Rotary District 6960 News - October 2022

MESSAGE FROM DISTRICT GOVERNOR NEIL SNYDER

October is Community Economic and Development Month Rotary is all about our members and our communities Rotary service begins at home In every neighborhood in every town, we celebrate our unique identities and work to ensure our communities are a reflection of that which we strive to be

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, communities throughout District 6960 need Rotary now more than ever as we recover from the devastation left behind When the challenges are great, Rotarians come together and truly exemplify service above self We know that as individuals, we are strong But in the face of adversity, we unify and show the world that together, Rotarians can meet any challenge In these times when others feel despair, we don’t need to be told to jump into action and help others, we just do it. When situations are at their worse, together, we are at our best.

Rotarians are dedicating themselves to relief efforts by mucking and gutting homes that belong to complete strangers, working tirelessly to preserve anything that is salvageable They are offloading and distributing pallets of food and supplies by the truckload; clearing fallen trees and debris; and still taking time to stop and listen to our neighbors share stories of their experiences during the hurricane or memories that are left when nothing else remains of their home In Rotary, we know that healing starts with a hug and caring voice to remind those who suffered great loss that everything will be all right and Rotarians are here until the job is done!

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered, donated and offered your support and words of encouragement We have accomplished a lot, but there is still much work to be done Visit RotaryFL.org and let us know how we can help members of our communities who are in need. Please sign up to volunteer, make a donation and purchase items the disaster response team needs off of our Amazon wish list. You can also help by asking family, friends and Rotarians in other areas to consider supporting our efforts.

Please communicate to our district leadership team if you have areas of need as well as opportunities for Rotarians in our district to get involved from food drives to fundraisers, there are always members who want to serve, so let us help you spread the word We will rebuild and we will come back stronger I am more proud now than ever to say, we are Rotarians, people of action!

Neil E Snyder, Esq

District Governor 2022 23

Rotary International District 6960

October 2022 District 6960 Newsletter

ENSURING SAFETY

As hurricane Ian headed toward the southwest coast of Florida, the District 6960 Disaster Committee started enacting a response plan. The team's plan included reaching out to members to assess needs once the storm passed. They also established a website to receive requests for assistance, register volunteers and collect donations.

SUPPLY COLLECTION/DISTRIBUTION

Hubs were set up throughout the district for collecting and distributing items like mattresses, generators, food and water, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, water filtration systems, solar-powered lights, tools and other necessities. These hubs remain active as many items are still needed.

ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS

District response team leaders established partnerships with the local police, fire, EMS and sheriff's departments, emergency operations centers, and many churches, schools and other organizations to maximize our reach and impact. By offering our resources, we helped increase their abilities.

VOLUNTEERS

Rotarians from around District 6960 and beyond showed up immediately to form teams and mobilize cleanup. Actions included cutting and clearing debris, mucking and gutting homes, meeting with residents to assess needs and assign teams to help, searching homes to salvage anything they could find for the owners, tarping roofs, collecting supplies, organizing donation drives, and delivering food and other essentials. They are bringing the community together through hard work, dedication and compassion.

PEOPLE

Rotarians responded immediately to offer aid to residents across Southwest Florida affected by Hurricane Ian, showing communities how we are People of Action.

It's during times of greatest desperation that true heroes show up, not expecting anything in return, just selflessly doing anything they can to help those in need These heroes are called Rotarians Their service comes in many forms, from those physically able to perform the most strenuous tasks, to others who coordinate, promote and donate to relief efforts

The Rotary family spans around the globe District 6960 has received support from Rotarians, clubs and districts near and far, and it continues to pour in

Click here to watch an incredible video showing just how much it means to be part of the family of Rotary. Over 50 volunteers from District 6950, which encompasses Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, showed up with trucks and trailers full of tools and supplies, ready to help

Volunteers from Bradenton to Naples have been doing everything from clearing debris and cleaning out homes to meeting with residents to help salvage any valuables and let them know we're here to help them with whatever they need, a hug, some food or a place to stay

HELP REBUILD OUR COMMUNITY

VOLUNTEER. There are volunteer roles to fill for any physical capability or skillset. Click here to complete a short form to sign up.

PROVIDE RESOURCES. From providing housing to offering the use of trucks, equipment and other resources, if you you have something to share, there's likely a good use for it. Click here and let us know.

DONATE. Funds are being used to purchase supplies and other items to support efforts in the affected areas of District 6960. Donations are tax deductible. Click here to donate through the secure website.

PURCHASE ITEMS. The disaster team has a list of commonly used and most needed items. Click here to send supplies through Amazon.

Storytelling is a powerful tool. It can be used to inform, educate, entertain and, in Rotary's case, build support for the cause which naturally leads to more members, more giving and more doing.

District Governor Nominee Kelsey Mitchell has spent countless hours alongside fellow Rotarians aiding relief efforts. Click here to read about some of the emotions she has felt, and the good that came out of the tragedies brought on by this disaster.

2022 INTERACT AWARDS

Nominations due December 1, 2022 Showcase how your members are champions of diversity, equity and inclusion for a chance to be named “Best Video,” “Best Photo” or “Best Essay” and receive funds to support your Interact Club’s next project! Click here for details.

Forms for the Zone 34 Interact Award for 2022 23 are now available! Click here to download the criteria There are only 10 goals Interact clubs are required to achieve, so please encourage your club to respond.

A team of District Interact Advisors, under the management of Mike Darragh, Zone 34 Rotary Coordinator, reviewed and updated the award requirements to make the process as simple as possible, yet still cover the essential items that foster a successful Interact club. The outcome is a concise, easy to complete form that will hopefully result in a higher level of participation by the Interact clubs.

The form must be completed by the Interact club officers, and signed and approved by the president of the sponsoring Rotary club The form can be completed and signed electronically. To do this, simply click on the points field and enter the amount allowed for each line, and the total will generate at the bottom. If a mistake is made, it can be edited.

Forward completed forms to District 6960 Interact Chair Sherry Penfield at slpenfield@yahoo.com for signature and processing. The deadline is March 31, 2023 Late submissions will not be accepted

By:RichandCherylWillett PolioProgramsCo Chairs

Imagine a world with the polio virus wiped out, eradicated I can, because I was there raising money to develop the vaccines that reduced polio worldwide by 99.9%. I was there as a March of Dimes poster boy in the early 1950’s I was there to receive the Salk vaccine in 1955. I was there in 1979 to see polio eradicated in the United States

For me, the eradication of polio is personal I’ve seen the success in fighting the polio virus and eradicating smallpox in 1980; we can do it again

In 1988, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio The resolution launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), led by national governments with six partners the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance.

The world stands on the threshold of eradicating a human disease globally for only the second time in history

Since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries, there were six reported cases in two endemic countries in 2021 We’re almost there The polio virus isn’t going to give up easily, but we’ve learned a lot about the virus and the vaccines we use We’ve eradicated two of the three polio viruses; it’s time to finish the job Yes, for me it’s personal, make it personal to you.

Contact Rich and Cheryl Willett at polioplus6960@gmailcom to schedule a PolioPlus presentation for your club.

By Jim Hinck, District Rotary Foundation Chair

In August, the Foundation team announced a contest that would reward the top six clubs in Annual Fund giving between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022 Those top six clubs in per capita giving will earn $1,000 each in District Designated Funds (DDF) for a grant to be used during the second half of this Rotary year.

In light of the devastation around District 6960, the educational Foundation in Focus workshop, previously scheduled for November 5, was cancelled

Our District Foundation Dinner will be on February 25, 2023 Registration is open on DACdb

Several clubs have reached out about the opportunity to do a district grant project focused in their community where damage from the hurricane has prompted a need This is where our Rotary Foundation can be leveraged to do good in the world, specifically, in our communities here at home

World

celebrated on

GAME

Dee Fabry, District 6960 Literacy Chair, is calling on District 6960 Rotarians, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to try to get "The Brain Game" book into local organizations and institutions such as YMCAs, Literacy Councils, doctors' offices, maternal and health care community organizations, public libraries, and any other places parents frequent.

A newborn’s brain is a complex biological system, much like an unprogrammed computer. Development during the first 36 months of an infant's life is greatly impacted by what the parents and caregivers do. "The Brain Game" was developed by pediatricians, neonatologists and childhood development specialists to help parents and caregivers know what to do and when. District 6960 Rotarian Dr. Jack Rozance endorses the book.

This is a great opportunity to support early childhood growth throughout Southwest Florida communities

Bring YPA to your club

The Rotary Club of Bonita Naples ordered 200 copies of the book in both English and Spanish for the Literacy Council Gulf Coast. They are collaborating with the Bonita Springs YMCA to put the books into the Early Learning Center. Click here to learn more. The Brain Game is easy to understand and provides simple, yet highly effective activities

Interact Clubs & High School Students

LEARN MORE

Books For Kids Recognized for Enhancing Florida's Education System

The Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch Books For Kids literacy program received the Manatee County Commissioner's Business Recognition Award for providing innovative learning opportunities in the community and enhancing Florida's education system. In addition, the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading recognized Books For Kids during the annual Community Update Breakfast for significant efforts to improve literacy rates.

The Books For Kids program has distributed well over 100,000 books including parent engagement reading tips. The initiative uses hundreds of trained literacy volunteers to organize and execute the efforts and provide strategic literacy support to thousands of young children in 12 schools across Sarasota and Manatee counties.

"We know the Books For Kids Program is making a difference in the lives of these young children, helping them become more successful in school and later in life," says Ted Lindenberg, Books For Kids chair. "But the personal impact it makes on each and every child who receives a book for their own home library is worth so much more."

Multiple clubs in District 6960 have adopted the Books For Kids program and used matching grant funds to support the efforts Learn more at flbooksforkids.org.

Contact YPA Chair Ethan Wolfson at ethanwolfson72@gmail.com.

A SEVEN-YEAR ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND MISSION BECOMES A REALITY

On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, the City of Bradenton, Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects Inc., Neal Communities and other community members broke ground on a new inclusive playground at Lewis Park. Manatee River Rotarian Tom Norton, left, who has been spearheading the Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, was among those celebrating the groundbreaking of the long awaited accessible playground supported by Manatee County Rotary clubs The inspiration for the $415 000 project came in 2016 from Easton, now 11, who was born with spina bifida, and his mom, Jennifer Crofoot, shown in the center of the photo

The playground equipment is being delivered this month and construction will be completed in January. Once completed, the Americans with Disabilities Act compliant playground will be the only purpose built destination of its kind in the area, serving children of all ages and abilities in the City of Bradenton, Manatee County and the surrounding area. The playground will also include a section of swings including one that can accommodate a child in a wheelchair. Learn more about the playground at rotaryplaygrounds.org.

The project was made possible through a partnership between the City of Bradenton and the Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, community donations from organizations, businesses and individuals, as well as Rotary District 6960 grant funds

Norton said that once the fundraising was completed, they were thrilled to learn that the City of Bradenton was interested in putting a playground at Lewis Park. “The entire Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects Inc. team is profoundly grateful for every contribution, large and small, that we have received,” Norton said in a release from the City of Bradenton. “Our mission of providing an inclusive playground that every child can enjoy is becoming a reality. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get closer to that goal.”

For Easton, the playground has been a long time coming, said Jennifer. Born with spina bifida, Easton will never walk. “He can do anything that his friends can do; he just has to do it differently,” Jennifer said, adding that his condition has not slowed the charismatic, naturally happy boy Jennifer explained that it was her mother who first approached the Rotary clubs for help with a playground for Easton. At the time, she and her mother didn’t realize they would be starting a seven year campaign. “The City of Bradenton has been incredible. We’re glad everything is happening now, as it should,” said Jennifer She is hoping to host Easton’s 12th birthday at the playground in January “I’m thrilled this is finally coming to fruition,” Jennifer said. “Most people would have walked away years ago from this. But the Rotary stuck through.”