This will be Patrick's final meeting as our 2019-2020 Club President. He has served this year with such amazing grace and dignity.
In light of COVID-19 Pat decided not to host an outgoing party this year. So please take this opportunity to join us for Pat's final meeting as our President and weekly presenter.
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Congratulations Pat! Your final meeting as President was June 30, 2020. You provided us with an overview of your year which proved to be challenging when the pandemic began - but you kept marching forward and bringing us all together! Thank you. We were so happy you were surprised by our little video presentation to help send you off since you were unable to have your President's Gala this year! All our best to you as you now enter the ranks of Past President!
President Pat O'Neill made the decision to cancel this year's President's Dinner/Roast as he does not wish to put anyone at risk.
This dinner takes place annually to honor the outgoing President and generally there is a fun roast during with the evening.
President Pat appreciates a great idea that was presented by Dan Reynolds as follows:
To encourage members to donate the money they would have spent on the dinner ($35 per person) to the service project our Club is involved with for the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank called "Pack the Truck".
You can donate until June 30, 2020
If interested, please make the contribution online at
In April, Dan Flowers, CEO and President with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank shared with our Club the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has elevated the need for food in our community. Many families who have never needed help before are now facing hunger because of the pandemic.
Our club is a group who shares a passion for and commitment to enhancing communities and improving lives across the world. We have another opportunity to do so here in our own backyard. Please join President Pat O’Neill for Akron Rotary’s Pack That Truck Challenge to benefit the Foodbank on Thursday, June 25th, between 3pm to 7pm at Portage Country Club, 240 North Portage Path, Akron, Ohio 44303. We appreciate the support of Portage Country Club in stepping up to serve as the donation host site for our event.
As of May 20, 2020 the Akron Beacon posted that Ohio’s 16.8% unemployment rate is the highest recorded since tracking began in 1976, which is approximately 823,700 Ohioans who have lost their jobs.
Let’s continue to step up and take on the next Club challenge. The Akron Rotary Club is teaming with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and the Ohio National Guard to raise funds and food through our Pack That TruckChallenge.
Our goal is to physically and virtually pack one of the Foodbank’s trucks full with food items and monetary donations. Our club's goal is to raise $15,000, which will provide 60,000 nourishing meals. The Akron Rotary Foundation is providing a challenge grant and will match the first $7,500 raised in monetary donations. Your support is crucial for this valuable cause.
Here is a list of the Foodbank’s requests for preferred non-perishable items needed:
Boxed Cereal
Canned Beef Stew
Canned Soup
Canned Tuna
Canned Vegetables
Canned Fruit
Peanut Butter
Rice/Pasta/Beans
Other Non-perishable food items
Paper products
Paper towel
Tissues
Personal Care Items
We are grateful for this incredible opportunity to impact so many families in need and be beneficial to all concerned. Stay tuned for more details to come.
As you know, since mid-March Akron Rotary Camp has had no activity due to COVID-19. With Governor Mike DeWine’s Responsible RestartOhio for both Youth Day Camps and Residential Camps, the Rotary Camp board made some exciting and difficult decisions regarding the remaining summer programs. We will be offering limited overnight and day camp programs beginning July 5th. We are operating at a greatly reduced enrollment this summer. The health and safety are first and foremost for our campers and staff. While camp will look and be different in many ways this summer, we would still like to offer the best experience we can to our campers. Our summer camp schedule is as follows:
July 5-10 Overnight children’s camp
July 13-17 Day camp
July 20-24 Day camp
July 26-31 Overnight children’s camp
August 3-7 Day camp
Annually, Akron Rotarians have been a huge help with Camp cleanup in preparation of the start of summer camp. With the approval of President Pat O’Neill, President-Elect Dr. Rob McGregor, and Service Chair Cyndi Kane, we are in need of Rotarians who are comfortable in volunteering to assist us in getting Camp in tip-top shape before our campers and staff arrive on June 28, 2020. All cabins, bathhouses and open areas need to be cleaned and sanitized. We have several volunteer opportunities at staggered times to encourage social distancing - more dates have been added!
All cleaning supplies and gloves will be provided, but you are more than welcome to bring your own. Suggested cleaning items:
* Buckets
* Dusters
* Gloves
* Rags
* Shopvacs
* Stepstools
Please click on the sign up genius link below to review volunteer options - we added more dates so please check back if you are still interested in helping. If you would like to come at a different date and time that is offered, we will be happy to accommodate it. Any questions, please contact Amanda Warner at amandaw@akronymca.org<mailto:amandaw@akronymca.org or 330-644-4512 x3205.
Our newest Rotary member joined us on Tuesday June 23, 2020. We were pleased to welcome Mario Mastroianni back to Rotary. Previously Mario served in the Rotary Clubs of The Abingtons in Clark Summit, Pennsylvania, and also Westlake-Bay Village, Ohio.
Mario Mastroianni is a Sales Executive with Oswald Companies. He is passionate about helping professionals, business owners and affluent families protect their most valuable assets. He focuses on Family Protection, Income/Legacy Continuation, Business Succession, and Estate Planning. He, his wife Cecile, and their 3 year old and 9 month old boys reside in Seven Hills.
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 events in their lives. Please be sure to email me (click here) with any news you would like placed here.
CONGRATULATIONS!! . . .
Andrew Stephen Buie graduated from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Steve Buie shared "We're so proud of you! Your future is bright."
Tyler Riemenschneider graduated from Moritz College of Law. Dan Riemenschneider wrote "So proud of our son Tyler. He recently graduated in top 10% of his class at Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University."
Dr. Rob McGregor was commissioned in a virtual District 6630 ceremony as our 2020-2021 Club President. He is shown displaying the 2020-2021 Rotary International Presidential Theme Banner "Rotary Opens Opportunities". He begins his term July 1st.
Julie Brandle has been selected as a member of the Leadership Akron Signature Class 37. Classes spend a full day each month focused on a facet of the community, building connections with other decision-makers along the way to graduation from the yearlong program.
Doug Piekarz, President & CEO of Akron Zoo was our presenter on June 23rd. Doug became president & CEO in 2015. Prior to taking the lead role at the zoo, Doug was the vice president of planning and conservation programs. Doug has over 26 years in the zoo profession, specializing in the areas of strategic and master planning, animal and facility operations, exhibit development, and green practices. Doug joined that Akron Zoo in 1998 as the general curator and has held several positions at the Akron Zoo. Before coming to the Akron Zoo, Doug was a senior wild animal keeper and area supervisor at the Bronx Zoo in New York.
Doug is very passionate about conservation and building value for wildlife and wild places through connecting people to nature. He shared that 50% of the Akron Zoo revenues are from the Summit County tax levy and 50% are from earned revenue. As an essential business during COVID-19, the Akron Zoo maintained a daily staff, a critical staff and an at-home staff.
Akron Zoo's mission is to support the community by connecting our lives to wildlife while inspiring lifelong learning and conservation action.
During the pandemic, the Akron Zoo also partnered with the Akron-Canton Foodbank by providing of the Zoo's lots for food distribution. In addition, since the public could not enjoy the Zoo's blooms this year, the horticulturists harvested the blooms and delivered them to First Responders.
The Akron Zoo is one of only 237 AZA-Accredited Zoo's,
Audrey Carroll,a Rotary Exchange alum (Germany 2018-2019), was the recipient of the Owen Norris Interact Scholarship for her involvement and dedication to the Interact Club at Stow Munroe-Falls High School. She is a member of the Class of 2020 and was recognized with the hope that her “ experience in the Interact Club of Stow will encourage her to continue her volunteer service to others in the community and the world.” It should be noted that Audrey is the connection to the global grant that we are pursuing with the Rotary Club in Ecuador. Her year in Germany was shared with the daughter of president to the Portoviejo Club. Because of the earthquake there 4 years ago the city is poorly equipped to deal with Covid-19. Audrey shared the request for global grant with us. Already a woman of action! She will attend Ohio State University in the fall and intends to major in International Affairs.
Lydia Olin-Hitt, sponsored by our club, was accepted as a Rotary Exchange student to France this year. Although there is no long-term exchange because of the Covid-19 situation, there is the possibility that she could do a half year starting in January. If that opportunity continues, she will leave in January. We will keep you posted.
Haven of Rest will be hosting a canned food drive (see below or click here to open a flier) August 20th from 11 am -7 pm at Chick-fil-A locations: Canton/Dressler Road; Montrose/Flight Memorial Drive and Chapel Hill/Howe Avenue. You can also visit https://www.havenofrest.org/ for more information.
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Our newest Rotary member joined us on Tuesday June 23, 2020. We were pleased to welcome Mario Mastroianni back to Rotary. Previously Mario served in the Rotary Clubs of The Abingtons in Clark Summit, Pennsylvania, and also Westlake-Bay Village, Ohio. 
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