for those who are home free. Over 800 Neighbors were served at the local facility in 2022.
Manhattan Konza Rotary
On Saturday, January 14, Manhattan Konza Rotary held its first social event of 2023. Club members and their families gathered together for Club in a Pub at Kite's in Aggieville, then headed to a family ice skating party at City Park. A great time was had by all!
Western Johnson County
Our club started off the month by learning how to make wine!  Club members Diane & A.W. hosted us and A.W. walked us through each step of the wine-making process.  We were also able to bottle a previous batch A.W. had made so we could experience the entire process from start-to-finish.  The wine we made will now sit until June when it will be ready to be bottled!
The following week our club volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House Family Room in Overland Park.  The RMH Family Room provides a place for families to relax, eat, shower, and even sleep while they are waiting on hospital care for their family.  Our club made 40 baked potato meals for the families!
 
At our club meeting on 2/14, we heard from the Head of Community Outreach for the Shawnee Fire Department Community Support Team.  She shared information about their CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training being held in April.  CERT training prepares citizens to care for their family and neighbors in an emergency.  If you live in Johnson County (you do NOT have to live in Shawnee) and would like to participate, they have openings yet!  More information can be found here:  Shawnee CERT
 
Lastly, we will be hosting our club’s annual Music Bingo fundraiser on Tuesday March 28th 6:00p - 8:00p, with proceeds benefitting KC Ronald McDonald House and The Golden Scoop!  Music Bingo is open to everyone and will be held virtually on ZOOM.  If you’re interested in learning more, please watch our website and Facebook pages for more information coming out this week!

 
 
 
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