On August 25, we were pleased to welcome speakers Maddie Nicholas and Kelsey Graf from the Junior League of Akron.
They helped our members learn more about the organization, its mission, how to support its work and get involved.
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. is an organization of women whose Mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.
Their goal is to promote and perpetuate social change in the Akron communities that will benefit most from it. By empowering women and providing valuable leadership training, they are giving local women the tools to get involved, put their talents to work, and positively impact the communities of Summit County.
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 <Click to Email us> to let us know of any news you would like placed here. Note that health related information is posted only with permission of the individual(s).
CONGRATULATIONS MATT & ALEX LONG
Matt Long and his wife Alex have shared some great news - Noah Grace Long made her early appearance Wednesday, August 19th at 10:33pm. Weighing in at 5 pounds 12 ounces and 19 inches. Matt wrote “she already has some cute brown hair. She is perfect, just like her mom.”
CONGRATULATIONS CONNOR & COURTNEY JARVIS
Connor Jarvis shared "I am thrilled to announce that Courtney and I have officially welcomed into the world the newest addition to the Jarvis Family – our fourth child (and second daughter), Georgia Mary.
Georgia was born on Thursday, August 20th at 3:40am weighing 8lbs 15oz and measuring 21in long. Mama and baby are both happy and healthy, and our hearts have been filled with such joy watching Emerson, Theodore, and Beau love on their new sister – “Baby Georgia.” We are incredibly blessed.
Summer break ends September 9th!We have one more month to play...or in our case eat...Pickle Balls!! 😂 We packed the strange treat for the kids at Innes School for their last day of school, so we had to try one.
Packing resumes on September 9th at 3 pm at OPEN M Ministry.Sign up here!
Thank you packers and taste-testers Doug Kohl, Robert McGregor, Sandy Naragon, Cyndi Kane, Virginia Addicott and Jeff Naragon!
We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Rotary Night Out, a fantastic opportunity to connect, relax, and support those that support us.
Mark your calendars for October 8, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00PM at Hoppin' Frog Brewery, located at 1680 E Waterloo Rd, Akron, OH 44306.
This event is more than just a social gathering; it's a chance to show appreciation. Hoppin' Frog has been a generous supporter of our Annual Chili Open, and this evening is a perfect way to give back to them and celebrate the new ownership team. Plus, it's a relaxed setting to meet fellow members and enjoy great company.
Remember, there is no cost to attend, and all food and drinks will be purchased individually. We encourage everyone to bring friends and family to make this event even more special. Your participation helps us build a stronger, more engaged Rotary community.
We look forward to seeing you there and sharing a memorable evening together. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to connect and support our local business!
Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich was named Director of Athletics at The University of Akron on May 12, 2025, bringing more than two decades of business and athletics administration experience to the Zips. A servant leader and trusted advisor, Dr. Goodrich has built his career around competitive excellence, revenue growth, strong relationships, disciplined financial stewardship and an exceptional student-athlete experience.
We were honored to welcome Dr. Goodrich as a speaker at our Akron Rotary Club meeting on August 11, 2026. His presentation centered on an ambitious goal: making The University of Akron the standard by which other universities are judged.
Dr. Goodrich shared his perspective on the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics, including the new era of revenue sharing with student-athletes. He also spoke about the University’s commitment to attracting exceptional student-athletes who are creating their own blueprints for success—both in competition and beyond.
Of course, no conversation about Akron athletics would be complete without discussing the current promotion that has gone viral! With more than 2 million views, plus national stories and interviews across numerous news and sports outlets, the promotion has now generated more than 2 Billion impressions for The University of Akron.
Thank you, Dr. Goodrich, for sharing your vision, insight and enthusiasm with Akron Rotary. We appreciate your leadership and your commitment to making the University of Akron—and our community—stronger.
Go Zips!
In case you missed it! This is your reminder to snag your season memberships for a one of a kind experience.
University of Akron Athletics is giving one lucky football season ticket holder the opportunity to become the Offensive Coordinator of the Game for the Zips' home opener—an unforgettable, behind-the-scenes experience unlike anything we've ever done before.
The selected fan won't just watch from the sidelines. They'll become part of the team for the day, working alongside Head Coach Joe Moorhead from start to finish.
Here's what the winning experience includes:
- Receiving the call announcing your selection as the Offensive Coordinator of the Game.
- Being officially introduced at your own "hiring" press conference.
- Meeting with Head Coach Joe Moorhead to help script the opening offensive drive.
- Wearing a headset and standing on the sidelines as the opening drive unfolds.
- Wrapping up the day with a postgame press conference to discuss your performance.
How to Enter
All current UA season ticket holders are automatically entered into a random drawing for the promotion with every season ticket counting as an entry — e.g. 4 tickets equal 4 entries. Renew or purchase new season tickets before the deadline on August 19 to be entered!
Season ticket holders will receive additional entries for every new season ticket holder they successfully refer. Reach out to the ticket office directly or add referral information into the comments section when purchasing tickets online.
One winner will be selected at random on August 19.
Join others like Big Kat from Barstool sports and Bobby Bones of the "Bobby Bones Show." Don't miss your chance to be part of Akron Football history and experience game day like never before.
Click the button below to select your seats for this season! Fill out an Interest Form to connect with a Zips representative and learn more about seating options today.
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 <Click to Email us> to let us know of any news you would like placed here. Note that health related information is posted only with permission of the individual(s).
CONGRATULATIONS TOM KNAUER
Former Club President, Tom Knauer is a recent graduate of Cohort 39 of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program! 🎓
Tom shared this on social media about his recent graduation from the program: Over the past 12 weeks, this program has become such a meaningful part of my life. I’ve learned more than I expected, challenged myself in ways I didn’t anticipate, and gained perspectives and resources that I know I’ll carry forward.
But perhaps the most valuable part of this journey has been the people. An incredible group of entrepreneurs that I truly plan to know the rest of my life. Cohort 39 really is something special.
I can’t say enough good things about the staff, the instructors, my fellow business owners, and the incredible resources that make this program what it is. The time, energy and commitment are real—but so are the rewards.
Thank you, Cohort 39, for an unforgettable 12 weeks. I’m honored to be part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumni family!
About Tom & Artists Inc:
Tom is President and Owner of Artists, Inc. a creative, versatile and nimble advertising, design and marketing communications firm. For over 75 years the company has been producing award-winning work. Tom said, “we're strategic, creativeand easy to work with. Our time in business says a lot about the quality of our work as well as thestrength of the decades-long relationships we’ve forged. Not to mention – we know what we’re doing. Much has changed in 75 years, but not our approach to business."
For over 100 years, Rotary Camp has served children with special needs throughout Northeast Ohio. Thanks to the generous support of so many in our community, we have made tremendous strides to fulfill our mission of “Creating a world where there are only abilities!” We need your support as we continue this voyage of making a difference in the lives of special needs children and their families.
Mark your calendar for September 26, 2026, and join us for our Akron Rotary Camp Regatta, held at our facility in the scenic Portage Lakes. Come enjoy an evening filled with cocktails, entertainment, delicious food, and fireworks as we celebrate embracing the future together.
A formal invitation will follow. Please visit rotarycampregatta.com for additional information, or contact Amanda Warner at 330.644.4512, ext. 3205 or email amandaw@akronymca.org.
Catering by Beau’s Grille and the Doubletree by Hilton Akron/Fairlawn.
You are warmly invited to Wojno & Cheese, a special gathering on Sunday, August 23 at the Mustill Store Museum, honoring the life and legacy of Virginia “Ginny” Wojno-Forney. Ginny’s fortitude and spirit led to the founding of our organization in 1989, and nearly four decades later, her dedication to community, history, and public space continues to guide our work. As we move forward, we look to steward our public assets in ways that uplift the Cascade Valley neighborhood and the City of Akron — connecting our past to our future, and our community to one another.
This event offers a moment to appreciate her contributions, marked by an installation for our memorial garden, while reaffirming our commitment to her vision. The celebration will take place from 3 to 4 p.m., offering time to reconnect over light refreshments and a brief program. We invite you to continue the festivities from 4 to 6 p.m. with music from The Delta Hand Band, the final segment of our Jazz on the Trail summer series.
Admission is free. Kindly RSVP by August 16 to info@cascadelocks.org.
Nathanael "Thane" Billow spoke to our Club on July 21, sharing valuable insights into the funeral profession and the evolving needs of families today. As a sixth-generation member of the Billow family and part of The Billow Funeral Homes & Crematory, Thane brings a lifetime of experience and a deep understanding of the industry.
While this brief recap cannot fully capture the depth and perspective of his presentation, it highlights some of the key takeaways he shared about the funeral profession, the challenges it faces, and the importance of thoughtful planning. We hope these insights provide a greater appreciation for both Thane's expertise and the value of preparing for life's inevitable transitions.
The Billow Funeral Homes & Crematory is the oldest company and oldest funeral home in Summit County having been started in 1875. Evans Insurance started in 1876 and Albrecht Grocers in 1876.
The Billow Funeral Homes & Crematory was the first company in Summit County to have vehicles registered in the county; license plates issues at the county level; plates 1-11 for their Ford Model Ts and Ambulance Trucks.
Thane shared “being a funeral director is about taking care of friends, neighbors and those we love. It is a most rewarding and humbling career.”
He focused on three things regarding the industry:
Fraud
Labor
Pre-planning
Fraud
Beware! Yes, you should still plan to have someone watching your home while you are attending a family funeral - people peruse the obituaries and target homes accordingly.
A new scam involves the use of Artificial Intelligence mimicking the voice(s)of funeral directors. People have used it to call and ask the family for their credit cards to complete funeral expenses. Never do this over the phone when called. Call the funeral home directly or go in person to handle all fees.
Labor Markets
Statistics show that funeral services is one of the least desired jobs. It is serious work, has long hours and the pay is not great.
There is a nationwide shortage of licensed funeral directors. He shared the Wake Forest Law Review article “When Barriers Become Brick Walls” - Breaking Down Barriers to Solve the Funeral Director Shortage.
In the next 5 years, there will be a net labor loss of approximately 4,000 funeral directors per year in the United States.
The US Department of Labor indicates that there are roughly 55,000 licensed funeral directors in total who are actively working in the United States as of 2025.
5,700 retirements per year over the next 5 years, and mortuary schools are only graduating 1,600 graduates per year.
The barriers include education, professional standards, hours, wages, lifestyle & work balance.
Ohio requires a BS degree plus a 1- or 2-year apprenticeship, then must pass national boards and state laws & rules exam; funeral service is a skilled trade and requires formal apprenticeship under a master Funeral Director.
Professional standards - it can take years to develop the professional, cultural and hospitality standards needed to excel as a funeral director.
Hours, wages, lifestyle & work-life balance - seen as the “least desired profession” or “dismal trade”, burnout and attrition are high; death does not happen between 8am-5pm and funerals are not scheduled at the convenience of funeral directors. - customer service standards are incredibly high, the highest of any industry, and the needs of families take priority over almost every matter. Customers demand and require 24-hour accessibility, funeral directors are required to work 24 hours to make transfers and receive loved one at any hour of the day/night.
Pre-Planning
He discussed the three benefits of prearranging or preplanning
Humanizing: whether it's attending a funeral, making arrangements, or doing your own preplan, its very common to be more appreciative and grateful for the gift of life, let the small stuff go, not let little things bother you, puts things into perspective and makes us appreciate just how precious life is.
Peace of Mind and Comfort: for yourself and those who love you; knowing final wishes are documents, many decisions have been made, and there is at least some plan in place that can make a very difficult time a little simpler - not easier, because it will be hard not matter what - but simpler. When it comes to making your own arrangements, it is important to remember – it’s not about you – it’s about recognizing the needs of the survivors and those who love you. Funerals are for the living.
Financial Benefits: sometimes it makes sense to prepay for your funeral, but not always. Do your due diligence and talk with your accountant or investment planner. There are many variables with prepayment arrangements - be aware of origination fees or upfront service fees when working with funeral trust accounts or making arrangements in certain states such as Florida where the funeral home/director is allowed to earn 30% service fee up front for prepaid funerals - this means only 70% of the funds are trusted and invested. Consumers should ask about the fees.
The Billow Funeral Homes & Crematory, does NOT take service fees upfront on pre-needs. The State of Ohio permits 10% service fees on funerals and 20% on cemetery contracts - a few years ago a bill in Ohio tried to change this and reduce the fees but it was defeated by voters.
It is very important to note that all prepaid funeral policies are completely transferrable, without penalty, to any funeral home in the country that will accept them.
The role of a funeral director is vital and since 1875 Summit County has been truly blessed to have a reputable, dedicated and caring group of funeral directors and employees at The Billow Funeral Homes & Crematory.
FREE GRIEF AND BEREAVEMENT SEMINAR WITH DR. WILLIAM HOY:
Billow's is offering this seminar on three dates - July 29, 31 and 29. Professionals, Social Workers, Nurses, Counselors Clergy/Faith Leaders and Bereavement Teams can earn CEUs.
This week marked the beginning of a new Rotary year as Michael Gladysz was installed as our Club President for 2026–27!
Michael was joined for this special occasion by his wife, Stacey, and their two sons, Evan and Ethan. We look forward to Michael's leadership in the year ahead and wish him and his family a wonderful and successful Rotary year.
Following Michael's installation, the Club's Board of Directors was also sworn in to serve during the 2026–27 Rotary year. We congratulate our incoming Board members and look forward to their leadership and service as we continue making a positive impact in our community.
President Michael Gladysz performed his first official induction on July 7, 2026 by inducting new Honorary Rotarian, Cheryl “Cherie” Buchanan who was sponsored by PDG Cheryl Warren.
Honorary Rotarians are individuals recognized for their exceptional service and support of Rotary ideals and values. When presented to the Board for approval, they were all in agreement that Cherie definitely met the criteria. Honorary Members cannot vote or hold office in the Club.
Cherie been a very active friend of Rotary for over 40 years. She has volunteered at Club and District events, attended several International Conventions and is a Rotary Benefactor.
She has been married to PDG Stew Buchanan for 42 years. One of her major achievements in our District includes helping Stew structure, run and obtain matching grants for the End Polio Now event hosted at the Guardians annually. She continues to volunteer at the event along with many other Rotary initiatives.
Cherie is a retired Registered Nurse and taught nursing at The University of Akron. She and Stew have 5 children (5 boys and 2 girls) and 7 grandchildren. Her hobbies include taking Stew to the ballpark to usher at baseball games and fortunately she thoroughly enjoys all kinds of spectator sports - especially baseball. Whenever possible she takes time to go their family cabin in Madison and loves boating.
Photo L-R: President Michael Gladysz, Cherie & PDG Stew Buchanan, PDG Cheryl Warren
Tom Knauer was contacted about this Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland presentation on July 16. It is offered virtual and in person - Register now.
It is not a “Club” event but after discussion with our program chair it was decided to share it in case it is something that interests you and you wish to attend on July 16th.
Our program chair may also look into a program for our club in the future should they be willing to do onsite presentations. Sounds interesting!!
Hi Akron Rotary,
We're hosting on July 16 a look at American monetary history, specifically the crises and unsuccessful institutions that led to the Federal Reserve's creation in 1913. Given your members' interest in lunchtime programming, we thought they'd appreciate a direct invitation.
This event is virtual and in-person (with a building tour of our 1923 headquarters for those attending in Cleveland). I've included ready-to-use copy below for your newsletter, social media, and website.
The Crises That Led to the Fed's Creation: free history talk, July 16
How did America handle monetary policy before 1913? Join Cleveland Fed economist emeritus Owen Humpage for a journey through the 19th- and 20th-century institutions, crises, and political battles that led to the Federal Reserve's creation. Virtual and in-person (Cleveland) options available, 1–2 pm EDT. Includes Q&A and optional building tour. Register now
Before the Federal Reserve existed, America's monetary policy was handled by a rotating cast of institutions—all of which didn’t succeed. Join Cleveland Fed economist emeritus Owen Humpage on July 16 (1–2 pm EDT) to explore the 19th- and 20th-century economic crises and political battles that ultimately led to the Fed's creation in 1913. Virtual and in-person participation available, and those in person can tour the Bank's 1923 building. Register.
Thanks for considering!
Why did America create the Fed? Free talk explores the crises that led us here
The Rotary year runs from July 1 to June 30. The Rotary International President, District Governor and each Club changes leadership.
June 30, 2026 marked the end of Katy Miller's term as the Akron Club President. Many members were on hand to extend our heartfelt thanks to her for her outstanding leadership, dedication, and service. Her passion, vision, and unwavering commitment to our club and our community have made a lasting impact. Through her leadership, we've strengthened friendships, supported meaningful projects, and continued to live out Rotary's motto of Service Above Self. Thank you, Katy, for the countless hours, thoughtful guidance, and genuine care you gave to our club throughout the year. Your leadership has inspired all of us, and we are grateful for everything you've done. Congratulations on a successful year, and thank you for leading with grace, compassion, and purpose. Wishing you all the best as you continue your Rotary journey!
As my year as President of the Rotary Club of Akron comes to a close, I've spent some time reflecting on what this experience has meant to me.
When Thane was President-Elect, Tom was Vice President, and I agreed to step into the leadership pipeline, we made a collective decision. We agreed that we would all row in the same direction. We would establish a vision for this club and resist the temptation to chase every shiny object or wander off on wild tangents.
I believe we have navigated that successfully.
More importantly, I believe the leadership team coming behind me—Michael, Cyndi, and eventually Conner—will continue that approach. The future of this club is bright because of the people who are willing to step forward and serve when leadership calls.
I didn't accidentally fall into being President of Rotary.
I've served as president of many organizations over the years because I've always believed in leadership. I've experienced firsthand the confidence, growth, and sense of purpose that comes from serving others in that way.
The truth is, I've wanted to be President of this club for quite a while. I had my eye on this role long before I ever stepped into it.
But looking back, I'm grateful it happened on Rotary's timeline and not my own.
Because when the opportunity finally came, I was ready. Ready for the responsibility. Ready for the challenges. Ready to appreciate the privilege that comes with leading a club that means so much to me.
So if I'm being honest, I'm a little sad tonight. For a long time, I looked forward to this experience, and now it has come and gone much faster than I expected.
And now I find myself asking, "What's next?"
The answer, of course, is simple. I keep showing up. I keep participating. I keep supporting. And most importantly, I make room for the leaders who come next.
Serving as your President has been a complete honor.
To have something on my calendar every Tuesday to look forward to has become a touchstone in my life. You are my friends. You are my Rotary family.
You have celebrated life's joys with me. And without even realizing it, many of you have also helped carry me through challenges in my other life when I was grappling with things outside these walls.
Tim knows that Tuesday happy hours are reserved for what we affectionately call my "Rotary data dump." Our Tuesday happy hours inevitably become a recap of everything Rotary. There is always a story to tell, whether he wants to hear me drone on about it or not.
But as much as tonight is about reflection, it is also about gratitude.
No one serves as President alone.
The success of this year belongs to a team of dedicated Board members, Directors, Committee Chairs, and volunteers who generously gave their time, talents, and energy to our club. While the President is often the most visible person in the room, the real work happens behind the scenes because of people who consistently step up when something needs to be done.
Before I recognize a few of those people tonight, I'd like to ask them to come forward as I call their names.
Each of them will be receiving a small token of my appreciation—not because it could ever fully repay what they've done, but because I want them to know how grateful I am for their partnership, support, and friendship throughout this year.
I want to thank Jalani and Steven who have been our steady servers for our luncheons.
First I want to thank the Rotarians who sat in on brainstorming sessions to think about other membership types we could have for our club. We have limited time and energy to beta test a membership type, so this group looked at all the options and decided a corporate membership made the most sense to beta test.
However, choosing a path and building a framework are two different things. We would like the clubs input before moving to building a framework. Use the link below to go to a survey and give us your input.
Terry is the Founder & CEO of The Canary Project. The Canary Project exists to help individuals — and society — reclaim attention, intention, and connection in an era of digital overload. Through interactive challenges, experiences, and conversations, we empower people to build habits that strengthen human presence and a healthy relationship with technology.
Through presentations, conversations, and the Canary Challenge app, The Canary Project encourages individuals to reclaim attention, intentionality, and human connection in an era of constant digital distraction. Coming from a background in technology development and business strategy, Terry’s work focuses on the intersection of technology, culture, and human behavior, with an emphasis on restoring presence in everyday life.
The 30-Day Detox Challenge through the Canary Challenge app:
Reset your relationship with technology through intentional awareness, structured boundaries, and mindful restoration. Designed for individuals and families, this guided reset provides a clear path to reduce screen time, rebuild focus, and restore balance between your online and real-world life.
Over this time, you’ll explore the five pillars of digital wellness — Awareness, Disruption, Boundaries, Restoration, and Mindful Control — each focused on rewiring your habits and reclaiming attention from the algorithms competing for it.
Thank you to those who were able to join us for Kathleen Biggins presentation “C-Change Conversations” at our recent club meeting.
They would love your feedback and reflections on the discussion. Please take a few moments to complete this short survey: [LINK]
or you can use this QR code.
Your responses will help support and improve future community conversations around these important topics.”
Kathleen was a former Rotary Scholar and would welcome speaking to other Rotary clubs and organizations. If interested, here is her bio. You can email nicole.curnan@c-changeconversations.org to discuss scheduling a presentation.
Kathleen Biggins is the Founder and President of C-Change Conversations, a national nonprofit dedicated to fostering understanding about the risks of climate change to our economy, health and security, and geopolitical stability. In 2014, Kathleen recognized that climate change was a significant risk but that few people were talking about it because it was seen as such a polarizing and far-off topic. That year she pulled a team together to create C-Change Conversations with the goal of depoliticizing the issue and helping others understand how it might impact them personally.
Kathleen wrote the C-Change Conversations Primer – a nonpartisan, science-based presentation – that has been lauded by both conservative politicians and chief scientists of internationally known climate organizations. The Primer has been presented to a wide range of businesses and associations, reaching over 25,000 people in 34 states and internationally. C-Change has received accolades from leaders in government, finance, health, and education, as well as recognition by the southeastern conference of the World Presidents Organization, the Financial Executives Networking Group, the Garden Club of America, Rotary International, and the Land Trust Alliance. In 2023, Kathleen represented C-Change at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, which hosted 85,000 climate leaders from around the globe.
Kathleen hails from New Orleans and is a graduate of the University of Virginia and attended the Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg, Germany, as a Rotary Scholar. Prior to founding C-Change, she had a career in journalism and advertising. She now lives in Princeton with her husband and their dog.
Dr. David W. James spoke at our Club on May 26th. He is the Executive Director of Summit Education Initiative (SEI). He has almost 30 years of experience in public education leadership and is dedicated to advancing SEI's vision of preparing Summit County students for sucess and promoting prosperity through education.
He discussed how Summit Education Initiative (SEI) is the cradle-to-career backbone organization uniting Summit County, Ohio for cradle-to-career success. As a nonprofit backbone organization, they serve as a strategic connector and learning partner, aligning efforts and providing tools that support measurable improvement in educational outcomes.
They bring together schools, early learning centers, out-of-school-time providers, government agencies, businesses, higher education institutions, families and community organizations to ensure every child thrives from birth to career.
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 <Click to Email us> to let us know of any news you would like placed here. Note that health related information is posted only with permission of the individual(s).
CONGRATULATIONS VIRGINIA
Akron Rotarian Virginia Addicott was recognized as a Woman of Distinction at Girl Scouts of North East Ohio's annual luncheon. Fellow Rotarians Sandy NaragonJulie Brandle and Olivia Pilon were on hand to celebrate!
CONGRATULATIONS LAURA
Akron Rotarian, Laura Duda, graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Learning.
She shared on social media "this one hits a little differently… and more intensely because I never made it to my MBA graduation years ago after getting the flu. As small as that sounds, it always made the achievement feel slightly incomplete.
So after six years of work, it was nice to actually be in Nashville today and mark the moment properly. And to be officially hooded by Eve Rifkin and Matthew Campbell, Ed.D. was another level of special.
I’m so grateful for the experience, the people I met along the way and the chance to keep building the next chapter around education, workforce development and opportunity."
We extend a heartfelt thanks to the Wayne Homes team for their invaluable contribution in building a stronger community. They brought not only their enthusiasm but also their talents, helping us to stain, clean and prepare Rotary Camp for another great summer! Thank you for spending your day with us!
The Club is thrilled to welcome back Janey Ames with her re-induction on Tuesday, May 14, 2026!
Janey first became a member of our Club on July 3, 2007, and although she stepped away for a brief time, we are delighted to have her return to our membership family. Janey is overjoyed to be back, and we could not be happier to once again have her serving with us.
Janey’s sponsor is Mella Castner.
Welcome back, Janey!
About Janey:
Janey has been with S.A. Comunale for 6 months. She recently changed industries 25 years into her professional career and is currently seeking new organizations and leadership positions that align more with construction, facilities management and Women in Construction. Currently she is a member of Chambers in NEO and the newly formed BIANEO.
She’s been married for 22 years to everyone’s favorite Auctioneer, Brooks Ames. Their son Trace just turned 16 years old and attends Hoban. When they aren’t at Hoban XC or track meets, they enjoy boating on the PLX.
They spend a lot of time at various benefit auctions working as a team to raise funds for many local organizations, including the Rotary Camp, Comunale Cancer Foundation, Stewart’s Caring Place and many more.
She enjoys networking with other like-minded people, both men and women, but is highly focused on helping other young women and professionals with their self-confidence and living up to their own potential.
She shared, “I love all things health and wellness and beauty products and enjoy helping women glow from the inside out (hence my two side businesses that I’m also growing and loving with Make Wellness and Rodan & Fields).”
Photo L-R:
Club President Katy Miller, Janey Ames, Mella Castner
NOTE NEW PARKING LOT FOR VOLUNTEERS; SEE INFORMATION BELOW:
Volunteer parking is located in the Blue Lot, which should be accessed via Entrance A on Dart Avenue. Please use this entrance rather than entering from Opportunity Parkway.
Dart Avenue is a one-way street. Depending on your route, you may need to circle the block to reach it (Opportunity to Pier to Bartges to Dart).
When heading north on Dart Avenue, Entrance A will be the first entrance on your right.
Once you've parked, please follow the sidewalk toward Dart Avenue and use the city sidewalks to walk to our main entrance on Opportunity Parkway.
Handicap-accessible spaces remain available in front of the building on Opportunity Parkway.
This is a great opportunity to bond with fellow Rotarians while making an impact in our community.
The service project typically involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries.
>>>IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOODBANK OR WITHIN THE PAST 2 YEARS - WE NEED YOU TO PLEASE REGISTER WITH ACRFB:
On behalf of The Rotary Foundation Trustees, District 6630 Governor Bob Oborn and District 6630 Foundation Chair, PDG David Jones, presented PDG W. Stewart “Stew” Buchanan the Citation for Meritorious Service at the Rotary Club of Akron meeting on May 12, 2026.
Stew, along with his wife Cheryl (Cherie), have continually provided enthusiastic service to support the Rotary Foundation.
Through his ongoing efforts, Stew has ensured the continued success of vital Rotary programs.
Here is the transcript from the presentation:
Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service
W. Stewart “Stew” Buchanan, The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service recognizes individual Rotarians and Rotaractors who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the Foundation—through leadership, stewardship, and a sustained commitment to advancing Rotary’s mission. Your service exemplifies all of these qualities and more.
For countless years, you have been a steadfast champion of The Rotary Foundation and its work. Your leadership in PolioPlus fundraising has inspired clubs, energized volunteers, and strengthened our collective resolve to finish the job of eradicating polio. Your efforts have not only raised critical dollars but have also elevated awareness across our district and beyond.
Your vision and determination were especially evident in the End Polio events with the Cleveland Indians / Guardians, where your coordination and advocacy brought Rotary’s message to thousands. Through your work, families, community partners, and baseball fans alike were reminded of Rotary’s unwavering commitment to a polio‑free world.
The Foundation’s programs are the means by which Rotarians transform generosity into sustainable, life‑changing projects. Each year, districts may nominate one member whose commitment, enthusiasm, and passion for these ideals stand out in extraordinary ways. This year, the review committee’s choice was clear.
It is therefore with great pleasure that, on behalf of The Rotary Foundation Trustees, I bestow this honor upon you today.
Stew, we deeply value and appreciate your enthusiastic service to the Foundation. Your leadership strengthens the impact of Rotary’s most vital programs and ensures their continued success. Thank you for all that you do to advance our mission of creating lasting change.
Congratulations on receiving this prestigious and well‑deserved recognition.
About the Citation for Meritorious Service
Criteria The Citation for Meritorious Service recognizes individual Rotarians who have demonstrated outstanding active service to The Rotary Foundation for more than one year. Examples of eligible service include, but not limited to:
• Service on Foundation committees at the club, district, or international level • Participation in Foundation grants or programs • Support of Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary Peace Fellows, Group Study Exchange teams, or vocational training teams Financial contributions to the Foundation, however notable, are not relevant considerations for this award.
Eligibility An individual may receive this award only once. Any active Rotarian in good standing may be nominated, with the exception of current and incoming district governors, current and incoming RI directors, and current Foundation trustees.
Selection procedure Nominations must be endorsed by the current district governor. Each district may have only one recipient per year.
W. Stewart Buchanan is Recipient of Rotary International Citation for Meritorious Service
Hey everyone! You’re invited to a cozy bonfire night—good company, warm flames, and plenty of laughs. We will be building Rotary friendship while sending Luciana back to Peru with fond memories of her year and our club.
When: Sunday, June 28, 2026, from 5-8 pm
Where: Home of Jeff Jones and Karen Hrdlicka: 3087 Endicott Way, Silver Lake, Ohio 44224 (lots of street parking)
Rain plan: Still on, will just move to our garage and covered patio.
What to bring (optional):
Side dish to share. Hamburgers, hot dogs and a s’mores bar will be provided.
A chair or blanket
Your favorite drink, but we will have some options if you are not picky.
A jacket—nights get chilly by the fire
Please RSVP by Club Meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, so we can plan accordingly. There will be a sign-up at the club meetings. Or you can text/call Karen Hrdlicka at 330-329-7723. Hope you can make it!
If calling or texting - please let Karen know
Name(s) of those attending (family is welcome)
What side dish will you bring? OR if not a cook but you are attending just let us know!
Join us June 28 to say goodbye to our RYE Student Luciana!
This was after the Stow Munroe Falls High School Chorale Spring Concert.We all went to the Stow DQ to celebrate. Luciana changes families May 29 and moves in permanently with Karen and Jeff.
She was with Jacinto and Rachel Nunez in the Fall and in the Spring, with Courtney Hall in the winter.Karen and Jeff live just across the Silver Lake/Stow border so she was out of district if she was living there.But she has stayed with them many weekends when Rachel and Jacinto were out of town.
Thank you to the Akron Rotary Club volunteers who helped fill bins Thursday, May 7, 2026 to support The Christ Child Society of Akron. The organization was awarded a grant from The Akron Rotary Foundation.
Funding was used to pay for 25 bins to be assembled for children aging out of the foster system.Through a partnering relationship with Fostering Independence, Mary’s Kitchen provides glassware, mugs, utensils, measuring cups and dishwashing detergent.All items were placed in reusable bins.
On Tuesday, April 28th, the Rotary Club of Akron proudly celebrated 15 scholarship recipients from across Akron Public Schools. An inspiring group of students whose hard work, resilience, and potential reflect the very best of our community. For more than two decades, supporting education has remained a cornerstone of the club’s mission, grounded in the belief that investing in students is an investment in our shared future.
This special evening would not have been possible without the dedication of many. We appreciate Ellen McWilliams-Woods serving as the keynote speaker. Highlighting the power of saying "yes"! Additionally, we would like to thank the Rotarians who generously dedicated their time to the interviewing process: Amber Barkoukis, Sarah Buccigross, Terry Dalton, Brian Harding, Doug Hausknecht, Anne Jorgensen, Dr. Rob McGregor, Liv Pilon, Jim Redmond, Samantha Smith, Evelyn Williams, and Michael Wilson.
The evening was a meaningful reminder that these scholarships represent more than academic achievement. They honor perseverance, character, and the bright futures ahead for each recipient, while reflecting the Rotary Club of Akron’s ongoing commitment to connecting with and supporting future generations.
We were honored to have Wisdom Addo present at our Club on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Wisdom Addo is Executive Director West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation, Africa PeaceJam Director, and a Rotary World Peace Fellow.
The West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation (WACPF) is dedicated to building sustainable peace across Ghana by empowering young people with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration to become peace ambassadors in their communities. Founded in Ghana, 2008, WACPF works directly with schools, educators, youth groups, and community organizations to deliver transformative peace education rooted in the PeaceJam Nobel Laureate curriculum. WACPF is an official affiliate of the global PeaceJam Foundation, bringing Nobel Peace Laureate wisdom directly to Ghanaian youth.
There are Three Pillars of WACPF Peace Education:
Education - Delivering structured peace literacy through the PeaceJam curriculum — equipping youth with knowledge about conflict resolution, human rights, and global citizenship.
Inspiration - Connecting youth with the inspiring stories of Nobel Peace Laureates, igniting a passion for positive change within their schools and communities.
Action - Transforming learning into tangible impact —youth design and implement Global Issues Projects that address real challenges in their communities.
Kindly note that all donations go directly to PeaceJam 501(c)(3) and are therefore tax-deductible. Additionally, there is an opportunity for donors to have spaces within the building named in their honor, with recognition on the Wall of Honor at the Peace Centre.
How to reach Wisdom Addo Executive Director West Africa Centre for Peace Foundation, Africa PeaceJam Director, Rotary World Peace Fellow
We were pleased to hear a presentation from one of our former Akron Rotary members, Christopher J. Richardson, M.Ed., LPC, LICDC-CS.
Christopher is the Executive Director of Summit County Continuum of Care designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness. .
About The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program:
The Summit County Continuum of Care (CoC) is the convener and problem solver leading a countywide commitment to end homelessness. We bring together nonprofit providers, local and state partners, and community stakeholders to align funding, coordinate services, and drive solutions that quickly rehouse individuals and families while minimizing harm and disruption.
Guided by a faith-driven purpose, we believe every person has inherent worth and deserves a place to call home. This belief fuels our work to serve all communities with compassion, dignity, and accountability.
Through strategic collaboration, we work to promote access to and effective use of mainstream resources, strengthen systems of care, and support individuals and households in achieving lasting self-sufficiency.
We work with all communities to serve all ensuring that no one is left behind and that every person has access to the support they need to move from crisis to stability.
Together, we are building a coordinated, equitable system that prevents homelessness, responds swiftly when it occurs, and moves people into safe, stable housing.
We believe homelessness can be ended and we are working every day to make that a reality in Summit County.
The Rotary Club of Akron is pleased to host Wisdom as a speaker at our luncheon meeting on April 14th at noon (doors open at 11:45 AM).
Please RSVP to Club President Katy Miller at Katymiller218@gmail.com or 330-620-4098 by noon on Friday, April 10th.
Wisdom’s journey with Rotary began in 2010–2011, when he was interviewed on behalf of District 6630 as a candidate for the Rotary Peace Fellow program. From the outset, he was supported by multiple clubs across the district, recognizing his strong potential and commitment to peacebuilding.
Despite not yet holding a college degree at the time, his leadership and dedication led to his selection for the professional development certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.
He has since continued to build an impressive academic and professional path, earning both his undergraduate degree and a Master’s in Peace Studies through the Rotary Peace Center at International Christian University in Japan.
Over the years, continued support from clubs across the district has helped advance Wisdom’s work, bringing PeaceJam programming to schools in the Upper West Region of Ghana. This includes successful PeaceJam Slam conferences in 2024 and 2025, with further expansion planned.
In addition to his work with students, educators, and mentors, Wisdom is currently leading efforts to establish the West Africa Center for Peace in Ghana, further advancing peace education and leadership development in the region.
Lunch is $20. We meet at the Greek Annunciation Church, 129 S Union St., Akron, OH 44314. If you cannot attend the DLA and still want to hear from him this is a great opportunity.
Please RSVP to Club President Katy Miller at Katymiller218@gmail.com or 330-620-4098 by noon on Friday, April 10th.
About the speaker: Ellen McWilliams-Woods specializes in bringing diverse groups together to shine a light on solutions to complex community problems.She is currently working with the Youth Success Summit and Summit Education Initiative in Greater Akron, Ohio to galvanize the entire community to provide equitable and innovative skill-rich opportunities for youth.
Her 40 years in the youth development sector and as an educator, including 13 years as chief academic officer/assistant superintendent in the Akron Public Schools, were deeply rooted in finding the synergy between people or organizations that result in breakthrough experiences for children and youth.She worked with 70+ out-of-school time providers and civic leaders to launch the Youth Success Summit - an intermediary expanding afterschool and summer opportunities for youth in Greater Akron.She successfully collaborated with faculty, universities and local businesses to have the Akron Public Schools named as the first Ford Next Generation Learning community in Ohio where the district’s nine high schools were transformed into the College and Career Academies of Akron.The success of the district’s and cities’ support of the K-12 College and Career Academies culminated in Ford Next Generation Learning announcing the district as a demonstration and training site for districts across the country in 2022.
A recipient of the Life Changer of the Year Capstone Award from the National Life Group and the Woman of the Year Award from the Summit County Historical Society,Dr. McWilliams-Woods continues her commitment to leadership within the community.She serves on the Early Childhood Resource Center board and United Way of Summit & Medina’s Community Impact Task Force and is an active and proud member of Leadership Akron, Class XXVI.She previously served on the board of ConxusNEO, Project GRAD Akron, Junior Achievement, and Cleveland State University’s Center for Educational Leadership.
Akron Rotary Scholarship Dinner April 28th: REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Wanda originally joined the Club in 2016, but had to step back in 2024 due to the growth of her business. We are honored she has now returned to the Club as of March 3, 2026.
About Wanda: For the past 20 years, Wanda has had the incredible privilege of building a business that lights up kids' lives every day. As CEO and co-founder of World Elite Kids, the company has grown from a dream into a thriving organization serving up to 2,000 kids weekly with a team of 70 amazing people. She said, “running this business is my passion, combining my love of working with people, creating exceptional programs for young athletes, and the pure joy of entrepreneurship.”
Her commitment to community service runs deep and personal. She created and directed the Children's Cheer Classic for a decade, raising $150,000 and collecting 200,000 books for Reach Out and Read. She has served as Co-Chair of the Akron Rotary Chili Open for two years and was honored as Akron Rotary Camp Volunteer of the Year. She has woven philanthropy into everything she does—supporting over 20 charities and teaching our athletes that being a champion means being a servant and a giver.
Married for 43 years with two children, she spends free time reading, working out, watching Cleveland sports games, or cheering on her four grandchildren (and four grandpups!) in all their activities. She has been honored to serve on boards including Akron Rotary, USASF, and multiple Chambers of Commerce. She shared, “My mission: help others discover their potential and the value they bring to our world.”
Photo L-R: President Katy Miller, Wanda Whipkey, her sponsor Cheryl Warren, PDG
Over the years our Club has been honored to have several Paul Harris and Major Donors along with members and honorary members who achieved the highest level of recognition by becomingArch Klumph Society members.
The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. This support is essential to making Foundation grants possible, which bring sustainable improvement to communities in need.
We’re excited to invite you to the District 6630 Conference of Clubs & DLA. Registration is NOW OPEN! This year's updated schedule is designed to make the event more accessible and welcoming for everyone. We look forward to coming together for meaningful conversations, inspiring speakers, and time with fellow Rotarians.
The at-a-glance schedule is on the District website for you but here’s what you can look forward to:
Friday:
Afternoon Start: We’ve condensed the schedule so those who work during the day can easily join us.
Business Meeting & Celebration of Life: Important updates and a moment of reflection.
Evening of Fellowship and Fun: A chance to reconnect and network while enjoying food and beverage stations, an inspiring speaker and then. . .
Rotary Jeopardy: Join your cluster in a fun, competitive game of Rotary Jeopardy! Big bragging rights are up for grabs.
Saturday:
Breakfast & District Learning Assembly (DLA): Learn and grow through valuable district-led sessions.
Youth Lunch: Our signature event, where you’ll experience the impact of Rotary through the eyes of our youth. This is a fun and well-attended event you won’t want to miss!
District Service Project: Participate in this exciting new hands on service project. In partnership with Pack Away Hunger we’ll pack at least 20,000 meals in ONE HOUR! These meals will be distributed to food banks and pantries within our district.
We’ll be sharing more updates leading up to the event, but we wanted to get this information to you early so you can register and mark your calendars.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Calling ALL Members & Friends of Rotary to Join us at our Rotary District 6630 Conference of Clubs!
OPEN M Ministry packing team this week. Thankful for consistent volunteers to help Open M feed students at Innes School who need food over the weekend. Thanks to Doug Kohl, Cyndi Kane and Sandy Naragon.
The 36th annual Akron Rotary Chili Open Golf Classic, presented by Wayne Homes, was an enormous success, and we are happy to share that it raised a total of $359,132! We are extremely grateful to everyone who supported the event and helped make it a continued success benefiting Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, Inc.
Click here to watch some highlights of the Chili Open!
The majority of the funds raised came from sponsorships and camperships. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who helped secure sponsors or served as sponsors themselves. We were especially grateful to have representatives from our top sponsors in attendance, whose generosity and commitment make it possible for families to send their children to camp.
Wayne Homes – Keith Anstine, Todd Brown, Jen Collinsworth, Kelly Odegard, and Morgan Wagner
Industrial Tube & Steel Corporation - Dick Siess and Geoff Siess
VanDevere Automotive Family – Jerry VanDevere and Katie Bender
Wealth Impact Advisors – Jim Redmond
Congratulations to John Reyes, recipient of the 2026 Jim Redmond Ambassador of Service Award. This award was established in 1991 to recognize community leaders who have gone above and beyond in support of the Rotary Club of Akron, Akron Rotary Camp, and the Akron Community. John joined the Rotary Club of Akron in 1994, serving in various roles, including District Governor (2019-2020), and on multiple district committees. He is actively involved in community organizations, including serving on the Board of The Well CDC, Inc., and Walsh Jesuit High School, as well as on the Summit County Board of Building Appeals. John is honored to receive this award in 2026 and plans to continue supporting Rotary activities. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition as the 2026 Chili Open Ambassador of Service!
We also want to acknowledge our key in-kind Sponsors:
Hale Farm and Village for being the ideal venue for the Chili Open.
Main Street Gourmetfor providing delicious desserts.
Lala’s in the Lakes for providing the delicious pasta.
The Basement for trays of healthy salad.
Pearl Coffee Company for pots of delicious hand-roasted coffee
SGD Golf for providing the bright yellow Chili Open golf balls for every golfer; and lastly.
Whitey’s Booze N Burgers for providing all the chili and fixings and serving as the Official Chili of the Chili Open.
We extend our sincere appreciation to all our Rotarians, sponsors, and friends of Rotary who played a vital role in selling, purchasing, and promoting raffle tickets. Together, we raised a remarkable $49,760 in raffle ticket sales.
A special thank you to VanDevere Automotive Family for their generous donation of the 2026 Buick Envista through their Thrive and Drive Program. This marks our 13th year collaborating with them for the Car Raffle, and we are deeply grateful for their continued partnership and commitment to supporting our campers and their families.
Congratulations to the lucky raffle ticket winners:
1st Prize: David O’Neal won the 2026 Buick Envista Preferred (photo below)
2nd Prize: George Murphy – $2,500 flooring voucher from Barrington Carpet & Flooring
3rd Prize: Monica Stevens – North Course Golf Package at Firestone Country Club.
SnowMania – Sandy and Jeff Naragon
Make sure to redeem your $10 off Oil Change voucher at any of the VanDevere Chevy, Buick, Kia or Cadillac locations, and your $15 coupon off the purchase of two entrees at Lala’s in the Lakes, located at 4315 Manchester Road, Akron.
We had the honor of hearing from a dedicated Rotary Camp parent, Jen Connor, who is the proud mother of Tyler (photo right), one of our adult campers. At 24 years old, Tyler has been attending Rotary Camp for many years, particularly enjoying the summer overnight camps and respite weekends. Jen and Tyler also take part in our holiday celebrations, with their favorite being the Christmas party featuring Santa.
The Chili Open is the primary fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Akron and plays a vital role in supporting the operational needs of Akron Rotary Camp. The success of this event stems from the commitment of our Club, Rotary Camp, Rotary Foundation, and our corporate community. We deeply appreciate everyone’s contributions and support in ensuring that the Chili Open continues to thrive, benefiting our campers and their families.
Mark your calendars to attend the 37th annual Chili Open Golf Classic on Saturday, February 6, 2027, at Hale Farm and Village.
Rotary Club Celebrates Success of 36th Annual Chili Open Golf Classic
The Christ Child Society of Akron received the final 2025-26 Akron Rotary Foundation grant on Tuesday, February 11th.There to accept the $2,500 for its Mary’s Kitchen project were President Gail Pfeiffer and Mary’s Kitchen Co-Chairs Michelle Hathorne and Anne Santin.
Funding will be used to pay for 25 bins to be assembled for children aging out of the foster system.Through a partnering relationship with Fostering Independence, Mary’s Kitchen provides glassware, mugs, utensils, measuring cups and dishwashing detergent.All items are placed in reusable bins.
Call to Action:Akron Rotarians will be assembling the bins on Thursday, May 7th at 4:30 pm at the Beck Center, 2114 Lindbergh Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls.Volunteers will spend an hour assembling the bins following a quick tour.
Sarah Vojtek, President &CEO of Stewart’s Caring Place, presented at our club on February 10th.
She encourages people to tour their facility to truly see and understand the support anyone who is impacted by a cancer diagnosis.
They provide a caring, relaxed environment to those of all ages touched by any phase or stage of cancer. They offer supportive programs and services at no cost for everyone. They reply on the generosity of the community and are non-medical – they do not bill insurance, nor do they receive government funding.
There is no expiration date for services and are open to those diagnosed, the caregivers, spouses, children, extended family and friends.
What a day! You know the kind—the kind where the community comes together in arctic temperatures to golf in the snow, all to raise money for a truly magical place where there are only abilities. ❄️⛳️❤️
Oh wait, there really is nothing else like it!
And when it’s over, you can’t help but sit back and think about everyone who made it happen—the Rotarians, sponsors, donors, raffle ticket buyers, volunteers, golfers, chili-contest eaters, and community partners. Not just today… but every single year for the past 35 years of the Akron Chili Open.
That kind of longevity doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people are committed, they care about the children and families served by the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. Because organizations step up. Because a community shows up—again and again—to support something bigger than themselves.
Grateful to be part of a region that proves, even in the coldest weather, just how warm its heart truly is. We were a little nervous heading into a weekend with threatening bitter cold temperatures. But we really shouldn't have been. There is a no better community for our camp and we thank you❤️ Wayne Homes, VanDevere Buick, Whitey's Booze N' Burgers, Akron Tractor & Equipment, Inc.
The 36th Chili Open is set to take place at Hale Farm & Village on February 7, 2026, from 9 AM to 3 PM. This event is proudly presented by Wayne Homes and will benefit the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
The funds raised from the Chili Open ensure that no camper is turned away for their inability to pay. The event provides crucial camperships for families who might not otherwise be able to send their child with special needs to camp.
Important Reminders:
Last Call for Raffle Tickets! Please bring your tickets to the meeting on Tuesday, or you can drop them off at the camp office. Raffle tickets can also be turned in at the Chili Open.
We are still in need of a few bottles of liquor for the Wagon of Cheer. If you have any extra bottles taking up space in your cabinet, we would greatly appreciate your contribution. Additionally, any items for door prizes are welcomed!
If you’re interested in volunteering for a shift or two, please contact Dr. Doug. He would be delighted to place you in available slots. Feel free to bring a friend along to help and showcase the amazing work done by the Rotary Club of Akron.
Lastly, it’s not too late to secure a sponsorship, donation, or item for the auction.
Thank you for your continued support in helping Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs create a world where there are only abilities!
John Reyes is an Ohio native having been born in Steubenville. He grew up in Stark County, graduating from Sandy Valley High School and completing his undergraduate work in political science and economics at The University of Akron. Thereafter, he attended and graduated from The Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1978. He practiced law in the fields of commercial litigation, products liability defense and public law with the law firm of Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs in Akron from May 1978 to October 2021.
John is married to Linda, a Cleveland native who retired as infection control officer for Fairview Hospital, a part of the Cleveland Clinic Group. They reside in West Akron and have four children and two grandsons.
John began his Rotary career in April 1994 with the Rotary Club of Akron and has served in various capacities, including Club President, a member of the Club’s Board of Directors and a member of the Akron Rotary Foundation Board of Directors.
In addition, John has had the pleasure of serving as District Governor in 2019-2020, Assistant Governor, a member of the District Finance Committee, a member of the District Grants Committee, the District Bylaws Committee, the District Nominating Committee, the District Youth Protection Committee, and was Chair of the District GSE Team in 2012.
John has been active in many community activities including serving on the Board of The Well CDC Inc., Walsh Jesuit High School, the St. Luke’s Lutheran Community Foundation, Stewart’s Caring Place, The Lawrence School, and also served as a member of Summit County Planning Commission, including chairing its Long Range Planning Subcommittee and its Rules Committee. John also serves on the Summit County Board of Building Appeals.
John is both honored and humbled to be selected as a recipient of the 2025 Jim Redmond Ambassador of Service Award. He looks forward to continuing to support the Rotary Camp and Rotary activities in District 6630.
Congratulations John and thank you for all you do for Rotary and the Akron Community!
Congratulations to John L. Reyes - 2026 Chili Open Ambassador of Service
Carrie Pozsgay| Century 21 Wilbur Realty & Property Management
I am the mother of four great kids, Deviana (24), Nicholas (13), Wesley (9), and Cameron (3), I have been married to my husband Mark, a surgeon at Summa Hospital, for 15 years.
Volunteering is a passion of mine! Much of my volunteering has been in the schools. I have served on boards, chaired fundraisers and events, and helped in the classrooms at St. Vincent, St. Sebastian, and St. Hilary. Currently, I am the vice president of the Parent's Association at St. Hilary School. I also served on the board of the Akron Snow Angels.
I worked as a nurse for 17 years at hospitals in Akron. I recently pivoted and started working for Century 21 (Century 21 Wilbur Realty & Property Management) and Liberty Commons. I am in charge of business development and also obtained my real estate license. It has been so fun to explore a whole new career and use my brain in a different way.
My hobbies include playing tennis, antiquing, watching crime documentaries, and filling my home with plants. I can't wait to fill my time with more volunteering and pouring my energy and passion into making our community even better than it already is.
Inducted by President Katy Miller on Tuesday, January 27, Stephen was sponsored by Liv Pilon.
About Stephen:
Stephen was previously a member of the Rotary Club of Youngstown. He grew up in the city of Youngstown, graduating from Cardinal Mooney High School and Youngstown State University with a BA in Telecommunication Studies & a Minor in Music.
In his free time, he enjoys going out with friends, listening to music, playing guitar and piano, or just watching movies.
He shared “I moved to Cuyahoga Falls in 2023 so I really enjoy finding new places to go on the weekends as I'm still "new" to the Summit County area.”
Another hobby he has is woodworking/carpentry. He said ”If there is any way that this can be worked into community service I am happy to help! “ At YSU his fraternity helped out on the weekends with the YNDC (Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation) where they would beautify old abandoned homes. Stephen enjoys fixing things that are "broken" and making them new again!
He works for Great Trail Council, Scouting America and is an Eagle Scout. He said, “I'm proud to be able to share this program with so many young men & women today! Our organization is still going strong and working hard to build the future leaders of tomorrow.”
We're mixing things up with a new schedule and new options so as many club members can join us. PLUS - our keynote speaker is one you don't want to miss!!
It is a great opportunity to meet other members, learn more about Rotary and exchange ideas and have fun and fellowship!!
Watch the District 6630 website for updates, hotel reservations, and registration information.
April 24 & 25, 2026 | Cleveland Marriott East (Warrensville Heights).
District Conference April 24-25 - Save the Date - All Rotarians/Guests Welcome
Greetings Akron Rotarians and Friends of Rotary and Rotary Camp. Some of you may receive this link through more than one list. We are sure that you understand that we don't want to miss anyone.
You have been invited by Amanda Warner and Doug Hausknecht to sign up for "2026 Chili Open Golf Classic." Pleaseclick HERE or on the button below to view the online sign up sheet. Parking instructions etc. will be sent to volunteers the week prior to the event.
Perhaps you want to play instead (or also) or you cannot attend in person this year but would like to support through raffle tickets, the online auction or a donation? See "chiliopen dot net" for those options.
Questions? Contact Doug at 330.780.7925. (Amanda is with Rotary Camp so this email comes through her account). If you would like to be removed from this list, let Doug know.
William “Mac” Love spoke to our club on January 13th. He is an international artist, branding professional, and diehard Cleveland sports fan.
Born in New York City, Mac grew up in Brussels, Belgium, studied Fine Art & Synaesthesis at Skidmore College, and earned his MFA in Painting from the Edinburgh College of Art. He has led and produced thousands of private and public art projects around the world.
Mac is the president of Leadership Akron Class 38, serves on the board of Akron RoundtableandtheAkronBicentennialCommission,andis an inaugural graduate of Creative Ohio’s Advocacy Leadership Institute.
Art x Love is a creative agency based in Akron (OH), co-founded by Allyse andMacLovein2015.ArtxLoveproducesinterdisciplinaryartprojectsthat engage diverse communities, support emerging artists, and achieve an enduring impact. Art x Love’s downtown Akron studio is also home to the Forever Changes gallery, featuring work by more than 40 local artists.
Did you know:
Presenter produces interdisiplanary art projects in Akron
As we step into a new year together, I wanted to share something that truly stopped me in my tracks and reminded me why Rotary means so much to me.
When I attended President-Elect Training, we had a very dynamic speaker named Michael Angelo Caruso. He left a lasting impression on me, so much so that I started following him on social media. This clip popped up the other day, and it felt especially meaningful as we begin a fresh year.
He starts by saying: “I wear my Rotary pin everywhere. When people ask me what it is, I say, "It's my Rotary Pin.”
Naturally, the next question is: “What is Rotary?”
He replies, “It’s the best decision I’ve ever made!”
And then comes the real moment—the question that matters most: “Why?”
(This is the key moment. He isn’t selling Rotary. They’re asking. They’re curious.)
And his answer: “Because it’s bigger than anything I’ve ever done in my life! It has allowed me to be a complete human—and I enjoy it.”
That stopped me. 💎 Because I realized… that’s exactly how Rotary has made me feel. I think many of you will feel the same way when you watch it: https://youtu.be/0V8VfSwxtHQ?si=8JIWkUAZUMxOsveN
As we begin this new year, I hope we all continue saying “yes” to the things that make Rotary bigger than ourselves. One great way to do that is by supporting our club’s largest service project, the Chili Open, benefiting OUR Rotary Camp. Go ahead—sign up and volunteer! It’s always an incredible time filled with music, games, golf, and of course CHILI provided by Whitey’s Chili, plus so much fellowship.
Please also join us Friday, January 23rd at Whitey’s for our Mini Tour, featuring putt-putt, games, prizes, and dinner. It’s a fun night—and a perfect opportunity to show our appreciation to Whitey’s for their continued support of Rotary.
I am a blessed mother of 3 and grandmother of 5! I retired as a Physical Therapist/Director of Rehab in 2023 and keep busy with babysitting my daughter’s 3 children. A member of St Hilary Parish since we moved to Akron in 1993. There I volunteered in various capacities, among them a Girl Scout leader, home Eucharist minister and mass musician.
And most recently as a member of the Blessings in a Backpack committee. I cared for my father who passed this June and now with some extra time I am looking to contribute to the community in service.
Over the years our Club has been honored to have several Paul Harris and Major Donors along with members and honorary members who achieved the highest level of recognition by becomingArch Klumph Society members.
The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. This support is essential to making Foundation grants possible, which bring sustainable improvement to communities in need.
Get ready— Akron Rotary’s 36th Annual Chili Open Golf Classic is almost here, and we need your support. The event will be held at Hale Farm & Village, on February 7, 2026, from 9am-3pm, and is presented by Wayne Homes and will be benefit Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
Funding from the Chili Open help ensures that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. The Chili Open provides significant operational camperships for families who otherwise would not have the opportunity to send their child with special needs to camp.
Your involvement as a Rotarian will assist in helping to send children and adults with disabilities to summer day and overnight camps, as well as year-round respite programs. For over 101 years, Rotary Camp has been a viable resource for the Akron community, in providing campers with the opportunities to experience traditional camping activities, develop friendships, learn life skills and create memories that will last a lifetime.
The easiest way to support the cause is by purchasingRaffle Tickets.
1st prize is a 2026 Buick Envista Preferred, or $17,000 cash; 2nd prize is a $2,500 Flooring Credit; and 3rd prizes is a North Course Foursome Package.
Tickets are only $20 each, with a bonus of 1 extra ticket, 6 for $100, this year! Any individual purchasing six (6) Chili Open raffle tickets (for a total of $100.00) will be automatically entered into the Chili Open SNOWMANIA drawing for a chance of winning $50,000. This is in addition to the six (6) chances for the regular drawing.
For SNOWMANIA to go live we need 6-inches of newly fallen snow accumulation on February 21, 2026, between 12:01am and 11:59pm at the Akron-Canton Airport, Ohio as independently determined by Weather Command.
Purchase tickets today at Chiliopen.net, or call Akron Rotary Camp at 330-644-4512.
Tickets must be purchased by February 7th, 1pm to be included in the drawing. Raffle winners will be announced at the Chili Open. Winner need not be present to win.
Other ways to support the Chili Open would be through sponsorships, donations, or register as a golfer or foursome. For registration information and to learn more about the Chili Open, please visit chiliopen.net.
SILENT AUCTION
We will also again have a greatSilent Auction, including a Wheelbarrow of Cheer. To register, please text 36chiliopen to 76278.
We sincerely appreciate your support in ensuring that this year's Chili Open remains a success for the Rotary Club of Akron, benefiting the campers at Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
Yours in Rotary,
Katy Miller and Michael Gladysz Co – Chairs, 2026 Chili Open Golf Classic
Full house at the Club meeting January 6th to learn more from Rachel Tecca, Executive Director of the Youth Success Summit. To learn more visit Contact - Youth Success Summit https://share.google/ujWxZns2nVw4pvYbz
The team was having so much fun during the service project they forgot to capture a picture of their work this week at OPEN M Ministry -- huge thank you to Sandy for sharing this: our packers Greg Skinner, Angie Claypool, Fred Carter and Sandy Naragon.
Akron Rotary packed 150 food bags for students at Innes Middle School.
Jeff originally joined The Rotary Club of Akron in 2017 and had to take a leave in 2021.
We are so very pleased Jeff has decided to come back into the Club!
He was re-inducted July 6, 2026.
Jeff is the owner of Kline Enterprises, LLC which is the parent company for both Robert J. Events & Catering and Fun Services.
Robert J. Events & Catering is an off-site catering company offering wedding packages, corporate parties, fundraisers and more.
Fun Services is the originator of the Santa's Secret Shop and Holiday Gift Shop programs for elementary schools. Fun Services works with schools in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
When not running these two businesses Jeff is an active volunteer and board member for Scouting America in the Great Trail Council. As an Eagle Scout he believes in giving back to the organization that developed his character. Additionally, he is on the Board of Trustees for the Akron Area YMCA and a graduate of Leadership Akron Class 32.
He and his wife Angelique just celebrated 30 years of marriage in September. They live in Stow and have 2 adult children and a senior at Hoban.
Photo L-R Brian Kosarko (Sponsor), Jeff Kline and President Katy Miller
Thank you President Katy Miller, for hosting a truly spectacular holiday gathering. Katy was hard at work right up to the start of the event!
The luncheon beautifully reflected the spirit of The Rotary Club of Akron, with a room full of joy, fellowship, and connection. The food was wonderful, and the music by OPUS216 made the celebration especially memorable.
We are grateful to President Katy for creating such a meaningful and festive opportunity to celebrate the season together in true Rotary fashion.
Thanks also to Kelly Clites for managing the registration table and Susan Colville-Hall and Cheryl Warren for taking photos.
Classically trained yet unbound by genre, OPUS216 was formed in 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio, and has since performed more than 1,500 live shows across the Great Lakes region. Known for their eclectic mix of improvisation, string jazz, modern covers, and Irish fiddle, they are in high demand for film and recording sessions as well as live events of all kinds—from galas and black-tie weddings to community performances and their signature Front Yard Concerts.
Thane Billow reached a new milestone in his donor legacy - Paul Harris+7.
It was presented by President Katy Miller on December 23, 2024.
Thane, we truly appreciate your outstanding generosity to The Rotary International Foundation (TRF).
Your gift helps sustain and improve the lives of others locally and internationally.
ABOUT PAUL HARRIS FELLOWS (PHF)
Paul Harris Fellow Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) recognition is given in appreciation to anyone who contributes, outright or cumulatively – or in whose name is contributed – a gift of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, PolioPlus Partners or the Humanitarian Grants program. The recognition consists of a certificate, pin, and medallion.
Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognition is extended at subsequent $1,000 levels (e.g., $2,000, $3,000). Recognition consists of a pin with additional stones corresponding to the level.
Recipient's recognition amount level. US $2,000 to 2,999.99 - one sapphire 3,000 to 3,999.99 - two sapphires 4,000 to 4,999.99 - three sapphires 5,000 to 5,999.99 - four sapphires 6,000 to 6,999.99 - five sapphires 7,000 to 7,999.99 - one ruby 8,000 to 8,999.99 - two rubies 9,000 to 9,999.99 - three rubies
A huge shout out and thanks to Mark Seward for organizing all of the volunteers and working with the Salvation Army for our Bell Ringing service project this year.
Mark had 22 volunteers sign up and several took more than one shift (he personally took 4 shifts)!
Thank you all for helping with this service project and having fun by participating in taking photos.
You all did an amazing job taking photos!
Your photos help us promote what we do in our community.
Photo Contest outcome:
Cheryl enlisted three judges who are not Rotarians and do not know any of you.
Getting three people to agree was a challenge so she decided to award THREE first place winners, TWO runner-ups and ONE special recognition.
She will be handing out awards at the holiday luncheon or the next time she sees you!
The snowmaagatten failed to deter Rotary Youth Exchange enthusiasts Dec 13 from gathering at Akron Rotary Camp, where Rotary leaders from District 6600 and District 6630 hosted mandatory training for current inbound students and prospective outbound students. The interviews for students and parents interested in departing in 2026 generated excitement, with the country match reveal anticipated in January. Both districts offer long-term study aboard programs and short-term family-to-family summer cultural exchange experiences. Applications for the short-term program are open until March 1.
We are proud to recognize Julie Brandle, PDG, who reached a new milestone in her donor legacy.
She received her Paul Harris+4 pin which now contains 4 gemstones. It was presented by President Katy Miller.
Thank you for your outstanding generosity to The Rotary International Foundation (TRF), PDG Julie – you demonstrate a spirit of giving which helps sustain and improve the lives of others.
ABOUT PAUL HARRIS FELLOWS (PHF)
Paul Harris Fellow Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) recognition is given in appreciation to anyone who contributes, outright or cumulatively – or in whose name is contributed – a gift of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, PolioPlus Partners or the Humanitarian Grants program. The recognition consists of a certificate, pin, and medallion.
Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognition is extended at subsequent $1,000 levels (e.g., $2,000, $3,000). Recognition consists of a pin with additional stones corresponding to the level.
Recipient's recognition amount level. US $2,000 to 2,999.99 - one sapphire 3,000 to 3,999.99 - two sapphires 4,000 to 4,999.99 - three sapphires 5,000 to 5,999.99 - four sapphires 6,000 to 6,999.99 - five sapphires 7,000 to 7,999.99 - one ruby 8,000 to 8,999.99 - two rubies 9,000 to 9,999.99 - three rubies
A graduate of The University of Akron, where he was previously a member of the Akron Rotaract Club, Alan is the care taker at the Mustill Store House in Akron.
He currently works in the child safety industry, with a focus on car seat safety and safe sleep and is a Certified Passenger Safety Technician. Primarily he works with hospitals, health departments, First Responders and Safe Kids World Wide Coalitions to get them the items they then provide to their communities.
He is a part-time Kick Boxing instructor at World Kickboxing Academy in Cuyahoga Falls. They held two successful kick boxing shows at the Akron Civic Theater on top of running one of the largest Youth programs in the area. They currently have competitors preparing to head to the largest international Kickboxing tournament in Abu Dhabi to compete on the U.S. National team.
An active community volunteer, Alan shared, “I have always had a strong passion for helping people and want to be able to continue to help people both in my community and world-wide. I can't wait to be able to work together with Rotary and see what future projects we can accomplish together. “
Photo L-R: President Katy Miller, Alan Mobus, Doug Hausknecht
At our Annual Meeting on December 2, 2025 updates were provided about the status of the club and committees. The club is in good standing. In addition, the annual election of officers was announced based on the ballots that were returned. Congratulations to all who will help lead our club, foundation and camp boards.
The Rotary Club of Akron, Ohio, Inc. Officers for a 1 year (Rotary year) term: 7/1/2026 to 6/30/2027 President - Michael Gladysz President Elect - Cindy Kane Vice President - Connor Jarvis Secretary - Terry Dalton Treasurer - Brian Kosarko
Directors for a three-year (Rotary year) term: 7/1/2026-6/30/2029 Gerry Kiefer Doug Kohl Cheryl Warren Tom Knauer
The Akron Rotary Foundation Board Members with term 1/1/2026 to 12/31/2028 Aimee Wade Anne Jorgensen Bob Otto
Akron Rotary Camp Board Members with terms 1/1/2026 to 12/31/2028 Brooks Ames (Non-Rotarian) Carla Parker (Non-Rotarian) Rennick Andreoli (Honorary Rotarian) Joe Swiatkowski (Rotarian) Getta Kutuchief (Non-Rotarian)
Over 20 Akron Rotarians and family members volunteered to serve meals, bus tables, prep food and help with the pantry food distribution at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on November 25th.
A HUGH THANK YOU TO EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER!!
Some of the volunteers were also able to attend the social following the event to help President Katy celebrate her birthday.
Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs is seeking a Director of Healthcare/Registered Nurse to lead and manage the daily healthcare operations for our accredited respite, day, and overnight camp programs serving youth and adults with mental, physical, and behavioral disabilities.
The Director of Healthcare is responsible for:
Reviewing health histories and assessing the current medical needs of registered campers
Overseeing the safe intake, dispensing, and documentation of all medications
Providing basic first aid and health assessments for campers and camp counselors as needed
Ensuring high-quality care, safety, and compliance with healthcare standards across all camp programs
This role is vital to supporting our campers' well-being and creating a safe, inclusive environment where every individual can thrive.
This position may include an on-site single-family private residence at no cost to the staff member.
Doug Kohl, President of our Akron Rotary Foundation spoke at the Club recently. Because we have The Akron Rotary Foundation along with The Rotary International Foundation, we want our members to understand their giving options between the two foundations.
Doug provided a wonderful overview of the Akron Rotary Foundation and provided the following:
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation 2026 Grant Cycle is officially open. Grants between $1,000 and $15,000 will be considered via an application process which ends January 31, 2026.Projects must fall within Rotary’s areas of service which include Peace & Conflict Prevention; Disease Prevention; Water &Sanitation; Maternal/Child Health & Welfare; Basic Education/Literacy; Economic/Community Development or the Environment.
ROTARIANS: Spread the word to impactful community service providers! Encourage them to apply by January 31, 2026, via the application link below. If you have questions, email Sandy_Naragon@yahoo.com.
Congratulations to Sandy Naragon who received her Level 1 Major Donor Pin from Rotary International, presented by Club President Katy Miller.
During our meeting, Sandy shared her story about deciding to donate $1,000 a year for the past 10 years.
She said, “the work of Rotary International around the world to get clean water to those without access, inspired me to begin contributing to the RI Foundation. Jack Harig invited me to become a Paul Harris Fellow for the first time. Leadership 6630 is where I learned about committing to joining the Paul Harris Society. Rotary Direct allowed me to manage my giving so that I could achieve major donor status. Knowing I’m bettering the world beyond Akron has been my motivation to give.”
There are many ways to give that allow members to support areas that are important to them and make an impact.
Over the years our Club has been honored to have several Major Donors along with members and honorary members who achieved the highest level of recognition by becomingArch Klumph Society members.
The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. This support is essential to making Foundation grants possible, which bring sustainable improvement to communities in need.
Hailing from Peru, Lou is our Rotary Youth Exchange student this year.
She was a presenter at our Club where she told us about school, extra curricular activities, all the places she has visited, and explained all of the buttons she and other RYE students collect.
Happy Birthday Lou!
She enjoyed cards from Club Rotarians, the Dragon Dream Team and host family and friends.
Lou really appreciated all the personal notes and thanks everyone for their part in her special Ohio celebration of her 18th Birthday.
We are maintaining a photo library of Luciana's time with us … view here
Even if you don't know if you want to be on a committee we would like your input! It may turn out that one of the companies or individuals we are trying to make contact with, you may have a better connection!
Help Needed:
We would like help approaching new sponsors (please check with Mella, Michael or Katy to see if they are already being approached before reaching out)
Securing Camperships (again check with above to see if they are being approached)
Silent Auction- Secure donations, help with set up, help with data input.
Door Prizes - Secure freebies for golfers, help man the table, set up.
Course Set up - Day prior (Friday) at Hale Farm
Dates of upcoming Chili Open Committee Meetings:
Following these Tuesday Rotary Meetings: 30-minute Chili Open Committee Chair Update Meeting
(open to anyone who would like to help and learn more!)
President Katy Miller had the pleasure of inducting Dave Rich to the Rotary Club of Akron, OH.
Dave is pictured below with President Katy and his sponsor Thomas Knauer.
Dave has a B.A. in Communications and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from The University of Akron. With over 15 years of nonprofit experience at all levels, Dave has worked in domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, companion animal rescue and adoption, social determinants of health innovation, and addiction treatment service improvement.
Dave is the Director of Development for New Roots Institute. Through their leadership development programs, they offer fellowships for students motivated to dig deeper into the impacts, and solutions, of factory farming—while being trained in effective communication, advocacy, and leadership skills.
Dave has experience in volunteer management, fundraising, grant writing, quality improvement and program development project management.
He is a past Torchbearer and member of the Downtown Akron Partnership Young Leaders Board and is in the process of joining the board of West Akron Baseball League (WABL).
He is a lifelong Akronite – he and his wife, two children, three dogs, two cats and two hermit crabs reside in the Highland Square neighborhood. As a hobby, he plays guitar in various rock bands and hopes to live to see the day when the Cleveland Guardians win the World Series.
World Polio Day, was on October 24th, is also sometimes referred to as “Purple Pinkie Day”. This is because during National Immunization Days kids have their pinkies marked with purple ink that lasts for 30 days, to ensure they are not vaccinated more than once.
Thanks to Dunkin's graciousness, District 6630 sold Purple iced donuts again this year! Proceeds will go to the End Polio Now campaign.
We appreciate all who purchased donuts and those who volunteered to be at each location to help distribute them.
President Katy Miller and President Elect Michael Gladysz were invited to the monthly meeting of the Akron Yacht Club by Joseph Dachtler and his wife Stacie. The Akron Yacht Club generously presented the Rotary Club a check in the amount of $900 as the recipients of their charitable donation from their annual golf outing. What a wonderful group of people! Katy and Michael were able to share about our club, Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs and the work of Rotary International to End Polio Now!
While you are there — we need more fun photos showing our Club activities!!
Since Cheryl Warren cannot participate this year, she has offered to give away a couple Starbucks gift cards (for each of our service dates) to the most CREATIVE/FUN photo showing you in action for this service project!
Just a few VERY SIMPLE but important photo rules: Please do not include children without parents being present or non-volunteers without permission and please avoid store products if possible. You MAY include Acme and The Salvation Army signage in the photos.
Deadline for photos is end of day on December 13th!
Email photos (no texts please) to Cheryl Warren at cawarren@neo.rr.com and include names of those in the photo with you.
Note: Judging will be done by a non-Akron Rotary member.
Marilyn Buckey was recognized as the 2025 Jim Redmond Ambassador of Golf, by its namesake, Jim Redmond, CFP®, AIF® Marilyn is a longtime Rotarian who was one of the Chili Open founders.
Learn how you can support the Chili Open at chiliopen.net today. Corporate sponsorships, camperships, volunteers, auction items, and door prizes AND GOLFERS are needed! Thank you for your support of the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
We were asked to share the following information with all club members.
President Katy Miller
From: RI Corporate Governance <corporate.governance@rotary.org>
Date: Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Subject: Results of Zone 30 Nominating Committee
To: <rorotary20252026@gmail.com>
Corporate Governance
Dear district governors and club presidents in Zone 30,
The Nominating Committee for RI Director in Zone 30 certified that it elected Mike Kelly, a member of the Rotary Club of Mason-Deerfield, Ohio, as RI director in 2027-29 in accordance with RI Bylaws section 11.020. Rotarian Kelly has stated that he is willing and able to serve as director if confirmed.
RI President Francesco Arezzo will declare Rotarian Kelly as director-nominee from your zone on 1 December 2025 unless another qualified Rotarian has been duly proposed as a challenging candidate by 1 December.
The following procedures must be followed to propose a challenge to the Nominating Committee’s selection:
1. Any club in the zone, or section, may propose a challenging candidate by a resolution of the club adopted at a regular meeting, provided that the challenger was among the candidates previously considered by the Nominating Committee.
2. The resolution must include a written statement from the challenging candidate that they are willing and able to serve if elected.
3. The governor, either at the district conference or through a club ballot, asks each club in the district if it concurs with the challenge resolution. If a majority of clubs in the district concur, the governor will forward the resolution to the general secretary by no later than 1 December.
4. The resolution must be concurred to by a majority of clubs in the district and one other district in the same zone or zone section from which the director is to be nominated. District governors from both districts must submit the resolution to the general secretary no later than 1 December for the challenge to be valid.
If a valid challenge is received, the Secretariat will prepare and distribute an electronic ballot by 31 December to all active clubs in the zone or section. The ballot will list the choice of your zone’s Nominating Committee and any valid challenging candidates.
Any candidate who undertakes, or on whose behalf is undertaken, unauthorized and improper activities to further their candidacy in violation of RI policy may be disqualified by the RI Board.
Please note RI Bylaws section 13.010., which in part states:
Rotarians shall not campaign, canvass, or electioneer for elective position in RI, or allow such activity, for either themselves or others. Unless expressly authorized by the board, this prohibition includes any distribution or circulation by themselves or others of brochures, literature, letters, materials, electronic media, or other communications to any clubs or members of clubs.
Thank you in advance for your adherence to these procedures. Please do not hesitate to contact the Corporate Governance staff at corporate.governance@rotary.org with any questions.
Basic Reading and Literacy Month ended September 30th with the successful culmination of our book drive for the Summit County Sheriff's Office Summit County Jail, organized at the request of Sheriff Kandy Fatheree.
During last month’s club visit, Susan Colville-Hall asked the Sheriff a simple but powerful question: “What can Rotary do?” The Sheriff responded by asking if we could help stock the jail’s library—its shelves were nearly bare.
As always, Akrotarians, along with their friends and family members, sprang into action. Thanks to your generosity, hundreds of books were donated!
A heartfelt thank you to: Julie Brandle, for coordinating the book drive, Cheryl Warren, for creating our marketing graphics, and of course, Susan Colville-Hall, for asking the question that made this all possible,
Extra thanks to Susan's stepson David Hall for transport and delivery assistance, as well as President Elect Michael Gladysz for help with delivery.
Folks, the numbers are in and it was truly an fun summer with unforgettable memories made! From numerous canoe and kayak adventures, to relaxing pontoon boat rides, countless hours spent swimming, and group experiences on the Bud Rogers Adventure Park, we truly enjoyed an amazing summer. A heartfelt thank you to all of our campers, staff and volunteers who contributed to our success this summer!
An Unforgettable Summer at Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs
As a Rotarian we have an essential role to help Luciana learn more about the Rotary Clubs of Akron/Stow, Stow/Akron and American life in general. With opportunities to meet a variety of individuals through multiple events, she will learn more about American life, culture and lifestyle. Making multiple acquaintances helps her dispel stereotypes of “Americans”. At the same time, sharing activities with Lu provides us the opportunity to clarify more about American culture and our own community as well as learn about Lu’s home environment as we ask her about life in Peru. Just a family meal at our home may be the easiest way to get to know her or we can invite her to a picnic, family reunion or sporting event. Those are always a sure thing because she is bundle of joy, fluent in English and interested in so many things and in meeting people. A visit to the local ice cream shop is always a big hit! Finding other students to introduce her to American school culture is so important as she does not have a host sibling in her current situation.
Places she has been: Geauga County Fair, Lion King at Blossom, Stow-Munroe Falls HS (SMFHS) football games, Akron Rotary Camp, Cleveland Museum of Art & Murakami exhibit, Little Italy, Szaley’s, Rubber Ducks.
Below are other possibilities (although the same place may be different 2nd time around) in the Akron Community:
Concerts in the parks, hikes in the local parks or Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a Blossom Music Center event, a cruise on the Portage Lakes, a Rubber Ducks baseball game, a visit to the University of Akron campus, the Akron Art Museum and ArtSpace, an Akron Symphony concert, local fairs or festivals, the Don Drumm Studio, Akron Public Library, a City Hall visit, Hale Farm, an E.J. Thomas Hall event (concert, dance recital, Broadway musical), Akron Civic Theater event, a high school football game (high school basketball, soccer game, swim meet, etc.), UA/KSU football (basketball or soccer game), biking on the Tow Path, shopping at Summit Mall are just some of the many activities she would enjoy.
Below are a few possibilities in Northeast Ohio
Kent State University campus (including the School of Fashion Museum), Great Lakes Science Center, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an Indians game, a Cavs game / etc., a Cleveland Orchestra concert.
HOST FAMILY SEARCH: We are seeking a 2nd Host Family for January – mid March. We need a 3rd host family for the period after spring break (mid- March) to her departure in June.
Tim Miller spoke with our club September 2nd. Tim is the owner/agent of Insurance Service Agency Inc., a Trusted Choice® Independent Insurance Agency located in Akron. He is an active member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Ohio.
Some might think that hearing about insurance would be a bit drab ... but it was anything but that!
Tim explained the industry and why being an independent agent is beneficial for clients - it allows him the ability to shop for all types of insurance and tailor to individual needs instead of one-size-fits-all approaches. His agency is local and has been in business since 1951.
He graciously answered every question and of course addressed rate increases - something everyone has been hearing about! He provided handy information about the rate increases (click here to download) and we all received a cool jar opener/gripper made from 100% recycled tires.
About his agency:
They write personal auto, homeowners, condo owners, renters, motorcycle, ATV, boat, as well as term life insurance, whole life insurance, and disability income coverage for clients.
They also write commercial lines, such as commercial auto, commercial property, general liability, professional liability, directors and officers liability, as well as bonds.
In addition, they write specialty products such as food trucks, winery and brewery packages, restaurants, contractors coverages including bonds, non-emergency transportation, and many others.
Learn more at www.InsuranceServiceAgency.com or call 330-253-4501.
If you have not yet completed the training - another email will be coming your way!
All members of The Rotary Club of Akron should have received an email from "NAYEN Training Administrator noreply@nayen.org" regarding the mandatory annual Youth Protection training for the 2025 Rotary year.
This training is required for all active Akron Rotarians. Please check your inbox—and don’t forget to look in your spam or junk folders.
Additionally, Rotarians who expect to have more direct interaction with our exchange student or youth programs will receive a separate email from "Rotary Youth Volunteer Management RYEmail-YVM@yehub.net" for a more in-depth background check, including vetting of references and an interview.
Your prompt attention to this matter is appreciated to ensure compliance, and your ability to participate in Rotary events where youth are present.
Please contact Youth Protection Officer, Mike Gladysz, with any questions or if you need me to resend the training to you. I can be reached at Michael.h.gladysz@huntington.com or by phone at 330-807-7986.
Rotary Club of Akron President Katy Miller, Club members and guests welcomed 2025-2026 District Governor Robert Oborn to the club on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
Joining him was his wife Annette Oborn. She is a member and Past President of the Stow Munroe Falls Rotary Club. Also present were DGN Richard Cole, Past District Governors Stew Buchanan, Jack Harig, Julie Brandle and John Reyes with PDG Cheryl Warren via Zoom.
DG Oborn spoke about his priorities of encouraging membership, youth programming, especially youth foreign exchange, and mental health with a focus on serving those battling addiction. He also provided an update on District events.
Thank you DG Oborn for an enlightening presentation!
Learning that Greg was making breakfast for dinner (French toast btw) for his family that night, that Fred Carter likes to bake bread and hear him share is sourdough tips with Marissa Rufe.
It is time again for our semi monthly service project. We're teaming up to support the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank (ACRFB). Together we'll help ensure that families in our community have access to the food and resources they need.
Please also note the new parking instructions below.
Details of Event:
When: Wednesday September 24th
RSVP by Friday September 19th.
Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Where: Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
This is a great opportunity to bond with fellow Rotarians while making an impact in our community.
The service project typically involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries.
How to RSVP by Friday September 19th.
Please let me know if you're able to join us by replying to me at dhall@preferredlegacy.com or texting me at 330-714-1044. Family and friends are welcome so please bring a guest.
NEW! PARKING INSTRUCTIONS
We have an exciting update to share; our new volunteer parking area is now ready. It's located just south of our existing Dart Avenue lot, and starting now, we are asking all volunteers to park in this new lot.
Volunteer parking is located in the Blue Lot, which should be accessed via Entrance A on Dart Avenue. Please use this entrance rather than entering from Opportunity Parkway.
Dart Avenue is a one-way street. Depending on your route, you may need to circle the block to reach it (Opportunity to Pier to Bartges to Dart).
When heading north on Dart Avenue, Entrance A will be the first entrance on your right.
Entrances B and C (second and third entrances) are reserved for our network partners and pantry neighbors - please avoid using these to keep traffic flowing safely.
Once you've parked, please follow the sidewalk toward Dart Avenue and use the city sidewalks to walk to our main entrance on Opportunity Parkway.
Handicap-accessible spaces remain available in front of the building on Opportunity Parkway.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER WITH ACRFB. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER WITH ACRFB.
See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
AKRON-CANTON REGIONAL FOODBANK Main 330.535.6900 Main Campus 350 Opportunity Pkwy, Akron, OH 44307 We envision a thriving community free of hunger.
September 24th - Volunteer for Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Service Project - Note New Parking Instructions
Akron Rotary is continuing its support of the supplemental food service program through Open M to help provide food for insecure students at Innes Middle School.
SIGN UP to view available slots and book yourself directly online.
Open M Backpack Food Packing at 941 Princeton Street, Akron, OH 44311
Wednesdays Through Dec 17, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Chair: Sandy Naragon 330-256-5315
Volunteer: Open M Backpack Food Packing Wednesdays though Dec. 17th
We are delighted to welcome our inbound Rotary exchange student Luciana "Lou" Ortiz Ancí, from Arequipa, Peru.
Thanks to Jacinto Nunez, a special informal picnic was hosted August 10th to get to know her.
Karen Hrdlicka and her husband Jeff Jones had the privilege over the past few days to be hosts to Lou and took her to several places. She also visited the Club meeting August 12th.
We will be seeing her again as she gets settled in and we look forward to hearing about her activities and experiences.
We have created a photo album on our website to log all the photos you share of Luciana during her stay with us. You can send them via email to cawarren@neo.rr.com - please do not text.
At our August 5th meeting, Sierra Oden, the President of Akron Torchbearers, enlightened the audience about the Torchbearers organization, its collaboration, and leadership development in the Greater Akron community.
Torchbearers and Rotary are similar in several meaningful ways such as prioritizing service and making a positive impact on our community.
Their members have volunteered with us in the past and we are excited to partner on more projects moving forward. We appreciate all they do in our community!
What we learned
Torchbearers ignites the aspirations of members through leadership and development, community engagement, and service.
They are young leaders, between 25 and 39 years old, that are powerful, vibrant, and have a passion for impacting the Greater Akron community.
Sierra also talked about how their members are change-makers who believe in possibility and participate in creating a shared vision for evolving our community.
Its members are encouraged to be a part of shaping Akron through leading initiatives and programs that have a concrete positive impact.
They have provided over 2,500 services hours per year serving over 300 organizations. Over 125 members have been recipients of '30 For The Future'.
All proceeds will directly benefit Rotary Camp, helping to send children to camp
and providing them with life-changing experiences.
BUY RAFFLE TICKETS - PLAY - VOLUNTEER
Rotary Camp’s annual Cornhole Tournament is less than 2 weeks away! The 16th Annual Tourney presented by Buckeye Corrugated, Inc. will take place on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Rotary Camp. This annual fundraiser supports Akron Rotary Camp’s scholarship fund, ensuring that no child is turned away from attending camp due to their family’s inability to pay!
Help us make a difference for kids with special needs with the purchase of a Raffle Ticket. For just $10 per ticket, or 3 for $25, or 7 for $50, you have the chance to win some fantastic prizes:
For those who already bought tickets, thank you! We appreciate your support and your help in creating a world where there are only abilities at Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
We are honored to welcome District 6630 District Governor Bob Oborn to our Club on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. This is a very important and exciting event for our Club and a great opportunity to connect directly with District leadership.
During his visit, DG Bob will share insights about District 6630, including his initiatives and goals for the year that impact all clubs. Bob is known for being personable, engaging, and full of energy, so you won’t want to miss this!
We encourage all members to attend either in person or via Zoom.
Volunteers gathered at the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank on Wednesday, the 23rd - we had 3 Rotary Volunteers, plus 3 Friends/Family. Rob McGregor, Mark Seward, Cyndi Kane, Michael Kane, Randy Milani and Denise Kolenz. There were many volunteers there that evening and the Foodbank was surprised at how much we were able to accomplish. We unpacked, inspected and loaded 50 Gaylords of Starbucks food. Information will be forthcoming on the next date we will volunteer!
The Wavemakers on Saturday the 19th had Rotary Volunteers, plus many Family/Friends who helped complete our team: Susan Colville-Hall (paddled with the Dragon Dream Team), Brian Kosarko, Rob McGregor, Connor Jarvis, Matt Long, Cyndi Kane, Angie Claypool, Marissa Rufe, Tina Graver, Janet Palcko, Michael Kane, John Warner, Angela Kosarko, Tony Colant, Randy Milani, Matt Stoltz, Ken McKay, Eric Mele, Laura Colant, Nancy Gardner, Natalie Kirk, Sue Michael, and Kellee Maciel. In addition, Ian Warner was the drummer for our Wavemakers team.
It is time again for our semi monthly service project. We're teaming up to support the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank (ACRFB). Together we'll help ensure that families in our community have access to the food and resources they need.
Details of Event:
When: Wednesday July 23
Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Where: Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
This is a great opportunity to bond with fellow Rotarians while making an impact in our community.
The service project typically involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries.
RSVP by Friday July 18th.
Please let me know if you're able to join us by replying to me at dhall@preferredlegacy.com or texting me at 330-714-1044. Family and friends are welcome so please bring a guest.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER WITH ACRFB. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER WITH ACRFB.
See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
AKRON-CANTON REGIONAL FOODBANK Main 330.535.6900 Main Campus 350 Opportunity Pkwy, Akron, OH 44307 We envision a thriving community free of hunger.
July 23rd - Let's make a difference together - Volunteer for Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Service Project
Katy Miller was sworn in as the 2025-2026 President of The Rotary Club of Akron on July 8, 2025 by her dear friend and Past District Governor Julie Brandle. The 2025-2026 Board of Directors was also installed.
Katy is an incredible force in our Club and community, balancing so many roles while maintaining a clear focus on service and empowerment. Her dedication to leadership, especially through Rotary and organizations like the Junior League and Christ Child Society, shows how deeply she cares about making a difference in people's lives.
It’s also impressive how she combines her entrepreneurial spirit with her community involvement, whether through her work as a personal stylist or her consulting roles.
Katy’s approach to leadership sounds incredibly thoughtful and purposeful! The theme "Unite for Good" from Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo seems to align perfectly with Katy’s values. She’s emphasizing the importance of friendship and trust—two essential pillars for any strong community—and it she has already set a tone of collaboration with the last two Club presidents.
The idea of “rowing together” is a powerful image—it speaks to a shared commitment to work in harmony towards the same goals, while ensuring the future of the club is sustained through a unified vision. By focusing on service, building friendships, and expanding membership, Katy is laying the groundwork for a year of growth and positive impact that will carry this club into the future.
We are in need of members to join us August 6th at 11am at Cleveland Airport to help us welcome our new exchange student from Peru - Luciano Anci Ortiz.
If you can help please reach out to Susan Colville-Hall at 330-714-3765 (call or text) or email her at rye6630susan@gmail.com -- we will then able to organize car pooling to the airport, signage, etc.
Are you ready to embark on a rewarding cultural journey without leaving your home or know of someone else who might be? The Rotary Club of Akron is seeking three dedicated host families to welcome a student from Peru at Stow-Monroe Falls High School during the 2025-26 school year. Each family will host the student for approximately 3-4 months, providing a unique opportunity to share your culture and learn about another. You must reside within the Stow-Monroe Falls School District.
Why Host an Exchange Student?
Hosting an exchange student offers numerous benefits for your family and the student. It’s a chance to:
Cultural Exchange: Experience Peruvian culture firsthand and share your own traditions and customs.
Global Connections: Build lifelong friendships and expand your global network.
Personal Growth: Enhance your family’s understanding of global issues and develop a broader perspective.
Community Engagement: Contribute to the global community and support international understanding and peace.
What Are the Obligations of a Host Family?
As a host family, you will be responsible for:
Providing a Room: Offer a comfortable bedroom for the student, ensuring they have a private space to rest and relax.
Study Space: Ensure the student has a quiet place to study and complete their schoolwork.
Meals: Provide daily meals, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Transportation: Assist with transportation to and from school and extracurricular activities, if necessary.
Support and Guidance: Offer support and guidance as the student navigates a new culture and school environment.
How to Get Involved
If you are interested in becoming a host family, please contact Susan Colville Hall at 330-714-3765 or Jacinto Nunez at 330-634-6876. We will do our best provide you with all the necessary information and support to ensure a successful and enriching experience for both your family and the exchange student.
The Rotary Club of Akron has a proud history of sponsoring students to attend Stow-Monroe Falls High School for many years. Join us in continuing this tradition and making a difference in a young person’s life while enriching your own. Open your home to a Rotary Youth Exchange student and become a part of this global connection!
Mark your calendars for The Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children 16th Annual Cornhole Tournament presented by Buckeye Corrugated.
Join us onAugust 23, 2025, at the beautiful Rotary Campgrounds. This exciting event is more than just a cornhole tournament; it's a chance to make a difference in the lives of children and support the Camp’s mission of Creating a world where there are only abilities!
All proceeds will directly benefit Rotary Camp, helping to send children to camp and providing them with life-changing experiences.
Our Rotary District 6630 Awards night was held July 2, 2025 honoring Clubs and individuals for their successes in the 2024-2025 Rotary year and recognition of several of the Akron Club members that served on various District committees.
We congratulate each and every member who received recognition and thank all of our members for their dedication to Rotary and Service Above Self.
It takes quite a bit of time to compile all of the information from the Rotary year for the award form - special thanks to Club Secretary Terry Dalton for pulling together all of the data, completing the awards form and submitting it to the District before the deadline.
The A.Z. Baker Service Award is to encourage a reaching out in total service and the "development of resources" on the part of all clubs in District 6630, the A. Z. Baker Service Awards were established in 1978 at the recommendation of then District Governor James P. Banks, and by action of the District Board of Trustees. This award honors our own "Mr. Rotary," A.Z. Baker, from the Rotary Club of Cleveland who served as Rotary International President in 1955-1956. His dedication and commitment to Rotary truly exemplified SERVICE ABOVE SELF and this award was designed to honor his memory by encouraging all clubs in the district to participate in each of the Avenues of Service which are the foundation of club activity.
Under the direction of 2024-2025 President Billow, the Club received the A.Z. Baker Award. This award is the result of a club-wide effort of all of our members - congratulations to all of you for helping us achieve this award.
Michael J. Johns, Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is presented to a long-time member in good standing with Rotary District 6630 who has freely given of himself/herself through mentoring, sharing, and serving Rotary. Potential awardees include a past District, Zone or International officer or committee chair (not necessarily a PDG); a supporter of The Rotary Foundation to the best of their ability (not necessarily financial); and someone who has touched our District in many ways throughout the years.
Akron member, Stew Buchanan, PDG received this distinguished award. Stew could not be present at the event but has received his award.
Training and Educational Individual Award
This is presented to any District Rotarian who has shown a commitment to the ideals and spirit of being a Rotarian during the 2024-2025 Rotary Year.
Akron member Cheryl Warren was one of the members in the District to receive the award.
District Committee Recognition
Recognition was given to members throughout the District who served on District Committees.
From the Akron Club, this included Tom Knauer (Finance); Cheryl Warren (Website); Julie Brandle (Nominating); Doug Hausknecht (ShelterBox).
Akron Club Recognized for Service by District 6630
On June 26th at Portage Country Club, Rotarians and Friends joined in on some good natured "roasting" of our outgoing President Nathanael Billow! We are so grateful for his steady leadership this past year. Congratulations on a job well done!
Projects had to fall within Rotary’s areas of service which include Peace & Conflict Prevention; Disease Prevention; Water & Sanitation; Maternal/Child Health & Welfare; Basic Education/Literacy; Economic/Community Development or the Environment.
The Akron Rotary Foundation is a fund established to benefit the programs of the Akron Rotary Club. It benefits select charitable causes throughout the Greater Akron community.
The Akron Rotary Foundation is dedicated to:
•Community Development
•Youth Empowerment
•International Understanding
•The Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs
Sandy Naragon, who has served as the Grant Chair for Akron Rotary since 2020, presented checks at the last meeting of the 2024-2025 Rotary year to the following:
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation are proud to be able to support the Akron community.
These grants and the scholarships recently presented are a testament to the commitment of The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation to the Akron area.
Photo L-R:
Doug Kohl, President, Akron Rotary Club Foundation; Sandy Naragon, Grants Chair, Akron Rotary Club; Doug Wurtz, Akron Cooperative Farms; Amber Barkoukis and Anna Film, Embracing Futures; Jeff O’Brien, First Tee Greater Akron
As President of the Rotary Club of Akron from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, Nathanael "Thane" Billow has brought a rare blend of heritage, heart, and hands-on leadership to our club. A fifth-generation Rotarian, Thane carried forward a legacy of service with humility and deep respect for Rotary's enduring values. His term was marked not only by steady stewardship but by a renewed energy that helped engage both longtime members and new participants alike.
Under Thane's leadership, the club embraced both tradition and innovation. He encouraged fresh approaches—like the "Final Fridays" gatherings—while maintaining the strong pillars of community service, professional development, and fellowship that define Rotary. His meetings were inclusive, well-organized, and often infused with his thoughtful perspective and quiet humor.
One of Thane’s most meaningful contributions was his ability to lead with empathy. He made it a point to truly listen—whether to committee members planning events or to community partners seeking support. This kind of servant leadership left a lasting impression, reminding us that great leaders don’t seek the spotlight, but rather use it to illuminate others.
His final act as President—hosting the June 24, 2025 meeting—was a fitting close to a year that exemplified dedication and grace. Thane passed the torch with the same dignity and purpose with which he led throughout his term.
He received his Past President's pin and plaque from PDG Cheryl Warren and President-Elect Miller provided him with a bottle of Town Branch Bourbon. Thane and Katy then joined each other in ringing the bell to end the meeting.
As we move forward, we are grateful for his leadership and proud of the legacy he leaves. Thank you, President Thane, for a remarkable Rotary year.
A Tribute to the Leadership of Nathanael "Thane" Billow
“I am sincerely honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Rotary Scholarship. Thank you for your generosity in supporting my post-secondary education. With this award, you have lightened my financial burden, which will allow me to focus more on the most important aspect of school – learning. Your generosity inspires me to help others and I hope one day I will have the resources to help others the way you have helped me.”
Carlos Loskofsky
“I am honored to have been selected for the Akron Rotary Scholarship. It was a great time going through the process to achieve such a thing and without a doubt I will remember this as the most exciting scholarship I have received.
Taniya Marshall
“I am extremely grateful that I have been selected as one of the recipients for this award. Thank you for your generosity of $1,000 which will allow me to pay for books and more for the upcoming semester. I will be a first-generation college student. I will start my first semester this Fall at the University of Akron and will be pursuing a degree in nursing and then plan to transfer to North Carolina during the spring of 2026, working close with the National Guard to help not just in our community but in different States as well. Your generosity inspires me to help others and achieve others’ goals just as you have helped me.”
Ja’Marah Marzouk
“I want to thank you all for giving me this motivation and courage to continue to believe in myself and in my future.”
Vica Tafolla
"I wanted to thank you for the Rotary Scholarship. It will be a big help in my future studies at Kent State University. I'm hoping to study Event Planning during my time there and be able to help my community some day.
Volunteers are needed for the One Hot Meal and Food Pantry at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church.
We began helping the folks at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church with their One Hot Meal Program the week of Thanksgiving in 2024 and had a wonderful Rotarian turnout to help serve.
The Rotarians involved loved the project and the the Church now does this once a month, on a smaller scale.
We have scheduled volunteer opportunities to serve once a month through the end of the calendar year.
Time: 4:45 pm - 6:30 pm
Location: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 129 S. Union Street, Akron, OH 44304
On May 28th volunteers gathered to help at the Akron-Canton Foodbank.
They did what is called the Starbucks project.
They sorted through 6,400 pounds of bakery products from Starbucks.
This resulted in enough product to serve over 5,200 meals!
Photo L-R:
David Hall, Judge Kathryn Michael, Cyndi Kane, Michael Kane, Dr. Rob McGregor
How did you spend Friday evening May 23rd?
Well, this fun group of Akron Rotarians got together to serve at ACCESS, Inc. Chicken pot pie, LOTS of green beans, rolls/butter, cookies, and laughs were all on the menu!
Thanks ladies for coming out to serve.
Photo L-R: President-Elect Katy Miller, PDG Julie Brandle, Angie Claypool, Lori Wemhoff, Karen Hrdlicka, Marissa Rufe, Liv Pilon
President-Elect Katy Miller held a board planning retreat May 23rd to discuss plans and goals for her 2025-2026 year as President. Each person who wished to do so ordered and paid for their own breakfast so there was not any cost to the club for this meeting.
President-Elect Katy ran an energetic, effective and informative meeting for 90 minutes with a lot of great ideas exchanged!
All members are encouraged to join us at the July 8th regularly scheduled luncheon when Katy will be inducted along with her board and she will discuss her goals and objectives for the new Rotary year.
Thursday, May 22nd, the Rotary International Fellowship of Recreational Vehicles was hosted as guests at the Akron Rotary Camp by Mella Castner and Amanda Warner.
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. Being part of a fellowship is a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession, and enhance your Rotary experience.
The 25 guest were mostly from the Eastern United States and Canada.
The group spent an hour and a half learning the history of the Rotary Camp, its history, growth, and changes that occurred over the past 100 years.
RVF, as they are referred to, was officially started in 2002 but began gathering together before being recognized by Rotary International as a fellowship.
They wrapped up the day with lunch at the Honeymoon Grill on Manchester rd. After lunch they set off to explore the area including the Cuyahoga Valley National park before returning to the campground.
Rotary Fellowships are international groups that share a common passion. They are a fun way to make friends around the world, explore a hobby or profession . They can be vocational or special interested groups.
Each fellowship functions independently of Rotary International, establishing its own rules, dues and requirements, as well as administrative structure.
If you have an interest in a particular fellowshipclick here to check out ROTARY FELLOWSHIPSon the RI website you can copy and paste this link: web site https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/more-fellowships.
Yours in Rotary Service
Jack Harig
Rotary RV Fellowship Group Visits Akron Rotary Camp
Your continued membership is essential to the success of our Club, and we greatly appreciate your support!
Dues must be paid prior to the start of the new Rotary year (July 1) as we are billed by Rotary International and our District for anyone on the roster at that point. You can also log into the website member area to view and pay your invoice.
The new financial portal allows our members to access their personal financials right in their profile and pay from there.
Directions:
Log in to the website (upper right on home page)
Enter Username and Password
If you do not know your login or password – you have two choices:
click forgot username and/or forgot password -
OR you can click (big purple box) Send me a Magic Link – you will enter your email on file with us and a link will arrive in your email that allows you to log in
Under your photo there are tabs – click Financials
You will see your financials and can use the pull down tab next to the unpaid invoice to pay.
Note that our site meets all certificate standards/security protocols for taking and storing credit cards.
If mailing a check - it goes to the Akron Rotary Camp, 4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319 - be sure the memo indicates “Dues Payment”
If you have problems call Cheryl directly at 330-495-9814.
Thank you for being an important part of our club and our community!
We appreciate you and look forward to continuing to serve alongside you in Rotary.
PLEASE PAY YOUR DUES THIS WEEK AS WE MUST REPORT OUR ACTIVE ROSTER TO ROTARY INTERNATIONAL FOR THE NEW ROTARY YEAR!
Your continued membership is essential to the success of our Club, and we greatly appreciate your support!
If you need another invoice or help processing your credit card, please contact Cheryl Warren at 330-495-9814, and she will be happy to resend it to you.
To help us stay on track, please ensure your dues are paid!
We truly appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
Thank you for being an important part of our club and our community!
I hope this message finds you well. It is time again for our semi monthly service project. We're teaming up to support the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank (ACRFB). Together we'll help ensure that families in our community have access to the food and resources they need.
Details of Event:
When: Wednesday May 28
Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Where: Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307
This is a great opportunity to bond with fellow Rotarians while making an impact in our community.
The service project typically involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries.
RSVP by Friday May 23rd.
Please let me know if you're able to join us by replying to me at dhall@preferredlegacy.com or texting me at 330-714-1044. Family and friends are welcome so please bring a guest.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER WITH ACRFB.
See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
May 28th - Let's make a difference together - Volunteer for Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Service Project
The Akron Rotary Foundation along with the Rotary Club of Akron were delighted to present 15 Akron Public Schools students each a $1,000.00 scholarship to further their educational journeys. Dr. William Visco, PhD with The University of Akron was our keynote speaker. President-Elect Katy Miller was on hand to present the certificates to the students and offer heartfelt congratulations from our President, Nathanael Billow, and our entire club. Additional thanks to Julie Brandle for her thoughtful invocation and scholarship presenters Aimee R. Wade, Amber Genet Barkoukis, Susan Colville-Hall, and Terry Dalton, who has also chaired the club scholarship committee for 18 years!
The Honorable Emilia Sykes, U.S. Representative (OH-13) took time from your very busy schedule to spend time talking with Rotarians and guests on April 15th.
She discussed some of her current projects, initiatives and shared many interesting stories and insights about serving as a U.S. Congresswoman.
Photo: Club President Nathanael Billow and Congresswoman Sykes
About Congresswoman Sykes:
Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Congresswoman Emilia Strong Sykes grew up on the city’s west side and has dedicated her career to strengthening her community.
For 8 years, Emilia served as the State Representative for Ohio House District 34, otherwise known as the “Birthplace of Champions.” During that time, she served for four years in Democratic leadership, including three years as the House Minority Leader. In her first year as the leader of the House Democratic caucus, despite serving in the minority, the percentage of bipartisan bills passed in the Ohio House was nearly double each of the previous four years combined.
In 2022, Congresswoman Sykes became the first Black person elected to represent Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, where she has committed to fighting for economic opportunity, safer communities and affordable healthcare for Northeast Ohioans, bringing along a spirit of bipartisan cooperation to get things done for those she serves.
Congresswoman Sykes has received numerous awards for her advocacy, including the EMILY’s List national Rising Star award, Legislator of the Year from the Ohio Minority Business Enterprise, the Champion for Children award from Summit County Children’s Services, and 30 for the Future award from the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. Outside of elected office she engages her community as a lifelong member of her church, a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a life member of the NAACP.
Congresswoman Sykes graduated with high honors from Kent State University with a B.A. in Psychology and later went on to the University of Florida, where she earned a Juris Doctor with a Certificate in Family Law and a Master of Public Health.
Congresswoman Sykes is a newlywed, married to Kevin Boyce and enjoys spending time with family, engaging in the arts, and enjoying the many blessings of life.
Honorable Emilia Sykes spoke at our April 15th Meeting
Eleni Pamboukis is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at ACCESS Shelter for Women and Children. She works closely with the Director of Development to maintain brand standards, engage stakeholders, and promote philanthropic support. Eleni leads social media strategy, strengthens media relationships, and creates impactful marketing materials to amplify the agency’s mission. She also represents the shelter at public events, fostering community partnerships and enhancing visibility.
ACCESS is dedicated to serving women and children experiencing homelessness in our community.
ACCESS encourages women in the attainment of permanent housing by providing a supportive environment that includes programs of education, advocacy, and empowerment.
Here are few points Eleni discussed:
ACCESS is a low barrier shelter, so all that is required is to say “I need a place to stay”.
The average stay is 3 months but can be longer.
The goal is to get them into permanent housing and ACCESS has a 57% placement into permanent housing.
ACCESS served 313 households in 2024.
Within 48 hours of entering ACCESS, the women are paired with a case worker.
All wrap-around services are at no cost.
They serve a continental breakfast and two hot meals each day.
Their maximum capacity is currently 30-35 women in the shelter. Single women are housed separately from women with children.
They provide an on-site medical clinic and life skills programs.
There is a boutique filled with new items.
After ACCESS program is available for one year after leaving the shelter.
The #1 need is currently diapers.
Discover how ACCESS is making a difference by scheduling a tour (CLICK HERE) of the shelter. You'll see firsthand the impact of their programs and meet the dedicated team working to empower women and children in need. Schedule your tour and experience the heart of ACCESS in action!
Akron Rotarians were on hand March 15th to celebrate Katy Miller's commissioning and subsequent pinning by Immediate Past District Governor Julie Brandle at All Ohio PETS Training in Columbus.
Katy will officially take on the role of Club President July 1, 2025.
Thank you Attorney General Dave Yost for visiting and speaking with our club.
Club President Nathanael Billow we believe now holds the record for the most guests invited to attend a single meeting. What a wonderful turnout to welcome General Yost.
He discussed being a former Rotarian and shared with us the 2024 Attorney General Annual Highlights Report (click here to view web version of the report). He graciously commended his team for their many accomplishments and educated us on the office of the Attorney General.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has played a vital role in shaping Ohio’s past and present with more than 30 sections and special divisions, each with distinct duties:
ANTITRUST promotes competition in the marketplace by enforcing state and federal antitrust laws. The section also offers training to government personnel on detecting bid rigging and safeguarding the procurement process against vendor collusion.
APPEALS, headed by the Ohio Solicitor General, represents the state and its agencies on appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court. The section also determines the cases for which the state will seek review and the positions it will take in those cases.
BUREAU OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION (BCI), the state’s official crime lab and criminal records repository, serves the criminal justice community and offers expert investigative services to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. BCI has five major divisions: Identification, Laboratory, OHLEG, Special Investigative Services and Technical Investigations.
CHARITABLE LAW regulates charities in the state to ensure that donations are not misappropriated and that proceeds are used for charitable purposes. The section encourages sound board governance, oversees a registry of charities and professional solicitors, and licenses bingo operations. It also represents Ohio’s Liquor Commission, Lottery Commission, Horseracing Commission and Casino Commission. CIVIL RIGHTS represents the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, prosecuting cases on its behalf. The section also conducts free training for employers, HR professionals, landlords, condo associations and businesses throughout Ohio to promote compliance with fair employment and fair housing laws.
COLLECTIONS ENFORCEMENT collects outstanding debt for state government agencies, boards and commissions, and all public colleges and universities. The section also works with more than 539 local governments and courts to collect their outstanding debts.
CONSTITUENT SERVICES operates the Attorney General’s Help Center, which the public can contact to file a complaint against a business; report tips on illegal gaming, health care fraud and patient abuse; request educational materials; and more. Ohioans can reach the Help Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays by calling 800-282-0515.
Photo: Katy Miller with her District 6630 President-Elect classmates.
I knew going into this weekend that I would be attending formal training sessions, but what I didn’t expect was how much I would learn from my fellow President-Elects. The honor and privilege of representing our club moved me deeply. Most of you know I can be a bit sarcastic and maybe even irreverent at times, but this experience truly humbled me while also filling me up in ways I never anticipated.
Sharing best practices, brainstorming ideas, and discussing what’s working—and what isn’t—in other clubs was just as impactful, if not more so, than the structured training sessions.
People always say that as a Rotarian, you are welcome in any Rotary Club. Now, I truly understand what that means.
Throughout the weekend, I sent myself emails to capture my thoughts and feelings in the moment, and the common theme in all of them was this: I felt I was exactly where I was supposed to be, surrounded by like-minded leaders.
Looking ahead, I am both excited and inspired. As Rotarians, we love to serve—it’s who we are as an organization. But sometimes, when we talk to those outside our Rotary “bubble,” we forget to highlight one of the most magical aspects of our experience: the friendships.
As we work to bring in new members, let’s remember to share not just our passion for service, but also the friendships we build—while eating together, volunteering together, and learning together. Because that is where the magic truly happens and from there we can UNITE FOR GOOD!
Some of their talented dancers provided an amazing performance that included all ages and the World and National Competitive Qualifiers.
The instructors are certified by the Irish Dancing Commission (CLRG) and bring years of experience in both competitive and performance dance. Under their guidance, MacConmara Academy dancers have excelled at the Midwest Oireachtas, North American Championships, All-Ireland Championships and World Championships, earning recognition for their dedication and talent.
The school’s name, MacConmara (Gaelic for McNamara), is a tribute to Teresa’s grandmother, Kay McNamara-Seeman, whose encouragement and passion for Irish culture inspired generations to embrace traditional Irish dance.
MacConmara Academy is are dedicated to inspiring a love for Irish dance while fostering creativity, discipline, and self-expression in every student. Our mission is to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where dancers of all ages and abilities can thrive. Through expert instruction, a strong sense of community, and opportunities to celebrate Irish culture, we empower our students to achieve their personal best—both on and off the dance floor.
They offer a variety of classes tailored to dancers of all levels—from beginners taking their first steps to championship-level competitors. In addition to competition training, our dancers perform at festivals, parades, and cultural events, sharing the joy and energy of Irish dance with the community. Our studio is a newly built state of the art facility with 2 dance rooms and professionally installed Harlequin sprung dance floors. New to 2025, Music Lessons will be starting soon!!
Dancers from MacConmara Academy Performed at our March 12th meeting
George Rosche owns and operates the Chick-fil-A on Dressler Road in North Canton, and previously worked a 21-year career with Owens Corning in a variety of senior leadership roles. George and Janine both graduated from Ohio State in 2001, and both later completed Masters degrees.
Although his background was not in fast-food service, when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped in with both feet and the support of his family to purchase the franchise.
He discussed the history and values of Chick-fil-A and the impact their internal processes have on building character, sustainability and helping communities.
The franchisees and corporate organization are dedicated to the communities they serve and give back through helping with fundraisers, the local food banks and many other avenues. They also have a special, highly developed program, that allows them to avoid wasting food products they can then give to those in need. Roche graciously matched our Happy Dollar donations that are going toward the Soles for Souls campaign that our President-Elect Katy Miller is working on for the District.
Their vision is to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.
He played a very impactful video called Every Life Has A Story. You can view it HERE or copy and paste this link: https://youtu.be/BWNfzVAofcQ
The PowerPoint slides (PDF) he shared are available to download by clicking HERE.
George and Janine both served as volunteer Young Life leaders as young adults and have since served on Young Life committees and boards including here in Stark County. George is a musician with the band Willy Pete, a band whose mission is to serve the troops through entertainment, encouragement, and music therapy to those wounded emotionally or physically through military service. George has previously served on leadership teams for Storyline Church (Denver, CO), and Five Lakes Church (Toledo, OH), has previously served on worship teams at various churches, and currently serves as an Elder at First Christian Church in Canton.
George Rosche Discussed Being a Chick-fil-A Franchise Owner
Mark your calendars for the first Akron Artwalk of 2025 on Thursday, March 13, and celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The theme is Creative Voices: Empowering Artists of All Abilities. The event will take place from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Supported in part by Summit DD to Empower People of All Abilities!
Every three months, ArtWalk is held in the Historic Arts District on Thursday nights from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Community members are invited to the quarterly celebration to enjoy food, music, art, vendors from Akron Bazaar, and more. Each ArtWalk will have a specific theme that engages visitors with the arts in new ways. ArtWalk is always free and open to the public with donations gladly accepted. Artwalk is funded, in part, by a grant from the Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation.
Akron Rotarians out for the Torchbearers 22nd Anniversary Celebration!
Amber Genet Barkoukis Mella Hawk Castner Marissa Rufe and President Elect Katy Miller . Looking forward to seeing how we can link arms with this organization and move the needle in Akron.
The presentation of the prestigious H. Peter Burg Economic Development Leadership Award presentation toRichard (Rick) Rogers, Executive Director of Curated Storefront will take place Wednesday March 12 at 4:15 pm at John S. Knight Center. Click here for more information.
Congratulations Rick!
The Greater Akron Chamber has announced that Richard Rogers, Executive Director of Curated Storefront, and former owner of Tribute Software and B.W. Rogers Company, has been selected to receive the 2025 H. Peter Burg Economic Development Leadership Award.
Rick will be honored at the Chamber’s annual meeting on March 12, 2025, at the John S. Knight Center, and will be the 20th recipient of the award. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at greaterakronchamber.org.
This award was created in 2004 in memory of H. Peter Burg by the Chamber’s Executive Committee to recognize leaders who demonstrate a commitment to economic and community development in the Greater Akron region.
Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Rick has made his mark on our region and community in countless ways. From his leadership as an entrepreneur and business leader, to his commitment to economic development and his focus on creative placemaking using art, Rick has a passion for Akron and has spent his life and career working to advance the community.
“I believe that the arts and artists can play an important role in the economic resurgence of post-industrial rust belt cities like Akron. I am honored to be a part of the effort to revitalize downtown and bring attention to everything that it has to offer to all who work, visit, and live here,” said Rogers.
A consummate entrepreneur with an innate propensity for leadership, Rick began his career in 1980 as founder and president of Tribute, a software company based in Akron, Ohio. In 1994, he assumed leadership of B. W. Rogers Company, a manufacturing and distribution company founded by his grandfather. Over the course of twenty years, Rick expanded the family business from six offices in the state of Ohio to twenty-one offices spanning seven states. He assembled and led a diverse team of over 250 people, and it was through his ability to identify talent and cultivate a sense of creativity and independence in his employees that his company was able to thrive and contribute to the economic vitality of his beloved hometown.
Rick is also the founder and executive director of Curated Storefront, an organization that fosters community and economic growth in and around Akron, Ohio by fueling artistic innovation, commissioning public art, expanding access to arts education, and nurturing a thriving cultural ecosystem. Launched in 2016 as a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Knight Arts Challenge grantee, Curated Storefront leverages art commissions, exhibitions, and educational programs to engage the community with meaningful cultural experiences. The organization has featured the work of 150 regional and international artists and engaged thousands of individuals. To date, 14 buildings activated with exhibits have been commercially developed or revitalized post project start. In addition to public art
exhibitions, Curated Storefront also provides subsidized artist studios and implements an artist residency program at the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I Promise School.
Most recently, Rick played a key role in the Lock 3 project in Downtown Akron, working alongside the Knight Foundation, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, and others to bring the concept to life. And as a result of his advocacy for the inclusion of art in Lock 3, Curated Storefront is commissioning and installing a sculpture garden featuring the work of internationally acclaimed artists, including Chakaia Booker.
He currently serves as treasurer of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, is a board member of the Museum of Ceramic Art – New York, and a leading collector of contemporary ceramics from Asia and the US and twentieth-century American and European design. Rick also serves on the board of directors at Akron Children’s Hospital and was a former board member at Boys and Girls Club of Western Reserve; Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron; and the Akron Art Museum—an illustration of his ongoing commitment to give back, lead, and lend his perspectives to key efforts driving our community and our region forward.
“Rick is committed to our community and his work illustrates what leaders can accomplish when they channel their passion and their expertise into projects, initiatives, and most importantly, impact,” said Steve Millard, President and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber. “His success as a business owner is impressive. And, his focus on being a part of the change we need in downtown development, placemaking and the Arts is creating a lasting mark on our city and our region.” Steve added, “We are fortunate to have leaders like Rick in our community who, like Pete Burg, are willing to go beyond their own business interests and invest their time and money in the opportunity they see for our region.”
Rick joins a group of notable community leaders including Richard Kramer, Rick Fedorovich, County Executive Ilene Shapiro, Roger Read, S. Theresa Carter, the late Philip Maynard, and others as H. Peter Burg Economic Development Leadership Award recipients.
Richard Rogers Named Peter H. Peter Burg Economic Development Leadership Award Recipient
We are encouraging our Rotarians to participate in this fun activity sponsored by Playhouse Square.
How to participate:
Spread kindness around Akron by completing as many kindness challenges as possible!
We would love for you to share your journey of kindness with us! To participate, take a photo of you completing one of our kindness challenges & share it with us!
By completingany of the challenges, you will be entered for a chance to win some cool prizes!
One lucky winner will receive a pair of tickets to see Come From Away at E.J. Thomas Hall on March 25, 2025!
There are three different ways you can share your photos with us:
1) Post your photo and tag us on social media using:@broadwayakron and @wecomefromaway
2) Send a Direct Message to BroadwayAkron on Facebook or Instagram with a photo of your act of kindness!
3) Email us a photo of your act of kindness at playhousesquare@gmail.com
Click on the graphic to enlarge
Akron Acts of Kindness: Playhouse Square Kindness Challenge
I am sure you have seen the posts on the service project for this year’s All Ohio Presidents-Elect Training Seminar which will be held mid-March in Columbus; Soles4Souls. Every year, the District Governors agree on a project that will fill the need for a non-profit group in our area. This year, we chose Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that provides new athletic shoes for children in need.
Often children will miss school as they do not have the basic necessities they need to attend, including shoes. This project will provide shoes to children in Ohio; including our district. For each $20 donation, a child in our state will receive a new pair of durable tennis shoes to wear. It is a great project and we hope to improve the lives of many children.
The service project has always been a friendly competition between the Presidents-Elect of each District, and the district with the highest donation level wins the bragging rights of the conference.
Just like many things we do in Rotary, it is a fun event for all and helps children in need.
I am asking all District 6630 Rotarians to consider making a donation of $20 or more in the name of your club’s President-Elect along with congratulations and best wishes for their year. Each message is recorded on the website donation page for all to see. In addition, I will share your best wishes with your President-Elect, so they see the support they have from all of you.
It is a special Rotarian that volunteers for this role of your club’s leader. If you can, please make a donation and add in the comments your congratulations and support. I will keep you all posted on our results.
Excitement was in the air for the 35th Annual Chili Open Golf on Saturday, February 1st. Despite facing some challenges during set-up day due to rain and muddy conditions, the skies cleared to a brilliant blue on the day of the event, which was proudly presented by Wayne Homes. This event was held again at the scenic Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio. With final numbers in, we are excited to announce the total raise is $362,098!
Akron’s own WAOH’s broadcasting services were on site and captured some great moments of the day! Click here to watch a short video.
A special shout out to Wayne Homes for being the presenting sponsor of the event. They have been part of the event since 1993, and the Presenting Sponsor for the last 23 years. Their leadership and support play a crucial role in the success of the Chili Open, and we are sincerely thankful for their contribution.
We are grateful to our Community Partners:
Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design
Industrial Tube and Steel Corporation
Integrated Project Solutions
The VanDevere Automotive Family
We also want to thank our Corporate Partners for their support:
Air Control Products, Inc.
Akron Tractor and Equipment, Inc.
the ASAP Foundation
The Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory
Buckeye Corrugated, Inc.
Rubber City Radio
S.A. Comunale Company
Sandridge Crafted Foods
SeibertKeck Insurance Partners
Summit DD
Wealth Impact Advisors
Willoughby Supply
A heartfelt thanks to all our Premier Partners, Caring Partners and those who supported with a campership, donations, and in-kind donations.
A special shout-out to Whitey’s, the official Chili sponsor of the Chili Open!
Please click here for a full list of our sponsors.
The Chili Open is the Rotary Club’s primary fundraiser in supporting the operational needs of Akron Rotary Camp. This event's success is due to the commitment of our Rotary Club and our Corporate Community.
We appreciate everyone’s efforts and support in making our 35th annual Chili Open a continued success to benefit our campers and their families served by the camp.
Mark your calendars for Akron Rotary’s 36th annual Chili Open Golf Classic on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Hale Farm and Village!
35th Annual Chili Open Golf Classic Celebrates Success!
We are excited to announce the Honorary Captain of our 2025 Canal Boat Captain's Ball: Laura Duda, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer of Goodyear!
We are proud to spotlight Laura for her exemplary commitment to the Northeast Ohio community and her support of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. As the chief communications officer, Duda leads all internal and external communications for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, including public and media relations, employee communications, corporate reputation management, philanthropy and community relations, as well as Goodyear’s fleet of world-famous airships.
To learn more about Laura or to make a contribution to the Canalway's Towpath Trail, connector trails and public parks in her honor, please visit ohioeriecanal.org/captains-ball and stay tuned for our Virtual Auction fundraiser April 30 - May 7!
Laura Duda Selected as 2025 Captains Ball Honorary Canal Boat Captain
Congratulations to Marilyn Buckey, was honored at the 2025 Akron Rotary Club’s Chili Open Golf Classic as the recipient of the 2025 James Redmond Ambassador of Service Award.
The award was established in 1991 in recognition of community leaders who have gone above and beyond in support of the Rotary Club of Akron and the community.
She has been an Akron Rotarian since 1988 and served in numerous capacities, including chair of the Akron Club Foundation.
We’re appreciative of Marilyn’s dedication and support the Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron community.
Marilyn Buckey Receives Ambassador of Service Award
Mervis and his team are the promoters of Summit County's vibrant hospitality scene.
The Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau champions the impact the tourism industry has on our local economy and way of life.
They are the destination marketing organization for the area and promote Greater Akron and Summit County as a memorable and entertaining location for leisure and business travel.
He discussed many of the events and organizations choosing Akron as their destination.
Fueled by a percentage of the bed tax collected from visitors staying in Summit County accommodations, the Bureau stands tall as a self-sufficient engine of economic growth. Dollars spent by visitors on lodging, dining, entertainment and retail all support our community’s hospitality ecosystem – which bolsters revenue and tax coffers.
When you're looking for a place to rest your head while you’re here, you're not just finding a hotel room—you're investing in unforgettable experiences and helping our community thrive. Enjoy Greater Akron and start creating your own adventure!
Location: Open M 941 Princeton Street, Akron, OH 44311
You can sign up directly on the Rotary Club of Akron website by clicking here. We appreciate your participation and look forward to making this a great event together!
Sandy Naragon, Chair
Grant Committee
330-256-5315 - Cell
OPEN M Service Project - Volunteers Still Needed May 28th
Happy New Year! I hope that each of you and your families had a wonderful Christmas and holiday season overall!
It's that time of year again where I send out everyone's favorite email - plus, you will get to hear my voice even more than usual at club meetings (cue the eyerolls and groans - I know you can't wait!) as I announce the need for volunteers to assist with the following roles at our club meetings for the 1st half of 2025: Greeter (& "Daily Lotto" sales), Invocation Speaker, & Meeting/Technology Set-Up.
My most sincere appreciation and gratitude goes out to the faithful “regulars” I have been able to consistently count on to help fill the respective roles or jump in last minute to cover an empty slot (you know who you are). I also appreciate the handful of "newcomers" (both established and newer members) who helped throughout the course of last year or expressed a willingness to do so moving forward.
I would like to encourage anyone that has either never served as Greeter or Invocator (or who has only done so sparingly) to consider volunteering for a few slots during this 1st half of 2025 - I'd be immensely thankful to see my list of "regulars" grow. Not only are these roles a much appreciated and valued service to the club, but they also present an excellent opportunity to immerse oneself in the weekly meetings.
If you need help signing up, please let me know and I can direct you to the appropriate location on the Rotary Club of Akron website, or I will gladly fill in your name for whatever date(s) you are able and willing to volunteer. For convenience, here is the public URL to the relevant volunteer sign-up page:
For Greeters, please plan to arrive by 11:40ish (if possible) and be prepared to help sell Daily Lotto raffle tickets and have the speaker pull the winning ticket at the end of the meeting.
For Invocation Speakers, I have provided some links with sample invocations below. You are quite welcome to create your own invocation, of course, but please know that custom content is not a requirement! I am happy to assist with this too. In fact, I'll even provide an invocation for you to read if that's what it will take for you to sign up. I assure you, this need not be an intimidating volunteer role for the meeting!
For Meeting/Technology Set-Up, the duties currently require:
Ensuring the computer, projector, and microphones are all up and running smoothly before the start of the meeting. NOTE: Brian Kosarko, Michael Gladysz, or I can/will help train new volunteers - we would certainly appreciate expanding the rotation for this role.
If necessary, correcting the flag positioning so that when viewed from the audience, the U.S./American Flag is to the left of the speaker/podium and the Ohio Flag is on the right.
Thank you in advance for volunteering!
Yours in service,
CJ
Connor G. Jarvis, CFP®
Sergeant of Arms
Rotary Club of Akron
Some links with sample invocations (if needed/desired):
President Nathanael Billow received his Paul Harris+6 pin today. It was presented by President Elect Katy Miller.
Thank you Thane - you truly make a difference!
ABOUT PAUL HARRIS FELLOWS (PHF)
Paul Harris Fellow Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) recognition is given in appreciation to anyone who contributes, outright or cumulatively – or in whose name is contributed – a gift of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, PolioPlus Partners or the Humanitarian Grants program. The recognition consists of a certificate, pin, and medallion.
Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognition is extended at subsequent $1,000 levels (e.g., $2,000, $3,000). Recognition consists of a pin with additional stones corresponding to the level.
Recipient's recognition amount level. US $2,000 to 2,999.99 - one sapphire 3,000 to 3,999.99 - two sapphires 4,000 to 4,999.99 - three sapphires 5,000 to 5,999.99 - four sapphires 6,000 to 6,999.99 - five sapphires 7,000 to 7,999.99 - one ruby 8,000 to 8,999.99 - two rubies 9,000 to 9,999.99 - three rubies
PDG John Reyes started and led the District Youth Protection Committee for several years. He and the committee wrote, and are an integral part of ensuring that clubs follow, the Youth Protection guidelines. This also includes making sure that all of our members take the youth protection awareness training.
Rotary International strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in Rotary activities. To the best of their ability, Rotary members, their partners, and other volunteers must safeguard children and young people with whom they come into contact and protect them from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
Since our Club participates in and supports many Youth programs, all RC of Akron members must complete the online Youth Protection Awareness Training. A custom/unique link will be sent to you from our YPO Chair.
Our Club is currently working through this process, so watch your emails and when this link arrives be sure to complete the survey in a timely manner. Failure to do this training may result in your inability to participate in some meetings and programs, including service projects.
This youth protection survey will need to be taken annually by all club members.
John Reyes, PDG Discussed Youth Protection on December 10th
President Billow presented a $1,500 check on December 10 to PDG Larry Lohman who chairs the CoCoDA Water Project for El Salvador.
Past President Knauer also surprised the Club and Larry by donating an additional $500 from his year as Club President through a fund maintained by our Akron Rotary Foundation for President's to use at their discretion.
APS -Tree Planting at Voris, Sam Salem, David Hill, Mason and Leggett CLCs
by Marilyn Miller Paulk, APS Storyteller
Dec. 2, 2024 -- Fourth-graders were excited to get their hands dirty after learning they were going outside to plant trees.
About 150 students from five Akron public schools got a lesson on the environment and the proper way to plant a tree. Voris, Sam Salem, David Hill, Mason and Leggett CLCs were chosen by APS Facilities Services as the CLCs that had the least amount of greenery in the school system and could use more shrubbery.
“Are you ready to get dirty? Who wants to help me?,” said Tina Graver, a certified master arborist or ‘tree doctor,’ as she cheered on the students at Voris. “The first step is to break the roots up at the bottom of the tree so the tree knows it is no longer in the pot.” She and the children shed off the layers of dirt on the trunk of the tree.
“Now we fill the hole up with the dirt and pat down on the dirt. Who wants to get their shoes dirty?,” she asked.
The students thought this was one of the best parts of the lesson, gently patting down the dirt or, for some, stomping on the dirt but only using one foot.
“Okay, now we mulch," said Graver, who works for Petrarca Landscape Inc. “Think of a doughnut when you mulch -- thick on the outside -- so let’s put more on the outside and very little, if any, around the middle. Remember, like a donut, not a volcano.”
The mulch was made out of wood chips. The students took turns scooping up the chips, eagerly covering up the dirt.
Graver refers to the first three years of a tree’s growth as sleep, creep and leap.
“The first year you won’t see any growth; it will grow underground. The second year, you will see a little bit of growth but not much because it will be matching what’s going on underground,” Graver explained. “But in the third year, you will start to see some growth.”
Akron Public Schools teamed up with the City of Akron’s Keep Akron Beautiful and Graf Growers for the tree planting event. The school board approved the initiative last month. Graf Growers donated 10 trees, two for each school.
“We’ve been working with Keep Akron Beautiful on the plant-a-tree initiative and learned that parks and schools could benefit,“ said Lisa Graf, co-owner of Graf Growers. “They are maple trees, which give off a brilliant orange color in the fall. They are big trees and will grow 40-50 feet tall and 30-40 feet wide.”
She said the best time to plant them is in the fall and spring.
The CEO of Keep Akron Beautiful, Jacqui Ricchiuti, worked with Katrina Halasa of APS in an effort to revitalize an Arbor Day (April 25) activity when this opportunity came up.
“Keep Akron Beautiful wants to plant 100,000 trees by 2034.” said Ricchiuti. “If we don’t do this, the canopy will decrease to 30 percent by 2040. We are losing 6,540 trees annually; this is why we are doing our best to get all of these trees planted.”
Katrina Halasa, the supervisor of science and health for grades K-12, said the purpose was to educate the children about why it’s important to have trees and to expose them to different job opportunities, like forestry.
Bryan Ressler, APS grounds foreman, said his department dug the holes for the trees ahead of time and selected open areas, not too close to the curbs and in areas where people can see them.
Ressler said that since Leggett doesn’t have a lot of space, the trees were planted at the corner of Allen and Thornton streets. The trees at Mason were planted in the playground area. Graver said, in about 10 years, each tree could grow as tall as 60 feet, sizable enough to put a swing on it.
The students were all smiles after their hands-on learning experience as they headed back to the school building.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for the students,” said Amber Steele, principal at Voris CLC. “The trees are right in front of the classrooms, so they get to watch their progress.”
Tina Graver Makes an Impact Planting Trees with APS Students
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation 2025 Grant Cycle is officially open. Grants between $1,000 and $15,000 will be considered via an application process which ends January 31, 2025.
Projects must fall within Rotary’s areas of service which include Peace & Conflict Prevention; Disease Prevention; Water &Sanitation; Maternal/Child Health & Welfare; Basic Education/Literacy; Economic/Community Development or the Environment.
ROTARIANS: Spread the word to impactful community service providers! Encourage them to apply by January 31, 2025, via the application link below. If you have questions, email Sandy_Naragon@yahoo.com.
The Annual Meeting of the Rotary Club of Akron was conducted on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
A key purpose of our Annual Meeting is to ratify the election of Officers and Directors for the Club, the Rotary Camp Board, and the Akron Rotary Foundation.
Below are the election results ratified accordingly at the meeting:
Club, Foundation, and Camp Election Results:
Club
Executive Team7/1/2025 – 6/30/2026:
President: Katy Miller
President-Elect: Michael Gladysz
Vice-President: Cyndi Kane
Secretary: Terry Dalton
Treasurer: Brian Kosarko
Directors 7/1/2025-6/30/2028
Hugh Alpeter
David Hall
David Miller
Marissa Rufe
Akron Rotary Foundation
Board Members term 1/1/2025 – 12/31/2027
Sandy Naragon
Tom Knauer
Anne Jorgenson
Akron Rotary Camp
Board Members term 1/1/2025 – 12/31/2027
Bill Manby, Jr.
Sandy Naragon
Pat O'Neill
Steve Wessel (Non-Rotarian)
Mike Wojno
Minutes were respectfully recorded by Terry Dalton, Akron Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Akron Rotary Club, Camp and Foundation Officers Elected for 2025
Father Dean of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church asked for our help with a very important service project that took place November 26th.
On this night, the Food Pantry and Hot Meal programs were combined.
Our Rotarians showed up in force to volunteer between 4pm-7pm -- THANK YOU.
The food pantry included a variety of produce, canned goods, boxed goods, paper products and much more! There was also a clothing area.
Guests were offered a hot meal and in addition they could get a take-home hot meal that included turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and side dishes to serve a family of four.
Our volunteers helped in all areas: the food pantry line, serving hot meals, bussing/cleaning tables, monitoring the dessert tables and clothing areas and assisting those who needed help to take packages to their cars.
The need in our community was evident - people were there 2 hours prior to the doors opening and the line was continuous through the 5pm-7pm time frame.
It is estimated that they will feed between 1200-1600 people through their program in December.
Following the project, a little pizza and libations were enjoyed by those who could attend.
Winter is fast approaching, so it is time for Akron Rotary to kick off event preparations for our 35th annual Chili Open Golf Classic benefiting Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, Inc. The event will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Hale Farm & Village, Bath, Ohio.
Join us next Tuesday, November 19 at our weekly Club luncheon meeting, to become part of our annual fundraising event. Proceeds from the Chili Open helps to ensure no camper is ever turned away from attending Rotary Camp due to their family’s inability to pay.
For 100 years, Rotary Camp has been the main project of the Akron Rotary Club. We need 100% involvement of our Rotarians to ensure that our Camp continues to be a major resource in the Akron community in providing campers with special needs the opportunities to experience traditional campaign activities, develop friendships, learn life skills, and create memories to last a lifetime!
Learn from our Chili Open leadership on ways to get involved to help us meet our event goal, We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!
Nathaniel Billow and Katy Miller Chili Open 2025 Event Chairs
Nov. 19th - Akron Rotary’s Chili Open Golf Classic Kick-Off
At the recent Foundation Gala, The Rotary Club of Akron was presented a certificate of appreciation for its financial support of End Polio Now.
Past President Knauer could not be in two places at the same time (his daughter was receiving an award the same night) so President Elect Katy Miller accepted on his behalf and then presented it to Tom at our weekly meeting.
Thank you to all who contributed to this endeavor.
Club recognized for support of 2023-2024 End Polio Now Campaign
Father Dean has asked for our help with a very important Service Project in just over two weeks.
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church will be serving 300-400 boxed Thanksgiving Dinners through their Food Pantry.
It is estimated that they will feed between 1200-1600 people. Each dinner will include turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and side dishes to serve a family of four. Each catered meal will be served in nice plastic containers to ensure an added measure of dignity for those being served.
We need all hands on deck! If you can find time in your schedule and in your heart to help make a difference for these families, please do so! Sign up now!
Michael and I will be there, and we would love to work with you!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Ron Paydo, Market President of the Huntington National Bank Akron/Canton. Ron Paydo serves as Market President for the Akron-Canton area, having previously worked as Dedicated Business Banking Group Director and Community President in Medina, Ohio. Ron has been with Huntington or previous banks since 1987, when he began his banking career as a Management Trainee with FirstMerit Bank.
Ron began his presentation recalling his years as a Rotarian in Wadsworth and Medina. He still feels he is a Rotarian at heart. Over the years he and his wife have sponsored 6 Rotary Youth Exchange students.
Ron stated that he and his wife have been foster parents for 30 years. Over the years, he and his wife have fostered 200 children. Currently he works a lot with the Summit County Children Services Board. Currently Summit County has 900 children in Foster Care. There are many other children in need of foster care, but homes are not available. Ron stated that the need has never been greater.
Children stay in foster care from a few months to 2 years. The ultimate goal is to reunite the children with their families if possible or after two years, attempt to have the children adopted. Ron feels very strongly that children from the same family being placed in foster care should not be separated. It is traumatic enough that they are being removed from their home, yet alone being separated from their siblings.
Individuals wishing to consider being foster parents have several options. In addition to what Ron and his wife have done for 30 years, individuals interested in being a foster care provider can be a respite foster care provider which gives foster parents a break, or they can become a Guardian ad Litem. A guardian ad litem is an individual appointed by the court to represent the best interest of a minor child in legal proceedings.
Rotarians who might be interested in either fostering a child or serving as a guardian ad litem can contact the Summit County Children Services Board by calling 330.379.1990. Check out their website at www.summitkids.org.
Lisa A. Gray is the founding president of Ohio Excels. Gray’s career has been dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of ALL of Ohio’s students. She presented to our Club on November 5.
Gray helped us understand more about Ohio Excels and talked about an exciting new tool that they created to gauge Ohio's progress in unleashing learning potential, creating economic mobility and preparing and empowering tomorrow's talent.
Reality Check begins by examining today’s open jobs paying more than $50,000 annually. It then considers jobs forecasted in 2031 and the expected education levels necessary to secure those jobs. To offer a snapshot, it compares the expected education levels associated with the forecasted jobs and the education and training outcomes of the Class of 2017, the latest available high school graduate outcome data.
To put the numbers in context, Reality Check identifies three “Essentials for Career Success” that affect learners in secondary education and four “Predictors of Future Success” that matter most for learners in their earliest years. Reality Check considers these the most significant levers to transform and improve Ohio’s education system.
Major corporations like Amgen, AWS, Google, Honda-LG, Intel, and others are joining longstanding employers in the state to launch significant new, high-tech investments. Sectors such as retail trade, advanced manufacturing, battery technology, information technology, renewable energy, telecommunications, and biological sciences are rapidly growing.
He started by asking "do you know who owns the Akron-Canton Airport?" Everyone was thinking and finally one person said "We do".
It is indeed a public entity, governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees and operates on the revenues generated at the airport; zero local tax dollars!
They expect about 745,000 passengers through 2024 and offers the average lowest cost airfare.
The mission is to offer our customers an exceptional travel experience while serving as a major driver in the economic growth of Northeast Ohio; an approach that manages our business sensibly plus remains socially and environmentally responsible.
The Vision: By promoting superior customer service, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and constantly investing in the improvement of the travel experience through innovation and employee engagement, we will continue to be a better way to go.
There have been, and continues to be, airport improvements including gate modernization, pavement projects and continued guest enhancements.
The airport is on 2,700 acres and boasts Foreign Trade Zone status with major tenants such as FedEX, DHL, Walmart and Graco. West General Aviation Area Plan makes up about 80 acres available for expansion and it is home to the Ohio National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility - Blackhawk and Chinook operations.
Ren explained the business development efforts also underway for the West Side Development Area/Business Parks.
Did you know there is an area of the property dedicated to Sustainability Projects and Initiatives? This includes a Honey Bee Farm and Harvesting.
Renato “Ren” Camacho is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Akron-Canton Airport following a unanimous appointment by the Airport Authority’s Board of Trustees in 2018.
Ren’s core responsibilities include leading a 60+ member team of airport employees, strategic planning for the future of the airport, and directing all capital improvement programs. Specifically, Ren ensures the airport is a vital, economic engine that increases economic activity and pride to Northeast Ohio.
Ren has over 30 years of professional experience in the aviation and transportation engineering sectors, specializing in program management and customer service. He has implemented over $400M of federally- and locally-funded projects for initiatives including: runway safety area improvements, master plans, lease negotiations with airlines, economic development, and airport infrastructure projects.
Most recently, Ren served as Chief of Planning and Engineering with the City of Cleveland’s Department of Port Control which oversees Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Burke Lakefront Airport, and the Lakefront Harbors. Prior to his Cleveland tenure, Ren spent 14 years with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, working in various capacities to complete major capital infrastructure projects including the World Trade Center site, George Washington Bridge, NY metro airports, Port Authority Bus Terminal, and Holland/Lincoln Tunnels.
Throughout his career, Ren has strived to positively shape the operational and business elements of long-range infrastructure, facility planning, and development initiatives. He possesses a sound knowledge of FAA requirements including airport certification, security, planning, noise compatibility, master plans, lease agreements, and grant assurances.
Ren received his Masters Degree in Transportation Planning & Engineering from the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He serves on numerous boards and organizations in the Akron-Canton region, including the ACE Mentor Program of Greater Akron-Canton, Akron Summit Convention Visitors Bureau, Aultman Health Foundation, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Greater Akron Chamber, Kent State University Board of Trustees, Stark Economic Development Board, and Visit Canton. He is also an advisor to Akron Public Schools’ College and Career Academies at Firestone HS. He is a proud graduate of Leadership Akron’s Class 40 and is one of Crain’s Cleveland Business 2023 Notable Latino Leaders.
Ren is an Accredited Airport Executive, a licensed professional engineer in the state of Ohio, and Professional Traffic Operations Engineer.
Akron-Canton Airport President & CEO Presentation Recap
Akron Rotarian Tina Graver has aligned our Club with Keep Akron Beautiful "Planting Change: 100K Trees for Akron" initiative.
To achieve the goal of planting 100,000 trees by 2034 to restore the city's green canopy and maintain a balanced ecosystem, we are seeking your assistance.
They are seeking donations of trees, supplies or monetary contributions to support this important initiative scheduled for the spring 2025.
OPEN M Ministry. 150 bags packed in 40 minutes.Rotary Club of Akron, OH was busy today in our city doing what they do best - #ServiceAboveSelf This project is part of the Food Backpack Program for food insecure students at Innes Middle School. Akron Rotary is continuing its support of the supplemental food service through a 2024 Akron Rotary Foundation grant.
Photo L-R: PDG Julie Brandle, Virginia Endicott, Paul Jarrett, Liv Pilon
On September 28, Rotary Camp hosted it’s bi-annual Rotary Camp Regatta while also celebrated its 100th Anniversary.
We not only celebrated our history, but also looked to the future by establishing the Akron Rotary Camp Endowment Fund at the Akron Community Foundation.
The evening was a remarkable success, and thanks to the community’s generosity, we raised $855,000 for the fund. This endowment will support the Camp, ensuring that the developments and improvements made in recent years are preserved for the next century. It will be a fund cherished by our community of donors, generating essential resources and income to maintain the camp's facilities and grounds.
For the past one hundred years, Akron Rotary Camp has provided many life-changing experiences to children and adults with disabilities. This year alone, we will serve over 1,100 campers through our summer day and overnight camps, year-round respite weekends, and school days out programs.
Once again, thank you for your support in helping us Create a world where there are only abilities for our campers and their families!
Please click this link to watch the video in celebration of our past!
We hope you will join him and 10 other local “celebrities” as they dance onstage with their choreography partners to support the families in the Akron Children’s Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. You can purchase tickets online at https://give.akronchildrens.org/.../2024-dancing.../e571435.
Our Rotary Club will be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at ACME #1 and ACME #10 in December. This is an opportunity to share an hour with one of your fellow Rotarians, family members or friends in support of a very worthy cause for our community. Below are the dates/times we will be participating.
You can sign-up to participate using the following links. We will need two Rotarians (or guests) for each hour during these two days.
The Salvation Army Meets Human Need Wherever, Whenever, However We Can!
The donations we collect by our Bell Ringing efforts will be used to support hard-working families stay in their homes, and provide food, shelter, and utilities to those in need in your community.
VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED! --- Dec 13th: Salvation Army Bell Ringing - Service Project
Its super simple to help Rotarians eradicate Polio around the world in 3 easy steps!
1. Click on the link and order your donuts for World Polio Day (October 24th) by October 17th at 5pm!
2. Pick them up at your local Northeast Ohio Dunkin' store location on October 24th between 8 and 10am! (see list on the link for participating store locations.)
PRE-ORDERS ONLY
3. Enjoy the yummy purple frosted donuts! Share some with friends and co-workers!
We're teaming up to support the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank (ACRFB). Together we'll help ensure that families in our community have access to the food and resources they need.
Details of Event:
When: Wednesday January 22
Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Where: Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307
This is a great opportunity to bond with fellow Rotarians while making an impact in our community.
The service project typically involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries.
RSVP by Friday January 17th.
Please let me know if you're able to join us by replying to me at dhall@preferredlegacy.com or texting me at 330-714-1044. Family and friends are welcome so please bring a guest.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER WITH ACRFB. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me.
Let's come together to embody the Rotary spirit and make this event a success. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you there!
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Jan. 22nd - Let's make a difference together - Volunteer for Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Service Project
I am looking for volunteers (spouses and friends are welcome; they just need to signup for volunteering with ACRFB!) for Wednesday, October 23 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to work with our fellow Rotarians and strengthen our friendships and maybe meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon Friday October 18th, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I would greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Oct. 23rd - Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank - Service Project
"Youth Author Spotlight" promotes literacy, youth success, and college/career readiness among 740 middle school students from Akron Public Schools and other local school districts. This event will enrich the lives of our young readers and serve as a positive representation of diversity and representation. Justin A. Reynolds is a Black male author from Ohio to connect with our male minority audiences. He will share his journey as an author, discuss the creative process behind his books, and inspire the students to pursue their passions and dreams.
Akron Rotarians will be working in two shifts--9:00 am to 11:30 am and 11:15 am to 1:00 pm. at the main campus of the Akron Summit Library on October 23rd.
We'll be assisting students and teachers at the photo opportunity station; monitoring the "roving" microphones as students ask questions and handing books to the author on stage while he distributes books to students!
On September 24th, the University of Akron President, Robert (R.J.) Nemer, delivered a talk at the Club that highlighted his impressive background. A native of Akron, Nemer earned both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (1990) and a law degree (1995) from UA. After working as an attorney, he founded a professional golf agency in 1998, which he grew into the world’s largest independently held sports agency. In 2015, Nemer sold the agency to William Morris Endeavor/IMG and took on the role of global leader for IMG Golf. His unique blend of private sector success and academic experience positions him to lead the university effectively.
"I can't think of a better place to live, raise a family and prosper than Akron, Ohio," he remarked. When asked, "What can the community do to help the University?" We all need to be ambassadors for the University, positive energy begets positive energy. Positivity is definitely something Rotarians can get behind.
Since being appointed dean of the College of Business in January 2022, President Nemer has increased enrollment in the face of declines in higher education nationally. Additionally, he has expanded relationships with regional and national employers by branding the College of Business as a place where students “experience business,” building on its strength in experiential learning.
The Board has tasked President Nemer with leading the University in its next steps toward a more sustainable future, focusing on a return to solid financial footing. The Board believes the University can establish a stronger brand, focusing on academic areas that are in demand in the market to increase enrollment.
Thank you for taking the time to be with us!
R.J. Nemer shares insights about his role as President of The University of Akron
As you may remember, Rotary Camp received a grant from the Akron Rotary Club and the Akron Rotary Foundation to assist the families residing in the I PROMISE Village. This grant includes a volunteer component involving Rotarians.
Please join us as The Village Families and Our Friends from Joann’s come together to create blankets for the community. They have a target to make 100 blankets. A portion of these will be provided to new families at the I PROMISE Village, while Joann’s will donate some to the Access Community Shelter in Akron.
This volunteer opportunity will benefit both the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I PROMISE Village and the Access Community Shelter in Akron.
Sign up here to participate on Saturday, October 5, 2024, 9-11am. The event will be held at House Three Thirty (532 W Market St, Akron, OH 44303, United States) in the Cabaret Room.
On July 25th, 2023 Dr. Wes Fair, President and Jessica Purdy, Director of Development of Shelter Care, Inc. presented to our Club about the work that Shelter Care does in Summit County. Shelter Care, Inc. is a private non-profit agency that has served young people and families in crisis since 1972. Shelter Care has six distinct programs that together provide a continuum of residential and non-residential care including short-term crisis intervention, intermediate or respite care, long-term care en route to independent living, residential services for pregnant teens, outreach services, and outpatient counseling. Shelter Care's Mission Statement: To provide healing, restore hope and recognize the value of young people and families in need.
As part of our ongoing commitment to serving our community, Akron Rotary has partnered with Shelter Care for an ongoing service project to bring home cooked meals to two of their programs. This is the 2nd service project by Akron Rotary Club for ShelterCare!
On September 18th, 2024, Rotary members, incoming members and young professionals from CLA organized a special event to prepare cooked and ‘ready to bake’ meals for two of their youth programs (The Highlands and Shelter Home). Those meals were delivered the next day, Baked Ziti with Sausage and Chicken Enchiladas. Come join us for our next Meal Prep Service Project!
Thanks to these volunteers:
Virginia Addicott, Ben Gregory, Megan Jonaitis, Liv Pilon, Marissa Rufe, Caitlin Sokira, Kelly Unger, Cheryl Warren, Zak Williams, Darethann Krill, Tom Knauer
Akron Rotary's Open M has resumed their Food Backpack Program for food insecure students at Innes Middle School. Akron Rotary is continuing its support of the supplemental food service through a 2024 Akron Rotary Foundation grant.
Click on the link below to sign up for packing on Wednesdays from 3-4 pm and pickup/delivering on Thursdays at 9:30 am.
We've had Dr. Gerry almost single-handedly doing deliveries but she can't do it in Oct-Dec so we need some new helpers!
WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE WITH THIS SERVICE PROJECT - CAN YOU JOIN US?
We are organizing another event to prepare meals for two of Shelter Care's youth programs! I am looking for 6+ volunteers to help cook and assemble the meals and 1 volunteer to deliver the meals on Thursday, September 19th (sign up and additional details on delivery to come in another clubrunner email). No cooking experience or expertise necessary! There will be step by step instructions.
Event Details: Preparing and Cooking (Baked Ziti with Sausage; Chicken Enchiladas)
Date: Wednesday, September 18th, 2024
Time: 3:45 PM - 5:45 PM
Location: Akron Rotary Camp Kitchen (4460 Rex Lake Dr., Akron, OH 44319)
This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a club, make a positive impact in our community, and strengthen the bonds of friendship among our members.
Your support is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to working alongside you to make a difference. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your continued dedication to the Akron Rotary Club's mission of service.
All the best,
Marissa Rufe NAI Pleasant Valley 540 White Pond Dr., Suite A Akron, Ohio 44320
M: 330-204-3873 D: 330-535-2661 x1325
Volunteers Needed Please --- Food Prep for Shelter Care Service Project
The Akron Rotary Club and Akron Rotary Foundation are proud to announce the recipients of their 2024 grant funding, totaling $15,000. These grants aim to address critical community needs while fostering broader involvement and impact for the organization.
“Identifying and supporting local initiatives that align with our mission is essential,” said Tom Knauer,, President of the Akron Rotary Club. “By partnering with these outstanding organizations, we can make a significant difference in the lives of Akron’s youth and families.”
Grant Recipients:
Akron Youth Mentorship – Third Grade Literacy Program ($5,000): This grant will support the purchase of equipment and furnishings for a new space dedicated to their Kindergarten through 3rd Grade Reading program.
Akron-Summit County Public Library – Youth Author Spotlight ($2,500 with matching funds from District 6630): This program promotes literacy, youth success, and college/career readiness. The grant will sponsor a young Black male author from Ohio, fostering diversity and representation for young readers.
Open M – Healthy Bodies, Healthy Mind Food & Games ($7,500): This project provides weekly meal packages with educational games and activities for approximately 50 low-income and food-insecure children over the summer months. This program complements the existing Akron Rotary Backpack program, ensuring children have access to nutritious food year-round.
Broader Impact, Increased Awareness.
The Akron Rotary Club and Foundation believe in the power of collaboration to achieve greater impact. These grants not only address critical needs but also create volunteer opportunities for Rotarians, strengthening their connection to the community.
Through its grant programs and community involvement, the Akron Rotary Club and Foundation strive to raise awareness of their mission of “Service Above Self.”
About the Akron Rotary Club and Foundation
The Akron Rotary Club and Foundation are dedicated to serving the community and fostering international goodwill. Through various initiatives, they work to improve the lives of others and create a positive impact on the world.
Our Club does not do any fundraisers specifically for the Club.
A couple years ago, the board agreed to incorporate sponsorships designed to help support our Club and its operational needs, including technology items we needed to purchase.
Two premier sponsors came forward to help, each with a significant donation and have signed on again through our 2024-2025 Rotary Year.
We will also have a new premier sponsor in the wings who will be joining us in 2025-2026.
Please join us in thanking these companies and our ongoing boosters for their support in our current Rotary year.
Their dedication and support helps keep our club strong.
Christopher M. Billow serves as a judicial attorney for the Hon. Donna J. Carr at the Ninth District Court of Appeals. He presented at our club on August 20th.
He was a very engaging and interesting presenter. It was educational to learn about the Court of Appeals and Christopher's role.
A special thanks for staying after the the meeting closed to continue talking with people and answering even more questions!
He is the brother of Club President Thane Billow - you may see the resemblance in the photo at the right!
Chris serves on the Advisory Board for Catholic Charities of Summit County. Chris is also a member of Bluecoats, Inc. and the Lawyers Guild for the Diocese of Cleveland. In the past, Chris has served on the board of directors for Torchbearers as well as the Akron Bar Association, in an ex officio capacity.
Chris graduated with honors from the College of Wooster in 2005 and from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2008. While at Wooster, Chris was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society, as well as the Phi Alpha Theta Honorary for History Scholars and the Pi Sigma Alpha Honorary for Political Science.
Chris and his wife Teresa reside in Tallmadge with their daughter.
We extend our appreciation to Patrick S. Roberts, Ph.D., VP Marketing, Advancement and Partnerships at Stark State College for taking time to speak at our Club meeting on August 13th.
He is an exceptional speaker and an experienced leader working in the higher education industry. He provides leadership and strategic direction for marketing and communications, grants, fundraising, alumni, corporate and community relations, career services and workforce partnerships. He also serves as executive director of the Stark State College Foundation.
Recently, the Timken Foundation of Canton awarded a $1.5 million grant to Stark State to support building infrastructure and classroom technology upgrades in the Timken Center.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in 1988, Pat worked at Archbishop Hoban High School, before returning to his alma mater, The University of Akron.
He moved through the ranks to become Executive Director of the Alumni Association and then Executive Director of Major Gifts. He then oversaw the College Centered Development Program which included managing the fundraising efforts for 11 degree granting colleges, two regional campuses, 21 centers, 13 institutes, and university libraries.
He moved on to become the Vice President for Hiram College. Along the way, he also earned a master’s degree in Public Administration and a doctorate in Public Affairs and Urban Studies.
Roberts was recruited by Malone University to help them with their capital campaign, major gifting and planned giving. After a stint at Cleveland State University as their Assistant Vice President, he returned to Malone to become Vice President for Advancement.
He was a member of the 30th class of Leadership Stark County, has served on boards of the International Soap Box Derby and Tuscora Park Health and Wellness Foundation, was among four executives nationwide named a “Fundraising Star” by Fundraising Success Magazine and earned a Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award from Sales and Marketing Executives International.
Pat and his wife, Nancy, reside in Akron and have three grown daughters, Erica, Nicole and Jacqueline.
Shannon Siegferth is the President and CEO at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Akron. She spoke to a full house at our club meeting on August 6.
Siegferth currently leads the non-profit team, which oversees a six county service area in Northeast Ohio, in building trust within the marketplace.
It was enlightening to hear about the vast resources available for consumers and businesses. She discussed Scam Tracker and answered many questions from the audience.
Shannon served active duty in the United States Coast Guard for over seven years. Upon her honorable discharge, Shannon obtained her BSBA from Robert Morris University and her MBA from NorthCentral University. As a Northeast Ohio native, she is extremely familiar with the local community and is excited to be back in the area after time away in the military.
Shannon began her career at BBB in 2017 within a sales role. She stepped into leadership soon after proving her abilities and now has served in her current role as President & CEO since February 2022. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Akron's Signature Program, Class 40.
Shannon's personal interests include her family, running and baking. She enjoys giving back to the community in which she lives and works.
Under the leadership of 2023-2024 President Tom Knauer the Club has received the Rotary Citation for the year of 2023-24, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve.
PDG Brandle presented the award and shared "your club demonstrated a commitment to achieve its goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future. Your clubs recognition is a direct correlation to your leadership and I am proud to have served along side you all this past year."
Past President Knauer said "this is truly the result ofour members working together - it was a tremendous team effort".
In addition to Akron, four other clubs in the District also received the Citation:
Cameron Mosley serves as the Executive Director of Bluecoats, Inc. of Summit County, an organization dedicated to supporting first responders in Summit County who have been injured or killed in the line of duty or face catastrophic needs beyond their control.
Mosley's tremendous energy and passion was evident during her presentation at our Club on July 30th.
In her role as the primary business contact for Bluecoats, Cameron directs all strategic, programing and operational functions of the organization. She is responsible for client intake and support, community outreach, event management, volunteer coordination and donor relations. In her twenty-five years with Bluecoats, she has gained long and comprehensive experience with the safety forces in Summit County, and with that, brings a unique synergy of perspective, resources, and passion to support the local first responder community.
Cameron also serves as the Executive Director of the Safety Forces Support Center, a comprehensive mental health resource center for first responders in Summit County.
While Bluecoats’ charter in 1959 began strictly as support for widows and orphans of fallen officers in Akron, the needs – and the safety record of the community – have since allowed the organization to greatly expand its services. Successive revisions of the Articles of Incorporation have broadened assistance to include:
all actively serving first responders in Summit County
those who are killed or injured in the line of duty
those who face catastrophic needs beyond their control, whether duty-related or not
Beyond emergency assistance, Bluecoats has also provided wide-ranging support for initiatives that optimize preparation for duty:
undergraduate scholarships at the University of Akron in Criminal Justice and Fire Technology
continuing education grants through the Summit County Police Chiefs and Fire Chiefs Associations
grants to support wellness and fitness
grants to provide mental health resources for first responders through the Safety Forces Support Center
limited capital grants for equipment or programs that support multi-jurisdictional or multi-disciplinary endeavors
How Bluecoats Works
Bluecoats members join simply as a matter of conscience – they want to support those in the safety forces community, who may be in need, for having served us first. Period. Neither the Organization nor its members seek any recognition for their work with first responders, and all officers, board members and committee members provide their time as unpaid volunteers. Every request is reviewed quickly, confidentially and with utmost respect to maintain the dignity of the officer and family involved.
Our Club usually meets at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church each week but for two meetings in September (17th & 24th) we will relocate our meetings to allow for the set up and tear down of their Greek Fest being hosted September 19-21.
Please come out and show your support at the Greek Fest!
2024 - September 19, 20, 21
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church 129 South Union Street Akron, OH 44304 (330) 434-0000
Kudos to the Rotary Club of Akron who participated in 2024 Dragons on the Lake Festival, an event to raise awareness and support breast cancer survivors.
Akron is celebrating two 2nd place wins! Captain Brian Kosarko led Rotarians and friends to an awesome 2nd place among more than a dozen community teams.
In the final of three races Waemakers floated a time of 1.11.802 (one minute and just over 11 seconds) for the 250 meter Dragonboat course. A very impressive feat!!!
In addition, Akron’s Wavemakers brought in $1,000 for the Dragon Dream Team, securing a 2nd place finish in fundraising! Also impressive!
Wavemakers’ plans for next year’s July 19 festival are in the works.
1st place would be a worthy reward!! Mark your 2025 calendar for more fun with Dragons on the Lake.
DDT is so grateful to this energetic service organization (and its Wavemakers) for its continuous enthusiastic participation and support!
Our outstanding team!
Cyndi Kane brought the tamed dragon to our weekly meeting!
PDG Brandle hosted a District awards celebration in June. A couple of Club members were unable to be present, so Brandle presented the awards to them at a recent Club meeting.
Congratulations to these amazing members and thank you for all you do!
Left: Susan Colville-Hall received the Robert W. Heydorn Youth Services Award.
Right: Sandy Naragon was the recipient of the Governor's Excellence Award.
Past President Tom Knauer, President Thane Billow and Vice President Katy Miller presented Past District Governor Julie Brandle with a welcome home gift and a $500 check to the GSNEO from our club to recognize her service as 2023-2024 District 6630 Governor. Also present was Past Vice Governor, PDG John Reyes who was the 2023-2024 District Rotarian of the Year.
L-R
Thane Billow, Tom Knauer, Julie Brandle, Katy Miller, John Reyes
State Representative Steve Demetriou was our presenter on July 9th.
He spoke following the induction of President Thane Billow. Thane's family met Steve a few years ago when he was running for office. He knocked on the front door at Thane's parents home. Thane shared "we immediately liked him because he was young, he was Greek, and he was a green beret".
Thane said, "this shows how you can make connections anywhere!"
With respect to Rotary being non-political, he made sure this was not a "political" presentation but informative.
Duty, Honor, Country: that’s the West Point motto which still guides Steve to this day as he serves Northeast Ohio in the Ohio House of Representatives.
One topic that was extremely informative touched on House Bill 295, which he introduced. House Bill 295 would require pornography websites to verify that users are adults, make it a crime for minors to lie about their age to access such sites, and ban “deepfake” porn portraying people without their consent. He graciously stayed after the meeting to continue answering questions.
At the close of his presentation, Representative Demetriou presented Past President Tom Knauer and Akron Police Chief Brian Harding with Challenge Coins.
About State Representative Steve Demetriou:
He is currently serving his first term in the Ohio House of Representatives. He represents the 35th House District which includes parts of Geauga, Portage, and Summit Counties.
Representative Demetriou studied economics at the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 2011 with Dean's List honors and a bachelor's degree. After West Point, Representative Demetriou was commissioned as an infantry officer in the United States Army.
During his time in the Army, Representative Demetriou completed Army Ranger and Airborne training. He served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service.
After the military, Representative Demetriou started, grew, and eventually sold a small business where he employed over sixty people. He now runs multiple small businesses with his family.
Representative Demetriou and his wife Carly, a former schoolteacher, are raising their three young sons, Steven, Teddy, and James. The Demetrious are parishioners of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church where Representative Demetriou serves on the parish council.
July 9th the Akron Rotary Club kicked off the first meeting of the 2024-25 Rotary year. 2023-24 President Tom Knauer inducted Nathanael "Thane" Billow as 2024-25 President. Tom shared that Thane has been an integral part of the Club and under his leadership our Club will continue to be strong moving forward. Tom presented Thane's mother, Patty, with flowers and Thane with Roberts Rules - a lengthy book in very small print!
Tom said he is "looking forward to working alongside Thane and President Elect Katy Miller and the rest of the club membership in support of the community and Rotary International".
Thane is a 5th generation Rotarian, his great great uncle, George W. Billow served as the Akron Club President in 1916-17. Click to view the Billow Rotary Dynasty article written when Thane first joined the club. His father, Chip Billow, a Tallmadge Club Rotarian, pinned Thane with the President's pin.
Thane also swore in his Executive Committee and Board. View board list.
Here are comments that President Thane Billow shared after his induction:
As my first act as President, it is now my distinct honor to “pin” Tom as our Immediate Past President. Thomas Knauer, per the bylaws and constitution of this club, I will recognize your honorable and faithful service by pinning you with a banana. The phrase originated in the burlesque theater where the top comedian was given a banana. The act and joke were so widely known that the term was coined to refer to the headliner or the main attraction. In modern times, the phrase “top banana” refers to the most powerful or important person around. For example, if you are promoted to top banana at work, it means you are the boss. And in the case of Akron Rotary, if you are presented a Top Banana pin, it means that you have done an exceptional job leading the club forward and are extraordinarily well deserving of recognition and praise for all your good work. Tom – you indeed are the top banana. Congratulations and thank you!
Before proceeding with the actual pinning, Thane presented Tom with a few small gifts on behalf of our officers and board:
At the last meeting of Tom’s presidency, he shared that during his Rotary year, our club members volunteered more than 860 hours of their time to service projects. 860 hours. That is quite impressive and is the equivalent of almost 28 days. Not to be outdone, did you know, that during his presidency, Tom personally spent more time - 861 hours to be exact - on the phone or responding to emails where he fielded complaints, got yelled at, and received feedback about just how poor of a job he was doing! Tom, after putting up with all of that, I think you deserve a drink. We would like to present you with a bottle of Beluga Gold Line Vodka and Beluga Transatlantic vodka. These Siberian vodkas are regarded as some of the finest vodkas in the world. You can taste test these and compare them for yourself. You definitely deserve a drink.
Serving as the Rotary president is, I am told, a very time consuming position. You’ve made a number of sacrifices and had to skip many family functions so that you could attend club events, volunteer at service projects, and I am sure you took one or two late night calls as well that prevented you from spending time with Missy, Fran and Georgie. You see -Tom is a family man, he has an amazing wife and two great kids. Tom we would like to present you with a gift card to the Diamond Grille. We also know that your son George, even though he is in elementary school, has already developed a taste for fine dining, so we made sure to get an extra large gift card so that Georgie can order a king size filet mignon from the Diamond Grille. Dinner is on us.
Your final gift. I don’t think you have any bad vices other than your addiction to eating pretzel rods late at night while watching Fox News. Now that you are done serving as president, you’ll have a lot more free time. So…I would like to introduce you to a new vice. We would like to present you with these imported cigars from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. In your Rotary retirement, perhaps you can develop a smoking habit and light up a celebratory cigar with all this new found free time that you will certainly have
Goals for 2024-2025 Rotary Year
I’d like to spend just a moment or two talking about our goals for the next year.
I’ll start by reminding all of you, and reminding myself, that we can’t really know where we are going until we know where we’ve been.
Tom and the previous board did a phenomenal job providing steady leadership. There was a renewed sense of calm, a renewed sense of purpose, and we reaffirmed our commitment to service.
Our Club, just like many other clubs, had been through so much change, turmoil and volatility during the pandemic. Rotary, for many in the United States, has been a bit of a roller coaster ride.
We met in person, then remote, then hybrid, then back in person. There was a time where our club couldn’t get together because it was imprudent and potentially unsafe for us to do so. We went through 3 different meeting venues in a very short period of time. We witnessed historic inflation in the cost of food and the cost to serve food. We had tremendous difficulty securing speakers. And this all had a negative impact on attendance and membership.
Prior to 2020, meeting in person for lunch at the country club was a no brainer for our working man and working woman’s Rotary club. We didn’t even have to try hard to get numerous Rotarians to every meeting. However, in the remote digital world now, it is hard to get people out of the house and out into the community. We are lucky (and grateful) to get 30-35 members at a meeting these days.
As we continue to put time between ourselves and the recent pandemic, the dust has begun to settle, and we as a community and we as a club have learned to adapt in this new world. We are evolving, and we are changing, and we are now at a point where we are growing our membership. The excitement is back.
Tom did an excellent job making our club more inviting and more welcoming to all members. It doesn’t matter if you come to meetings once a week, once a month, or once a year…if you are a Rotarian, you matter to us, and we are grateful for your membership in our club. If you can’t make Tuesdays at noon, but you can make a few service projects here or there, great! You matter to our club. Or if you can only make the annual Chili Open, that too, is just fine. We are proud to have you as a member in our club. Thank you for supporting our camp.
Rotarians come in all shapes and sizes. Each of us have unique gifts. It doesn’t matter if you can only be a doer, a donor, or a door opener, you matter to our Club. If you are all three, then even better – you should serve on the board! Thank you for sharing your talents with our club and our community.
Being an Akron Rotarian is not a status symbol. We are not a social club or a country club. We are a service organization. We are here to work. Thanks to the profound leadership of President Tom Knauer, our Service Project Chair Cyndi Kane, and Rotary service heroes like David Hall, Sandy Naragon, Katy Miller and Darethann Krill, we have reaffirmed our commitment to service. We are going back to our roots. This bell up here that Tom is afraid to ring with the gavel has on it engraved the words “He who serves best, profits most.” During Tom’s year, our club was back in the black. We had a profitable year. My goal is to make this year an even more profitable year.
My goal for this year is to keep the train on the tracks. We will remain laser focused on service. The foundation of our club is strong. We are on the right path forward. Our membership is healthy. We are growing our numbers. And we are making Rotary fun, inviting and open to all.
My mom is here today, and as a college professor and retired attorney, she just loves studying history and she loves learning. She will tell you, just like she told me many times, that Calvin Coolidge was one of the most effective presidents we have ever had in the oval office. Why was he successful? He didn’t do anything. He didn’t force an agenda. He got out of the way, let the American people choose their own destiny, and the country prospered because of it. With regards to my Rotary presidency, I am going to try to be Calvin Coolidge. I am going to get out of the way and let our Rotarians do what they do best – serve! I am going to do my best at serving you, our membership, and I will strive to do so with grace and humility.
The only “changes”, will be some minor housekeeping and administrative updates to a few of our committees. We are also going to try to do a monthly breakfast. Pardon me, as I know this is very exciting.
Mainly, we are getting our house in order. We are going back and reinstalling some of the discipline and structure we had in place prior to the pandemic period. This will enhance and aid three of our committees specifically.
Chili Open – we are going to appoint Chairs for the chili open, and will have a formal committee with designated committee chairs. We will have our new club members serve on the chili open committee. We will follow our roadmap and stick to our schedule, we will make sure everything goes to plan. Work begins in August, and the chili open is only 6 months away.
Rotary Youth Exchange – we are taking a brief pause to make sure we have our house in order by securing enough host families. We will maintain the relationship we have with Stow-Munroe Falls High School, and explore new relationships with other area high schools that could be prove to be fruitful. Jacinto Nunez and his committee will make sure we are in a position to deliver exceptional experience for all inbound exchange students
Programming Committee – Gerry Kiefer has done a phenomenal job as our Programming Committee chair. Gerry has been an army of one, and while she has done an amazing job, it has also been a lot of work. Typically, from district to district or club to club, that job is the hardest one anyone can have. We have created a formal committee to get our current, past, and future presidents involved with securing speakers. This will lighten the load on Gerry. This will also expand our combined network of speakers, and will also help us attract a larger, newer, and more diverse audience at our meetings.
Finally, Final Fridays -the only other “change” or initiative that will be new for this year is to host a monthly alternate social meeting at a different time and venue. This is something that RI and our District leaders have recommended we look in to. “Final Fridays” as we are calling it, will be held on the final Friday of every month. It will be a 7:30am breakfast meeting at Portage Country Club, our old stomping grounds. The cost is $20 per person, so the same cost as a normal meeting, we be getting together, fostering connections, and enjoying friendships.
This “Final Friday” meeting will allow us to accommodate and connect with those club members who perhaps cannot make a meeting Tuesdays at 12pm, like our good friends John Margida and Pat O’Neill. Proud Rotarians, but also successful small business owners, and running a small business is a lot of work. Shame on you for working hard!
And while I am excited for Final Fridays, I must also clarify that we do indeed remain committed to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and to Tangier catering. Our club is blessed to be here, and we will continue to meet every week at 12pm on Tuesdays. But, we will also offer a “bonus” meeting once per month so that we can reconnect with some of those members who we may have lost touch with.
Our inaugural Final Friday meeting will be 7:30am Friday July 26th at Portage CC. In August, it's Friday the 30th, which is the day before I get married, and in September, it's Friday Sept. 27th. Bring your friends. Would love to have you there.
In an effort to be transparent, I have disclosed the master plan with you all. Thank you for coming today. Thank you to our board and officers for serving. It’s going to be a great year. Thank you all!
Induction of 2024-2025 Club President Nathanael "Thane" Billow
Serving as President of The 2023-24 Rotary Club of Akron is truly an honor.
Thanks to incoming President, Thane Billow, President-Elect, Katy Miller as well as the leadership team, club board, committee chairs, foundation members and entire club membership for your support and most of all your friendship.
I’m proud of the commitment our club has shown this year demonstrated by the 860 service hours performed as well as the record-setting amount raised for the Chili Open.
I look forward to continuing to serve alongside all of you in support our club.
Thank you all so much for the experience of a lifetime!
Tom Knauer
2023-24 President
The Rotary Club of Akron
click on image to enlarge
A Message from President Knauer and Rotary Club of Akron Highlights
Our first meeting of the new Rotary year will be on July 9th (we are not meeting July 2nd due to the holiday week).
The first half of the meeting will be dedicated to recognizing outgoing President Tom Knauer and welcoming incoming President Nathanael (Thane) Billow.
The second half of the meeting we will welcome our speaker, State Representative Demetriou who is currently serving his first term in the Ohio House of Representatives. He represents the 35th House District which includes parts of Geauga, Portage, and Summit Counties.
Please mark your calendars to join us!
Doors open at 11:45am
Regular lunch meetings are held at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
129 South Union Street
Akron, OH 44304
$20.00 per person
includes buffet lunch by Tangier Catering
Akron Club to Kick-Off the 2024-2025 Rotary Year on July 9th
DG Julie Brandle was on hand with the camp team and Rotary Club of Akron, OH members to celebrate the unveiling of Smashing Century Ale, the beer celebrating 100 years of Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. Congratulations on 100 years! Thank you Hoppin' Frog for helping fundraise for camp in this generous way.
During the month of March the Rotary Club of Akron collected Happy Dollars from their members to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Harvest for Hunger campaign.
With a matching donation from the club, President Tom Knauer and Vice President Katy Miller presented President and CEO Dan Flowers with a $700.00 donation today.
click on the letter to enlarge
Club Presents Check to Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
The Rotary Club of Akron had an enjoyable time Tuesday evening recognizing 15 graduating seniors from the Akron Public Schools. Our keynote speaker was Dr. Michael Robinson, Jr. Superintendent of Akron Public Schools, and an Akron Rotary Club member.
Students being recognized were: Public Service Pathway – Nadia Lee, Fabian Mathis, and Peighton Valentine; Health and Human ServicesPathway – Aubrey Rock, Meliyse Sandidge, and Serena Xiong; Business, Marketing & Information Technology Pathway – Ke-Aira Ferguson, Rupesh Kami, Sanjil Magar, Ashley Tojil, and Al-Linaye Blake; and Manufacturing, Engineering & Skilled Trades Pathway – Justin Barnes, Isabella Baughman, Jacob Flossie, and Cameron Hinkle.
A big Thank You to the Akron Rotary Foundation for funding these scholarships each year, and to the family members and school personnel who have been so instrumental and encouraging the success of these amazing students.
Summer is around the corner, and we would appreciate any help getting Rotary Camp ready before staff and campers arrive for the summer. Tasks will include cleaning of all the cabins, bath houses and communal areas. Cleaning supplies and gloves will be provided, but please bring shop-vacs, step stools, and dusters.
Family and friends are welcome too! We are looking forward to seeing you at camp.
May 11th - Volunteers Needed for Camp Clean-up Day!
I am looking for volunteers (spouses and friends are welcome; they just need to signup for volunteering with ACRFB!) for Wednesday, June 26 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to work with our fellow Rotarians and strengthen our friendships and maybe meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon Friday June 21st, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I would greatly appreciate it!
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to work with our fellow Rotarians and strengthen our friendships and maybe meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon Friday February 23rd, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I would greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Aug 28 - Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Service Date
Maelle (Malou) Gorisse is enjoying her GAP year. She hails from the northern part of France close to the Belgium border and the beautiful French city of Lille.
Malou lives with her parents and a younger brother. She finished her secondary schooling and selected to come to the U. S. before starting her studies at a French University.
She is thrilled to be a Rotary Exchange student.
Malou’s academic program focused on the traditional French curriculum. And foreign language was certainly part of that. As many of you may have noticed, she is extremely accomplished in English and hopes to become a teacher of English in France someday. She is currently attending Stow -Munroe Falls High School and participates in the District’s RYE activities.
Malou’s 1st host family was Jen and Richard Carroll. She is currently with her 2nd family.
Rotary Exchange Student Maelle (Malou) Gorisse Spoke to Club April 10th
Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Treecare Safety Professional
Indiana University Bloomington: Master of Science - MS, Environmental Science
Ohio Wesleyan University: Bachelor of Arts - BA, Botany/Plant Biology
President Tom Knauer was honored to induct Tina as a new member on April 10, 2024. She was sponsored by Brian Kosarko.
There are only 8,257 arborists in the United States* and only 7% of those are women. Only a few women are Master Arborists and Tina is in that very elite group.
A Master Arborist is someone who has met certain educational and/or experience requirements and has passed an examination administered by a professional organization such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
Tina was elected as a Board Member of the Ohio Landscape Association in 2022 and chairs the organization’s Education Committee which helps elevate industry practices across the state. She state that she "is looking forward to giving back and working on service oriented projects in the community".
Please introduce yourself the next time you see Tina at a meeting or service project!
*according to https://www.zippia.com/arborist-jobs/demographics/
Rotary Night out at Hoppin' Frog: Smashing Century Ale Release
Thursday May 2nd~
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - In collaboration with The Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, Hoppin' Frog Brewery will be releasing their Smashing Century Ale which celebrates the Camp's 100th Anniversary. Please plan on joining us for as little or as long as you wish. There is no cost to attend, outside of your own food and beverage, and all are welcome as we toast to 100 years!
Address: The Tap Room at Hoppin' Frog Brewery, 1680 East Waterloo Road, Akron, OH 44306
This week our speaker was Barbara Feld, Director of Development at Apollo's Fire. Performing on historical instruments, Apollo’s Fire brings to life the music of the past for audiences of today.
Prior to her presentation, Paul Jarret delivered this inspirational message, authored by famed music producer Rick Ruben, about creativity and how we each bring talents to our everyday lives.
Everyone Is a Creator
Those who do not engage in the traditional arts might be wary of calling themselves artists. They might perceive creativity as something extraordinary or beyond their capabilities. A calling for the special few who are born with these gifts.
Fortunately, this is not the case.
Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access.
Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It's our birthright. And it's for all of us.
Creativity doesn't exclusively relate to making art. We all engage in this act on a daily basis.
To create is to bring something into existence that wasn't there before. It could be a conversation, the solution to a problem, a note to a friend, the rearrangement of furniture in a room, a new route home to avoid a traffic jam.
What you make doesn't have to be witnessed, recorded, sold, or encased in glass for it to be a work of art.
We read words, hear voices, and form in-terpretations. Then, in an instant, we produce a response.
All of this in a world of our own creation.
By the mere fact of being alive, we are active participants in the ongoing process of creation.
To live as an artist is a way of being in the world. A way of perceiving. A practice of paying attention. Refining our sensitivity to tune in to the more subtle notes. Looking for what draws us in and what pushes us away.
Noticing what feelings arise and where they lead.
You exist as a creative being in a creative universe. A singular work of art.
Hello District 6630 Rotarian Leaders! As you hopefully are aware, our Rotary District 6630 Four-Way Test Speech Competition is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, April 6th. For the second year in a row the competition will be held at Springfield Senior High School, 1880 Canton Road, Akron, Ohio 44312!
Although the Akron Club will not have anyone competing this year, we are looking for a few more judges and timers for the event, so please email Rich Cole at rcole@iamsuper.org if you are willing and able to serve as a judge or timer for this year's speech competition; either Head Judge Ron Whitmer or I will be in contact with you in the near future with related judge/timer details! Many thanks for all you do, Rotarians...looking forward to a great District 6630 Four-Way Test Speech Competition!
Rich Cole, Chairman
Rotary District 6630 Four-Way Test Speech Competition
As the Rotary Club of Akron continues to grow our community partnerships, we must be mindful of our capacity to serve. Rotary’s worldwide motto is Service Above Self and Akron Rotary is no different.
In member surveys, “Service to others” is consistently identified as a key reason for joining Akron Rotary. Recently, I discovered how fun it is to have my husband Jeff join me. I took the lead of Service Projects Chair Cyndi Kane—who often drags…I mean invites husband Michael to join her!
What fun we had stuffing 130 bags of food for students at Innes School! I encourage you to look at your schedule and sign up for a Wednesday or two and invite your spouse, significant other or child to join you. What a great opportunity to introduce the power of volunteerism and helping others—especially another young person—to your child.
I'm so proud of us! Akron Rotarians have been packing food for Open M's Kids Backpack Program to benefit Innes students since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. Let's end the school year strong! The need has grown from 100 to 130 kids, but we've met that challenge.
We pack from 3-4 pm on Wednesdays. Delivery to the school happens Thursdays at 9 am—I did it this morning and it only took me 25 minutes from arrival at Open M to pulling out of Innes to head home. Use the link below to volunteer.
7 years... 7 years ago then club president Julie Brandle inducted Nathanael Billow into the Rotary Club of Akron. Fast forward to March 16th in Columbus where at All Ohio PETS Training, Julie, now our Rotary District 6630 governor, had the honor of pinning Thane as President-Elect for our Club 2024-25. Good luck Thane on your year ahead leading our club.
Thane shared the following on Facebook:
This is a really big deal for me and is a huge honor. The Rotary Club of Akron, OH is really important to my family and I, and I’ve met a lot of really special people, some of whom are my closest friends and biggest role models. My great-great Uncle George Billow helped found Akron Rotary in 1914 and he served as Club President from 1916-1917. My great-great grandpa Charles F. Billow was also one of the Club’s first members. Four generations of my family have been Rotarians, and together, we’ve helped maintain 110 years of active membership in Akron Rotary.
I have a lot of great memories of Rotary growing up, and I feel like it was just yesterday that my grandpa told me that I should be a funeral director and a Rotarian, because “Billow’s were really good at being both.” I remember going to my first Chili Open with my dad when I was probably 4 or 5 years old. I remember when John Daily invited me to Rotary as his guest in 2017 and how he offered to sponsor me into the club. I can remember how nervous I was to get sworn in by Julie Brandle, and how my mom and dad Charles Martial Billow came to support me. I remember when I met my Rotary Mentor Dr. Robert McGregor and how impressed I was with him. He introduced me to David Miller, Connor Jarvis and Brian Kosarko, and I remember how we all would get in trouble at meetings for routinely sitting together! I remember getting lunch with Rotary Jack Harig at Rockne’s so that he could pass on stories of our Club’s history. I remember sitting with Tom Knauer at one of our meetings and thinking to myself “man, that guy is pretty sharp and we have a lot in common. I should probably be friends with him.”
And now, all these years later, I have the privilege of following my now good friend Tom Knauer by serving as the President of Akron Rotary. It was extra special that District Governor Julie Brandie was there to pin me at All Ohio PETS this evening.
I hope I make my family, my future wife Gabby Zuschak, my Rotary friends, and our Akron Club proud. I know my grandpa Chuck Billow and John Daily will be rooting for me from Heaven (and yes, they both still have perfect attendance).
Nathanael Billow Attends All Ohio Presidents Elect Training
We had a good turnout of 11 volunteers from rotary and friends. We broke down large bags of GoJo Soap and bottled them in smaller 12 ounce bottles for distribution to local food pantries. WE bottled 1008 pounds of soap in about an hour and half. Good times working and talking with our fellow Rotarians and volunteers was had by all.
Join us for the Breakfast with the Bunny and Easter Egg Hunt at Queen of Heaven, hosted by the City of Green and Ohio's Parent Mentor Project. Tickets are required for the breakfast. The Easter Egg Hunt is free to attend. Thank you to Girl Scout Troop #90109 for stuffing the eggs!
WHERE: Queen of Heaven, 1800 Steese Rd WHEN: Saturday, March 23, 2024 TIME: See Schedule of Events Below COST: Breakfast tickets are pre-sale only -- Individual Ticket $6; Seniors and Youth (Ages 4-17) $4; Children 3 & under - Free
Inclusion Egg Hunt - 9:30 am (Free) Inclusion Breakfast - 10:00 am (Tickets Required) General Public Breakfast - 10:30 am (Tickets Required) General Public Egg Hunt - 12:00 pm (Free)
Everyone will gather at the Patriot Playground behind the John Torok Community Center at the start of the event for instructions; the hunt will then be in the surrounding area. The rules of the Easter Egg Hunt are as follows: There are two age groups - 5 years and under and 6 to 10 years old (parents can assist the 5 and under group); NO running; and, a limit of six eggs per child (verify your six eggs for a prize). Rain or shine (unless it is storming), no rain date. Please bring your own Easter basket.
Parker and the Easter Bunny will be on hand for pictures!
Volunteers Needed for 2024 City of Green's Breakfast with the Bunny - March 23rd
Every Tuesday in March, Happy Dollars were collected and will go to the Akron-Canton Foodbank for their campaign!
President Tom also announced that the club will match total happy dollars collected.
OUR TOTAL WITH THE MATCH IS $700!!
Thank you for your support.
About the Campaign:
After attending the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank Harvest for Hunger kickoff luncheon, Rotarian Katy Miller brought to Club President Tom the idea of collecting Happy Dollars for the month of April for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
The Foodbank is able to take $1 and turn that into 3 meals! That's right....One dollar = 3 meals. They can accomplish this with their bulk purchasing and agreements with their suppliers.
2023 proved to be the highest demand of all time, more than 3 million visits were made to the hunger relief network the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank is a part of.
Families should not have to choose between nourishing food and rent. Every little bit helps and Akron Rotarians are here to do what we can.
After attending the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank Harvest for Hunger kickoff luncheon, Rotarian Katy Miller brought to Club President Tom the idea of collecting Happy Dollars for the month of April for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
They are able to take $1 and turn that into 3 meals! That's right....One dollar = 3 meals. They can accomplish this with their bulk purchasing and agreements with their suppliers.
2023 proved to be the highest demand of all time, more than 3 million visits were made to the hunger relief network the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank is a part of.
Families should not have to choose between nourishing food and rent. Every little bit helps and Akron Rotarians are here to do what we can.
So let's make March HAPPY! You can also pay Venmo or PayPal payment to Katy Miller if you don't carry cash: @RadiantStylebyKaty
Every Tuesday this month, Happy Dollars collected will go to the Food Bank for their campaign!
President Tom also announced that the club will match total happy dollars collected this month!
Resilient Minds: Artistry After Injury benefiting The Brain Injury Association of Ohio.
"Resilient Minds: Artistry After Injury" is a full day event designed to celebrate the abilities and talent of brain injury survivors through various forms of art including multi-media and movement. The Resilient Minds event will include a multi-media art gallery featuring art by survivors and artists, interactive artistry workshops (canvas painting projects, dance lessons, mindfulness/yoga) led by a local artist, and an evening event featuring various dance, music and other artistic performances.
Survivor Art Gallery
Refreshments
Performing Arts
Art Workshops for Brain Injury Survivors and Caregivers
THANK YOU!
Contact me for further information.
Lauren Holly
440-666-4728
Brain Injury Association of Ohio Call for Volunteers for March 22, 2024
Stephanie York serves as executive director of the Shaw Jewish Community Center of Akron. She spoke to our Club on February 27th.
The Shaw JCC is recognized for its quality programming and services in fitness, recreation, sports, and education, for all stages of life. The JCC’s approximately 60-acre campus houses an early childhood education department, a k-8 private school, a synagogue, JewishAkron, Jewish Family Services, a full kosher kitchen with catering, two pools, tennis and pickleball courts, a racquetball court, a gymnasium, workout facilities, group exercise rooms, an auditorium, and well-equipped locker rooms with spa features, and more. The JCC membership is predominantly from outside the Jewish community – with 1,400 membership units (individuals or families) and 1,000 active Silver Sneaker participants.
With great sadness I share with you the loss of our own Past Rotary International Director, Michael J. Johns, who passed away peacefully on Friday evening, February 23, Rotary’s 119th Anniversary and World Understanding and Peace Day. A fitting tribute to this Rotary Warrior’s memory.
Below are the final arrangements as published - please look further for additional information on tributes to Michael, attendance at the reception/luncheon following the Mass and memorial contributions:
Visitation at DeJohn Funeral Home and Celebrations Center (12811 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland, OH 44206 - Rte. 306 just south of Mayfield Road)
Wednesday, February 28 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 29 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Morning Prayers at Church of the Resurrection (32001 Cannon Road, Solon, OH 44139)
Friday, March 1 from 9:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Mass of Christian Burial at Church of the Resurrection (32001 Cannon Road, Solon, OH 44139)
Friday, March 1 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. followed by a Reception/Luncheon
So many Rotarians have spoken about the influence Mike has had on their lives, not just as a Rotarian but as a mentor and as a friend. That is his Rotary legacy as is his life of dedication and commitment in service to those less fortunate. When Mike spoke to you, you always had his full attention and you knew “you were the only person in the room.” This man of faith loved his family above all else and lived his life by the Rotary 4-way Test in every thought, word and deed. He was always confident the dreaded Poliomyelitis would be eradicated from the face of the earth.
For those who have asked, Past Director Mike’s Rotary 'Service Above Self’ included the following:
A 45-year Rotarian, Mike Johns first joined the former Rotary Club of Hillcrest in 1979 and served as its President in 1980-81 and 2001-2002. He served with honor and distinction as District 663 Governor in 1986-87 and as Rotary International Director in 2007-2009. In 2016 he was Co-Chair of the District 6630 Centennial Celebration when we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of our own Past Rotary International President Arch C. Klumph’s vision of The Rotary Foundation here in Cleveland, OH in collaboration with the Cleveland Orchestra. Later that year, Past Director Mike attended another Centennial Celebration in the Philippines, site of the Rotary International Health, Hunger and Humanity Program to immunize six million children against the dreaded Poliomyelitis on September 29, 1979. The first such initiative to eradicate Polio so that no child will ever experience this crippling disease ever again
In lieu of flowers, for those who wish may make a contribution in his memory to Polio (or other Rotary Area of Focus), please click on the link rotary.org/donate, click on DONATE, indicate your Area of Focus and then select the box that check “I would like to make this donation in honor or in memory of someone” and input Michael J. Johns. That is all you need to do. The family will be notified a contribution has been made with your name and email address. This information is also being added to the DeJohn website tonight where other organizations are listed from which you may select.
Continue to keep all of the Johns and Keck families in your thoughts and prayers. Rotary International President-Elect Stephanie Urchick asked that I share with you her thoughts: “A tremendous loss to us and to the world he served.” She knows how much he meant to all of us.
A special note of appreciation to PDG Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski for assisting the District in Johns family communications, as well as preparing this information for me to share with all of you. Please share this information with your respective club members.
In Rotary Service,
Julie Brandle, District Governor 6630
Past Rotary International Director, Michael J. Johns
Reading to children helps stimulate their imaginations, contributes to language development, and helps to encourage early literacy. Share your love of reading with students across Summit and Medina counties during Read to Me Day!
Volunteers are invited to visit Akron Public Schools and read stories to students and on March 12 at Cloverleaf Elementary.
Each sponsorship level provides the opportunity for one volunteer to read aloud to children in an elementary school classroom. Grab a book and join us for a celebration of the joy of reading.
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS:
Reader – $10 Supplies one book to one classroom for Read to Me Day
Classroom – $250 Supply a classroom set of a book to a classroom for Read to Me Day
Grade – $500 Supply an entire grade a class set of a book to a classroom for Read to Me Day
School – $2,500 Supply entire school with book for Read to Me Day
For more information about Read to Me Day contact Darion Karam and dkaram@uwsummitmedina.org
Becky Liguori was recognized by The Rotary Club of Akron for her significant contributions to the organization. It's commendable that she has stepped up to assist with processing Rotary Scholarships and supporting the Akron Rotary Foundation with disbursements, despite not being a Rotarian herself. Recognition of individuals like Becky who generously offer their time and efforts to help advance the mission of organizations like Rotary is truly inspiring.
Congratulations to Becky on this well-deserved acknowledgment, and gratitude to her for her valuable contributions!
She was nominated for the recognition by Terry Dalton, Scholarship Chair & Club Secretary.
Photo L-R: Terry Dalton, Becky Liguori and Tom Knauer, Club President
Join Executive Director Heather Meeker at Summit Artspace for a deep dive into Akron's vibrant artist community, and a tour of its building in the heart of the Main-Market Historic District!
Summit Artspace is a nonprofit organization that supports local artists throughout every step of the creative process. It connects artists to the resources they need to thrive, including studios and rehearsal space, galleries and exhibitions, professional development workshops, and community events like the downtown Akron ArtWalk.
Summit Artspace’s historic building has been an Akron landmark since 1927 when it was constructed by publisher Charles Knight and his son, John S. Knight, as the new headquarters of the Akron Beacon Journal. Standing three stories tall and boasting a whopping 55,000 square feet, the building has been an epicenter of excitement and creativity for nearly a century. The Knight brothers relocated the Beacon Journal in 1938 and the Akron Public Library purchased the building in 1940; it served as the library’s downtown location until 1969. In 1976 Summit County preserved the building and leas leased portions to the Historical Society, the MRDD board, and the Akron Work Center. Today, Summit Artspace is its sole occupant. The building retains many of its original features, including a manually-operated freight elevator, John S. Knight’s safe, and of course, the ornate art-deco façade.
SCHEDULE
Noon - Assemble in 3rd Floor Classroom
12:15 - Lunch and program, (including Susie Lilley, resident artist)
Akron Family Restaurant on April 19, 2024, 7:30-9am
Please join us for fellowship with those Rotarians we may not be able to see at our Tuesday meetings. In January, we had more than 20 people in attendance and we really had a nice time!
President Knauer will provide an update on club happenings and Cyndi will update you and get input from you regarding our upcoming service projects. We hope that you are able to join us.
Hey there! Have you heard about the upcoming District 6630 Governor's Conference hosted by this year's Governor and Akron Rotarian, Julie Brandle? It's an annual gathering for all members and guests, and it's happening on April 26 & 27. Save the dates!
Why should you attend? Well, for starters, it's a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Rotarians. With our District boasting more than 2,000 members and 50 clubs, you're bound to make some new connections and renew old friendships.
Plus, there are breakout sessions to help your club thrive and make a bigger impact in your community.
And let's not forget the chance to celebrate our Rotary Youth - from exchange programs to speech winners!
Registrations will open soon, but you can secure your hotel room now. Don't miss out on the fun and learning - mark your calendars and join us!
Join Executive Director Heather Meeker at Summit Artspace for a deep dive into Akron's vibrant artist community, and a tour of its building in the heart of the Main-Market Historic District!
Summit Artspace is a nonprofit organization that supports local artists throughout every step of the creative process. It connects artists to the resources they need to thrive, including studios and rehearsal space, galleries and exhibitions, professional development workshops, and community events like the downtown Akron ArtWalk.
Summit Artspace’s historic building has been an Akron landmark since 1927 when it was constructed by publisher Charles Knight and his son, John S. Knight, as the new headquarters of the Akron Beacon Journal. Standing three stories tall and boasting a whopping 55,000 square feet, the building has been an epicenter of excitement and creativity for nearly a century. The Knight brothers relocated the Beacon Journal in 1938 and the Akron Public Library purchased the building in 1940; it served as the library’s downtown location until 1969. In 1976 Summit County preserved the building and leas leased portions to the Historical Society, the MRDD board, and the Akron Work Center. Today, Summit Artspace is its sole occupant. The building retains many of its original features, including a manually-operated freight elevator, John S. Knight’s safe, and of course, the ornate art-deco façade.
SCHEDULE
Noon - Assemble in 3rd Floor Classroom
12:15 - Lunch and program, (including Susie Lilley, resident artist)
We were honored to induct our newest Akron Rotarian,Dr. C. Michael Robinson, Jr., Ed.D., Superintendent of Akron Public Schools. He was sponsored by Nathanael Billow.
Dr. Michael Robinson was born in and is a native of Thibodaux (Lafourche Parish), Louisiana.
He has been in education for the past 22 years, having started as a substitute teacher at Thibodaux Elementary School and Raceland Upper Elementary School, a high school assistant principal, elementary turnaround principal, elementary, intermediate, junior high (Raceland Jr. High School) and middle school teacher, and a middle school turnaround principal; former Director of Priority Schools/Instructional Director in Prince George’s County Public Schools, a district of over 131,000 scholars and over 208 buildings and centers, Maryland; former Superintendent of Schools in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a district with declining enrollment of 4,100, and the former Chief Academic Officer in East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana, a district of 40,000+ scholars, including charters, and 84 buildings and centers. He has also served as an adjunct instructor.
Dr. Robinson is a published author, Life Coach, and educational consultant. Although he has made several transitions in his career, he attributes those experiences to the professional he is today.
He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons, NAACP, and Phi Delta Kappa International as well as professional organizations.
He is a former member of Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs.
Dr. Robinson enjoys spending time with his family, especially his mom and his dog, London-Shane. In his spare time, he enjoys engaging in community work, working out, traveling, when he can, home improvement projects, the arts, and many other things that bring him joy.
Welcome New Akron Rotarian: Dr. C. Michael Robinson, Jr., Ed.D.
Thanks to those who attended our morning gathering on January 26. There was good discussion and wonderful fellowship!
In attendance: DG Julie Brandle, Jack Harig, John Reyes, Gerry Kiefer, Ginny Wojno, Dan Riemenschneider, David Hall, Sandy Naragon, Sarah Buccigross, Julie Ann Sweet-Buntin, Michael Gladys, President Tom Knauer, Cyndi Kane, Doug Hausknecht, Jeff Sheeks, Mark Seward, Fred Carter, Angie Claypool.
The Akron Club's Rotary International (RI) Foundation Co-Chair, Bill Manby, Jr., recognized Nathanael (Thane) Billow who received his Paul Harris +5 pin. Thank you Thane!!
Photo courtesy of Katy Miller
L-R: Bill Manby, Jr and Nathanael Billow
About Paul Harris Fellows
Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
The honor was established in 1957 to show appreciation for contributions that support our Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant.
The Akron Club's Rotary International (RI) Foundation Co-Chair, Nathanael Billow, recognized two club members who gave additional gifts to the RI Foundation and received their next level Paul Harris pins.
Sandy Naragon - Paul Harris +8
District Governor Julie Brandle - Paul Harris +3
Photo L-R: Nathanael Billow, Sandy Naragon, DG Julie Brandle, Club President Tom Knauer
About Paul Harris Fellows
Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
The honor was established in 1957 to show appreciation for contributions that support our Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant.
The Chili Open Golf Classic is a month away and we need all hands-on deck to make this another successful event!
Funding from the Chili Open helps ensure that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Sponsorships and Camperships make up 75% of our event goal. Rotarians are needed to help support with sponsorships, view the updated sponsorship benefits packet here. Please consider increasing your sponsorship, renewing your sponsorship, or becoming a first-time sponsor. We are also looking for new prospective sponsors, so please let our Event chair, Laura Smiley, (laurasmiley330@gmail.com), know if you have someone we could reach out to. Your support makes the Chili Open an annual success for our Club.
We also ask every Rotarian to purchase or sell a minimum of ten raffle tickets at $20 each. There are great chances to win the following prizes:
1st prize is a 2024 KIA K5, or $19,000 cash prize – Thank you The VanDevere Bunch!
2nd prize is a $2,500 Flooring Credit, courtesy of Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design
3rd prize is a 55” 4k Smart LED TV, courtesy of the S Group, Inc. – Thank you Rotarian, Jeff Sheeks!
Please bring any sold raffle tickets to the next club meeting or mail them to the Camp Office (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319). Tickets can also be purchased online, by clicking on this link. Please download the attached flyer and display it at your office, or share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Back by popular demand is Dr. Rob’s “Wagon of Good Cheer” and Wanda’s Wine Fridge. Please help us fill the wagon and fridge with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits, mixers, and wine. We also need items for our online auction. Food baskets, golf packages, or family entertainment packages make great auction items! If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 / amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
Thank you for your support in making this year's Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
I have planned a Friday morning meeting at the Akron Family Restaurant on January 26th, at 7:30am.
Please join me for some fellowship with those Rotarians we may not be able to see at our Tuesday meetings.
President Knauer will provide an update on club happenings and I will update you and get input from you regarding our upcoming service projects.
I hope that you are able to join us. If know you can be there, please email me. I just want to get an idea of how many people will be there, so that I can tell the folks at Akron Family Restaurant.
It is that time of the year that we begin to interview Akron Public School students for the 15, $1,000 Akron Rotary Foundation scholarships.
We will be conducting the interviews in person again this year. I am looking for two Rotarians to assist me with each of the interviews. The time commitment is up to 3.5 hours dependent on the number of student applicants we receive for each category.
The five categories are as follows: 1) Manufacturing, Engineering and Skilled Trades; 2) Health and Human Services; 3) Public Service; 4) Arts, Media and Communications and 5) Business, Marketing and Information Technology.
Interview Dates are as follows:
Manufacturing, Engineering and Skilled Trades: Wednesday, February 14th: 8-11:30
Health and Human Services: Friday, February 23rd: 8 - 11:30
Public Service: Tuesday, March 5th: 8 - 11:30
Arts, Media, and Communication: Tuesday, March 19th: 8 - 11:30
Business, Marketing, and Information Technology: Wednesday, March 27th: 8 - 11:30
I will forward the materials I receive from APS about each of the applicants a couple of days prior to the scheduled interview.
I will also send you a copy of the interview questions we use for your guidance during the interviews.
If you are interested in participating in the interviews, please email Terrence Dalton tdalton1226@gmail.com and let me know which category you would like to be considered for. I will notify you as soon as I can as to who has been selected. Once I get a maximum of two for each category, I will email Club members letting you know a category has been closed.
Interviews will be held at the APS administration building (10 North Main Street, Akron).
This is a great chance to join the Exchange Students for the CAVS game against the Orlando Magic on February 22, 2024.
All Rotarians and friends are welcome for the pregame reception and CAVS game on the 22nd.
The reception with the students begins at 5:00 pm and includes a snack with soft drinks at The Clevelander Bar and Grille at 834 Huron Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition, we will have a few door prizes and a raffle for the exchange students and their guests.
This has always been a fun night, a chance to see the young CAVS and have some great fellowship.
Please see the flyer below to order tickets. Any questions, call Stew at 330-607-1442.
I'm so proud of us! Akron Rotarians have been packing food for Open M's Kids Backpack Program to benefit Innes students since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. Let's end the school year strong!
The need has grown from 100 to 130 kids, but we've met that challenge. Use the link below to volunteer to pack on Wednesdays from 3-4 pm or to deliver on Thursdays at 9 am at Open M.
Several members volunteered ton December 7th to help wrap gifts for The Well CDC - Akron Hope Service Project at Mason CLC.
It was rewarding and fun to wrap gifts for those families in need for the holiday. Thank you to all who participated!
Well CDC - Akron Hope Service Project
Rotarian Coordinator: Doug Kohl
The Well CDC's Akron Hope project provides year-round support to its neighborhood elementary school, Mason CLC. This project received grant funding from the Akron Rotary Foundation.
One of the ways Mason CLC is supported is through Akron Hope's annual Holidays of Hope outreach that spreads joy to Mason CLC students, teachers, and families during the Holiday season. This is done by providing every student (250+) with a new, wrapped gift that gets hand delivered by volunteers.
The Annual Meeting of the Rotary Club of Akron was conducted on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
A key purpose of our Annual Meeting is to ratify the election of Officers and Directors for the Club, the Rotary Camp Board, and the Akron Rotary Foundation.
Below are the election results ratified accordingly at the meeting:
Club, Foundation, and Camp Election Results:
Club
Executive Team7/1/2024 – 6/30/2025:
President: Nathanael "Thane" Billow
President-Elect: Katy Miller
Vice-President: Michael Gladysz
Secretary: Terry Dalton
Treasurer: Brian Kosarko
Directors 7/1/2024-6/30/2027
Paul Jarrett
Karen Hrdlicka
Cyndi Kane
Akron Rotary Foundation
Board Members term 1/1/2024 – 12/31/2026
Carol Marturano-Becker
Karen Hrdlicka
Laura Smiley
Akron Rotary Camp
Board Members term 1/1/2024 – 12/31/2027
Tim DelMedico
Michael Gallucci
Nick George
Pamela Kiltau
James Redmond
Minutes were respectfully recorded by Terry Dalton, Akron Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Akron Rotary Club, Camp and Foundation Officers Elected for 2024
During the December 5, 2023 annual meeting of The Rotary Club of Akron, we had 53 members in attendance on site as well as online.
The members unanimously ratified the results of our election which are included in this edition of the Akrotarian. In addition, we received updates from Treasurer, Michael Gladys; Service Chair, Cyndi Kane; Foundation Chair, Doug Kohl; Membership Chair, Brian Kosarko; Grants Chair, Sandy Naragon and Chili Open Chair, Laura Smiley.
Your club has been active on the service front partnering with several organizations in the Akron community while our financial position remains strong.
Please see details about our service projects as well as sign up links for volunteering in this newsletter.
Thank you for your continued support of The Rotary Club of Akron.
Sarah is a former Akron Rotarian who participated in the Chili Open, coordinated the dictionary program, secured grants for the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank and International Institute of Akron, and served on the Board.
She took a hiatus from Akron Rotary while working in Twinsburg as their Finance Director.
Her accounting career has brought me back to Akron as the Assistant Director of Finance & Budget for Summit County under Executive Ilene Shapiro.
Currently, she serves on the Women in Public Finance Committee for the Government Finance Officer’s Association, Municipal Finance Officer’s Association Board as President, and the Board of Women in Public Finance. She said "I look forward to re-joining Akron Rotary and supporting the Akron Rotary Camp."
GINAKAYE MADDOX
Ginakaye (GK) is a prior Akron Rotarian and served as President for the 2006-2007 Rotary year.
Maddox is a native of Akron and twice graduate of Kent State University Currently, I'm the Diversity and Training Officer for RedOak Behavioral Health.
Her current community involvement includes Summit County Children Services Board, Secretary; Akron Roundtable Board of Directors; Summit County Historical Society Board and Chairperson for the John Brown Institute.
She has one son, and three grandsons.
Maddox also serves as a musician for her church and enjoy readings, biking, and quiz shows.
Mayor-Elect Malik shared his story of growing up in Akron, educational background and passion for the community.
He spoke of his early political inspiration and the impact his mother, a long time educator, had on him, instilling his love for education and dedication to the community and its people.
He touched on critical initiatives he and his administration plan to address once in office.
Thank you to all who have signed up to support Akron Youth Mentorship's K-3rd Grade Reading Program. There has been a change in the schedule for December and there is no program on December 18th, that event has been cancelled. The good news is that I have entered all the dates for 2024!
The State of Ohio has a 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee that ensures that students in grades K-3rd grade are provided with resources to get them to the appropriate reading level by the time they enter 4th grade and aren't falling behind. Akron Youth Mentorship's K-3rd Grade Reading Program puts a tutor in front of them to read books for one hour a week. This extra reading time gives our K-3rd grade mentees a little extra help making sure they are on track to meet state standards and be set up for success as they move into 4th grade.
One hour a week helps kids catch up! As a club, we have committed to send two Rotarians on Monday evenings from 4:45 pm - 6:00 pm, October 2023 thru May 2024.
Please e-mail me if you have any questions or would like to volunteer and the times are filled. We have the opportunity to add students from the waitlist if we have enough interest from our club. I will add dates for 2024 later in the year.
Thank you, Darethann Krill
Akron Rotary Service Committee
K-3rd GRADE READING PROGRAM UPDATE - SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR DECEMBER
The Chili Open Golf Classic will be here soon after the Holidays and we need your help to make this another successful event!
Purchase or sell a minimum of 10 raffle tickets, (or more), at only $20 each, and stand a chance to win one of the following great prizes:
1st prize is a 2024 KIA K5, or $19,000 cash payout – Thank you The VanDevere Bunch!
2nd prize is a $2,500 Flooring Credit courtesy of Barrington Carpet & Flooring Design
3rd prize is a 55” 4k Smart LED TV, courtesy of the S Group, Inc. – Thank you, Rotarian Jeff Sheeks!
Please bring any sold raffle tickets to our weekly club meetings, or mail them to the Camp Office (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319). Tickets can also be purchased online, by clicking on this link. Also share this fantastic opportunity with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Funding from the Chili Open helps ensure that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Thank you for your support in making the Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
Instructions for submitting your ballot are on the ballot. Please note that Jacinto Nunez will be collecting the ballots since Karen Hrdlicka is on the ballot this year.
As always, it needs to be physically signed by you and returned either via a scan or at a meeting.
At our annual meeting on December 5 the results will be announced and the club will vote on ratifying the results.
We do this because often we receive less than a majority of the club via the ballots so this way we make sure a majority of the club is voting.
Please plan to be at the annual meeting on December 5either virtually (link below) or in person.
Although there is not a virtual option for meetings anymore, we are offering it for this meeting:
They were recognized for their years of service on events to raise funds for End Polio Now. They have hosted numerous events over the years at Progressive Field and other venues that have raised much needed funds and awareness. Stew and Cherie are amazing individuals and truly exemplify Service Above Self.
Photo L-R:
Frederick T. "Rory" McGuire, Grandson of Arch C. Klumph, Father of The Rotary Foundation, Rotary Club of Cleveland, Cherie Buchanan, Stew Buchanan, Kevin Kelly, CFRE, Regional Gifts Officer, Rotary International
What an exciting time to be an Akron Rotarian! The opportunities to serve are abundant! So are the needs of the community. Do you love to decorate for the holidays? Akron Rotary has once again adopted a Kenmore Boulevard storefront. We'll be decorating the window of 960 Kenmore Boulevard on Wednesday, November 29th from 2:00-4:30 pm.
The holiday celebration in Kenmore builds community spirit and promotes Kenmore businesses.
We need you and could use some more decorations! We're hoping for "Rotary" blue and gold decorations and any lighted display--you can donate or loan the items.
On July 25th, 2023 Dr. Wes Fair, President and Jessica Purdy, Director of Development of Shelter Care, Inc. presented to our Club about the work that Shelter Care does in Summit County. Shelter Care, Inc. is a private non-profit agency that has served young people and families in crisis since 1972. Shelter Care has six distinct programs that together provide a continuum of residential and non-residential care including short-term crisis intervention, intermediate or respite care, long-term care en route to independent living, residential services for pregnant teens, outreach services, and outpatient counseling. Shelter Care's Mission Statement: To provide healing, restore hope and recognize the value of young people and families in need.
As part of our ongoing commitment to serving our community, Akron Rotary recently partnered with Shelter Care for a service project. On November 8th, 2023, Rotary members organized a special event to prepare cooked and ‘ready to bake’ meals for two of their youth programs (The Highlands and Shelter Home). Those meals were delivered the next day; lasagna -ready to bake- and salad to The Highlands as well as a fully stocked and ready to assemble taco bar to The Shelter Home.
We could not have done it without the teamwork and guidance from Shelter Care’s own Jessica Purdy, who followed up with this heartfelt message: “I wanted to thank you and the Akron Rotary Club for your kindness and generosity in preparing and delivering meals to the Highlands and Shelter Home programs last week. What a wonderful blessing! I haven't gotten to touch base with all those that received the meals yet but I heard that they smelled delicious (and I'm sure they tasted that way too!). We are so grateful for the time, effort and care that you all put into them.” The Akron Rotary Service Committee plans to have more of these events in the future, so stay tuned!
Every week, 100 students at Innes Community Learning Center receive packs of non-perishable food on Fridays to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend. The Feeding Kids Backpack Project is provided by Open M and is partially funded by a grant awarded by the Akron Rotary Foundation. Food insecurity negatively impacts a child's ability to learn and grow.
Rotarians pack food on Wednesday and deliver it to Innes on Thursday. The school distributes it to the children to take home on Fridays.
This service project is so needed that it has been extended to the end of the school year. Open M Volunteer Link
Thank you to these most recent volunteers who packed the bags!
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation have a longstanding commitment to the greater Akron community. Rotary is dedicated to causes that build relationships, improve lives, and create a better world—locally and globally.
The 2024 Grant Cycle is officially open! Grants between $1,000 and $15,000 will be considered via anapplication process which ends January 31, 2024. Projects must have an Akron Rotarian “sponsor” and must include direct volunteer service opportunities for Akron Rotarians. Akron Rotary doesn’t just write checks, we’re action oriented and live by the motto, “Service Above Self.”
ROTARIANS: Spread the word to impactful community service providers! Encourage them to apply by January 31, 2024, via the application link below. If you have questions, email
I recently volunteered for the OPEN M service project and want to share the well-oiled process to give you an idea of what to expect -- we hope you will sign up to participate!
This week, it started with four Akron Rotarians packing 100 bags on Wednesday from 3-4pm.
Thank you Mark Seward, Marcia Holcomb, DG Julie Brandle and Katy Miller for volunteering!
Each bag contained bottles of Propel, cans of Chicken Chili, Macaroni & Cheese, snack items and crackers.
Carleigh from OPEN M said "we strive to provide the children with breakfast, lunch and snack items".
The next morning (Thursday) a Rotary volunteer arrives at 9am to pick up the bags.
This week, Carleigh Lape, Marcia Campo and Darryl Millirons from OPEN M were on hand to load up my car.
About 10 minutes later my car was loaded and Carleigh and Marcia gave perfect instructions for the delivery site and they also called ahead to let the school know I was on the way.
Off I went to Innes School (about 5 minutes away) where two teachers, Caitlyn Gilley and Samantha Little,were waiting with carts and a few students to unload the car.
Thank you to all - it was very well organized and efficient.
A big thanks also goes out to Sandy Naragon for coordinating this project for our Club - see more details from Sandy below the photo.
Yours in Service -
Cheryl Warren
A message from Sandy Naragon:
Every week, 100 students at Innes Community Learning Center receive packs of non-perishable food on Fridays to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend. The Feeding Kids Backpack Project is provided by Open M and is partially funded by a grant awarded by the Akron Rotary Foundation. Food insecurity negatively impacts a child's ability to learn and grow.
Rotarians pack food on Wednesday and deliver it to Innes on Thursday. The school distributes it to the children to take home on Fridays.
This service project is so needed that it has been extended to the end of the school year. Open M Volunteer Link
Akron Youth Mentorship's K-3rd Grade Reading Program has a new location! Monday, February 26 we will be reading at The Vincent House located on East Exchange Street.
The State of Ohio has a 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee that ensures that students in grades K-3rd grade are provided with resources to get them to the appropriate reading level by the time they enter 4th grade and aren't falling behind. Akron Youth Mentorship's K-3rd Grade Reading Program puts a tutor in front of them to read books for one hour a week. This extra reading time gives our K-3rd grade mentees a little extra help making sure they are on track to meet state standards and be set up for success as they move into 4th grade.
One hour a week helps kids catch up! As a club, we have committed to support two kids per week on Monday evenings from 4:45 pm - 6:00 pm, October 2023 thru May 2024.
Thank you to all those who have already volunteered to support this initiative, I hope you have enjoyed this experience as much as I have!. If you have any questions, please reach out to me via e-mail or phone (440.813.6230).
Thank you, Darethann Krill
Thank you, Darethann Krill
Akron Rotary Service Committee
Weekly through May: Akron Youth Mentorship K-3rd Grade Reading Program Service Project
November 14, 2023 Noon-1pm Offsite weekly meeting with lunch at Akron Children’s Museum 216 S. Main St, At Lock 3 Park
RSVPs are closed
if you missed the window to register call Cheryl ASAP at 330-495-9814 we try to accommodate you with a meal.
Rotary Board Meeting at the museum, 11am-Noon
Entertaining as well as informative, this unique offsite meeting will be initiated by trustees Betsy Hartschuh, Children’s Museum co-founder, and Ben Tegel. After their introductory remarks conclude, around 12:20, we will not just “recess,” but have recess, i.e. time for discovering the exhibits in the museum. The meeting will end at 1 pm, but attendees may stay longer if desired.
OUR HOSTS, THE AKRON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
The Akron Children’s Museum was founded by a small group of young parents who, after visiting numerous children’s museums throughout the U.S. and querying their peers, determined that such an institution was indeed needed, and could serve Akron and the surrounding region well with Akron-centric, unique experiences. Their plans were set in motion in 2012 and 2013, when the founding board commissioned feasibility and market studies. In 2014 ACM received its nonprofit status from the IRS, added new board members and began fundraising to realize the vision. In 2015, a partnership with The City of Akron was forged with ACM’s Holiday Pop-Up Site at Lock 3. The museum opened on November 25, 2016.
WHAT IS A CHILDREN’S MUSEUM?
Children’s museums are places where children learn through play and exploration in environments created JUST FOR THEM. Reflecting their diverse communities, children’s museums create playful, interactive learning experiences. In an increasingly complex world, children’s museums provide a place where kids and their families can experience learning and playing together.
More and more families visit children's museums each year for the unique, face-to-face fun, enlightenment and shared experiences not available at other attractions. Children’s museums also contribute to the local economy and, in ACM’s case, also support efforts to continue the renaissance of our downtown area through addition of more safe, inspired and accessible family activities.
PARKING:
Parking is available in the O’Neil’s/State Street Parking Deck at 51 W. State Street (behind Barley House) for $2 when you have your parking ticket validated at the Children’s Museum (free for Rotary members on November 14, 2023).
After you park, take the elevator to the ground level, take a right to go under the breezeway, and doors to the museum (with monsters on them) are straight ahead.
For additional information, please visit https://akronkids.org/visit#direction-parking.
Nov. 14 Weekly Meeting AND Board Meeting will be OFFSITE!
Every week, 100 students at Innes Community Learning Center receive packs of non-perishable food on Fridays to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend. The Feeding Kids Backpack Project is provided by Open M and is partially funded by a grant awarded by the Akron Rotary Foundation. Food insecurity negatively impacts a child's ability to learn and grow.
Rotarians pack food on Wednesday and deliver it to Innes on Thursday. The school distributes it to the children to take home on Fridays.
This service project is so needed that it has been extended to the end of the school year. Go to the link below to volunteer!
Pictured Packing: Rotarians (LtoR): Angie Claypool, Liv Pilon, Paul Jarrett and Cyndi Kane.
Pictured Delivery: Mella Castner and Darethann Krill.
Volunteers to date include Rotarians Angie Claypool, Gerry Keifer, Marissa Rufe, Doug Kohl, Cynthia Snider, Sandy Naragon, Cyndi Kane, Paul Jarrett, Liv Pilon, Mella Castner and Darethann Krill.
This year Club members (and guests) will have the opportunity to participate in the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign on two different dates and locations.
Below are details regarding dates, times, and locations. You can sign-up online to participate in these events. We need two Rotarians (or guests) to cover each hour of the day(s) we will be at each location. We are also seeking substitutes.
This is a great opportunity to get in the holiday spirit and spend time with loved ones, friends, and the local community near North High School and in West Akron.
The Salvation Army Meets Human Need Wherever, Whenever, However We Can!
The donations we collect by our Bell Ringing efforts will be used to support hard-working families stay in their homes, and provide food, shelter, and utilities to those in need in your community.
SERVICE PROJECT: Salvation Army Bell Ringing - December 1st and December 15th
Mission: Second Chance Village is a Nonprofit Service Club founded for bringing support and relief to trauma survivors recovering from homelessness.
One of the best ways to understand the needs of others is through their own eyes. Ryan Scanlon operates Second Chance Village as a support network to those experiencing and recovering from homelessness based in part on his own experience. This enables him to have unique access and empathy with others in the group.
The Akron Rotary Foundation and District 6630 approved a grant to further the efforts of Second Chance Village. The grant funds longer lasting items which enables the organization to focus on some immediate needs such as warm clothing, a meal, conversation and often connections to additional community resources.
OUR SERVICE PROJECT:
Rotarians can help to make the community connections a reality by volunteering at some of the weekly hot meal service provided in the East Akron/Middlebury neighborhood.
Trauma survivors come for a hot meal and contact with others.
OUR ROLE:
To serve and, at times, prepare the meal.
Second Chance Village has been providing this weekly and we are looking to participate on some of those weekends.
WHEN:
The first trial is scheduled for November 5th from 11:00am - 2:00pm. There are TWO Shifts: CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
It will likely be cold, but that’s when a hot meal may be most welcome. We only need a few members each time.
It is time again to sign up to volunteer for the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank service project!
I am looking for volunteers (spouses and friends are welcome; they just need to signup for volunteering with ACRFB!) for Wednesday, October 25 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to work with our fellow Rotarians and strengthen our friendships and maybe meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER . See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon this Friday 18th, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I would greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
SERVICE PROJECT: Akron Canton Food Bank 10/25 - Responses needed by 10/20 please
On Saturday, October 14, a small but mighty group of Rotarians showed up at Rotary Camp to help with Fall Camp Clean Up. We all got to work in the Judy and Roger Read Lodge to deep clean the dining hall and kitchen. Windows were cleaned, shelves got unpacked and wiped down, and walls were washed down. We also moved and stacked away all the canoes, kayaks, and picnic tables in the Pavilion for the winter. Shout out to Sandy Naragon, Tom Knauer, David Hall, Angie Claypool, Jack Harig, Darethann Krill, Ron McGirr and Cyndi & Michael Kane for all their hard work. We truly appreciate all your help!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Kevin Gross at our Tuesday, October 10 Club Meeting discuss the Crown Point Ecology Center where he is the Executive Director.
HISTORY
1800’s:
Jacob and Abigail Swigart purchased the property and built a Farmhouse in 1854. The property changed hands several times between 1862-1879 with Roswell Hopkins Jr. purchasing the property in 1879 for $9,300. He owned the property until 1949 but never lived onsite. Many renting farmers resided on the property and farmed the land.
1900’s:
In 1910 an appraisal of the property revealed 110-acres of plowable land, 23-acres of pasture, 15-acres of timber and a Farmhouse that was in fair-good condition. The barn was listed as new. The barn listed in the appraisal is the same barn present at Crown Point today.
In 1949, the property was purchased by Hugh and Mary Stoller. Hugh and Mary Stoller later reached the age of retirement and began making efforts to sell the property as neither of their children were interested in maintaining the property and farm.
In 1967, The Sisters of St. Dominic visited the property with the Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland. By September 1967 the Sisters of St. Dominic had taken the initial steps to purchase the property from the Stollers. Initially the house was renovated and turned into a pre-school. In 1997 Crown Point began to grow produce for distribution to the Akron/Canton Regional Foodbank. Crown Point has donated more than 140,000 pounds of organic produced food to the Foodbank. In 1998 Crown Point began a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Today, the CSA averages 110 families each year.
2023:
Mission: Crown Point, guided by the core values of community, sustainability, spirituality, and justice, has a mission to demonstrate the practical applications of ecology and to connect spirituality, social justice, and environmental protection.
Vision: To be a role model for food security and sustainable land use, through farm stewardship, advocacy, education, andcollaboration.
The Center consists of 115 acres, approximately 75 acres as native prairie with 5 miles of hiking trails, and 8 acres of a certified organic farm.
The Center provides a variety of programs including a Summer Science and Farm Camp, a venue for weddings and other gatherings utilizing the barn. The Century Barn can accommodate 150 guests and up to 250 Guests on the spacious lawn. The Farm also provides a Farm Internship program and the CSA Shareholders program.
To get a better feel of how the Crown Point Ecology Center might benefit fellow Rotarians, I encourage everyone to check out their website at www.crownpointecology.org. You won’t regret it!
It was great to be together Friday morning! Doug Kohl, Cyndi Kane, Liv Pilon, Mark Seward, Paul Jarrett, Dr. Doug Hausknecht, John Margida, Gerry Kiefer, Tom Knauer, Ginny Wojno, Rima Moukassa and Jeff Sheeks were in attendance. We really enjoyed our time of fellowship!
Stay tuned for a January date! I plan to keep this going quarterly as the feedback is overwhelmingly POSITIVE!
ROTARY CLUB OF AKRON WELCOMES REV. DEAN KOKANOS AS NEW MEMBER His sponsor is Nathanael Billow
Fr. Dean is the Pastor of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, where the Rotary Club of Akron currently meets.
He and his family moved in the fall of 2022 from Pittsburgh (yes, he is Steelers Fan).
Prior to moving to Akron, he served as the Pastor of a smaller church in East Pittsburgh, PA.
During his tenure in East Pittsburgh, his parish focused primarily on building community through social outreach programs. We founded a soup kitchen, food pantry, clothing pantry, and numerous other community outreach programs.
He shared that he is passionate about making the city aware of the social services available at the Church. He stated "it is our obligation as a community of believers to love and care for those around us through our many programs".
Along with his wife, Gabrielle, and two children, he resides in Fairlawn.
Their children are in Elementary school. Gabrielle works for The Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes) from their living room.
Fr. Dean said, "I am excited to be a part of the Rotary. I look forward to opportunities to engage the Akron community through service projects and other events".
Welcome Rev. Dean Kokanos - Akron Rotary's Newest Member!
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Ron Kent to our Tuesday, October 3, 2023, Club luncheon meeting and appreciated their presentation on the programs offered by Akron Youth Mentorship.
Why Does Akron Youth Mentorship (AYM) Exist?
AYM exists to mentor youth with biblical teaching to make life's eternal, emotional, educational, and occupational decisions.
Their pillars of Mentorship, Education, Work readiness, and Experiences help them holistically care for their students and foster relationships built on trust between mentors and mentees.
Their Purpose:
To help youth make the best decisions every moment of every day.
Their Programs:
Akron Youth Mentorship is founded on the pillars of Mentorship, Education, Work Readiness, and Experiences. These pillars help AYM holistically care for students and foster relationships built on trust between mentors and mentees. AYM serves school-aged youth that live in the city of Akron.
Mentorship:
Mentorship puts positive adult influences in the lives of 100+ students and provides a safe atmosphere for students to grow and develop into successful young adults. Through the time that mentors spend with mentees, trust is built to give a platform for mentors to help guide mentees to make decisions that will put them in a position of success as they grow older. Ultimately, AYM’s goal is to help youth make the best decisions, every moment of every day.
Education:
Education is a key factor in learning positive work-ethics and decision-making skills. They support students wherever they attend school (most in Akron Public Schools, a few in surrounding Charter Schools) with advocating between teachers and parents, providing tutoring, and a 3rd grade reading program that supports the 3rd grade reading guarantee.
Work Readiness:
The Work Readiness Program provides tangible soft-skills training, financial literacy education, and opportunities to learn healthy work habits and skills that students can carry into any workplace.
Experiences:
The Experience Initiative helps AYM stay connected to their students outside of their regular weekly group mentoring. Some of these other experiences are One-on-One mentoring sessions, summer camps and retreats, Outings to different Akron local places to expand students’ knowledge of the world around them.
Mr. Kent stated that there is a waiting list. Challenges include recruitment of mentors and on-going funding.
For further information about their programs, check out their website at www.saymentor.org.
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Ben Tegel to our Tuesday, September 26, 2023, Club luncheon meeting and appreciated their presentation on the Akron Cooperative Farms. Ben is a ACF Board Member and President of Auxin Group Wealth Management.
What is Akron Cooperative Farms?
Their Mission:
Transforming underutilized land into urban farms for community gardens and entrepreneurial enterprises designed to strengthen the social and economic fabric of Akron through agriculture.
Their Purpose:
Akron Cooperative Farms is an urban farm in the North Hill community of Akron. The program brings diverse residents and neighbors together around growing produce for their families and community, as well as selling to market as entrepreneurs.
The farm consists of over 4 acres of land, divided into 20’ x 20’ plots. Approximately 150 plots are currently in use by 130 individuals. Mr. Tegel explained how many of the gardeners are immigrants and they bring different products to market that were grown in Nepal and Burma. Ben mentioned that the farmers are a little competitive as to who has the best garden, etc.
For many, gardening gives them a “sense of purpose.”
ACF is impacting lives through 1) job creation, 2) creating a social inclusive haven, 3) promoting and supporting entrepreneurship, 4) sourcing the region with local food, 5) providing space where ethnic minorities can reconnect to their agrarian culture and 6) repurposing underutilized land.
Individuals interested in getting involved can do a variety of things, including becoming a board member, volunteering as a group for a big project, interning with ACF, looking for something to do on a consistent basis, or just have an hour or two to give a helping hand.
As a new not-for-profit organization, they can always use donations. Your gift helps support local growers and their families, strengthens the local economy, and provides our region with fresh local produce and a sustainable green space that beautifies the urban landscape.
During the growing season a Farmers Market is held on Wednesdays from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
To learn more about ACF, including how to lease a plot, check out their website at akroncoopfarms.org or visit their Facebook page at Akron Cooperative Farms.
Save the Date for Messiah Lutheran Church's annual Spaghetti Dinner on Saturday, October 7, 2023, 6-8pm benefiting Rotary Camp! Leave cooking for another day and join us for delicious pasta and meatballs. We hope to see you there!
Oct. 7 - Spaghetti Dinner Benefit for Akron Rotary Camp
Jack Harig, a member of Warriors Journey Home, received the recognition award, "Carroll 'Gene' Stalnaker Got Your 6" at the annual Gala dinner on Saturday 16 September at The Venue in Tallmadge, Ohio.
The "Carroll 'Gene' Stalnaker Got Your 6" is presented annually to individuals or organizations who have gone "above and beyond" expectations in supporting our veterans homecoming.
Jack stepped up and stepped in when Ernie Liska. of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, was tragically killed in an accident.
The Warriors Journey Home Circle of Trust meeting at HTLC would be without a leader had Jack not assumed the leadership role. Jack continued to reach out to veterans through the Valor Court of Summit County, and kept the HTLC Circle engaged.
Jack has served the greater Akron Community through selfless giving of his time and talents.
He continues to place service before self.
Thank you Jack, for your military service, your leadership and your ongoing commitment to helping others.
Photo:
Jack Harig with keynote speaker Major General Dan Hahn, US Army (retired)
Jack Harig recognized for going "above and beyond"
The Club was honored to host Summit County Executive, Ilene Shapiro, and several members of her staff at our September 19, 2023 meeting.
Ilene Shapiro is an American businessperson and politician. She has served as the Executive of Summit County, Ohio since August 1, 2016. Her predecessor Russell M. Pry died in office on July 31, 2016. She was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020 and is currently serving a four-year term that ends in December 2024. Previously, Shapiro was a member of Summit County Council for ten years and Council President for three years. Prior to her time in public service, Shapiro was a businesswoman.
Before her time on County Council, Shapiro was a businesswoman and a small business owner. She was an executive at First Merit Bank and the Summa Health Foundation. She later became an entrepreneur, and created a beauty supply company and consultancy firm based in Akron. Shapiro was the head of Shapiro Consulting, a business consulting firm.
Summit County has over 540,333 residents and is the 4th largest of Ohio’s 88 counties. In the county are 31 communities made up of 14 cities, 8 villages and 9 townships.
With a County budget of over half-a-billion dollars, Shapiro kicked off her presentation “Big things are going on” talking about what she does as County Executive and then shared information about the projects that are taking place in the County.
What does our County Executive Ilene Shapiro do?
Her role is facilitative, strategic, & relationship driven
Chief administrative, budgetary and contracting authority for the County
Manages 10 departments:
Admin. Services, Admin. & Public Info, Community & Economic Development, Finance & Budget, Human Resources, Law & Risk Mgmt., Job & Family Services, Medical Examiner, Public Safety and Sanitary Sewer Services.
Big things are going on!
Dispatch Center
Broadband
Opioid Lawsuit and Funds
Local HWAP, Lead Abatement, Home Repairs
Local economic and workforce development
Age-Friendly Akron-Summit
Summit County Animal Control
County Executive Shapiro shared information about these specific projects:
Our shared environment and water!
Summit County sits on the continental divide that separates the Lake Erie and Ohio River watersheds!
Sewer and stormwater systems across the watersheds impact all 31 communities, including Akron!
In Springfield, our reclamation facility is sending water to the Tuscarawas River that is cleaner than the river water!
We have planned investments for stormwater, sewer in Peninsula, Springfield, Lakemore, Bath, and more!
The Springfield facility has seen 74% increased efficiency.
The removal of the Gorge Dam will allow our Cuyahoga River to flow freely.
She is working with Akron on possibly amending the EPA Consent Decree.
Preventing youth violence!
Akron’s Youth Violence Prevention Plan & Upward Mobility Plan
Denico Buckley-Knight is leading the charge on Akron’s Youth Violence Prevention Program alongside community orgs such as United Way. This aligns closely with our Upward Mobility Plan!
We are working closely to support them wherever we can, especially when it comes to collaboration, mentorship and securing future grant dollars!
Early support is KEY to helping our youth!
New dispatch center that will house Akron’s operations!
The Summit Emergency Communications Center (SECC) is up and running.
State-of-the-art regional dispatch center that will serve 300,000+ residents.
Will house Akron dispatch services separately, but under the same roof!
Partnership between Summit County, Stow, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Tallmadge and may expand to include Copley Twp. and more!
Always an opt-in project with capacity for ALL
Ribbon-cutting on October 6th!
The Sojourner Truth Project and Plaza!
Memorializing the site of Truth’s iconic speech, commonly titled “Ain’t I a Woman”
Longstanding movement to honor her re-ignited by the Centennial Suffrage Committee
Towanda Mullins has strung together an incredible coalition! County contributed a total of $300,000.
Truth’s legacy is one of justice and equality for people of all races and genders, but especially Black women and girls.
Property Values 101
All counties adjust property values every three years; current cycle includes Summit County and 12 others
State Tax Commissioner dictates how properties are appraised, numbers are currently based on one year of sales data
State asked for 34% increase
A change in value is NOT proportional to a change in taxes
What does this mean for me?
Property value letters mailed out August 2023
Property tax bills mailed out January 2024
Property values can be contested starting January 2024 by filing a complaint with the Board of Revision
If you want to look up your property value, file a complaint, or have questions, see the Summit County Fiscal Office at fiscaloffice.summitoh.net or call 1-888-388-5613.
OPEN M is a Christian non-profit organization that serves more than 50,000 individuals annually with food, health and employment services—all intended to create pathways out of poverty. OPEN M leverages a community alliance of churches, businesses and volunteers to offer programs to those in need.
Open M received grant funding from the Akron Rotary Foundation for its Feeding Kids Backpack Project. Our service project with Open M has started! Weekend meals will be packed for 100 low-income and food insecure students for Akron's Innes Middle School.
We are booked for a total of 6 days so far in September and October. Check out thevolunteer link to see where volunteers are still needed!
Please mark your calendar and plan to attend our morning meeting on Friday October 13th from 7:30am to 9am at the Akron Family Restaurant.
President Knauer will provide club business updates and report on our recent service projects. I will provide the latest update for upcoming service activities.
I look forward to a casual meeting focused on fellowship and seeing those of you who cannot always attend a lunchtime meeting.
Please note: This is NOT in lieu of our regularly scheduled meeting(s).
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to our own member, Brian Kosarko, discuss the value of having the “right” Information Technology (IT) support to prevent, ensure, and recover from IT incidents.
Who Needs Professional IT Services?
Businesses of all sizes.
Businesses where a non-IT employee is responsible for IT issues.
Family member, shipping person, business owner
Not the best use of their time or the right expertise level
Businesses that are growing.
Businesses that don’t have a plan.
Businesses that are trying to keep up with today’s technological demands.
What are the Problems Twin Pines Technology (TPT) Solves?
Productivity – (loss of)
Security – Out of date computers, Microsoft patches for computers and servers.
Accessibility -
Planning/Design -
Accessing data securely – when the customers want it, how they want it and where they want it.
How Does Twin Pines Technology Solve It?
A suite of tools that monitors, manages, and alerts TPT of issues for each device.
Proactive diagnostics and solutions before problems become “big problems.”
Support systems with a team answering calls and supporting clients.
Providing customers with overarching technology strategy plans, then implementing the plans and adjusting as client needs change.
Finding new and creative solutions to “pain points.”
Why Prevent, Ensure, Recover?
Prevent: Twin Pines Technology will do their best following industry standards and tools to prevent any data loss, cyber-attacks, ransomware, or downtime.
No matter how detailed the plan is, issues will still happen.
Ensure: Make sure plans, procedures, and coverages are in place for data loss or breaches.
Recover: Have the ability to quickly recover when prevention was not enough.
Brian’s final comment before the Q & A section was this. “If you think an IT department would handle it, or think it is technology related, we probably handle it."
The Warriors Journey Home organization, during their 10th annual Coming Home Gala Celebration, will be recognizing Jack by presenting him with the "C. Gene Stalnaker Got Your Six Award" for his outreach to veterans through the Valor Court of Summit County and the Warrior Journey Home Circle at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron.
The gala will be held on Saturday, September 16th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at The Venue, 10 Tallmadge Circle, Tallmadge, OH
Cost for attending is $70 which includes the dinner buffet, dessert, and one complimentary drink ticket.
Looking for energetic thoughtful leaders to help propel our club forward!
It is once again time for nominations for our Akron Rotary Board of Directors (Need 4) , Vice -President(Need 1) to get in our queue to succeed Tom Knauer, Thane Billow and Katy Miller. Treasurer and Secretary positions nominations are also accepted.
Self-nominations are welcome.
Any active member who has been in our club for at least 2 years is eligible.
Nominations will be solicited at every club meeting in September or feel free to email me as Chair of the nominating committee at RMcGregor@AkronChildrens.org
Thanks to all who came out to Hoppin' Frog to have some fun social time and help in our fight to eliminate polio!
DG Julie Brandle and DGE Dale Smith welcomed Akron Rotarians along with Rotarians from other clubs who joined together for fellowship, good food and beverages.
Stew Buchanan won the 50/50 raffle and then donated it back to the cause. Thanks Stew!
Dale Smith's ticket was pulled from the hat and he took home a basket of goodies from Hoppin' Frog.
Pours and Pints to End Polio is taking place around the district to celebrate the success to date in our fight to eliminate polio from our planet.
There is no cost to attend - you will be responsible only for the food and drink that you purchase from the venue.
The next venue will be on October 12th at Winery at Wolf Creek 2637 S. Cleveland Massillon Road, Barberton, OH from 5:30-7pm. Join us!!
Pours and Pints to End Polio in Akron at Hoppin Frog Was Great Fun!
DG Julie Brandle and DGE Dale Smith are planning several Pours and Pints to End Polio around the district to celebrate the success to date in our fight to eliminate polio from our planet.
There will be no cost to attend - you will be responsible only for the food and drink that you purchase from the venue. We will be having a 50/50 raffle at each event.
These will be held 5:30-8:00pm at these locations:
Oct 5 Hoppin Frog 1680 E. Waterloo Rd Akron Oct 12 Winery at Wolf Creek 2637 S. Cleveland Massillon Road Barberton Oct 19 MadCap Brewery 1422 Mogadore Rd Kent Oct 26 Beerhead 8003 Crile Road Painesville Nov 9 Green Valley Brewing 53 Milford Drive Hudson
Oct. 5 - Pours and Pints to End Polio in Akron at Hoppin Frog
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Patty Dowd Schmitz during our Tuesday, August 29th weekly Club Meeting. Ms. Dowd-Schmitz gave a very interesting presentation on the National First Ladies Library and Museum.
Their Vision:
The National First Ladies Library is the foremost repository of scholarly research and information and a leader in education about the First Ladies of the USA. The Library and Museum works collaboratively with the National Park Service. The First Ladies National Historic Site consists of the historic Saxton-McKinley House, the First Ladies Museum, and the Education and Research Center.
Their Mission:
Their mission is to preserve, promote, and educate about the significant role of First Ladies of the USA and their contributions throughout history.
As many of you already know, the museum is in Canton. What you may not know is that the museum’s founder was Mary Regula, wife of long-time Congressman Ralph Regula. The National First Ladies Library was founded in 1995. The museum became a National Historic Site in 2000 and was dedicated by Rosalynn Carter, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton.
The museum is a repository of research and artifacts from the First Ladies. Ms. Dowd-Schmitz provided information on the Saxton/McKinley House. John Saxton started the Canton Repository newspaper.
The library and museum are in the original First National Bank Building.
Home to the National First Ladies Library – 1,000 books.
Home to a collection of over 5,000 artifacts.
Three floors open to the public.
Ms. Dowd-Schmitz continued by presenting information on the current exhibit. The exhibit runs until April 2024 and “Is All About Jackie Kennedy.” What is unique about the annual First Lady feature is that the exhibit covers the entire life of the First Lady and not just the time their husbands were President.
I encourage anyone who is interested in this week’s presentation to check out the video to learn more some interesting facts about the history of the museum, as well as about Jackie Kennedy.
The 14th annual Cornhole Tournament presented by Buckeye Corrugated Inc. was held this past Saturday on the beautiful grounds of Rotary Camp. We had 8 teams in the Ringers Division, and 30 in the Recreational Division competing for 1st place and bragging rights!
The day was a tremendous success, and we are very excited to announce that we raised $21,501! Proceeds from the event will ensure that no child is turned away due to their family’s inability to pay. Thanks to everyone who volunteered at the event, and supported the tourney with sponsorships, team registrations, raffle tickets, donations and auction items.
Participants and volunteers enjoyed lunch from the Menche’s Bros Food Truck, beverages from the House of LaRose, ice-cream from Paul’s Drive-In Machine Rentals and snacks from Hickory Harvest.
Congratulations to all the winners:
Ringers – 1st place: George Midlik and Candace Digs (Rockside Sliders) Ringers – 2nd place: Andy Gotto and Jeff Gotto (Bag Slingers)
Recreational – 1st place: Trevin Domro and Trent Saunders (Two Turnt T’s) Recreational – 2nd place: John Deininger and Zach Retych (Winning Colors) Recreational – 3rd place: Joe White and Lynn Kane (Our Bags, Ur Hole)
Step Back Champion: Alan Umerley
Save the date for the 15th Annual Cornhole Tournament on August 24, 2024!
Scott Kolligian Co-Chair & Founder Annual Cornhole Tournament
Dr. Alice Christie presented Progress through Preservation, Millionaire's Row.
About Dr. Christie:
Native Akronite
Graduate of: St. Vincent High School; Ursuline College—BA in Art Education; University of Akron—MA in Special Eduction; Kent State University—PhD. in Early Childhood Education
Taught 5 years in Akron Public Schools; 18 years at the University of Akron (Special Education)—emetita status; 15 years at Malone University (Director of Graduate Education)—emerita status
Program Director for Progress Through Preservation (16 years on the board; 1998-2004 and 2015-current)
Also 8 years on the board of Hower House and long-time member of Summit County Historical Society
Interests: Akron history, antiques, architecture
One son and 4 grandchildren
Dr. Christie Presentation 'Progress through Preservation, Millionaire's Row'
It is time again to sign up to volunteer for the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank service project!
I am looking for volunteers (spouses and friends are welcome; they just need to signup for volunteering with ACRFB!) for Wednesday, August 23 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307. After the food bank service project anyone is welcome to join me in going out to dinner for more social time at a downtown Akron restaurant to be determined later.
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to work with our fellow Rotarians and strengthen our friendships and maybe meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon this Friday 18th, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I would greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
SERVICE PROJECT: Akron Canton Food Bank 8/23- Responses needed by 8/18!
The 9th Annual Dragons on the Lake Boat Festival took place Saturday, August 12, 2023.
Teams of 20 paddlers compete for top honors in three different divisions: Corporate, Community and Breast Cancer Survivor (BCS). Proceeds from the event benefit the Dragon Dream Team, Ohio’s first all breast cancer survivor dragon boat team.
The Akron Rotary Club team was out in full force and paddled their way to a 3rd place win in the Community Division.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT!
Photo includes: Tom Knauer, Brian & Angela Kosarko, Andrew Grant, Cyndi & Michael Kane, Olivia Pilon, Marissa Rufe, Michael Gladys, Paul Jarrett, Susan Colville-Hall
(Note: you can view photos larger by clicking on each of them)
Mr. Kutuchief returned to the Akron Rotary Club on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 to update the Club on progress made in several areas that the Knight Foundation is committed to. Mr. Kutuchief was named program director in Akron for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in May 2015. The foundation invests in journalism, the arts, and the success of cities where its founders once published newspapers.
In Akron, the birthplace of Knight Newspapers and the foundation, Knight focuses on downtown and inner ring neighborhoods through investments in public space and public life to increase population and advance equity. Akron is also part of Reimagining the Civic Commons, a Knight-supported national initiative that seeks to counteract economic and social fragmentation by revitalizing and connecting public spaces.
In Akron, the Knight Foundation focuses on the power of high-quality public space and public life to attract and retain people. The program(s) that include this focus is referred to as “Reimagining the Civic Commons.”
Reimagining the Civic Commons (RCC)
This initiative intends to be the first comprehensive demonstration of how a connected set of civic assets – a civic commons – can yield increased and more equitably shared prosperity for cities and neighborhoods.
Reimagining Civic Commons involves four strategic areas. These areas include Civic engagement, Economic integration, Environmental sustainability, and Value creation. Mr. Kutuchief proceeded to briefly explain each of the strategic areas and provided pictures of activities occurring in the Akron area including three specific Civic Assets: The Civic Gateway, Park East, and Summit Lake Park.
Civic Engagement: When people enjoy equal status in shared spaces, a sense of community and respectful engagement is built, and our understanding of others increases. More people from diverse backgrounds participate in the shaping of their city’s future. View Summit Lake rebirth pictures.
Summit Lake Park: Once the “million-dollar playground,” became an area marked by disinvestment, remembered only as a dumping ground for factories and for long-held negative perceptions of safety is now seeing a rebirth with neighborhood investment and engagement.
Economic Integration: Overtime, urban neighborhoods have become increasingly segregated by income, with poverty that is persistent and growing. By expanding the use of our shared civic assets by people from all backgrounds and incomes, we can improve economic opportunity from one generation to the next.
Park East: Located between the Civic Gateway and the Summit Lake Park, this neighborhood is home to a variety of people, including homeowners, renters, and senior living.
Environmental Sustainability: A reimagined civic commons connects public spaces to increase access to nature and foster neighborhoods where most trips can be made by walking, biking, or transit. Investments are anticipated to create larger tree canopies, improve storm water management and increase energy efficiency.
Value Creation: Open, active, and connected spaces can attract investment, helping to grow local businesses and change the perception of safety in a neighborhood. As surrounding neighborhoods increase in value, opportunities to capture some of that value can generate public benefits and support the operation of civic assets.
Civic Gateway: Located on the northern end of downtown, the Civic Gateway is comprised of a variety of recreational and social amenities including the Akron Civic Theatre, Lock 4 Park, Cascade Plaza, and the Akron-Summit County Public Library, as well as the workplace of thousands of employees.
Mr. Kutuchief briefly discussed three specific Akron RCC Civic Assets. These assets are 1) Civic Gateway, 2) Park East and 3) Summit Lake Park.
Mr. Kutuchief also discussed the Polsky building project that is a joint venture between the Knight Foundation, the City of Akron and the University of Akron. It is an effort to provide a stronger connection between the University and the Downtown Area.
Check out their website at www.Knightfoundation.org to learn more about the other initiatives that the Knight Foundation is invested in as well the history of the Knight Foundation as it relates to its place in the history of Akron.
Yours in Service,
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Knight Foundation - Kyle Kutuchief Presentation Recap
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Tiffany Rockstroh, President, and our own David Hall, Vice-President -Investment Strategist & Banking Officer of Preferred Legacy Trust Company.
Tiffany began the presentation strongly recommending that it is of benefit to all of us to establish a Healthcare Power of Attorney, develop an Advanced Directive, create a General Will, establish a Durable Power of Attorney, and finally in some cases create a Trust. Tiffany stressed that whether you are 18 years of age or older, you never know what might happen to you and having these documents in place that be beneficial to all concerned.
Why Would a Person Create a Trust?
Leave a legacy for generations to come.
Avoid Probate.
Allows grantor control over the use of the funds after the grantor is deceased.
Taxes: several potential tax benefits.
Capital gains, Federal Estate Tax, State Estate Tax.
Provide a Structure for Beneficiaries.
Young children, easily influenced.
Special needs children.
Social issues.
Liability.
Assets in trust can be protected from creditors or divorce.
Family Asset; IE Farm or Vacation Property.
Why Would You Choose a Professional Trustee vs. a Family Member?
When you name a professional trustee, you allow the professionals to handle the affairs. This means the family remains a family.
Professional Trustees are unbiased and will execute a document according to how the family and council wrote the document.
Professional Trustees have the knowledge and expertise to handle an estate and administer all the trust rules and regulations, which most family members do not have.
A Professional trustee adds an additional layer of protection around the trustee assets. The layer could add extra protection from litigation and divorce if structured correctly.
Professional Trustees are regulated by the state or OCC - allowing for additional oversite and protection you don’t receive from a family member.
Professional Trustees have a rich network of advisors for complex situations, allowing additional advice and oversite when needed.
A Professional Trustee allows families peace of mind, knowing that they selected a team with integrity and experience to manage their financial affairs after they have passed.
What Should I Look for or What Questions Should I Be Asking If I Want to Create a Trust?
Does the focus remain on the client’s needs rather than the client’s account size?
Is the Trust Company willing to hold unique assets?
Does the Trust have local experience?
Is a professional from the Trust Company available for family/client meetings in person?
Is the Trust Company able to work with any financial advisor, CPA or attorney, allowing the families advisors to stay in place?
Following the presentation, Tiffany and David answered various questions. To review these questions and the ways the Preferred Legacy Trust Company might be able to answer questions you have, check out the recording by clicking here.
Yours in Service -
Terry Dalton
Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Tiffany Rockstroh and David Hall from Preferred Legacy Trust Presentation Recap
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Dr. Wes Fair and Ms. Jessica Purdy to our Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Club luncheon meeting and appreciated their presentation on the various programs offered by Shelter Care, Inc. in their service to adolescents and young adults.
What does Shelter Care Do?
Their Mission:
To provide healing, restore hope, and recognize the value of young people and families in need.
History:
Dave Fair founded Shelter Care Inc. in the fall of 1972, when he and Juvenile Court Judge, William P. Kannel noticed a significant increase in the number of children who were being brought to the court’s attention for non-delinquent charges; particularly, running away from home due to severe family conflict, neglect, and abuse. With the support of the Chapel at Fir Hill, Dave secured a home in Akron that would operate as the first Shelter Care home. This was the inception of the Shelter Home Program and the beginning of Shelter Care.
Throughout its 50 years, Shelter Care has responded to the needs of the youth and families in Summit and the surrounding counties. In 1978, the Junior League was operating a shelter for runaway teens, but reached out to merge with Shelter Care so more youth could be served. Dave was able to create the Safe Landing Youth Shelter Program as a second division beneath the Shelter Care umbrella.
The Respite Care Program came about in 1990 at the request of the Director of Child Guidance and Family Solutions to create a short-term residential program for youth who needed scheduled breaks from home due to family conflict. Additionally, the Highlands Teen Pregnancy Shelter was established in 2005 as the only licensed teen pregnancy shelter in the state of Ohio at the request of Summit County Children Services to create a program for homeless, or at-risk teen girls who were either pregnant or parenting a child under three years of age.
In 2008, Shelter Care continued to respond to the needs in the community by establishing the Street Outreach Services Program to meet the needs of at-risk and homeless youth and young adults through street based and drop-in services. Most recently in 2022, Shelter Care established its Outpatient Counseling Center Program to provide counseling to individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
For further information about each of their programs, check out their website at www.sc72.org. Below you will find two flyers for a couple of upcoming events orclick here to download the flyers.
Yours in Service -
Terry Dalton Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Thank you to Ginny Wojno and Gerry Kiefer for being such generous donors to The Rotary Foundation.
Ginny received her Paul Harris+5 pin and Gerry now has her Paul Harris+6 pin.
Learn more about the RI Foundation
Talk with our Club RI Foundation Co-Chairs: Thane Billow or Bill Manby, Jr. or visit the Foundation page at Rotary.org
Paul Harris Fellow Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) recognition is given in appreciation to anyone who contributes, outright or cumulatively – or in whose name is contributed – a gift of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, PolioPlus Partners or the Humanitarian Grants program. The recognition consists of a certificate, pin, and medallion.
Certificate of Appreciation Occasionally, a donor contributes US$1,000 and wishes to recognize a business or organization. In these instances, since Paul Harris Fellow recognition can only be presented to individuals, a Certificate of Appreciation is given instead.
Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognition is extended at subsequent $1,000 levels (e.g., $2,000, $3,000). Recognition consists of a pin with additional stones corresponding to the recognition level:
We were honored to have Julie Brandle, our 2023-24 District 6630 Governor kick off her official club visits at her home club - The Rotary Club of Akron.
Julie shares how she got here at this time, her vision for the year ahead, and the vision of RI President R. Gordon McInally.
The following are some comments made by District Governor, Julie Brandle during our Tuesday, July 18, 2023 Club meeting. View the presentation by clicking here
“When you start planning your official club visits as District Governor there is an air of excitement! You look forward to meeting new Rotarians all over the district and learning about their clubs, service projects, and fundraisers. You also have the opportunity to share what is happening around the district and with other clubs.
When planning for the visit to one’s own club, people get nervous and uncertain. In my case I scheduled my own club official visit here at home FIRST. I just couldn’t wait to kick off my year with friendly faces, those who have supported me on my Rotary journey, because first, I wanted to thank you for helping to foster in me my love for Rotary.
As I look to the year ahead, it’s important for me to share how I arrived here, not only in this place, but in Rotary.
Before there was a four-way test for me there was a similar oath I adopted, though this one goes a little something like this:
On my honor, I will try:
To serve God and my country; to help people at all times; to live by the Girl Scout Law. The law states: I will do my best: to be honest; to be fair to help where I am needed; to be cheerful; to be friendly and considerate; to be a sister to every Girl Scout;
to respect authority; to use resources wisely; to protect and improve the world around me; to show respect for myself and others through my words and actions.
I joined the Girl Scouts as a 7-year-old second grader and learned from strong female role models about all these things, though service and teamwork are two of the things that really stuck with me.
Fast forward nearly 40 years from that young girl who learned all those things to when I first heard about Rotary... I jumped in with both feet and felt like I belonged. I felt I was of value from the very first day. When I heard our 4-way test, I knew I was at home in our club. But there was one other defining moment – what many call their Rotary Moment - that solidified my place in Rotary. In my first week of membership, I volunteered as a team leader for my daughter Kimberly’s JAM (Justice Area Ministry) program through Hoban. Originally, that first morning volunteering with JAM, we were assigned a local food pantry, but with a cancellation, we were reassigned to Rotary Camp… At the end of that first day Kimberly was one of a handful of students who were asked to provide an account of their first day. With all the confidence of a seasoned public speaker, with the joy she had found in helping those with special needs that day, serving these campers, assisting them with meals, swim time, crafts; she spoke affectionately of Kristie, a young woman who I can only recount as someone who thrived with cerebral palsy. I didn’t know at the time this would leave an indelible impression on my child. An impression that would ultimately lead Kimberly first to go on to volunteer over a thousand hours at Rotary Camp during her remaining high school years to finding her life’s calling, becoming a special education teacher, and now embarking on her third year as a third and fourth grade intervention specialist at Monclova Primary school in northwest Ohio. To see this transformation…all because of Rotary…”
Julie went on to ask us “What is your Rotary Moment? Haven’t found it yet? You will.”
Julie concluded her presentation with the following: “Over the course of this year, I have named empowering women and girls, the environment, and mental health as my 3 top areas of interest and I encourage you to find a project in these areas for the our club.”
District 6630 Governor Julie Brandle Official Club Visit
Thanks to everyone who joined us to have dinner at the Camp with the campers and Wayne Homes representatives. Looking forward to seeing you over the next few weeks before camp ends.
Photos courtesy of Amanda Warner and Cheryl Warren.
July 11, 2023 the Rotary Club of Akron inducted two new members!
Pictured is newly installed President Tom Knauer and our two newest Rotarians.
Andrew Grant sponsored by Lynda Farkas and Marissa Rufe sponsored by Thane Billow.
We look forward to a year filled with service and fellowship!
About Our New Members:
MARISSA RUFE
I was born and raised in Akron; Cuyahoga Falls to be specific. I was able to begin my college degree in my Junior year of High School thanks to CFHS o"ering a Post Secondary Enrollment Program. This gave me a jumpstart on credits, but like most teenagers.... I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I may have thought I knew, but my college journey taught me that life is an everchanging experience and it's okay to shift the plan just keep your eyes on the goal!
After graduating college (the initial goal), I began working full time in the financial services industry. This taught me more about people than even my years of sorority membership. Sales training, in my opinion, can be summed up as learning to understand human behavior and motivation. I knew I belonged in sales with the skills I have developed and when I met Jim Pickard, I knew I wanted to learn from him. That is how I began my career in Commercial Real Estate. I am now over 3 years down this path, and I love what I do.
Volunteering with Keep Akron Beautiful and The Humane Society has fed my passion for nature and animals. I actively pursue connections and organizations that speak to my interests and allow me to get involved in the community that raised me. I am blessed with wonderful friends that are my chosen family and in my free time I enjoy camping, hiking, reading and gardening.
ANDREW GRANT
I joined Akron Rotary in 1983 when I moved to Akron with Babcock & Wilcox. I was unable to make meetings due to heavy travel.
I have been a biomass-energy consultant for about 20 years, following work with B&W, Ontario Hydro and FirstEnergy.
In addition to consulting, I am launching an organic waste recycling business. This is an exciting time to be in the organics recycling business - everything from fertilizers to jet fuel.
I have been a member of St Paul's episcopal church for 40 years and have served on its vestry and many other roles - I enjoy reading lessons. I have degrees in Natural Sciences and Economics from the University of Cambridge.
I have been happily married to Sue for many years; we have three adult children, one grandson who recently graduated from Akron U.
I am an inactive private pilot, love flying, sailing, hiking, gardening, and music - roll on this year's Blossom season!
At the July 11 meeting, I was honored to have Julie Brandle, District 6630 Governor induct me as president of our club. I am excited to take on the role of president and lead our club during the 2023-24 Rotary year.
Following my induction, I administered the oath of office to our board members and club officers then had the very distinct pleasure of inducting our two newest members, Marissa Rufe and Andrew Grant.
Following the inductions, I delivered a brief overview of my wishes for our Club during the 2023 – 2024 Rotary Year:
Increase member engagement.
Affirm our club’s commitment to The Rotary Camp, not just during the Chili Open season but throughout the year.
Re engage in Rotary programs including childhood literacy, the 4-Way Speech Contest,Interact and Rotaract to spread the mission of Rotary to younger generations.
Work with fellow Rotary clubs and other local organizations to increase our Club’s ability to make an impact in our community and work on at least one community-based project in addition to the Chili Open.
Participate in at least one Rotary International project.
Build our public image and the Rotary brand in order the spread the message and mission of Rotary and build momentum for our club and the organizations we support.
I look forward to working with all of you in support of our club, community and Rotary International.
Ever wonder why 1 July is the beginning of the Rotary year? Initially, our conventions played a key role in determining the start date of our fiscal and administrative year.
Rotary’s first fiscal year began the day after the first convention ended, on 18 August 1910. The 1911-12 fiscal year also related to the convention, beginning with the first day of the 1911 convention on 21 August.
Attendees at Rotary’s first convention in Chicago in 1910. Rotary’s first fiscal year began the day after the convention ended.
The next August, the Board of Directors ordered an audit of the International Association of Rotary Clubs’ finances. The auditors recommended that the organization end its fiscal year on 30 June to give the secretary and treasurer time to prepare a financial statement for the convention and board, and to determine the proper number of club delegates to the convention.
The executive committee agreed and, in April 1913, designated 30 June as the end of the fiscal year. This also allowed for changes to the schedule for reporting club membership and payments. Even The Rotarian changed its volume numbering system to correspond to the fiscal year (beginning with Volume 5, No. 1, in July 1914).
Rotary continued to hold its annual conventions in July or August until 1917. Delegates to the 1916 event in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, approved a resolution to hold future conventions in June, mainly because of the heat in cities where most of them occurred. The next one was held 17-21 June in Atlanta, Georgia.
The term “Rotary year” has been used to signify Rotary's annual administrative period since at least 1913. An article in The Rotarian that July noted, “The Rotary year that is rapidly drawing to a close has been signalized by several highly successful joint meetings of Clubs that are so situated as to assemble together easily and conveniently.”
Since the executive committee’s decision in 1913, the end of the Rotary year has remained 30 June.
The program chair position is an exciting one in our club as our speakers give weekly meetings verve and spice, not to mention information and community knowledge.
If you would like to become involved in proposing and scheduling speakers for 2024 and beyond, please contact Gerry Kiefer, Program Chair 2022-24, gkiefer@su.edu.
Yours in Service -
Geraldine Wojno Kiefer, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Art History and Art Shenandoah University 540-742-2260 cell
It’s a Wrap Rotary Club of Akron President Lynda Farkas
2022-2023
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to President Farkas as she wraps up her year as President of the Rotary Club of Akron. Lynda began her remarks stating “June marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another in Rotary, a bittersweet time to reflect as we look ahead to 2023- 2024 Rotary year. View the meeting/presentations - click here
2022-2023 District Governor David Jones was on hand to help present a 50 year Rotary Membership Crystal to Roger Read (shown with wife Sally) and a District Community Service Award to the Rotary Camp accepted by Camp Director Dan Reynolds. (These awards were presented at the District Conference in April, 2023 but Roger and Dan were unable to be present at that time to accept them).
Lynda personally thanked each and every member for their dedication and service to our Akron Rotary club. Lynda commented that “it’s been an exciting and a challenging year of moving from Bounce Innovation Hub on South Main to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church here on South Union. The Club had to increase our luncheon costs to cover the gratuity, room rental and food with a minimum of 25 members buying lunch each week. We did it – together and offered a wider buffet menu thanks to the endeavors of Angelica George & Lauren Nemeth, from Tangier’s!”
President Lynda proceeded to highlight the various successes the Club achieved during the 2022 -2023. Some of those achievements were:
Our annual February Chili Open/ raised over $360.000.00 to assist campers to enjoy time at the camp.
15 scholarships of $1,000.00 each were provided through the Akron Rotary Foundation to students from Akron Public Schools.
$15,000.00 from the Akron Rotary Foundation was awarded to three outstanding Akron community organizations. Photos below with Lynda Farkas and Doug Kohl are (L-R): Beth Boggin & Julie Carneal, Open M; Dan Reynolds, Akron Rotary Camp; Jen Meade, The WELL
We sponsored an outbound student to South Korea and welcomed an inbound student from Spain.
One of our own, Julie Brandle, will be District 6630 District Governor during the 2023 – 2024 Rotary Year.
Club members volunteered over 155 hours at the Akron-Canton Food bank.
Additional hours were provided with Rotarians volunteering for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign in December.
President Farkas concluded her remarks with the following: “So, here we are, the end of the “Imagine” Rotary year, 2022-2023. Last July, when I began my year as Club President, I asked if you recalled the lyrics of Beatles legend, John Lennon, back in 1971– ‘you may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be one!’
Remember: ‘Changing the world is indeed in no one else’s hands but our own, and helping those in need is what defines and will continue to define Rotary and its Foundation in the years ahead.’”
Incoming President Tom Knauer presented President Lynda with flowers, a Past President pin and plaque. She then removed the 2022-23 theme banner and had Tom place the 2023-2024 banner on the podium.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Jarrod Hartzler discuss the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education during our Tuesday, June 20th Club meeting. The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE), a statewide arts education service organization, is a nationally recognized leader in arts education. Working at the local, state, and federal levels, the organization has achieved significant success in advocacy work, capacity building, collaboration, program expansion, teaching artists’ support and arts education data analysis. The arts are defined as: dance, drama/theater, music, visual, and media arts. You can view the meeting by clicking here.
What is OAAE’s Mission Statement?
It is the mission of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education to ensure that the arts are an integral part of the education of every Ohioan.
The Alliance has several belief statements:
All children in school must have quality arts education provided by licensed arts educators.
All Ohioans have the right to expect quality arts education.
All arts programs must have adequate resources.
All arts and cultural organizations and artists have a critical role in arts education.
What are some of the major initiatives of OAAE?
The major initiatives the OAAE focuses on are Advocacy, Building Collaborations, Building Capacity (diversified funding, membership, and communication), Professional Development
According to Mr. Hartzler, the following are a few of the reasons advocacy is so important:
Arts Education continues to face serious challenges. Despite model programs, studies, and research that demonstrate the value of arts learning, national education policies and budget constraints continue to put arts education programs at risk of being reduced or eliminated.
As school systems across the country face funding challenges and budget cuts, arts education programs are among the first to be threatened or eliminated. Many schools are forced to choose among a music teacher, visual arts teacher, librarian, guidance counselor, or nurse on staff. Many districts resort to asking communities to pass levies to help ease the financial burdens they face. School funding is a critical advocacy issue.
Arts education advocates know that the only way even strong arts learning programs can survive is when advocates actively promote their cause. Advocates help make the program’s value and impact understood and supported by all stakeholders—from parents, to community leaders, to school district administrators, to state legislators, federal policymakers, and others.
The Ohio Arts Education Data Project:
Mr. Hartzler also discussed the Ohio Arts Education Data Project. Ohio is proud to be among the first few states in the nation to provide an online arts education data system available to the public. This interactive, color-coded dashboard displays arts participation for Ohio’s preK-12 schools.
Developed through the collaboration of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Arts Council, and Quadrant Research, the information presented in this dashboard will help arts education advocates across the state make the case for the benefits of arts learning. To view the data and within Ohio and particularly Summit County, check out the following link: https://oaae.net/ohio-arts-education-data-project-introduction/.
I would encourage our readers to check out the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education website at https://oaae.net to explore more of the association’s strategic goals and initiatives, community programs, Ohio Teaching Artist Roster, etc.
Saturday July 15th will be our “Rotary Day at the Tournament"
We are targeting Saturday July 15th for Akron Rotary Day. I know that a number of us have already purchased tickets and look forward to attending.
The attached promo code ensures that approximately $20 of every ticket purchase, which is good for any day, will go directly to the Akron Rotary Foundation. The promo code is “AKRONROTARY23”
Calling all Akron Rotarians, please join us for a Thursday evening Summer Camp cookout at Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319). Come and enjoy a burger or hot dog with our campers and camp counselors, as well as take a tour of our camp facilities. You are welcome to bring along your family, co-workers and/or a colleague. It is also a great opportunity to introduce someone new to Rotary Camp.
Akron Rotary Camp’s 100th Summer Camp Season is in full swing, and our campers are having lots of fun and making memories to last a lifetime! We have been the main project of the Rotary Club of Akron for 100 summers. The Club’s support of the Chili Open Golf Classic helps to make it possible to offer financial assistance to families in need. Allowing their child, the opportunity to attend camp, enjoy the outdoors, discover their abilities and succeed beyond their dreams!
Please join us and help us celebrate the 100th summer of Rotary Camp!
What: Thursday Evening Camp Cookouts
When:August 3
5:30pm to 7:00pm – dinner is served at 6:00pm
Where: Akron Rotary Camp, 4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319
If you are unable to attend on a Thursday evening, please reach out to Mella Castner, (mellac@akronymca.org or (330) 644-4512 x3206) to schedule a visit during summer camp.
Akron Rotary Camp ∙ 4460 Rex Lake Drive ∙ Akron, Ohio 44319 ∙ (330) 644-4512 ∙ gotcamp.org
Connor G. Jarvis, CFP® (Partner, Wright LaHaie Jarvis Wealth Advisors) spoke to our club on Key Principles for Long-Term Planning & Investment Success:
- Focus on what you can fully control (or partly control), not what is out of your control. Thankfully, the things that we do have control over are what ultimately matters most to a successful long-term plan.
Full Control:
Prudent asset allocation, diversification, and risk management
Appropriate rates of current and future savings/spending
Developing a goals-driven plan with an investment strategy designed to support the various goals and objectives (short-term, intermediate-term, or long-term)
Partial Control:
Length of employment
Employment earnings
Longevity/health
No Control:
Market returns from one day, week, month, or year to the next
Economic environment
Political environment
Tax environment
Policy implementations or changes that impact any of the above
- Plan to live a long time and have an income plan that supports the longevity needs and concerns of a modern retirement - for couples age 65 and over, there is now at least a 50% chance one of them lives into their 90s.
- Cash in not always king – attractive high-yields/interest rates in the short-term can be a long-term trap.
- Strive to take full advantage of the power of compounding growth (dividends, interest, etc.) over time – and be consistent.
- Don’t let cognitive biases and emotions distort your vision and cause you to deviate from a well-built strategy and plan (assuming one is in place) – heuristics often work against us when it comes to behaviors, habits, and decisions that can lead to long-term financial success.
- Volatility is normal and to be expected as an investor; in times of market and portfolio stress, rash actions and emotional decisions do not typically produce fruitful results beyond short-term psychological comfort – maintain composure, review and remember your plan, and (like a horse running a race) keep your “blinders” on to stay focused on the long-term goal ahead – not what the media is say or market/economy is doing on any given day/week/month/year. While past performance is no indication nor guarantee of future results, historical perspective can be impactful in helping one to stay the course in times of heightened fear or turbulence.
- Diversification works over time and it is a critical component of a well-constructed investment strategy designed to support a well-crafted plan – this diversification across and within asset classes, but also diversification across account types, etc.
- Time in the markets, not timing the markets, is what matters most – staying invested is key.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to John Fiume discuss the Akron Art Museum during our Tuesday, June 6th Club meeting. John has been serving Akron’s arts and culture scene for over 20 years. His past contributions have included serving on the boards of the Akron Art Museum, Weathervane Playhouse, ArtsNow, and Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. As of February 2022, Jon is serving as the John S. Knight Director & CEO of the Akron Art Museum.
The Akron Art Museum goes back 100 years. The museum has had several locations since its beginning but has been located at the 1899 old post office building since 1981.
The museum has several Values Statements:
We believe in the value of art and artists.
We believe in the power of museums to inspire and educate.
We believe in working with and for our community.
We believe in fostering a culture of respect.
We believe in accountability and continuous growth.
What collections of art are at the Akron Art Museum?
The Museum collects works from 1850 to the present. Comprised of over 7000 objects, the collection is home to important works by a broad range of artists in a wide variety of media from across the globe, including sculpture, glass, paintings, photography, digital art, and more.
What are some of the current Exhibitions?
Keith Haring: Against All Odds
100 Years of Change
Land Jam
In addition to the various exhibitions, the Museum also provides many other events. Several events occurring in the next few weeks include:
Ballet in the Garden
Yoga Series: Mindful Art
Camp Creative: Nature
Coffee with a Curator: Keith Haring: Against All Odds – New Works
To learn more about the Akron Art Museum and all it has to offer, check out their website at www.akronartmuseum.org.
REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND END POLIO NOW GUARDIANS GAME ON AUGUST 17, 2023 VS. DETROIT TIGERS
Once again we are planning an End Polio Now Guardians game on August 17, 2023 against the Detroit Tigers. We will be in the Terrace Club for fun, food, and auctions along with drawing the winner of the Paul Harris /First Pitch.
We are also able to parade pregame on the field after missing several years.
As you are planning your Rotary club’s summer activities, please keep this in mind. It is a great opportunity for fellowship and FUN.
Rotary International has long held the fight to eradicate polio as it’s signature fundraising effort. Over $6,000 was raised during the July 13, 2022 End Polio Night at the Cleveland Guardians baseball game versus the Chicago White Sox.
Last year more than 300 Rotarians in District 6630, along with those is Districts 6600 and 6650 were in attendance.
Each received an End Polio Now t-shirt along with their ticket to the baseball game. Congratulations to Dean Thayer of the North Hampton-Cuyahoga Valley Club who was chosen to throw out the first pitch. The fun continued in the Terrace Club as raffle baskets with autographed jerseys, bats, baseballs and other great prizes brought in over $1,800. Special thanks to the Guardians own Bob Dibiasio, who came by to visit. with Rotarians during the event. Bob’s visit helped ease the sting of the Guardians loss to the White Sox, 2-1.
As 2022-2023 Rotary International President Jennifer Jones reminds us, “ As long as polio exists somewhere, it’s a threat everywhere.” With that in mind and with our commitment to “ Service Above Self” Rotary will continue this important mission throughout the coming year.
See the District 6630 flyer below and sign up now for August 17, 2023.
We were honored to have one of our Rotarians speak at our recent meeting - Michelle Wilson, Director of Global Ties Akron.
She said "Through my work, at Global Ties Akron and in the community my focus is on building mutual understanding and respect, helping others to realize the value of diversity, especially through global education and citizen diplomacy, and connecting the Akron area and Northeast Ohio to world leaders and changemakers to build a global network of community builders."
Michelle has served as the Executive Director of Global Ties Akron for the past 20 years. She has been with the organization for over 30 years as a volunteer, board member, and program officer. Through the programs of Global Ties Akron- globaltiesakron.org , Michelle leads the organization and coordinates community professional visits of leaders from around the world participating in the International Visitor Leadership program administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State and the Open World Leadership Program sponsored by the Congressional Office of International Leadership. She has built bridges to support ongoing initiatives between international leaders and Greater Akron Ohio. Michelle has also created several education initiatives including the online magazine focused on preserving the cultural heritage and traditions of refugee and immigrant populations-Global Threads-https://global-threads.world/; and launched the Know Your Community- Know Your World global education initiative - know-your-world.org. Michelle serves as an Ohio representative to the US Global Leadership Coalition and is on the board of Himalayan Arts, Language and Cultural Academy. She is also an origami artist and social entrepreneur who runs Global Ties Akron's Global Threads Boutique to empower local and global artisans and fund our education programs.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Don Padgett III, Executive Director of the Kaulig Companies Bridgestone Invitational Championship during our Tuesday, May 23rdt Club meeting. Padgett began his PGA TOUR career at TOUR headquarters near Jacksonville, Florida in 2000. In 2007, Padgett returned to his hometown of Akron, Ohio and has led the last seventeen professional golf tournaments at Firestone Country Club. The video can be viewed by clicking here.
Over $31 million has been raised for worthy charitable causes throughout Northeast Ohio from proceeds from the golf tournament.
Mr. Padgett gave a brief overview of the history of the Firestone Country Club.
Firestone Country Club’s rich history began in 1929 as the vision of Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. In 2023, the club marks its 70th consecutive year of professional golf tournaments. Only a short list of three other clubs can boast such a tradition.
Firestone Country Club has long been synonymous with tournament golf. The first tournament hosted at Firestone was The Rubber City Open in 1954.
The Kaulig Companies Bridgestone Championship tournament will take place July 12th thru the 16th.
Mr. Padgett stated that proceeds from this community event help worthy charitable causes throughout Northeast Ohio. Tournament proceeds are generated when fans support and attend the festivities during tournament week. In addition to the competition, Mr. Padgett stated that there were three major components of the tournament. These three components were (1) Something for Everyone, (2) See Legendary Players Up Close, and (3) Support Northeast Ohio Charities.
Something for Everyone: includes Big Shot Golf, One-of-a-Kind Pet area, Monster Deck, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Pinball Machine, music entertainment and other fun opportunities.
Legends of the Game: Hall of Fame Golf Champions will be in attendance to “rub elbows.”
Funding for Northeast Ohio Charities: Over $31 million dollars have been generated for charities in Northeast Ohio. Each year approximately 25-30 charities are beneficiaries of revenues generated from the tournament.
Underrated Golf – Ambassador of Golf Event with Steph Curry: This event involves 96 youth playing golf on July 7th and July 8th, followed by the Ambassador of Golf Awards.
To learn more about the activities planned for the July 12th – July 16th tournament week, as well as the KauligCompanies Championship sponsorship, check out the following websites: www.kauligchampionship.com, and www.kauligcompanies.com.
Yours in Service -
Terry Dalton
Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Speaker Recap: Kaulig Companies Championship - Don Padgett III
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Lisa King at our Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Club meeting. Appointed in September 2015, King is the seventh director of Summit Metro Parks and the first woman to lead the park. As director she serves as the chief executive and chief financial officer, leading the organization to ensure achievement of its mission, financial viability, growth, and stability.
An employee since 1998, King has also served as the park district’s landscape architect and its chief of planning and development. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University, a state-registered landscape architect, a champion of sustainable design, and a certified parks and recreation professional through the National Recreation and Park Association. View the presentation by clicking here.
What is the mission of Summit Metro Parks (SMP)?
The SMP was created in 1911. The mission is inclusive of Ohio legislative language that created the park system in Ohio. The mission is – “We conserve, sustainably manage and value natural resources for the health and enjoyment of our community and inspire people to connect with nature through clean and safe parks.”
Interesting Facts about the SMP
The SMP consists of:
16 Parks.
3 Nature Centers
150 + miles of Trails covering 15,000 acres.
73% voter approval of latest levy request in 2020 during the pandemic.
Annual attendance averages 5.2 million visits.
Where are the Nature Centers?
F. A. Seiberling Nature Realm – Akron
Liberty Park Nature Center – Twinsburg
Summit Lake Nature Center – Akron – Award winning urban nature center, opened in 2021.
What’s In Store For 2023?
Naturalist – Led Programs
Spree for All:May 1 – June 30
Hiking event for all abilities
Hike five trails to earn rewards.
No minimum distance required.
Rewards are free for Summit County residents.
Native Plant Festival:May 20, 2023 Munroe Falls Metro Park
Explore benefits of native plants.
Learn how to incorporate them at home.
Browse native plants for sale.
Wild Back Yards
Take action at home.
Get tools, resources, and information at bit.ly/wildbackyards.
Track your progress and earn rewards.
Touch-A-Truck: August 12, 2023, Munroe Falls Metro Park
Climb on and touch park vehicles.
Meet local first responders.
Free activities for the whole family.
Fall Hiking Spree September 1 – November 30, 2023
Largest and longest-running event of its kind in the nation.
Hike eight trails to earn rewards.
Free rewards for Summit County residents.
Fall Family Outings: September 30 & October 1, 2023 Munroe Falls Metro Park
Free family fun
Lumberjack show is back!
Hayrides, campfires, snacks, music, and more.
Truck-Or-Treat: Silver Creek (10/21) and Goodyear Heights (10/28)
Free family fun
Trucks, treats, activities, and more.
Costumes encouraged.
Current Projects:
Restoring and Protecting Sand Run
Valley View Area – Restoring Land and Water
Free the Falls – Removing the Gorge Dam
For additional information about Summit Metro Parks and all SMP has to offer, check out their website at www.summitmetroparks.org.
Yours in Rotary Service
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Program Chair
Recap of Lisa King Presentation, Summit Metro Parks
I hope you are enjoying your Spring. It is time again to sign up to volunteer for the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank service project!
I am looking for volunteers (spouses and friends are welcome; they just need to signup for volunteering with ACRFB!) for Wednesday, June 28th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307. After the food bank service project anyone is welcome to join me in going out to dinner for more social time at a downtown Akron restaurant to be determined later.
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to work with our fellow Rotarians and strengthen our friendships and maybe meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon Friday June 23, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I would greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Thank you for volunteering at your Foodbank! We look forward to welcoming you.
Tasha R. Ledrich // Volunteer & Guest Experience Supervisor
AKRON-CANTON REGIONAL FOODBANK Main 330.535.6900 // Direct 330.777.1065 Main Campus 350 Opportunity Pkwy, Akron, OH 44307 Stark County Campus 1365 Cherry Ave NE, Canton, OH 44714
Since 1924, Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs has offered children and adults with special needs, the opportunity to experience all the friendship, fun and excitement of camp.
We need your help in reducing our programming costs to allow us to provide financial assistance to our families in need of sending their child to camp. With your donation of any wish list item, you are helping us to fulfill our mission of “Creating a world where there are only abilities!”
CAMPER/PROGRAM SUPPLIES
Arts and Crafts Supplies (beads, colored pencils, construction paper, crayons, Elmer’s glue, glue sticks, washable markers, washable paints, paint brushes, pipe cleaners, scissors, etc.)
Beach Toys
Dress Up Costumes and Hats (children to adult sizes)
Friendship Bracelet String/Thread
Pool Noodles
Poster Board
Sidewalk Chalk
Small toys for the treasure chest (good behavior awards for campers)
Sports and Games Equipment (bean bags, hula hoops, assorted balls – basketball, football, kickball, soccer, tennis and large inflatable balls)
Water Guns for kids – Blasters, Soakers, etc. (all sizes)
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Copy Paper (20lb white and colored)
File Folders
Markers & Highlighters
Masking Tape
Pens
Scissors
Staplers and Staples
MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES
Clorox Wipes
Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets – Sensitive Skin
Insect Repellant
Laundry Detergent - Sensitive Skin
Sunscreen
Toothbrushes
Travel size Toothpaste
CAMP COUNSELOR APPRECIATION GIFTS
Gift Cards for staff appreciation (Chipotle, Panera, Starbucks, Subway, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.)
Single Serving Packaged Snacks (Chips, Pretzels, Granola Bars, Hostess Snacks, Little Debbie Snacks, etc.)
Single serve drinks (Gatorade, Ice-tea, Powerade, Vitamin Water)
Questions, please call the camp office at 330.644.4512 for additional information. Akron Rotary Camp is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations can be considered tax deductible.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Jenn Kidd, Executive Director of The Nightlight Cinema during our May 9th Club luncheon meeting. Jenn oversees the programming and development of one of Akron's most exciting cultural institutions.
Before joining The Nightlight Cinema, Jenn served as Creative Director for the Historic Arts District in Akron. She oversaw marketing, promotions, events, and outreach for the district's arts-based partners. With a long-standing background in the arts, Jenn has worked as a creative and visual consultant for numerous arts organizations and businesses.
When she's not enjoying films at The Nightlight, Jenn is an accomplished artist who enjoys family time with her husband, an artist, and son, a sculpture major at the University of Akron.
What is Nightlight Cinema’s Mission?
The Nightlight is dedicated to bringing the best in independent and arthouse cinema to Akron. By offering thoughtfully curated and quality films that are diverse in scope, The Nightlight fosters connection through a shared cinematic journey - where all can experience and celebrate the magic and power of cinema.
How Long has the Nightlight been providing movies to the Greater Akron area?
The Nightlight has been impacting Akron since 2014. The Nightlight audience is more than just movie-goers - they are a community of people who come together to support local businesses, enjoy cultural experiences, and connect with one another over shared interests. Whether they're grabbing dinner before a film, visiting the museum, catching a live band, or meeting up with friends over drinks to discuss the latest indie flick, the Nightlight audience is a vital part of the downtown Akron ecosystem.
Some Interesting Statistics:
Virtual Screening Room: 115 Films Shown, 1,456 Attendees
Outdoor Screenings: 22 Events, 1600 Attendees
Theatrical Screenings: 805 Films Shown, 100,916 Attendees
Some Areas of Focus:
AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander): 77 films, including Everything Everywhere All At Once (low-budget Chinese-American sci-fi that went on to win several Oscars)
Black American/African Diaspora: 84 films, including I Am Not Your Negro (tribute to, and study of James Baldwin that let the Nightlight celebrate a singular American artist and thinker)
LGBTQ: 48 films, including Portrait of a Lady on Fire (unforgettable opening night for a modern queer classic, one of the most emotional crowds leaving a theater)
LATINX: 14 films, including Neruda (Pablo Larrain's surreal study of the famed Chilean poet and ambassador)
The Nightlight has collaborated with over 100 local and regional organizations.
What is the Future of Cinema in Akron?
Currently, the Nightlight Cinema has a 40-seat capacity. The organization is currently in a capital campaign to add a 2nd screen. Expanding will allow The Nightlight to double its physical footprint and create endless possibilities for community engagement and world-class cinema experiences in Akron.
The Nightlight will activate an underutilized area on High Street, creating vibrant entry with a glowing marquee, welcoming everyone who travels into Downtown Akron from the North into the Historic Arts District.
By adding a second screen, The Nightlight will attract more than 30,000 people annually to experience the Akron Arts ecosystem.
The Nightlight will be free to serve different audience segments simultaneously through unique programming.
The virtual component of the second screening room plan will allow them to host in-person virtual conversations with filmmakers globally without being limited by location.
The addition of a second screen will allow them to make more timely bookings during peak films to catch shortening theatrical windows and have the flexibility to hold films that catch on with audiences.
The Nightlight will be able to increase our community programming partnership activity through hosting events and screenings with local organizations, non-profits, and film festivals.
To learn more about The Nightlight Cinema, including showtimes, tickets and membership information, check out their website at www.nightlightcinema.com
Sekoya Kendricks is the Owner of 1474 Art Inc Gallery & Elite lounge, youngest African American Art Curator state of Ohio, licensed life coach - specialized in behavior communication and relationships . She is an Art teacher at Emanuel Christian Academy and gallery teach at the Akron Art Museum. She was the recipient of the 2022 Akron Urban League Rising Star Award, presented to individuals who are active in their communities and display hard work and dedication.
Highly specialized organization with an extensive passion and knowledge of the multi dimensional world of art . We are the connection between the community and its dynamic diversity .1474 will work as the liaison between (you )the artist or the buyer and their client .
What we do
(1474 Art INC ) Develop a long-term relationship and understanding between the artist and their work .Once that is established it is our job to take your vision to the next level ,with extensive brainstorming we will customize goals and prepare an accurate marketing strategy to pinpoint your target market.Here at 1474 Art Agency we will facilitate the sales of Artist by working with museums galleries corporations and collectors. We do more then represent our artist .We build ,challenge, develop our artist ,so they can lead and inspire the next generation
What is 1474?
1474 is not only symbolic but also very empowering. 14 = 2014 the year I decided to put faith over fear, realizing that I am very different from the rest.Strength and determination is what it takes to develop such a creation.
74 =1974 The year my older brother was born .As I grew older I followed behind his footsteps ,looking at him with such amazement. He had such an artistic way he carried himself.He passed away in 2002 leaving me with this vision mirroring his elegant demeanor .Teaching me so much in so little time. In loving memory of Stephen Warren 1974-2002 I present to you the 1474 Art Inc.
Plan of Action
Artist Development: To obtain large customer clientele database to support up and coming artist by artist development and custom marketing strategies.Our plan is to help artist grow in their highest point of success. During that process we will use the artist threw 1474 as examples to educate students as well as the schooling system on Art awareness.
Art Awareness: Bringing Art awareness to the community and surrounding areas. We plan to partner with numerous organization.
The art of expression and how it provides a mental stimulation which will result in better testing scores. It also provides an outlet for students to cope and understanding emotion.
As a reminder, visitation for Mr. Daily will be Saturday May 6th at Billow’s in Fairlawn from 11:30am-1:00pm, with Memorial Service at 1pm.
He was truly a dedicated member with perfect attendance for his entire 57 years of service. When he could not be in Akron, he always made sure he could attend at another Rotary Club wherever he happened to be traveling.
Our club was blessed and honored to have Mr. John Daily as a member since January 1, 1966.
Here is a link to a story we wrote about Mr. Daily a few years ago. CLICK HERE
The Rotary Club of Akron awarded 15, $1,000 scholarships, to Akron Public School (APS) students, enrolled in the College and Career Academies, at their recent Celebration of Youth Scholarshipdinner held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, catered by Tangier Banquets and Catering. The keynote speaker was Nathanael Billow, Executive Vice-President, and Treasurer of the Billow Company and an Akron Rotarian. Mr. Billow is a 5th generation Rotarian.
His great, great grandfather was one of the original founders of the Rotary Club of Akron. Mr. Billow was a past recipient of a Rotary Scholarship.
Some of the recipients, shown seated from left to right: Abbigail Kerns, Summer Fouse, Erica Keller, and Hawa Sankareh. Standing from left to right: Lynda Farkas, Club President; Nathanael Billow, Keynote speaker; Yvonne Culver, Director APS College Access; Kaiden Bos; Sharda Rai; Dashaynae Sperling; Harvon Hamilton; RoZi Yar; and Dora Causey.
Other students unable to attend because of other commitments, but also receiving a scholarship, include Joseph Applewhite, Caewood Miller, Brieyanna Banks, Rhiver Robinson, and Saru Tamang.
The Akron Rotary Foundation is pleased to provide an annual allocation to the Rotary Club of Akron to provide these scholarships and recognize these amazing students.
Special thanks to Katy Miller for taking the photos. There are some below of the students but you can view all photos by clicking here.
Thank you to our Akron Club Scholarship Chair, Terry Dalton, for organizing all of the interviews that took place and arranging this very special event.
Rotary Club of Akron Celebration of Youth Scholarship Event
John Brkic and Abraham Pannikottu are not new to Rotary but they are new to the Akron Club!
Both were inducted on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
John was sponsored by Tom Knauer and Abraham was sponsored by Stew Buchanan.
L-R: John Brkic, Tom Knauer, Abraham Pannikottu and Stew Buchanan, PDG
About John Brkic
He is an active alumni volunteer for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.
He previously served in the Ashtabula Rotary and was a member while working for Scouting and serving Ashtabula County. John then transferred to Boardman when he started serving the Youngstown area. He left the Boardman club when he moved to Akron and started working for JOANN Stores and was traveling 40 weeks of the year.
John is a graduate of Leadership Lake County’s Signature Program and Leadership Mahoning Valley’s Adult Program, and a 25 under 35 Honoree by the Mahoning Valley Young Professionals Club in February of 2020.
In addition to his work with Volunteers of America, he is a photographer that specializes in weddings.
About Abraham Pannikottu
Abraham was a founding member of the Green, Ohio Rotary Club.
He is an engineer and owner of American Engineering Group (AEG).
AEG is working with US Army on Run-flat tires. Their tire is called Pressure Zero Tire.
He is from Green, Ohio and originally from India.
Abraham's wife, Mini, is a Clinical ICU Dietitian and his son is a cardiology fellow in Garden City Hospital in Detroit.
He has a daughter who is an Infectious Disease Fellow in Case Western University, Cleveland.
They also have a small Indian Orthodox Church in Macedonia, Ohio.
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation are proud to announce the awarding of $30,000 in grants to three community organizations and 15 Akron Public School students.
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation have awarded $15,000 to three community organizations working in the Akron area. The Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs was awarded $6,800 for its work with the LeBron James Family Foundation and the families of the I Promise Village. Open M was awarded $4,500 for its Feeding Kids Backpack program and The Well CDC was awarded $4,000 for its Akron Hope project supporting families and students of Mason Community Learning Center.
At their Celebration of Youth Scholarship event, the remaining $15,000 was awarded to 15 graduating Akron Public School students in the form of $1,000 scholarships. The scholarships are intended to help the students pursue their educational goals and were awarded based on academic achievement and community service.
You can see the photos in the scholarship article below.
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation are proud to be able to support the Akron community and its students of the Akron Public Schools. The grants and scholarships are a testament to the commitment of The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation to the Akron area.
The Rotary Club of Akron is a part of Rotary International which has 1.4 million members worldwide. Rotary is dedicated to causes that build relationships, improve lives, and create a better world—locally and globally. The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation has a longstanding commitment to the greater Akron community.
$30,000 in Grants Awarded by Akron Rotary Club and Akron Rotary Foundation
Our club was truly blessed and honored to have Mr. John Daily as a member since January 1, 1966.
He was truly a dedicated member with perfect attendance for his entire 57 years of service. When he could not be in Akron, he always made sure he could attend at another Rotary Club wherever he happened to be traveling.
Here is a link to a story we wrote about Mr. Daily a few years ago. CLICK HERE
His obituary will appear on Saturday April 23 and April 30 in the ABJ and will be posted on the Billow's Funeral Home website.
Visitation will be Saturday May 6th at Billow’s in Fairlawn from 11:30am-1:00pm, with Memorial Service at 1pm.
He will be laid to rest next his wife T. Ardell immediately following the service at Rose Hill Burial Park.
John has listed both the Friends of Metro Parks and the Akron Rotary Foundation for Memorial Contributions.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn about the Akron Parks Collaborative during our Tuesday, April 11, 2023, Club luncheon meeting. Our guest speaker was Bridget Ambrisco, Executive Director of the Akron Parks Collaborative. View the presentation by clicking here.
The Akron Parks Collaborative is a nonprofit organization she co-founded in 2018 in partnership with the City of Akron. Previously, Bridget was Executive Director of Friends of Metro Parks from 2011 to 2022, the Director of Volunteer Programs with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park from 2008 to 2011 and Executive Director of Cascade Locks Park Association from 2001 to 2008. She has served on the boards of Torchbearers and Rotary Camp and on the Interpretation Subcommittee for the Ohio & Erie Canalway Association.
What is Akron Parks Collaborative?
Akron Parks Collaborative (APC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization working to engage the community around the creation and sustainability of vibrant public spaces within the City of Akron (Ohio) parks. As a spin-off organization of Friends of Metro Parks, APC fosters and supports friends’ groups around single city parks.
Why a Parks Collaborative?
There is magic in the shared world of a public park. Akron’s Neighborhood parks have the power to improve neighborhood health and vitality. APC works to ensure that all Akron residents have quality spaces for health, wellness, and neighborhood vibrancy.
Safe quality parks are important to:
play, grow and learn
relax and enjoy nature and beauty
exercise, stay active and be outside
connect with other neighbors in ways that build community
address climate change and cool our city
stimulate neighborhood pride and vitality
How does the APC go about improving 161 Akron City Parks?
APC has implemented the Akron Parks Challenge. The Akron Parks Challenge invites neighborhood residents, leaders, and organizations alike to pitch their vision for their favorite park and how they can partner to achieve the change they wish to see. To apply, all you need is a great idea for how to invest in an Akron Park, and a plan for engaging the community to help make it a reality. Applications typically open in April and selections are made in June of each year.
How does the Application process work?
Process:
1) Application and Selection
2) Work with Community.
3) Engage the larger Community.
4) Use data to make decisions within allotted budget.
5) Work with the community to decide details.
6) Construction
7) Ongoing stewardship
Over the past four years a total of $2,092,000 has been invested in City Park improvements and programs. This dollar amount includes City funds of $1,215,000 and Private funds of $877,000.
What is the vision for Akron’s Neighborhood Parks going forward?
APC’s 2023-225 Strategic Priorities consist of the following:
Build organizational capacity to better serve Akron’s parks.
Communicate the benefits of Akron’s parks and the value they provide.
Create a neighborhood parks alliance to lift-up neighborhood voices.
Grow and develop the Parks Challenge program.
Strengthen the City of Akron partnership in support of a plan for equitable investment.
To learn more about the Akron Parks Collaborative, check out their website at www.akronparks.org. Check out this week’s Rotary recording to view before and after slides of Akron parks that have been rehabilitated over the past four years.
Summer is around the corner, and we would appreciate any help getting Rotary Camp ready before staff and campers arrive for the summer. Tasks might include cleaning of all the cabins, bath houses and communal areas. Cleaning supplies and gloves will be provided, but please bring shop-vacs, step stools, dusters and rakes.
Join us for an hour, or the morning. Family and friends are welcome too! We are looking forward to see you at camp, - please register below.
Camp Clean-up Day Saturday, April 22, 2023 9:00am-1:00pm
Akron Rotary Camp 4460 Rex Lake Drive Akron, OH 44319
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to our own John Reyes, Esq., Buckingham Doolittle & Burroughs and our District 6630 Youth Protection Chairperson during our Tuesday, April 4th Club meeting.
For many Rotarians present at the meeting or viewing online, I am sure much of what John was presenting to us was new. What is important to understand is that the Rotary Club of Akron will be embarking on an initiative to strengthen our Youth Protection efforts to be in compliance with District and Rotary International Policies and Procedures.
So, what does the Youth Protection Initiative have to do with Akron Rotarians?
To be completely honest, I don’t think my article can do justice to what is being presented. I would encourage our readers to check out the recording from John’s presentation as well as checking out our Rotary website to review Rotary District 6630 Youth Protection Policies and Procedures. You can view the presentation by clicking here.
John began his presentation with a little history of efforts by various organizations that have developed Youth Protection policies and procedures because of incidents affecting children that put organizations at risk from a liability position. Rotary has had a long history of vetting Rotarians and other individuals involved with the Rotary Youth Exchange. This new initiative is to expand the vetting process to include all projects that involve Rotarians having contact with youth.
Strong support and effective management of youth programs are essential to ensuring that all youth protection policies are followed.
Individuals who have admitted to or been convicted of a crime related to sexual abuse or harassment are ineligible for Rotary Membership.
The Rotary Club of Akron strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in Rotary activities. “To the best of their abilities, Rotarians, Rotarians’ spouses and partners and other volunteers must safeguard the children and young people they come in contact with and protect them from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.”
The Akron Club is invested in multiple Youth Programs.
The Club will be initiating a vetting process. There is a process to determine if a Rotarian has only “Casual contact” or “Continued contact.”
For Rotarians who have only “casual” contact, you will receive a link to take a training course. A District Record is kept. That is all for Casual Contact.
For Rotarians who have “continued” contact, District will send you a generic email with a link to complete an application.
Rotarian submits completed application with link to Youth Volunteer Management system (YVM).
YVM sends a link to Rotarian for a background check.
If the report is not clear, a “pre-adverse” letter is sent to the Rotarian, who has 10 days to respond. District conducts a second review and finalizes eligibility.
If all approved, VYM system will mark Rotarian’s record “approved” and Rotarian is eligible to work with youth.
There are several other steps in the process:
YVM sends email to references named in application.
YVM sends email to Club YPO to do volunteer/Rotarian Interview
YVM sends link to volunteer/Rotarian to take Youth Protection Training course.
Performance results sent to District. Must have passing score.
Stay tuned for more information on this initiative. Our Club will be rolling out our implementation process over the next several months.
Yours in Service,
Terry Dalton
Akron Rotary Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
John Reyes Speaks About Strengthening Our Youth Protection in District 6630
Darethann Krill was inducted into The Rotary Club of Akron on April 4, 2023. She was sponsored by Lauren Holly.
Darethann was previously a member of the Rotary Club of Fairlawn where she served as a Club President and is a member of the Paul Harris Society. She shared that she transferred to the Akron Club to be more present in the community where she works.
She is the Branch Manager for the West Akron Branch of Ohio Savings Bank.
In addition to her Rotary service, she is a Board Member for The HALO Foundation & The Conrad Botzum Farmstead.
Darethann is a member of St Sebastian Church where she is an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and has taught Pre-K/Kindergarten PSR for the last 14 years.
She has 3 dogs and 3 cats (she says she is not a cat person), that she shares with her boyfriend, Ron.
She grew up in West Akron where her parents still live and has 2 brothers and 2 sisters, as well as 6 nieces, 1 nephew and one on the way.
She enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking and fishing (as long as she doesn't have to touch the fish).
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Kay Lukac, President, and Co-Founder of the Portage Lakes Purple Martin Association, during our Tuesday, March 28, 2023, Club meeting. View the meeting by clicking here.
The Portage Lakes Purple Martin Association is an organization dedicated to helping the Purple Martins feed, breed, and interact with the environment to the best of their bird ability. The 501 c 3 Non=Profit organization is happy to have them in Portage Lakes. and do their best to make them feel welcome.
Many groups help the Association in meeting their objectives. The Association has a large number of gourd homes maintained by their members. Some of the volunteers’ duties include:
feeding the birds when the weather is inclement and the birds are unable to fend for themselves.
band them when appropriate.
A number of other activities and lectures throughout the year.
Benefits for members include opportunities to help the Association educate the public about the Purple Martins of the Portage Lakes, what they do for us and how we encourage public enjoyment of these beautiful birds.
The Purple Martins flock to the Portage Lakes area every Spring. They make their 7,000-mile flight from Brazil and arrive in the Portage Lakes area from the middle of March until June. The Purple Martins return within 50 miles from their birth location each year. Each year the Purple Martins lay an average of 4-7 eggs. The volunteers assist with feeding the baby birds with a supplemental meal of scrambled eggs with crushed egg shells. The Purple Martins eat their food in flight.
The Purple Martins are beneficial to the Portage Lakes area. Each day the Purple Martins eat around 100 lbs. of insects daily.
For 23 years, Kay has "done it all", from building equipment to location finding. She is always recruiting volunteers, feeders, and members to help with record keeping.
Kay has formulated many educational programs for students and the community and continues to teach the programs.
The Association started with 2 pairs of birds and now have a colony of hundreds with over 660 gourds spread out around the lakes.
Last year the Association fledged 1,459 new babies and now have added twilight Pontoon rides to the roost sites as part of the major fund raising efforts.
The Portage Lakes area is the only location in Ohio that has seen an overall increase in the Purple Martin population, mostly because of the efforts of the Purple Martin Association and their numerous members and volunteers.
To learn more about the Portage Lakes Purple Martin Association, check out Kay’s presentation and their website at www.portagelakespurplemartins.com. The Association is always looking for volunteers to assist in a variety of ways.
Yours in Service -
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Kay Lukac, President, Portage Lakes Purple Martin Association: Speaker Recap
Peter Ryerson is sponsored by Dan O'Connell. Peter was inducted into the Akron Club March 21, 2023.
Dan O'Connell shared "Peter has been a volunteer and past chairman of Akron SCORE. He is always willing to help when called upon."
Peter earned degrees from LaSalle University (BA,MBA) in Philadelphia and has worked in the healthcare industry most of his life.
Currently retired, he was the owner and president of a remodeling and design firm that focused on emergency rooms.
He has and continues to volunteer at his Church including Vestry, Akron SCORE, Truth and Honor, and Fairlawn VFW. He served in the US Army, Infantry, 195901964, SPC 4.
Peter has been married to Nanette for almost 60 years! He enjoys flying his own plane giving a helping hand to anyone who asks.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of learning more about our Summit County Government with a presentation by Greta Johnson, Assistant Chief of Staff for Summit County Executive, Ilene Shapiro, during our Tuesday, March 21, 2023 weekly Club meeting.
Ms. Johnson began her presentation listing a few County statistics. Summit County is about 413 square miles, a population of 540, 333 citizens. Akron comprises 190,409 of that number. Summit County is the 4th largest county in the State. Summit County was the first county in Ohio to adopt a Charter form of Government. Summit County consists of 31 communities (14 cities, 8 villages, and 9 townships).
As a charter form of government, Summit County has “home rule,” which permits the county to have the power to exercise authority outside of State government. Summit County can use local power to address local problems.
What comprises County Government?
Unique to Summit County’s Charter Government is its organizational structure. Under the umbrella of Summit County Government, the following departments exist: (1) County Executive, (2) Fiscal Officer, (3) Engineer, (4) Prosecutor, (5) Sheriff, (6) Council, and (7) Clerk of Courts.
What comprises County Council?
County Council is comprised of 8 District Council members, 3 At-large Council members, plus the County Executive. There are 10 departments that the County Executive oversees. These departments are: (1) Administrative Services, (2) Public Information, (3) Community and Economic Development, (4) Finance and Budget, (5) Human Resources, (6) Law and Risk Management, (7) Job and Family Services, (8) Medical Examiner, (9) Public Safety, and (10) Sanitary Sewer Services.
What are some of the County Executive’s Responsibilities?
The primary duties are: (1) Administrative, (2) Budgeting, and (3) Contract Authorization. In addition the County Executive manages the 10 departments listed above. The County Executive’s office is responsible for maintaining all county owned government buildings. The Executive oversees a $639 million dollar county budget. The Executive’s office works directly and indirectly will all of the municipalities.
County Executive Shapiro’s philosophy is Strategic, Facilitative, and relationship driven:
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn about Grace House during our Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Club luncheon meeting. Our guest speaker was Holly Klein, President of Grace House.
Fourteen of Holly's twenty-two years as a registered nurse have been spent providing hands-on care and leadership in hospice and palliative care. She has a baccalaureate degree in Nursing and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management.
Before I begin highlighting some of Holly’s presentation, I would like our readers to take a minute or two to think about a time someone we knew or were close to died. Were there family and friends available during that person’s remaining days or hours?
For most of us, that answer would be Yes, but this is not the case for the individuals Grace House serves.
What is the mission of Grace House Akron, Inc. (GHA)?
Providing access to end-of-life care to some of our most vulnerable community members
What is the history of GHA?
Working with hospice patients that were without a caregiver, lacked resources, or suitable living conditions led to one question. “Isn’t there more we can do?” “We should and could do more as a society to prevent patients from dying alone or in desperate conditions.” From this question, Grace House Akron was born.
GHA is grounded in the knowledge that there are too many individuals who are at the end of life with nowhere to go and no one to care for them.
GHA believes that everyone should die in the presence of care, compassion and dignity and that NO ONE should die alone.
Grace House:
A 501c3 not-for-profit organization
Founded in 2016
Summa Health donated parcel of land near Saint Thomas
$4 million dollar capital campaign in 2019 – 2021
First resident accepted September 2022
Only organization in Summit County providing similar services.
No family or inability to pay can result in undignified conditions, social isolation, dying alone.
Six bed capacity
Over 100 volunteers
13 staff
35 residents housed since September 2022
92% occupancy in March 2022
2094 meals served.
What does Grace House Do?
Provides a caring environment to terminally ill individuals.
Enrolled in a hospice program.
Cannot afford a caregiver.
Do not have access to a caregiver.
Provides support and acceptance to patients.
Basic needs of food, water, shelter, and comfort are met.
All services free-of-charge, allowing individuals to pass peacefully without financial barriers to care.
To learn more about why GHA provides this service, check out the entire recording or check out their website at www.gracehouseakron.org
All-Ohio Presidents-Elect Training Seminar is a multi-district P.E.T.S. training sessions of the five Rotary Districts in Ohio. it serves all of the Rotary Clubs in Ohio — more than 250 clubs.
The event was hosted Friday & Saturday, March 10-11, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio.
During the weekend attendees met fellow Presidents-Elect to create new and lasting friendships, and of course learn about the operations of a successful Rotary Club. They were also formally inducted to serve as their Club President for the July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024 Rotary Year and received their official President's Pin.
DGE Julie Brandle pins incoming Akron Club President, Tom Knauer following his induction.
They heard presentations by Rotary leaders and participated in discussions led by the workshop facilitators, all of whom were outstanding club presidents. All of the District Governor-elects aided by their assistant governors, have also conducted special district meetings for the Presidents-Elect.
The planning team chose the theme of Prepare - Inspire - Engage for the event.
Tom Knauer Gets Prepared to Serve as Club President
Join us for the Cultivating Effective Projects webinar series
All Rotary members are invited to participate in an exciting five-part webinar series designed to support you as you cultivate effective projects that will create a sustainable impact in your community and around the world. These webinars will offer tools and strategies to help you plan, find resources for, implement, and evaluate your projects, including youth service projects.
Learn more about the specific topics and register now:
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Suzie Graham, President, and CEO of Downtown Akron Partnership during our Tuesday, March 7th Club meeting.
For many Rotarians present at the meeting or viewing online, I am sure much of what Suzie presented was new to us. For that matter, how many Rotarians reading this article, actually know what the Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) actually does?
Suzie mobilizes positive partnerships and oversees the planning and implementation of programs and services to anticipate and address the needs of the neighborhood. Her work centers on the necessity of a thriving urban core and the importance of downtown as a key indicator of the health and success of the city and region. She works closely with government, corporate, education, non-profit, human services, and small business stakeholders to assist their efforts and benefit the holistic downtown experience. Suzie facilitates efforts to enhance and promote downtown as an economic driver, hub for arts and culture, partner in driving equity, champion of the city's identity, and place for all people.
To be completely honest, I don’t think my article can do justice to what all is being accomplished. I would encourage our readers to check out the recording from Suzie’s presentation as well as checking out their website at www.downtownakron.com.
Suzie began her presentation discussing the vision and development plan that is being revised for 2022 +. The mission of DAP is “Building a vibrant and valuable downtown for all.”
There are 4 main goals attached to their mission. These goals are:
Ensure and Clean, Safe, and Welcoming downtown
Ensure a vibrant and strong economic development
Provide member outreach and services
Engage and Strategize
The last development/strategic plan was created in 2018, so what has been accomplished during that time?
Goal # 1 Concentrate on the Core: 1) Enliven the central spine of the city, 2) Prioritize projects and improvements that activate Main Street and start filling in inactive spaces along the most critical spine of the city.
Results: We have seen Residential Growth, Placemaking, and Infrastructure improvements.
Approximately 1,800 individuals are now living downtown. Residential housing is at 90% occupancy. $46 million dollars have been spent on the redesign and utility upgrade of Main Street.
Results: From a Strategic, Hospitality, Retail Development and Expansiion perspective the following improvements are noted.
A campaign to Elevate Greater Akron has been created along with a refocus on Downtown Main Street as a Great Street. The BLU-tique Hotel is operating. Small business growth and storefront retention has started downtown through the CARES Act Grants and Repair Grants. Akron Children’s Hospital and the University of Akron College of Business and UA Polsky façade have expanded and there is planned renovations for Polsky and Lock 3.
Goal # 2 Create a Residential Downtown: 1) Repurpose/renovate older buildings for residential, 2) Encourage mixed use development, 3) Convert older office buildings into residential, mixed use, 4) Enable shared parking strategies, and 5) Employ traffic calming, appealing sidewalk environments with street trees and walkable streetscape.
Results: $176 million dollars in residential investment since 2018. 525 new or converted, 235 rehab, and 86 under construction. This is a net gain of 611 units plus reinvestment in aging subsidized housing.
In addition to the 2 Goals described above, the following goals were also addressed from the initial 2018 strategic plan. For further information on the progress with these goals, I encourage you to view the recorded presentation or view the slide presentation.
Goal # 3 Foster an Entrepreneurial Downtown
Goal # 4 Facilitate Public and Private Investment Downtown
Goal # 5 Invest in a Welcoming, Multimodal and Connected Downtown
Goal # 6 Activate Downtown
The DAP is soliciting feedback on their proposed 2022 + Strategic Development Plan. You can check out the DAP Website’s Project “landing page” which includes Information and FAQ’s, Plan Presentations and documents. In addition you can have Interactive Engagement by taking their Survey, their Ideas Board or their Community Mapping.
DAP is committed to making Akron a vibrant and valuable city for all.
Suzie ended her presentation with the following: What You Think Matters! Lets Talk!
Lynda Farkas, Cyndi Kane and Susan Colville-Hall attended Rotary Club of Cleveland’s International Fellowship Day honoring United Ukrainian Organization of Ohio February 23, 2023. Windows on the River provided a rich environment for a gathering of current members, past officers, international and local guests. Jessica Hanes, CLE President Elect, extended a warm welcome to everyone. The agenda consisted of an International Service Award Ceremony with Marta Liscynesky, President of the United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio accepting the award. It was interesting to note that most Ohio elected officials were documented supporters and contributors to the Ukrainian effort, including former Senator Portman, Senator Brown, Congressman Ryan, Governor Dewine and others. We were happy to be among those who support the people of Ukraine and their effort to keep their freedom.
Akrotarians attend Rotary Club of Cleveland’s International Fellowship Day
Youth is the future of Rotary. Through Youth Exchange, clubs are able to get the word of Rotary into the community. As a real benefit to most Clubs, many Host Families and Outbound Parents have become Rotarians. Each fall our district has to commit to a specific number of Inbound Students for the following year. D6630 has already committed to 10 inbound students for the 2023-2024 year.
The D6630 RYE Committee would like the Akron Rotary club to be a part of this wonderful Rotary program. We will try to match your interests in hosting a student from a particular country or a specific gender to suit your host family wishes.
Hosting an exchange student is a very rewarding endeavor for a club and a great contribution to the community and school district. It is a window to the world, and fosters lifetime friendships. But there is also a serious side to Hosting; all inbound foreign Students are monitored by the US Department of State, (DOS) and there are specific requirements our district is required to meet to keep our certification with Rotary International and the DOS. For this reason, we would like the Akron Rotary club to know what needs to be done to ensure that a successful exchange is put in place. Additional information about counselor, host family and other requirements can be found at Rotary District 6630 - Youth Exchange.
Will you help the Akron Rotary club find a “host family” for an inbound student from a foreign county today?
Please contact: Susan Colville-Hall, Olivia Pilon or Lynda Farkas with your answer of, “Yes, I will be a host family for the 2023-2024 school year.”
Rotary District 6630 RYE: Club Hosting Commitment 2023-2024
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to one of our own members during our Tuesday, February 21st luncheon meeting. Thane is a Funeral Director and also serves as the Executive Vice President & Treasurer of The Billow Co. Prior to working in the funeral profession, Nathanael worked for Ford Motor Company as a Senior Financial Analyst at Ford's Global Product Development Center in Dearborn, MI. He, along with his sister Stacy, are sixth-generation members of the family to serve at Billow's and Bissler's. Growing up in the family business helped shape his personal belief that working as a funeral director is not only a career but a life-dedicating vocation.
Thane provided the Club with some interesting facts about the history of the funeral home industry and the changes that have taken place over the years, including the impact COVID has had on the industry and the individuals served by the industry.
Thane began his presentation asking “What is a Good Funeral?” The following were quotes from the book, The Good Funeral:
Defined as doing two things:
“Get the dead where they need to go” (Logistics) and
“Get the living where they need to be” (Ceremony/Ritual)
Opportunity to say goodbye “Take physical leave of body”
Opportunity to gather and acknowledge:
A life was lived
A life has been lost
Accompanied through the sharing of stories. The “ministry of presence,” and going through rituals and ceremonies that provide comfort to those who mourn.
History of Funerals
Funerals, as we know them today began to be celebrated differently in the post-Civil War era:
Embalming became routine.
Many deaths occurred at home; embalming took place on site; “Laid out in the parlor.” Viewings and Services (as we know them) became established parts of society.
Location of services moved from home/graveyard to funeral parlor/church.
Invention of the automobile allowed for specialized funeral processions from church to cemetery.
Many funeral companies expanded into ambulance services.
Coffin production transitions from small artisan carpenter/furniture makers to specialized large scale casket manufacturers.
Families insulated from the death (which usually occurred at a hospital)
ALL families used the limousine.
Services were run by clergy and funeral director…family had little input
And Now….
A series of scandals in the 1970’s and 1980’s resulted in the FTC beginning to regulate the funeral service.
1984 – Passage of the FTC Funeral Rule (commonized price list for services, caskets, and vaults). Mandated wording for direct cremation.
Cremation grew as a method of disposition.
Location of death transitions away from hospitals to dedicated hospice facilities or nursing homes.
Nathanael Billow summed up his family's business: "For generations, the Billow's have been a family of firsts. The only way my sister and I can properly honor the legacy of our ancestors is by continuing our family's tradition of placing the dignity of local families and their departed loved ones first."
Our Annual district Conference of Clubs is approaching quickly as it will be on Friday, April 28th through Friday, April 29th at the Marriott Cleveland East in Warrensville Heights.
It is going to be a spectacular event and The District Leadership Assembly is going to be awesome. I need your help. I need about 15 Rotarians to be Sgt. of Arms during the two days to help others find out where they need to go, checking credentials at the business meetings and help sitting people for meals. If you could kindly help, please send me your times available and I will fit you in.
The more we have, the less time per shift will be needed. Please email either Conference Chair Bob Oborn boborn@kentelastomer.com or Conference Secretary/Timeline Chair Lynda Farkas lfarkas2@neo.rr.com
The Akron Community Foundation modified their On The Table event to give the opportunity for people to learn about people and issues in our community. Everyone who completes the challenge by the end of February will be entered to win the opportunity to grant $2500 to your favorite charity. Here is a link to the website where you can register and begin:
The final tally is in, and we were extremely happy to announce that Akron Rotary’s 33rd annual Chili Open Golf Classic presented by Wayne Homes has raised a total of $366,882! We are incredible grateful to everyone that supported the event and helped make it a monumental success for both the Rotary Club and the Rotary Camp.
Click here to watch the short video that captured some great moments at the Chili Open!
72% of the dollars raised came from Sponsorships and Camperships. We are thankful to everyone who helped us in securing Sponsors, or where a sponsor. Representatives were in attendance from the following Community and Corporate Sponsors:
Wayne Homes – Maurie Jones, Todd Brown, Emily Hayden, Morgan Wagner & Steve Wessel
The VanDevere Bunch – Brian VanDevere, Joe VanDevere & Katie Bender
Billow Funeral Homes – Nathanael Billow
Energy Harbor – Ben Kelly, Gino Mascio, Alin Baciu and Chance Oroverbs
S.A. Comunale – J.R. Fowler
Summit DD – Drew Williams
Wealth Impact Advisors – Jim Redmond
Congratulations to Bob Beiswenger, recipient of the 2023 Jim Redmond Ambassador of Service Award. This award was established in 1991 in recognition of community leaders who have gone above and beyond in support of the Rotary Club of Akron, Akron Rotary Camp and the Akron Community. We are grateful to Bob for all he does year after year to help us get ready for the Chili Open. He also continues to support Rotary Camp, Camp Y-Noah, the Akron Area YMCA and the Akron Community. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition as the 2023 Chili Open Ambassador of Service!
We also want to acknowledge our key in-kind Sponsors.
Hale Farm and Village for being the perfect host site for the Chili Open;
Rubber City Radio Group – WAKR, WONE, WQMX & Alternative Cleveland for all our on-air commercials and on-air interviews; and
Whitey’s, as the official Chili of the Chili Open.
Special thanks to all our Rotarians, sponsors and friends of Rotary who sold, purchased and promoted raffle tickets. Everyone rallied in helping us raise a total of $51,620 in raffle ticket sales.
Thanks again to The VanDevere Bunch for donating the 2023 Buick Encore GX through their Thrive and Drive Program. This was our 11th year participating with them in the Car Raffle.
Congratulations to the lucky raffle ticket winners:
1st Prize: Pat Larson (Tallmadge Rotarian) won the 22023 Buick Encore GX
2nd Prize: Jim Durr (Akron Rotarian) – BigShots Golf Package
3rd Prize: John Murphy – 55” 4k Smart LED TV
Snowmania – Troy Lowe
Make sure to redeem your $10 off Oil Change voucher at any of the VanDevere Chevy, Buick or Kia locations, and your $15 coupon off the purchase of two entrees at Lala’s in the Lakes, located at 4315 Manchester Road, Akron.
We had the privilege of hearing from a Rotary Camp Parent, April Sharp. Their son, Chace, is currently a camper at Rotary Camp, and has been attending Rotary Camp since 2019. Although Chace is non-verbal, he communicates with the staff and cabin mates through a communication device. He loves to come attend camp, see his friends and have fun. The Sharp family is incredibly grateful for the respite they receive while Chace is at camp.
The Chili Open is ourRotary Club’s primary fundraiser in supporting the operational needs of Akron Rotary Camp. The success of this event is due in large part to the commitment of our Rotary Club and our Corporate Community. We appreciate everyone’s efforts and support in making our 33rd annual Chili Open a continued success to benefit our campers and their families served by the camp.
Save the Date for the 34th Akron Rotary Chili Open Golf Classic on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at Hale Farm and Village.
Text PLXPolarBear14 to 71777 to Register or Donate and select Akron Rotary Camp
$50 minimum donation to jump, or Raise $500+ and become a VIPB (Very Important Polar Bear)
Your donation will allow us to continue to offer assistance to families in need. Campers are never turned away for their inability to pay. In 2022 we provided over $105,000 in financial assistance.
Online registration closes Tuesday, February 21.
In-person regsitration, live DJ, food and beverages will be available the day of the event. Jump starting at 2PM!
Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service. Members have a long track record of addressing challenges in their communities and around the world.
"Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves."
Paul Harris Rotary founder
Our ongoing commitment
That commitment endures today through an organization that remains truly international. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Our members now span the globe, working to solve some of our world’s most challenging problems.
We’re not afraid to dream big and set bold goals. We began our fight against polio in 1979 with a project to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines. Today, polio remains endemic in only two countries — down from 125 in 1988.
The Rotary Club of Akron has a longstanding commitment to the greater Akron community. Rotary is dedicated to causes that build relationships, improve lives, and create a better world—locally and globally.
The 2022-23 Grant Cycle is officially open and IT’S BEEN EXPANDED! Grants between $1,000 and $15,000 will be considered via an application process which ends March 14, 2023. Projects must have an Akron Rotarian “sponsor” and must include direct volunteer service opportunities for Akron Rotarians. Akron Rotary doesn’t just write checks, we’re action oriented and live by the motto, “Service Above Self.”
For decades Akron Rotarians have been involved in community service activities and awards funding through its Akron Rotary Foundation and through a matching grant made possible through Rotary International and Rotary District 6630.
ROTARIANS: Spread the word to impactful community service providers! Encourage them to apply by March 14, 2023 via the application. If you have questions, email Sandy_Naragon@yahoo.com.
Rotary Club of Akron Expands Community Grant Program
Thank you to all that supported and volunteered at the 33rd Annual Chili Open Golf Classic.
We are excited to report that it was another record year for our Club and our Camp!
Please join us at the Celebration Rotary Luncheon, next Tuesday, February 14, 2023 to hear from our co-chairs, Cyndi Kane and Jeff Sheeks, and Chili Open Ambassador, Jim Redmond.
Congratulations to Bob Beiswenger that was the recipient of the Jim Redmond Ambassador of Service Award and the following Raffle Winners:
1st Prize: 2023 Buick Encore GX - Pat Larson
2nd Prize: BigShots Golf Party Package - Jim Durr 3rd Prize: 55” 4k Smart LED TV – John Murphy
We are looking forward to celebrate with you on Tuesday!
To add your photos to our library for the event, send them via email as attachments (NOT in the body of the email please) to Cheryl Warren. If you have any children under age 18, be sure you provide parental consent forms or we cannot post the photos.
In December, our Akron Rotary Club returned to "ringing the bell" for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign after a two-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions.
On Friday December 16th, our Club raised $589.23 for the local Salvation Army by ringing the bell at ACME #10 in Cuyahoga Falls. For those who participated, it was a great opportunity to spend time with other Rotarians and interact with the local community in support of a very worthy cause to help the poor in our local area. As Salvation Army Lieutenant O'sha Annewel commented, "we couldn't do it without groups like yours who year-after-year show up and simply amaze us with your willingness to help serve our community".
The Chili Open is only days away and we need your support to make this year’s event successful! Thank you to those who have supported with sponsorships, raffle tickets, auction and door prize items! To-date we have raised $316,640 towards our goal of $350,000!
We need your help with the following:
RAFFLE TICKETS Please turn in your raffle tickets as soon as possible to the Camp office. If you still need help selling, reach out to family, friends and business colleagues. For only $20 you stand a chance to win some great prizes! Tickets can also be purchased here.
WAGON OF GOOD CHEER
The Silent Auction will feature Dr. Rob’s "Wagon of Good Cheer!"
Food and activity baskets, sports memorabilia, golf packages, or family entertainment packages make great auction items.
If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 / amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
Thank you in advance for your donations to help make the Chili Open a continued success to benefit Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
See you at the Chili Open!
Jeff Sheeks and Cindy Kane 2023 Chili Open Golf Classic, Co-Chairs
The Rotary Club welcomed Steven McGarrity, Esq to our Tuesday, January 31, 2023, Club luncheon meeting. Mr. McGarrity has served as the Executive Director of Community Legal Aid since 2017. Click here to view the presentation.
Mr. McGarrity has over 25 years of legal experience with Legal Aid. He began with the organization as a staff attorney in Canton, Ohio in 1997, focusing his practice on family law and consumer debt. In his time with Legal Aid, he has held various management positions, including nine years’ as Associate Director, where he oversaw all client services, outreach, and technology.
What is Legal Aid?
Civil Legal Aid can be traced back to the 1870s when the first legal assistance program was founded in New York. It took almost another 100 years before any national structure was developed by the federal government. The Office of Economic Opportunity’s Legal Services was established in 1965 which eventually led to the independent Legal Service Corporation (LSC).
Following the establishment of OEO’s Legal Services, 260 legal aid programs were established across all states. Programs and funding increased as LSC began conducting studies on the needs of the poor, ultimately recommending to Congress, a funding model that would provide one legal aid attorney for every 10,000 poor people.
In 1952 Summit County Legal Aid Society was incorporated “to secure justice for and to protect the rights of the needy and of individuals of moderate means, to promote measures for their assistance, and to enable them to obtain competent legal advice and representation.” This organization would go on to become Western Reserve Legal Services, serving Summit, Portage, and Medina counties. In 2000 Stark County Legal Aid merged with WRLS and in 2014 Northeast Ohio Legal Services merged with Legal Aid resulting in Community Legal Aid serving eight counties and making it the third largest legal aid organization in Ohio.
What Does Legal Aid Do?
Community Legal Aid structures it's work around advocacy priorities, legal practice groups, and projects. Community Legal Aid’s practice groups define the organization’s advocacy priorities within each legal practice area. Their current priorities are:
Supporting Low-Income Families and Special Populations
Preserving the Home (supporting access to affordable and safe housing)
Maintaining Economic Stability (resolve issues with the IRS, protect individuals from predatory lending and unfair sales practices.
Ensure Safety and Health
Protecting Access to Justice
What are the Projects?
Population-based projects provide holistic legal services to specific at-risk populations. Several other projects are aimed at mitigating a threat or barrier specific to low-income residents.
A few of their projects include:
Advocating for Returning Citizens (ARC)
Debt Relief
Fair Housing
Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law (HEAL)
Homeownership
Immigrants and Refugees
I Promise
Legal Assistance to Victims
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)
Tenant Assistance Project
Veterans
Is There a Demand for Services?
Last year 4500 individuals were served, however the number of requests were 16000
The Community Legal Aid organization has 70 staff of which 38 are attorneys. They have approximately 200 other volunteer attorneys.
Approximately 92% of citizens requesting services are not able to be served based on limited resources.
This lack of resources is not limited to just these 8 counties served by Legal Aid. It is a nationwide concern.
For more information about Community Legal Aid, I encourage everyone to check out their website at www.communitylegalaid.org.
Yours in Service
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Community Legal Aid Executive Director Steven J. McGarrity, Esq. Presentation Recap
Ian Riseley, 2022-23 Trustee Chair of The Rotary Foundation has announced the trustees’ establishment of The Pakistan Flood Response Fund and the Ukraine Response Fund to address humanitarian crises caused by flooding in Pakistan and the war in Ukraine.
The Pakistan Flood Response Fund will help communities recover from the disastrous monsoon season that affected millions, displaced people, and destroyed crops. The Ukraine Response Fund will support grants for districts affected by the war’s humanitarian crisis. Grants from these funds will provide items such as water, food, medicine, shelter, and clothing. Both funds are temporary, accepting contributions, including District Designated Funds, until December 31st of this year and distributing grants until the end of June 2024 or until the funds are spent. Any unused money will then be transferred to the general Disaster Response Fund.
Volunteer at the Chili Open! February 4, 2023 ∙ Hale Farm and Village
Dear fellow Rotarians,
The 33rd Chili Open is fast approaching and we will need all hands on deck to make this a successful event for our guests! Join us for a fun day of volunteering, friendship and celebration of all the good work that Rotary is doing in our community!
The Chili Open will be held on February 4, 2023 at Hale Farm and Village. Set-up day will be on Friday, February 3rd. We need volunteers for both Friday and Saturday! There are various places to help, - indoors and outside. Please dress for the weather! Lunch will be provided on Friday too!
We are using Signup Genius for the Chili Open so it is simple to include family, friends, other Rotarians and Rotary prospects as volunteers.
Saturday Volunteers will be able to park at Old Trail School and can take the YMCA shuttle bus to Hale Farm.
Thank you for your Service Above Self! Please sign up here to volunteer for a shift or two!
Please reach out if you have any questions, hauskne@uakron.edu. See you at the Chili Open!
Dr. Doug Hausknecht Volunteer Chair, 2023 Chili Open
Andrew works full time as a software developer, but his drive to spend time outdoors with his family resulted in the start of Rhythm and Roots Farm. He and his wife are passionate about people providing for themselves and others. They started the farm in Copley about 2 years ago with their three young children, with the intention of providing healthy pastured-raised poultry and pork for their family and others as well.
Andrew began his presentation with a slide that said “It all starts…. And ends with chickens” What started with only a few chickens has ended up with about 3,000 chickens. About 100 of these chickens are raised for egg production. The other chickens are for sale. He sells about 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of chicken every year. He also has about 16 pigs as well as goats, ducks and turkeys to name a few.
Why Chickens?
There are health benefits with chickens raised on real healthy grass pasture and without the use of chemicals.
Easy for the Family, farm sitters
Ease of care for land and feeding them with free-range eating
Ease of conversion to meat, ease of turnover and raising them, ease of cost, etc.
Why Pigs?
Pigs convert meat just as well as chickens, if not more
They can handle their swampy land easily and without illness
They very rarely get sick and are easily treated if so
Bacon
Andrew stated they raise two types of pigs. One type is the Mangalitsa. These pigs originated from Hungary and were near extinction.
What the does future look like for the Rhythm and Roots Farm?
For the past couple of years, Andrew and his wife were looking to double their business each year as the demand grew; however they find themselves scaling back at this time for several reasons:
Rising costs for feed and butcher costs (availability of butchers is a challenge with long waiting times)
Slow growing market
Family time balance (Andrew’s wife works two jobs and they “home school” their children
Farm work vs their other jobs work balance, labor costs
They hope to continue to grow, particularly with an increase in the number of pigs that they will be raising. They are looking at:
New customers and new ways of delivery
Consistency and customer service
Ultimately, they just want to share their joy of growing their own food with others, and hope that others would want the same.
Fred Carter is currently serving as the President of the Port-Summit Rotary Club. He is also the owner of the Schooley Mitchell location serving Northeast Ohio.
Mr. Carter provided some personal information about his interests and how he became interested in providing service to his communities. Fred talked about his mother and how she was such a role model to himself as well as many others when it came to volunteering, organizing, teaching, advocating, and lobbying for various causes.
Over the years, Fred has volunteered with a variety of service organizations and other not-for-profit organizations. He has been committed to giving money to service clubs and non-profits.
His interest in giving back to the community is what led him to working for Schooley Mitchell.
What is Schooley Mitchell?
Schooley Mitchell is the largest independent cost reduction consulting firm in North America. On average, they reduce essential business service expenses by 28%. Schooley Mitchell is passionate about saving money for their clients and helping them grow their businesses. Schooley Mitchell delivers expertise to companies of all sizes from all industries.
As you can see, Schooley Mitchell is a perfect fit for Fred.
How can Schooley Mitchell help a business?
On average, organizations spend 35% more than they need to on business services.
In a recent survey, the majority (81%) of participating companies had errors on their telecommunications bills.
Organizations spend up to 15% of their operational costs on telecommunications and merchant processing fees and lack both the time and special tools to optimize.
Most clients feel they negotiated a good deal on their services but…
…they only know what their organization pays.
Imbalance allows the service provider to overcharge
What is the Solution?
Expertise and Data
Marketplace intelligence
Action to
Create Savings
Deliver ongoing value
What Services are Provided?
They are completely independent of all service suppliers and solely look out for your best interests with objective advice
Their clients reduce their various business expenses by an average of 28%
Over 27,000 clients
$540 million in documented savings delivered to clients
How can this approach help a non-profit or service club?
If you have the operational costs, let’s see what is possible to reduce them.
Money saved is money in the bank.
If Fred is introduced to a decision maker, he will donate a flat % of any revenue he receives.
Lasts entire duration of the relationship.
This donation can be to Rotary or to other non-profit organizations.
To learn more about how this program might assist your company or non-profit organizations/clubs you might belong to, contact Fred at Fred.Carter@SchooleyMitchell.com or call him at 330.708.2944.
Thank you to everyone for their generous donations to "Light for Ukraine". Our Club has raised $320.00 to date.
What is "Light for Ukraine"?
Our own Claudine Schooley, now in Bakersfield CA, is co-chairing "Light for Ukraine”, a Rotary project to send portable solar lamps and chargers to villagers and city folk who face prospects of living in the dark. The Rotary Club of Bakersfield Breakfast is in charge. Let us join them to light up Ukraine. The special Rotarian rate for 1 lamp and 1 charger is $40, supplied by a nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara, “Unite to light” www.unitetolight.org
Join me and several others from our Rotary Club of Akron. If you wish to contribute, bring cash or check to our club meeting send check to Mella at camp.
Contact William Black, Director of International Services, Rotary Club of Bakersfield, P.O. Box 22013, Bakersfield CA 93390 or Claudine Schooley (805 796-8351)
The observatory is a great place for ages 7 and older. All our programs are free and open to the public. To receive notices when the observatory is open, please join the free site www.meetup.com. Under “Groups” search for Summit County Astronomy. Being that the facility is weather and volunteer dependent, this is the best way to keep informed. The SCAC also welcomes groups with advance planning for presentations about space before general programs.
The SCAC is also a James Webb Space Telescope official site and will be hosting several events related to this amazing telescope.
The Bath Township Trustees help build the walk of planets by the observatory. It is 1.3 miles from the Sun to Pluto.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of hearing Theron Brown speak at our Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Club meeting. Click to view the presentation.
Mr. Brown provided some personal information about his interest in music. Theron was born in Zanesville, Ohio. Theron told us that he was a “PK” (Pastor’s Kid). Theron’s first musical influence was discovered at church. He began playing the drums under his father’s pastorate at age five, followed by the piano at eight years of age.
Theron loved embracing the opportunities to learn from and play with other musicians that he met through church’s gatherings that he attended with his father. His talent flourished as he experienced more diversity.
Theron stated that the artist that first stimulated his interest in jazz music was pianist, Thelonious Monk. Monk’s genius was hard for Theron to digest at first. Through Monk’s music, Theron was inspired to seriously pursue jazz in his senior year of high school.
In 2005 Theron came to the University of Akron to study jazz. He later toured with the Glenn Miller orchestra and lived in New York for a brief period. He returned to Akron and the UA to get his master’s degree.
Theron currently is the artist coordinator for Curated Storefront, artistic director at I Promise School, and the founder and artistic director of the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival which takes place annually. 2023 will be the 8th year for the Jazz and Blues festival.
In addition to all his musical endeavors, Theron is also working on several projects to establish a jazz museum on Howard Street. Howard Street played a significant role in history of jazz in Akron. He is also looking at ways to expand the Jazz Festival. He would like to establish a multi-disciplinary facility for programming, music, poetry, dance, history, etc.
You can see Theron regularly performing at many jazz clubs and theaters in northeast Ohio. Theron is immensely involved in promoting the arts scene in Ohio. To learn more about Theron, check out his website at www.theronbrownmusic.com.
The Chili Open is only 22 days away and we need your support to make this year’s event successful! Thank you to those who have supported with sponsorships, raffle tickets, auction and door prize items! To-date we have raised $190,070, towards our goal of $350,000!
We need your help with the following:
RAFFLE TICKETS Please turn in your raffle tickets as soon as possible to the Camp office. If you still need help selling, reach out to family, friends and business colleagues. For only $20 you stand a chance to win some great prizes! Tickets can also be purchased here.
WAGON OF GOOD CHEER
The Silent Auction will feature Dr. Rob’s "Wagon of Good Cheer!" Help us fill the wheelbarrow with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits, mixers and wine.
DOOR PRIZES Do you have any items, gifts, or maybe promotional items from your company that can be used as door prizes? Please consider donating them, as we are in need of lots of items. Our attendees love getting door prizes at the event!
ONLINE AUCTION
We are also still in need of items for our online auction. Food and activity baskets, sports memorabilia, golf packages, or family entertainment packages make great auction items.
If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 / amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
CHILI OPEN MINI TOUR – FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2023
Join us at Whitey’s Booze and Burgers, located at 3600 Brecksville Road, Richfield for the kick-off to the 33rd Chili Open Golf Classic. Bring your friends for a great time, great food, and try the putt-putt challenge for great prizes! Help us support Whitey’s as the official Chili sponsor of the Chili Open. See you there!
Thank you in advance for your donations to help make the Chili Open a continued success to benefit Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
See you at the Chili Open!
Jeff Sheeks and Cindy Kane 2023 Chili Open Golf Classic, Co-Chairs
Food Options: Choice of Chicken, Turkey or Veggie Wrap includes chips and cookie
$20.00 per person
Non-Eaters: $5
RSVP deadline: January 30, 2022 (we must turn in the food on Feb 1).
BLU-Tique, Akron is a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.
Join us to see and hear about his amazing establishment.
Ginny Wojno will be picking up your parking fee - just turn in a receipt to her.
BLU is more than a color, it's an attitude; an attitude of gratitude. We are grateful to be a part of the downtown Akron business and thriving arts district; a place where culture, art, dining, music, and diversity seamlessly blend to create an experience like no other.
DISTRICT GOVERNOR DAVID JONES and FIRST LADY GEORGEANN JONES
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of hearing our District 6630 Governor speak at the Tuesday, January 3, 2023, Club meeting. View the meeting by clicking here.
The purpose of DG Jones’ visit is to allow the District Governor the opportunity to communicate directly with all Rotarians in our District, to listen to the Club Leadership and its members and gain a better understanding of their club and to share information from RI and the District as it pertains to the Clubs.
He began his presentation telling club members a little about himself. David was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a military BRAT, David had the opportunity to live in 5 States and 4 countries: Spain, Japan, Germany, and England. He graduated from Upper Heyford American High School in England. David moved back to Ohio from Washington State, and he completed his undergraduate work in mathematics education from Capital University. David attended Ashland University and received a Master’s in Educational Administration, a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction and his school Superintendent’s License.
David was an Adjunct Professor for Ashland University and taught high school math at Madison Local Schools and Ontario Local Schools in Richland County Ohio. David worked as the Director of Building Operations and Technology for the Summit Educational Service Center in Summit County Ohio before retiring after 32 years in education.
He serves as a member of the Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Club and served as Club President; he is a member of the Club’s Board of Directors, Scholarship Committee, Foundation Chair and Grant Committee.
David is excited to work with all Clubs and Rotarians of the District on club membership, Community Service, Foundation Support and strengthening the connections between Rotary, Interact and Rotaract clubs. David stated, “I am excited to be a part of an extremely talented leadership team and will continue the proud tradition of those who put “Service Above Self.”
David related that he felt this year’s motto of “Imagine Rotary,” was most fitting as Clubs come out of COVID and resume some sort of “normalcy.” Imagine Rotary is: “what we can do, whom we can impact, what people we can help and how we can make a difference.”
Several of David’s priorities for his term are looking at the Strategic Plan that was developed several years ago but couldn’t be fully implemented because of COVID. His hope is that many of the priorities can now be addressed and implemented after reviewing what the district wants to continue as priorities. Membership has always been a goal in the Strategic Plan. The District is losing members, no different than other Districts and other service organizations.
David encourages Clubs to work together with other service organizations. There is strength in numbers. A club may be small and partnering with another service organization may give the Club more opportunities for service to their communities. In reverse, larger Rotary Clubs can partner with other smaller service clubs to assist them in meeting their service objectives.
He also believes we must constantly look at how we can enhance the services we currently are engaged with.
David wrapped up his presentation complimenting PDG Stew Buchanan for his work on the Rotary/Guardians game each year. This past year 300 Rotarians and guests attended the Guardian’s game.
David reminded the Club of the 4 Way Test Speech Contest to be held April 27th, the RYLA camp experience the week of June 11th and the District Conference of April 28-29.
DG Jones entertained questions from Club members after his presentation.
Yours in Service,
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
We were pleased to also welcome many Akron Rotary past and future District Governors from our Club who joined us at the meeting.
(photo L-R: PDG John Reyes, PDG Stew Buchanan, Club President Lynda Farkas, PDG Jack Harig, PDG Cheryl Warren, DGE Julie Brandle, DG David Jones and First Lady Georgeann Jones)
Akron Rotary’s 33rd Annual Chili Open Golf Classic
February 4, 2023
The Chili Open Golf Classic is a month away and we need all hands on deck to make this another successful event!
Funding from the Chili Open helps ensure that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Sponsorships and Camperships make up 75% of our event goal. Rotarians are needed to help support with sponsorships, view the updated sponsorship benefits packet here. Please consider increasing your sponsorship, renewing your sponsorship or becoming a first time sponsor. We are also looking for new prospective sponsors, so please let our Event chairs, Jeff Sheeks or Cyndi Kane know if you have someone you would like to reach out to. Your support makes the Chili Open an annual success for our Club.
We also ask every Rotarian to purchase or sell a minimum of ten raffle tickets at $20 each. There are great chance to win the following prizes:
1st prize is a 2023 Buick Encore GX, or $19,000 cash prize – Thank you The VanDevere Bunch!
2nd prize is a BigShots Golf Party Package valued at $500, courtesy of BigShots Golf
3rd prize is a 55” 4k Smart LED TV, courtesy of the S Group, Inc. – Thank you Rotarian Jeff Sheeks!
Please bring any sold raffle tickets to the next club meeting, or mail them to the Camp Office (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319). Tickets can also be purchased online, by clicking on this link. Please download the attached flyer and display it at your office, or share them with your friends, family and colleagues.
Back by popular demand is Dr. Rob’s “Wagon of Good Cheer” Please help us fill the wagon with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits, mixers and wine. We are also still in need of items for our online auction. Food baskets, golf packages, or family entertainment packages make great auction items! If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 / amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
Thank you for your support in making this year's Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
Jeff Sheeks and Cyndi Kane Co-Chairs, 2023 Chili Open Golf Classic
Chief Stephen L. Mylett was inducted by District Governor Jones as a member of the Rotary Club of Akron on January 3, 2023.
He was sponsored by Steve Buie and previously served as a Rotary member in Bellevue, Washington.
All members present were asked to stand and everyone then unanimously agreed that "we, as members, now welcome Chief Mylett as a colleague, and friend and we assure him of our friendship, assistance and support."
About Chief Mylett
Stephen L. Mylett was sworn in as Chief of Police of the Akron Police Department on Thursday, August 19, 2021.Chief Mylett was born and raised in New York and comes from a long line of police officers.
He started his policing career in 1985 when he joined the United States Air Force where he served as a Security Policeman.
Following an honorable discharge, he joined the Corpus Christi, Texas Police Department from 1989-2011. He rose through the ranks from cadet to Assistant Chief. After retiring from CCPD, he joined The City of Southlake, Texas where he was named Chief of Police until 2015. He then began as the Chief of the Bellevue, Washington Police Department until being named Chief of Police of Akron.
Chief Mylett now commands the department’s 447 officers and supervisors, 43 Reserve officers and 33 civilians that serve Akron’s 198,000 citizens.
He has a bachelor’s degree from Midwestern State University in Texas and a master’s degree in criminal justice leadership and management from Sam Houston State University.
Chief Mylett has been married for over 31 years to JoAnn. They have 4 adult children and 3 grandchildren.
Unfortunately, many of the hobbies he once enjoyed had centered in sports, but due to a series of in-the-line-of-duty injuries his ability to engage in those hobbies has been significantly impacted.
This winter promises to be very hard on the Ukrainian people, who are often cut off from their power source. Our own Claudine Schooley, now in Bakersfield CA, is co-chairing "Light for Ukraine”, a Rotary project to send portable solar lamps and chargers to villagers and city folk who face prospects of living in the dark. The Rotary Club of Bakersfield Breakfast is in charge. Let us join them to light up Ukraine. The special Rotarian rate for 1 lamp and 1 charger is $40, supplied by a nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara, “Unite to light” www.unitetolight.org
Join me and several others from our Rotary Club of Akron. If you wish to contribute, bring cash or check to our club meeting January 10 or send check to Mella at camp.
Contact William Black, Director of International Services, Rotary Club of Bakersfield, P.O. Box 22013, Bakersfield CA 93390 or Claudine Schooley (805 796-8351)
Greeting Rotarian's and Friends of Rotary and hopes for a blessed new year. I write you in celebration of the gift of Rotary my Dad gave me 62 years a go when he invited me to become a Rotarian. I invite you to think again about who invited you to join Rotary followed by answering for your self several simple questions.
1. Why did I join Rotary? 2. What did I expect Rotary to do for me? 3. What did I expect to offer to Rotary, my community, and the world of Rotary? 4. Have I reached my goals for service to my vocation, myself, my family and the World of Rotary?
After almost 109 years the Rotary Club of Akron remains our communities leading service organization. Akron Rotary has a new home meeting place at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church 129 South Union Street Akron, OH 44304.
As a refresher please read the following about Rotary's 5 Avenues of Service for you to choose from.
Avenues of Service
We channel our commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service, which are the foundation of club activity.
1) Club Service focuses on making clubs strong. A thriving club is anchored by strong relationships and an active membership development plan.
2) Vocational Service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society. Learn more in An Introduction to Vocational Service and the Code of Conduct.
3) Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest. Learn more in Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects.
4) International Service exemplifies our global reach in promoting peace and understanding. We support this service avenue by sponsoring or volunteering on international projects, seeking partners abroad, and more.
5) Youth Service recognizes the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs such as Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Youth Exchange.
The lovely youth orchestra serenaded us at Rotary's Holiday Luncheon on December 20th. Our Youth Exchange Student, Yara, brought her host dad and was surprised by the goodies Santa left for her with the Rotary Club of Akron.
Hugh Alpeter Mella Castner Angie Claypool Lynda Farkas David Hall Laura Horovitz Cyndi Kane Doug Kohl Rob McGregor Katy Miller Dan Riemenschneider Judy Seward (guest) Mark Seward Karen Taylor (guest)
From O’sha Agnewel, Lieutenant, The Salvation Army:
“Thank you to The Rotary Club of Akron for coming alongside us to serve our community this Christmas season. Your willingness is greatly appreciated.”
Many of our club have asked for an update on the fight against POLIO.
I am including the latest update from Rotary International that you may share with your club.
Dave
Polio this week as of 2 December
Wild Polio Virus Summary:
New wild poliovirus isolates reported this week: AFP cases: 0 Environment: 2 Others: 0
New cVDPV isolates reported this week: AFP cases 12 Environment: 21 Others: 4
Headlines:-
In Africa, to reinvigorate political attention and action on immunization across the continent, H.E. Macky Sall, Chair of the African Union and President of the Republic of Senegal, will bring together Heads of State, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders at the Forum on Immunization and Polio Eradication on 10 December in Dakar, Senegal, to remobilize leadership around the Addis Declaration on Immunization.
PBS feature on polio and immunization in DR Congo: the piece focuses on efforts to provide routine immunization to children, including during the pandemic, highlighting how local healthcare workers are responding to various challenges.
In Pakistan, a high-level delegation led by Polio Oversight Board (POB) Chair Dr Chris Elias, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari and UNICEF Regional Director George Laryea-Adjei, concluded there is unprecedented support and commitment to ending polio in the country in 2023. More.
Ghana: one cVDPV2 case and one positive environmental sample
Madagascar: three cVDPV1 cases and 13 positive environmental samples
Mozambique: two cVDPV1 cases
Niger: two cVDPV2 cases and four positive environmental samples
Togo: one cVDPV2 case
Afghanistan:
Two WPV1-positive environmental samples were reported in Nangarhar province.
The total number of WPV-1positive environmental samples in 2022 is thirteen, all from Eastern Region.
Pakistan:
No wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported this week. There are 20 cases in 2022. There was one WPV1 case in 2021
Two WPV1 positive environmental samples were reported; one each in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Mozambique:
No wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) case was reported this week. There are eight cases reported in 2022. Reporting of these new cases within a short time span indicates that intensified surveillance efforts are working in the province.
Two cases of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) were reported in Zambezia bringing the number of 2022 cases to 18.
No case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was reported this week. The number of cases in 2022 remains four. There were two cases reported in 2021.
United States of America:
No case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was reported this week. One cVDPV2 case was reported in New York, with onset of paralysis on 20 June.
Officially reported WPV1 and cVDPV cases as of 22 November 2022 Wild poliovirus (WPV) Total global WPV1 cases in 2022: 30 (compared with 4 for the same period in 2021) Total global WPV1 cases in 2021: 6 Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) cases
Total global cVDPV cases in 2022: 540 (compared with 485 for the same period in 2021) Total global cVDPV cases in 2021: 698
David Jones District Governor 2022-2023 (District 6630) District 6630 Foundation Stewardship Chair (2016-2020) District 6630 RI Conference Promotion Chair (2017-2020) Past President (2017-18) Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Cell 330-603-4107 | Email: DEJRotary@gmail.com
The Annual Meeting of the Rotary Club of Akron was conducted on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. The purpose of our Annual Meeting is to announce the election of Officers and Directors for the Club, the Rotary Camp Board, and the Akron Rotary Foundation, provide an update of the Club’s financial condition, an overview of the past year’s activities, and potential goals and activities for the next year.
Shared below is a synopsis of the Annual Meeting presentations.
Finance - Michael Gladysz, Club Treasurer
Club Financial Report for the fiscal year July1, 2021 through June 30, 2022:
Total Revenue: $67,625.26 (includes dues of $47,751.66)
Total Expenses: $61,155.08 (includes Administrative Expenses of $38,387.11 and Committee Expenses of $18,674.66)
Net Income: (income after expenses) $6,516.96
Assets: (Cash-position as of 6/30/2022) $99,192.52
Liabilities: $44,722.35
Total Equity: $54,470.17
Election and Bylaw Revision Results - Karen Hrdlicka
Club, Foundation, and Camp Election Results:
Club
Executive Team 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2024: President: Tom Knauer President-Elect: Thane Billow Vice-President: Katy Miller Secretary: Terry Dalton Treasurer: Michael Gladysz
Directors: Laura Horovitz, Gerry Kiefer, Liv Pilon, Cheryl Warren
Akron Rotary Foundation
1/1/2023 – 12/31/2023 Laura Smiley
1/1/2023 – 12/31/2025: Doug Kohl, Katy Miller, Rima Muakkassa, Michael Shearer
Rotary Camp
Brooks Ames (Rotarian), Rennick Andreoli (Honorary Rotarian), Getta Kutachief, Susan Savage, Joe Swiatkowski (Rotarian)
Foundation & Camp Annual Updates
The Club approved the recommended changes to the existing bylaws presented by the Nominating Committee.
Akron Rotary Foundation - Dan Riemenschneider
The Akron Rotary Foundation is completely different than The Rotary International’s Rotary Foundation.
Net assets of Akron Rotary Foundation (ARF) are around $2 million given current market fluctuations – about ½ the assets are restricted or designated for the benefit of the camp. The other ½ is to act as a catalyst for the Rotary Club of Akron to make a big impact on its community and beyond.
Currently the ARF covers Club guest lunches, fifteen - $1,000 scholarships to APS students; foreign exchange student program stipends ($200/month per student) and assist with eastern and western trips, if necessary; Rotary Youth Leadership Academy fees and grants the Club $15,000 annually to make big impacts on the community to grow awareness of Rotary, grow membership and grow opportunities for the Camp and ARF.
Donations range from $10 to $100,000 but typically total less than $15,000 per year. The ARF needs Rotarian support through annual contributions and legacy and estate planning.
We are working with club leadership and board to long-range plan effective ways to leverage the annual grants, focusing on utilizing and supporting the Camp in those plans.
Akron Rotary Camp - Dan Reynolds
A few facts about Rotary Camp in 2022:
$108,792 in financial assistance provided for camper participation
962 campers served at Happy Days and Rex Lake locations through Summer Camp and year-round Respite programs
Hosted 6 Field trips for the I Promise Village
115 hours spent swimming
Hosted Camp Promise weekend camp for individuals with Muscular Dystrophy
Campers took 60 canoe rides and 85 pontoon boat rides
65 group experiences on the Bud Rogers Adventure Park
10,092 meals served to 213 campers and staff
Employed 40 seasonal staff representing 6 countries
Extended School Year program provided 250 hours of service provided by Intervention Specialists; 50 hours of services provided by Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists
516 volunteers served 2,929 hours YTD
Club Annual Updates:
Membership - Tom Knauer
The club started this Rotary year with 127 members, and we added two new members so far this year.
We have one person who has been approved and we’re waiting to set an induction date. Police Chief Steven Mylett’s membership is being voted on at next week’s board meeting. Another person is beginning the membership process.
On the negative side, Lynda just sent out termination letters to six members for non-payment of dues.
For some perspective, during our last year at Portage CC (2018-19) we had 155 members. COVID took a toll not only on The Rotary Club of Akron but other district clubs as well.
We are experiencing an increase of in person attendance since our move to the church--up from an average of approximately 17 per week at Bounce to 23-25 per week at the church.
Tom would like to see an improvement in member engagement and encouraged each member to do some person-to-person outreach to members we have not seen in a while in an effort to bolster attendance and engagement.
The Membership committee is working on a new member welcome kit in the hope this may help new members become acclimated more quickly and easily into the club.
Tom is recommending the club be willing to try a once-a-month breakfast meeting for three months to see if we can get a few more folks to participate and also recommended we revisit the idea of a corporate and/or family membership. Tom intends to discuss these last two items at next week's board meeting.
Club Survey - Sandy Naragon
Sandy Naragon gave a brief report on the Club survey. In the interest of time, Sandy stated she would be presenting more detail on the survey results at an upcoming meeting. The winner of the $50 gas card for completing the survey was won by Hugh Alpeter.
While the past year has been challenging with the continuation of some COVID 19 challenges and the return to in-person and Zoom meetings, the Club has much to be proud of.
Wrapping up our 2022 Annual Meeting, President Farkas had this to say: “We are halfway through our Rotary year… Please help to make the remaining 6 months successful…. please attend our meetings; take an active role; share your ideas; and remain positive. Remember we are in this together – no one can do the work alone!
Looking forward to the days ahead…hopefully as much as I am!”
Minutes respectfully recorded and presented by Terry Dalton, Akron Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Akron Rotary Club Annual Meeting 2022 Recap and 2023 Directors and Officers
Once a year, the District Governor makes an official visit to each club in the district.
The District 6630 Governor, David Jones, will make his official visit to the RC of Akron on Tuesday, January 3, 2022.
The purpose of the visit: To allow the District Governor to communicate directly with all Rotarians in our District. To listen to the Club Leadership and its members and gain a better understanding of their club. To share information from RI and the District as it pertains to the Clubs.
The Governor's visit is a very special occasion and an opportunity for members, family of Rotarians and potential members to learn more about Rotary.
About our District Governor
David Jones was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a military BRAT, David had the opportunity to live in 5 States and 4 countries: Spain, Japan, Germany and England. He graduated from Upper Heyford American High School in England. David moved back to Ohio from Washington State, and he completed his undergraduate work in mathematics education from Capital University. David attended Ashland University and received a Master’s in Educational Administration, a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction and his school Superintendent’s License.
David was an Adjunct Professor for Ashland University and taught high school math at Madison Local Schools and Ontario Local Schools in Richland County Ohio. David worked as the Director of Building Operations and Technology for the Summit Educational Service Center in Summit County Ohio before retiring after 32 years in education.
David is married to Georgeann, a native of Akron, who is Executive Director of the Oak Foundation and owner of Christian James Salon in Cuyahoga Falls. They reside in Stow and have four adult children. David is a member of the Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Club and served as Club President; he is a member of the Club’s Board of Directors, Scholarship Committee, Foundation Chair and Grant Committee.
At the district level, David is an alumnus of LEADERSHIP 6630 Class of 2016 and served as the District 6630 Foundation Stewardship Chair. David served as the “On to Hamburg”, “On to Honolulu” and “On to Taipei” chair for the RI International Convention and continues to serve on the Planning Committee for the District Conference of Clubs. David is proud and honored to serve as the District 6630 Governor for the 2022-2023 Rotary Year.
He is excited to work with all of the Clubs and Rotarians of the District on club membership, Community Service, Foundation Support and strengthening the connections between Rotary, Interact and Rotaract clubs. David stated, “I am excited to be a part of an extremely talented leadership team and will continue the proud tradition of those who put “Service Above Self.”
District 6630 Governor Official Visit Slated for Akron Club January 3, 2023
On February 4, 2023 over 500 golfers, Rotarians and volunteers will come together for Rotary Club of Akron’s 33rd annual Chili Open to golf, win prizes, and celebrate the great work that Rotary is doing in our local community. So far we have raised almost $100,000, but still has a long way to go to reach our bold goal of $350,000.
Because of the Chili Open, no child is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Since its inception, the event has raised over $4,500,000 to support families and children in attending Camp.
If you are considering a sponsorship, or know of someone that might be interested in helping a great cause, please reach out to our Chili Open co-chairs.
We would also appreciate any donation of an item that can be used in our silent auction and/or door prize raffle to help us to meet our goal. Items can include gift cards, baskets, getaways, experiences, and more!
As always, thank you for helping to “Create a world where there are only abilities!”
Jeff Sheeks and Cyndi Kane Co-Chairs, Chili Open 2023
The Akron Club had the pleasure of inducting Cynthia Snider on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. She was sponsored by Steve Buie.
She is well known in the community as a fundraiser, media relations professional, and advocate for the arts — has been the Executive Director of Tuesday Musical Association since March 2020. She served as interim director since September 2019.
Founded in 1887 and now an Akron anchor arts organization, Tuesday Musical presents concerts by internationally acclaimed musicians as well as education and community engagement programs throughout northeast Ohio Snider joined Tuesday Musical in September 2015 when, after 31 years, she retired from The University of Akron (UA) where she directed communications, community engagement, development, special events, and other initiatives for UA’s programs in the visual and performing arts. She also worked closely with UA’s EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall.
Snider began her communications career in 1976 as a reporter and editor for several weekly newspapers in Northeast Ohio, and then joined The University of Akron’s communications department in 1984 as editor of UA’s newsletter for faculty and sta", assistant editor of UA's alumni magazine, and a public relations representative. She became the public relations director for the university in 1986, and served in that role until she joined the UA College of Fine and Applied Arts in 1995.
As an arts advocate and volunteer, Snider was a longtime board member of Neos Dance Theatre and the Autism Society of Greater Akron, as well as a member and vice president for the Akron Area Arts Alliance’s executive board until 2015. She has also served on the board of the Greater Akron Musical Association, Friends of Fashion at Kent State University, the City of Norton Charter Review Commission, Friends of the Norton Library Board, TV 45/49 Production Capacities Action Team, and Imagine Downtown Akron.
Snider holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master's degree in higher education administration from The University of Akron. Her husband is Larry Snider, a distinguished professor of music at The University of Akron, longtime principal percussionist with the Akron Symphony, and founder of UA’s Steel Drum Band.
Photo L-R: President Lynda Farkas, Cynthia Snider, Past President Steve Buie
During our Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Rotary Club meeting, members had the opportunity to listen to Janis Worley as she spoke about the twists and turns her career has taken her. Ms. Worley discussed the various opportunities she has had as “one door closed, and another door opened.” She shared how different jobs were ones she never intended to pursue but provided her with some great opportunities and adventures.
If there were one or two take-aways from her presentation, it was that “Never say Never” and be open to all opportunities, you never know where they might lead. As you read some of her adventures below, I encourage you to also watch the recording as she shares some of her successes. View the presentation by clicking here.
Janis Worley was born in Mayfield Heights. She attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, receiving a BA in Business, and Pennsylvania State University, in State College, Pennsylvania, where she obtained her MBA. Janis has additionally attended the Executive Program, Strategic Marketing Management, at Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia and most recently, earned a Certificate of Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership and Management, from Michigan State University and the Society for Nonprofits.
Janis began her career working in Arlington, Texas, in the Budgets and Operating Systems department for Sky Chefs, a division of American Airlines. After spending three years in Texas, Janis returned to northeast Ohio to begin her career at Sherwin Williams. During her time at Sherwin Williams, Janis became Executive Producer of the HGTV home improvement series “Room by Room”, producing 9 seasons of the series before Sherwin Williams released its ownership.
At that time Janis started her own media business, Worleybird Productions. In addition to creating documentaries for PBS as a writer and associate producer, she also produced a local weekly business and economy program for PBS 45/49, NEOtropolis. Janis’ documentary work was recognized with a national Gracie Allen award for Best Documentary/Local Market, and with a Regional Emmy nomination.
Realizing that she wanted to do more than work in the large corporate world, Janis sought out opportunities in the Not-for-profit world. Janis joined One of A Kind Pet Rescue as Director of Advancement, and is now with First Congregational Church of Akron as its Finance and Operations Manager. Janis’ volunteer work is extensive, including involvement with the Junior League of Akron, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio, Akron Pride Festival, the Woman’s Board of Akron Children’s Hospital, Alpha Delta Pi, Summit County Historical Society, Grace House Akron, Old Trail School, and WITAN, and is a member of Leadership Akron Signature Class 37. Janis was recently honored by the Summit County Historical Society and Woman’s History Project with their 2022 Woman of the Year Award for Integrity, and by Wittenberg University with their Servant Leader award.
Thank you to all who have contributed to The Rotary Foundation.
Club Co-chairs, Nathanael Billow and Bill Manby, Jr. recognized those who gave through the prior Rotary year and thus far this year.
Your contributions continue to advancing the mission of The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
The Akron Club was by recognized by District 6630 for being a PolioPlus Club in the 2021-2022 Rotary Year under the leadership of President Steve Buie.
Akron was one of four clubs in the District that received this award. The others were Chardon, Cleveland and Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley.
Liv Pilon currently serves in the role of Senior District Executive at the Great Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America. Before joining the BSA, Liv graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Sociology and will be returning to KSU in January to begin her master’s in public administration.
In her role at GTC, she is responsible for the recruitment of new families to the program, the management of volunteers, and the fundraising efforts in the greater Akron Community. In addition to these responsibilities, Liv leads GTC’s Adaptation, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee, the Council’s annual food drive, and their recruitment event for girls known as “Her Next Adventure.” She is very excited to share the ways the BSA is shaking things up in the community!
The Great Trail Council (GTC) is the local branch of the Boy Scouts of America, and it serves over 6,000 families in Mahoning, Trumbull, Portage, Summit, and Medina Counties. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
At GTC, programs being offered to youth in the community include:
Cub Scouts (for girls & boys grades K-5) – where youth develop the foundations for leadership, citizenship, & personal fitness through fun activities.
Scouts BSA (formerly known as Boy Scouts – for boys & girls ages 11-17) – where youth develop outdoor survival skills, self-confidence, & ethics through youth planned activities with increased attention to service, community engagement, and leadership.
Venturing (for girls & boys ages 14-20) – high adventure program where Scouts experience positive mentorship and develop leadership skills in a fun, supportive environment.
Sea Scouting (for girls and boys ages 14-20) -- maritime program that provides a fun, safe environment for Scouts to learn, build friendships, & develop character.
Exploring (for girls & boys ages 10-20) -- connects boys and girls with mentors, businesses, and agencies within their communities to help them discover future career paths.
Ways the BSA is staying relevant in the Akron community even after 112 years:
EXPLORING: GTC partners with 8 of the 9 middle schools in Akron to provide an after school Exploring program to youth. Through this program, youth gain hands on experiences from professionals in an array of industries, ranging from engineering, police work, cosmetology, and performing arts.
HER NEXT ADVENTURE: In 2019, the national organization of the BSA welcomed girls into all five programs. In an effort to show women in Akron and surrounding communities that their doors were open, Great Trail hosted an event known as “Her Next Adventure” in 2021 and 2022. This event served as an introductory day for girls and their families to experience the Scouts BSA program. The event was led entirely by girls in the program to showcase the BSA’s emphasis on leadership development.
BUILD THE ADVENTURE: Through local partnerships with other community organizations, GTC and a team of dedicated volunteers will be piloting a program, known as Build the Adventure, in the Middlebury neighborhood to address one of their most under-served neighborhoods. This program will involve greater supports, both through financial and volunteer help, from the Council to families in Middlebury to ensure the program can succeed.
ADAPTATION, INCLUSION, & DIVERSITY COMMITTEE: At GTC, a team of volunteers lead the Adaptation, Inclusion, & Diversity (AID) Committee to take efforts to ensure every child can find a home in Scouting. The AID Committee partners with Summit DD to provide two Inclusion Specialists to assist with summer programs, to provide to job sites for students in the Summit DD program, and to teach staff and volunteers on ways to support youth with Autism.
To check out the programs available at GTC or to offer support, please visit their website at www.gtcbsa.org. For interests in collaboration with GTC, please contact Liv Pilon at Olivia.Pilon@Scouting.org or (234) 900-5894.
After a few years away due to COVID, on Friday December 16th our Club will again be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. The Army is an important partner of the Club and for our community.
Below are details date, time and location. You can sign-up online to participate in this event. We need two Rotarians (or guests) to cover each hour of the day that we will be there. We also are seeking substitutes.
This is a great opportunity to get in the holiday spirit and spend some time with your loved ones, friends, and the local community.
The Rotary Club of Akron enjoyed hearing about current programs provided by Keep Akron Beautiful during our Tuesday, November 15, 2022, Club meeting. Our guest speaker was Jacqui Flaherty-Ricchiuti Chief Executive Officer of Keep Akron Beautiful (KAB). Jacqui has been the CEO of KAB since December 2014. We experienced technical difficulty however you can hear the presentation by clicking here.
Keep Akron Beautiful is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve Akron’s quality of life through beautification and responsible environmental management. KAB is a city and private sector funded agency, Jacqui is responsible for raising over $800,000 annually to operate the agency by extensive grant writing. Keep America Beautiful, Inc. awarded the agency second place recognition in 2014 for comprehensive program excellence of affiliates serving similar populations. Akron has been a President’s Circle Award recipient annually since 2003.
What Does KAB Do?
KAB has three main focuses: (1) Beautification, (2) Litter Reduction and (3) Community Improvement
BEAUTIFICATION:
Adopt-a-Site - Adopt-a-Sites are volunteer driven, help beautify public lands in Akron. Volunteers prepare, plant, & maintain flower garden for the season
Beautification Watch Awards - Beautification Watch recognize businesses & residents who keep their properties clean & beautiful.
Flowerscape Program – Flowerscapes are functional urban flower gardens that beautify the community and provide habitat for wildlife. They are planned, planted, and maintained by Flowerscape Crew.
LITTER REDUCTION:
Litter Reduction Program - KAB litter crew supervises court-ordered community service workers to clean entrance & exit ramps
Loan a Receptacle - Loan 50-gallon litter and/or recycling receptacles to assist with public litter control at public space events.
Clean Up Akron Month – Clean Up Akron Month is KAB’s largest volunteer event of the year. Every April, volunteers from all around the area take the initiative to get involved and help clean up their city after litter has accumulated over the winter months. CUAM runs April 1-30.
Volunteers can organize their own cleanup (KAB provides supplies) or volunteer in a community cleanup.
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT: Available to residents May-September
Community Pride Trailer Litter & Illegal Dum Cleanup Trailer (CPTL)
Project must be on public property, greenspace, city park, or nonprofit
CPT is stocked with landscaping tools and cleanup supplies
CPTL is stocked with litter collection tools and cleanup supplies
Graffiti Wipeout Services
Graffiti removal service for public property within the City of Akron; immediate removal within 24-48 hours
Can remove graffiti from personal property for a fee
RECYCLE RIGHT CAMPAIGN:
Educate residents on proper recycling to reduce contamination rates and keep recyclables from landfills
No plastic bags or recyclables bagged
No garbage or yard waste
No food/drink in containers
Oops tag for when non recyclables are in container and what to correct for following week
GREAT STREETS PROGRAM: KAB works closely with the City of Akron with this program
Goals:
Increased Business Development
Greater Community Engagement
Improving Transportation Conditions
Improving Aesthetics, Urban Design, & Public Space
Promoting Safe Neighborhoods
2022 Accomplishments:
70 floral containers were installed in 13 neighborhood business districts
Medicinal/ annual herbs were added to the healing garden in Maple Valley
Various city clean-up projects
To learn more about KAB and view some of the sites check out the recording of Tuesday's presentation and visit their website at www.keepakronbeautiful.org.
We are now accepting donations to the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Trust for island locals who are in need due to the storm. Donations may be given online at https://bit.ly/3VeJywJ, which is linked to our club’s paypal account. All contributions will be directed to the Trust’s Hurricane Ian fund.
A Go Fund Me page has also been created. The webpage can be found at https://bit.ly/3rOYDaB. This too is linked to the club’s paypal account with 100% of donations designated to individuals, businesses and organizations on island who need our help.
In addition, checks can be written to the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Trust with “Ian” on the memo line and mailed to: Edison Bank, San-Cap Rotary Trust, c/o David Lowden, 13000 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33907. All checks to the fund will be deposited into the account and money will be distributed to locals at the discretion of the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Trust Board.
Information about the Hurricane Ian Relief Fund will be shared on the club website and social media outlets. Please feel free to share widely about the fund, which is specific to locals on Sanibel and Captiva. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (231) 313-1589 or annie@heightsfoundation.org.
Also, Fellow Rotarian Taylor Osborne Clary has designed hip, high quality “Sanibel Strong” apparel to raise money for our Rotary Hurricane Ian Relief efforts. 100% of profit is being donated to the Rotary Trust fund. Here is the link to her fundraiser: https://bit.ly/3rmtXNW.
RotaryFL.org
The outpouring of concern and support from our Fellow Rotarians around the world is tremendous. Please know that Rotary is here for you, now and always.
If you need anything (water, shelter, food, supplies, etc.), or would like to help by volunteering or donating, please go to: Rotaryfl.org. This website will help us stay organized and enable us to be more effective. Please share this link widely with family and friends.
We WILL get through this together because WE are Rotarians and WE are people of action.
Hurricane Ian Disaster Fundraiser
Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief Fundraiser
Rotarian Taylor Osborne has created a collaborative fundraiser between the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club and the Sanibel and Captiva Business Women's Association to provide direct relief to the victims of Hurricane Ian.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Jessica Sublett as she discussed the history and purpose of Bounce Innovation Hub, during our Tuesday, November 8, 2022 Club meeting. View the meeting by clicking here.
As the Chief Operating Officer at Bounce, Jessica focuses her work on ensuring that the organization has the wherewithal to execute on its strategic plan. Jessica has led the organization’s efforts to secure nearly $9M in grant funds since 2018 to sustain the organization’s financial health and has led programming structure and team development to implement and execute on strategic initiatives. In her role, she oversees the daily operations of the organization, which includes financial forecasting and management; HR management; strategic plan execution and reporting; governance and compliance activities; programming oversight; facility management; and resource development.
Jessica will become the CEO of Bounce beginning January 1, 2023.
What is Bounce?
Bounce is the first stop for entrepreneurship in Greater Akron
• Founded in January 2018
• Serve entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses at various stages
• Provide programming, mentorship and advising
• Offer a physical location that promotes collaboration and connectivity
• Foster an inclusive community where everyone is welcome
• Currently serve more than 170 clients in northeast Ohio
Bounce catalyzes entrepreneurship and innovation by providing connections, resources, and expertise to build a vibrant community for all.
Where is Bounce located?
Bounce is an old factory turned into a exciting, modern space designed to get work done
Former BF Goodrich tire plant
Nearly 100 years old
Located in downtown Akron
300,000 sq. ft. and nine stories
60 resident organizations
300 people working and creating
First-floor Generator open to the public
Co-working and Office Space
Meeting and Event Space
Why Does Bounce Exist?
Bounce believes it has a role in the community that is even bigger
than their immediate focus of serving entrepreneurs. Bounce seeks to:
• Build the entrepreneur, first
• Provide a vibrant, inclusive space for connection and collaboration
• Support ecosystem building throughout the community and in league with their partners
What are some of the Programs at Bounce?
Entrepreneurial Programs:
Incubator – Bounce’s signature program for qualified technology companies that need business assistance and mentorship.
Accelerator – Three-month-long program for early-stage start-ups that focuses on building and launching a software product.
GROW (Generating Real Opportunity and Wealth:
For entrepreneurs and small businesses, with a focus on minorities and women.
Aspiring Entrepreneur: a 10-week cohort for those just starting out
MORTAR at Bounce: a 15-week accelerator for early small businesses
Next Level: an incubator program for Black-owned, established small businesses that offers expert entrepreneur-in-residence support
General Programs and Services:
Coworking and Office Space
Event and Meeting Space/Conference Center
The Workshop: A Creative Co-op
Café and Coffee Shop
To learn more about any of the programs listed above, funding sources, Bounce’s impact and results, and how you can help spread the word about this community resource, view Ms. Sublett’s presentation and/or check out Bounce’s website at www.bouncehub.org
Yours in service
Terry Dalton
Club Secretary and Scholarship Chairperson
New CEO of Bounce Presented at Akron Club November 8
You should have received an email from Karen Hrdlicka on November 3, 2022 with your copy of the ballot. The deadline to vote is quickly approaching - you have until November 28th to return your ballot.
► All members in good standing are encouraged to participate in voting for leadership for the Akron Rotary Club, the Akron Rotary Foundation and the Akron Rotary Camp.
► Both the club and the foundation require board members to be members of the Akron Rotary Club in good standing.
►T he camp board of directors must include at least 51% of club members as their board members (currently 73% of the camp board are club members).
The election results will be ratified by the club at the Annual Meeting on December 6, 2022.
We must have at least 51% of our members in attendance (either virtually or in person) in order to vote so please put it on your calendar now to attend.
We will also be approving the bylaw revisions that were presented in March of this year.
Both of these votes will occur at the beginning of the meeting so even if you can only attend for a short period of time in order to vote, we ask that you please attend.
DEADLINE 11-28: Vote for Your 2023-2024 Club, Camp and Foundation Officers & Board Members
The Rotary Club of Akron, during our Tuesday, November 1st meeting, had the opportunity to listen to Jim Davis as he presented the history and current developments with the Summit County Lank Bank (SCLB). View the presentation by clicking here.
What is the Mission of the SCLB?
“The Summit County Land Reutilization Corporation will support neighborhood and community reinvestment and economic development efforts through the strategic acquisition, reclamation, rehabilitation and reutilization of property in Summit County to revitalize neighborhoods and communities, stabilize property values, reduce blight, return property to productive use, and improve the quality of life in our community.”
Why does Summit County have a Land Bank?
Land Banks were created through Federal legislation to tackle the mortgage foreclosure crisis during the economic recession in 2008. In Ohio, more than 100,000 abandoned and blighted homes existed.
2009 - Cuyahoga created the 1st Ohio land bank.
2012 – Summit County Land Bank was designated as agent for the county; more than 5000 abandoned and blighted properties in Summit County.
2018 – Between 2009 and 2022, 65 land banks have been established in Ohio.
Delinquent Taxes – 31% (5% of the delinquent tax collected is distributed to SCLB)
Grant Funding – 3%
What Programs are Available through the SCLB?
Welcome Home – Encourages home ownership by listing affordable residential properties for individuals and organizations to purchase.
Side Lot – Allows eligible property owners to acquire vacant land. If your house lies adjacent to a vacant lot, you may be qualified to expand your property.
Underground Storage Tank Removal – This program was created to rehabilitate properties that contain underground storage tanks. These tanks often contain hazardous chemicals that could cause environmental concerns and costly remediation.
Building for Business – Facilitates the acquisition of commercial and industrial properties. Eligible properties include those currently owned by the SCLB and properties that are vacant, abandoned, bighted, and certified tax-delinquent.
Matching Grants –
Supports projects that fulfill their mission to strengthen neighborhoods and communities.
Available to local governments, schools, and nonprofit organizations.
Grant funds are only available on a fifty percent (50%) match reimbursement basis, up to the maximum award amount per grant period.
Demolition –
Funding is available for the demolition of commercial and residential buildings and revitalization of surrounding properties on sites that are not brownfields.
What has been the impact of the SCLB to our Community?
Community Development –
$245,785 leveraged for residential investment
1,928 improved properties
24 communities served
Economic Development –
$17,8 million leveraged commercial investment
$7.2 million direct investment with local vendors
Financial Impact –
$17.3 million delinquent property tax extinguished
$16 million direct community investment
$74.9 million indirect community investment
The above figures are cumulative, as of December 31, 2018, and represent actual past program activity and actual, or estimated, funds leveraged as a portion of overall project costs for residential and commercial projects.
To learn more about the Summit County Land Bank and more in-depth explanations about each of their programs, check out their website at www.summitlandbank.org.
We are happy so many of you are now returning to our live meetings. Everyone seems to be enjoying the new surroundings and food at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 129 South Union Street, Akron, OH 44304.
The Rotary Club of Akron, during our Tuesday, October 25th meeting, had the opportunity to listen to one of our fellow Rotarians present a unique idea that has blossomed in Akron.
The Curated Storefront was initiated by Rick Rogers. Through Rick's leadership, The Curated Storefront has successfully secured and managed funds to launch an impressive array of installations in downtown Akron. Rick is also responsible for negotiating the use of vacant storefronts and maintaining healthy relations with property owners, who have generously donated their spaces.
To get a true sense of the impact and importance of the Curated Storefront endeavor, I encourage you to view the presentation (click here) to gain a better appreciation of the impact the curated storefronts have had on downtown Akron.
Why the Curated Storefront?
“The Curated Storefront nurtures a thriving cultural ecosystem in Akron by fueling artistic innovation, commissioning public art, expanding access to arts education, and stimulating economic growth.
Curated Storefront activates storefronts by transforming an unoccupied and uninteresting street edge into vibrant art displays to combat blight and create an engaging, safe, and attractive environment.
Exhibits can be seen in multiple buildings in Downtown Akron including: The Polsky Building, O’Neil Building, County Building, Bounce Innovation Hub, The Gothic Building (former City Center Hotel).
Existence of Avant Garden Artist Studio Spaces - Located at the Bounce Innovation Hub.
Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders Pop-Up Museum – Located in the University of Akron’s Polsky Building.
Outside the Box Shipping Container Murals – Located in the Northside District.
Curated Courthouse – Located in the Summit County Probate Court (209 S. High Street).
National Endowment for the Arts in Cuyahoga Falls.”
What Impact Has the Curated Storefront Had on Our Community?
29 spaces have been activated with art exhibits
118 exhibits were installed in Akron
165 artists have been featured and compensated for their work
13 buildings have been revitalized for developed after programming
Over 3,000 individuals have participated in art-based activities, guided educational tours and virtual live-stream events since the start of Curated Storefronts.
Creating a clean, attractive and brightly lit space gives potential renters and tenants the idea that each empty storefront is a viable option for their business in downtown Akron.”
Rick shared a quote from Jane Jacobs and her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, “Streets and their sidewalks, the main public spaces of a city, are its most vital organs. Think of a city and what comes to mind? Its streets. If a city’s streets look interesting, the city looks interesting; if they look dull, the city looks dull.”
To check out where many of these Curated Storefronts are located, check out the website at www.CuratedStorefront.org
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Foundation Chair
Rick Rogers - Curated Storefronts has Impressive Displays
We published a story in July recognizing our club and individual award recipients.
Past President Steve Buie was unable to attend the event, so this week, he was presented with the official letter and A.Z. Baker Award patch that was earned under his leadership during the 2021-2022 Rotary year.
TheA.Z. Baker Award - The Akron Rotary Club
Akron was one of 29 clubs (out of 50) to receive this award.
The A. Z. Baker Service Awards were established in 1978 at the recommendation of then District Governor James P. Banks, and by action of the District Board of Trustees. This award honors our own "Mr. Rotary," A.Z. Baker, from the Rotary Club of Cleveland who served as Rotary International President in 1955-1956. His dedication and commitment to Rotary truly exemplified SERVICE ABOVE SELF and this award was designed to honor his memory by encouraging all clubs in the district to participate in each of the Avenues of Service which are the foundation of club activity.
The Club inducted Angela (Angie) Claypool on Tuesday, November 25th. who was sponsored by Tom Knauer.
She was born in Akron and raised in the Ellet area of Akron. Angie and her husband, Harry, are both retired.
Harry worked for Davey Tree for 40 years. Angie was in the jewelry industry for over 30 years working in the merchandising department as a buyer and also was Director of Merchandising.
Her job required extensive travel allowing her the opportunity to make friends far and near that are still in her life.
While living in Savannah GA in the 90's, she joined the Red Cross Public Support Committee which helped raise awareness in the community.
After Angie and Harry got together she moved to Charlotte NC with him and continued with Red Cross serving as a speaker in classrooms about water safety.
She also helped with the Special Olympic training for children at a local golf course, and shared "not because I am a great golfer, but really loved the cause."
After moving back to Ohio in '05, they lived in Randolph and she began volunteering at Pegasus Farm in Hartville. . . Again, she shared "not because I was a horse person, but loved the mission". She started mucking stalls, and eventually got into events, a few committees, some minor grant writing, and continues to volunteer with the organization. She serves on the Board of Trustees. Pegasus Farm and the same Board also runs the Military Family Center in Louisville, which began due to a relationship with the Rotary.
They have now lived in the Portage Lakes area since '15. Angie said, "I really love what the Rotary stands for and feel it aligns with my feelings and love of service."
They are located very near the Rotary Camp and look forward to becoming involved there as well as in our community.
As for hobbies, Angie does hot yoga and some meditation. She has also been a runner for years and has run in 2 half marathons and in 2012 completed the full Akron marathon.
Angie and Harry love to boat on their pontoon, spend time with friends and family, and each other.
They have a gorgeous 6.5lb, 2-ish year old (rescued so not sure) cat named Poppy.
Photo: President Lynda Farkas, Angie Claypool, Tom Knauer
The Rotary Club of Akron, during its Tuesday, October 18, 2022 weekly Club Meeting, enjoyed learning a little more about a treasure within our local community. Unfortunately, many residents of Northeast Ohio know little about the history of the Cascade Locks.
Scott T. Read is the Executive Director of the Cascade Locks Park Association (“CLPA”), part of the Summit Metro Parks stretching from Lock 10 to Lock 16. Since starting with the CLPA in October 2021, Scott has worked to activate the park space, bringing new thoughts, energy, and programming to one of Akron’s most historic districts. Click here to view the presentation.
Cascade Locks Park, a Heritage Park for Akron's Future, offers a unique opportunity to celebrate our industrial, commercial, and cultural heritage and reclaim a bit of long abandoned and abused urban geography into an outdoor laboratory for environmental education, historic interpretation, and community recreation. The CLPA is a collaborative partner with the City of Akron, Metro Parks, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the University of Akron, and the National Park Service.
Spanning Locks 10 -16 of the Ohio & Erie Canal, this historic area is a must-see for trail users and history buffs alike. Here you can find evidence of much of Akron's canal and early industrial history, all within a short walk from downtown! Cascade Locks Park is part of the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway with access to the popular towpath trail and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Byway. The park boasts the Jewel of the Canal, the c.1850s Mustill Store, house, and yard. The Mustill Store houses one of the canalway's most important visitor centers, and contains many fascinating exhibits on the beginning, heyday, and demise of the canal.
The Cascade Locks Park is the southernmost segment of the Cascade Valley Metro Park in a once abandoned and abused urban landscape. The mission of the Cascade Locks Park Association (CLPA), incorporated in June 1989, is to preserve, protect and promote the industrial, commercial, and cultural heritage of the park along locks 10-16 of the Ohio & Erie Canal.
The Mustill Store Museum and House are the Park's showcase pieces. Located in their original site at Lock 15, these faithfully restored canal-era buildings are believed to have been built in the 1850s, although the exact date is unknown. The Mustill Store is free to the public, handicap accessible, and perfect for all ages. Cascade Locks Park Association is headquartered in the Mustill Store Museum in the Cascade Locks Park.
Scott began his presentation with the question, “What defines a Park?” His response – A park is a physical space. He also asked, “What does a Park do?” His response - It provides activities.
His goal for the Cascade Locks Park is to increase the activities provided within the park space. Some of activities held this year include “Lock of the Irish”, “Duck Derby”, “Locktoberfest”, and “Free Lunch Fridays”. He has invited artists to utilize the park space. This year the Rubber City Jazz and Blues Fest was held at the Cascade Park.
To make the park more inviting for those walking the trail, etc., Scott has overseen the picnic tables being moved closer to the trails to encourage trail users to sit and take in the scenery and when the Mustill Store is open, to stop in and browse.
Scott would like to see the Cascade Locks Park become an Art Centric Park in the future. He envisions artists painting murals on the Towpath. His hope is that by providing more activities along the park, visitors will slow down and enjoy the beauty and history of the area.
To learn more about the history and current activities of the park, I encourage you to visit the organization’s website at www.cascadelocks.org.
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Scott Read, Cascade Locks Park Association: Speaker Recap
As Akron Rotarians, we are honored to again serve as the co-chairs for Akron Rotary’s Chili Open Golf Classic. The 33rd annual event is set for Saturday, February 4, 2023 at Hale Farm and Village. This is our Rotary Club’s annual fundraising event to benefit Akron Rotary Camp. The Chili Open ensures that no child is ever turned away from Camp due to their family’s inability to pay!
Please join us as we tee-off the Chili Open next Tuesday, October 18 at 12:00noon at Akron Rotary’s luncheon meeting. We will share a brief overview of our event plans. As Rotarians, your help is needed to make the Chili Open a continued success for both our Club and Camp!
Let’s have a little fun next Tuesday, join us in wearing your favorite Chili Open shirt or golf attirefor a chance to win some Chili Open swag!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Megan Harvey, Development Manager of Individual Giving and Producer’s representative for the Millennial Theatre Project of the Akron Civic Theatre. Ms. Harvey has been with the Civic Theatre since 2018.
Ms. Harvey began her presentation providing information about the various venues that comprise the Akron Civic Theatre. These venues include the Civic, the Knight Stage, Wild Oscar’s at the Civic, the Goodyear Theater, and Affiliated Venues; the EJ Thomas, and the Lock 3 Outdoor Amphitheater. Click to view the presentation
Akron Civic Theatre History:
The theater was built in 1929 by Marcus Loew and designed by famed theater architect, John Eberson.
The interior structure was fashioned after a Moorish castle featuring Mediterranean décor, including medieval carvings, authentic European antiques, and Italian alabaster sculptures.
Among facilities of its size, the Civic is one of only five remaining atmospheric theaters in the country.
In June 2001 the Civic closed its door for a comprehensive $19 million plus restoration bringing the theater up to modern performance and patron standards and restoring its failing 70-year-old infrastructure. The Civic reopened in November 2002. The Civic continues to be a tremendous asset to Northeast Ohio!
Akron Rocks!
• The center-point of a market of 1.2 million individuals within a 25-mile radius of downtown Akron – and 3.9 million within a 50-mile radius. • Akron offers the right venues for the right shows at the right time. • Hosting 300+ events a year across six performance venues.
Civic Theatre Competitive Advantages:
Efficient and Effective Marketing Support
• Robust/consistent social media and e-mail marketing programs o 132,000 + combined social media followers o 95,000 + e-email subscribers • Excellent local and regional media relationships
Akron Civic Theatre Fast Facts:
• 314 events in FY22 across four venues • Attendance of 127,99 + in FY22 • 50 + community partners • 166 events produced or presented by the Civic staff • 3 community-based theater projects (MTP, BOOM!, All-City) & Arts Inclusion Incubator • 8.1 million people reached annually on social media • Operating budget growth to $7.7 million
Social Media Impact = Say It Loud:
• People Reached = 459,093 • Post Engagements = 16,629 • Post Likes = 2049 • Post Shares = 1678 • Comments = 111
Development Overview: • FY22 best fundraising year in theater history • Revenue increases across the board (FY18 vs. FY22): o Individual giving up 66% o Foundation + government support up 48% o Corporate support up 46% o Gala revenue highest ever in FY21, second highest in FY22
To learn more about the Akron Civic Theatre and the various venue offerings, check out their website at www.akroncivic.com
Good Morning Mella, Dan, and to our Rotary Club Leadership Team,
I wanted to pass along some good news on a rainy Monday. My company’s primary supplier (Matthews International, based out of Pittsburgh) has a Children’s Foundation and their Foundation makes donations to children’s charities in the name of their customers. Billow’s has been a customer of Matthews for over 40 years and I am pleased to announce that the Matthews Children’s Foundation will be making an annual donation to the Rotary Camp in our name.
The $3000 donation will come in the form of 3 separate $1000 grants checks. We should receive the first $1000 check in the next few weeks, with the second and third checks arriving in November 2022 and February 2023. The funds are unrestricted and can be used at the discretion of the Camp staff.
Due to Billow’s longstanding relationship with Matthews, I was told that the Camp will qualify for annual grant funding so long Billow’s keeps submitting annual grant requests. $30,000 over ten years sounds a lot better and is far more impactful than a one-time $3000 donation.
The Rotary Club of Akron had an engaging presentation by Dr. Albert Bragg, Executive Director of Alpha Phi Alpha Homes during our Tuesday, October 4, 2022, weekly meeting.
I encourage anyone reading this article who couldn’t attend the meeting in person, or on Zoom to follow the link to the recording for a great presentation. View the recording by clicking here
While Dr. Bragg is the Executive Director of Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, he focused his presentation on fire safety. His past position with the City of Akron was the Fire Prevention Bureau Manager.
Some of the highlights of Dr. Bragg’s presentation are included below.
The most frequent time for a residential fire is between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
The United States has the worst safety record in the industrial world in the number of injuries and death by fire.
Leading Causes of Fire:
Cooking is the #1 cause of fires in the United States
The 3-foot rule: nothing that is combustible should be within 3 feet of your stove.
Heating equipment is the #2 cause of fires – Space heaters should follow the 3-foot rule.
Electrical fires are the #3 cause of fires - Never hide an extension cord in your Christmas tree.
Arson is the #4 cause of fires – 10.7 years of age is the average age of an arsonist.
Other electrical equipment is the #5 cause of fires – curling irons, electric blankets, etc.
Smoking is the next leading cause of fires - Never smoke where you are comfortable (bed, couch, chair). If you are comfortable, you are more likely to fall asleep while smoking.
There is Hope:
Smoke Detectors –
Smoke detectors should be replaced every ten years – check the manufactured date, not the date you purchased the smoke detector
Ensure a smoke detector is on every floor of your house, including your basement
Exits -
Be aware of exits in any business that you shop or work at – know two ways out
Know your escape route in your own home
Sleeping - 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Sleep with your door shut
What is Alpha Phi Alpha Homes?
Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, Inc. is a non-profit housing, development, and management corporation formed in 1966 by the members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Eta Tau Lambda chapter.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the oldest predominately black collegiate Greek-Lettered fraternity. The Eta Tau Lambda is an alumni chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, located in Akron, Oh, and was formed in 1960 specifically to support their local communities.
Today, Alpha Phi Alpha Homes maintains both well-run rental and for-sale residential properties. Tenants enjoy social and recreational programs organized by live-in resident managers amid service coordinators trained to work with low-income families and elderly individuals. Alpha Phi Alpha Homes has developed a variety of programs to enable each tenant to live the fullest and most productive life. Service coordinators connect tenants in need with service providers who can ease the burden of poverty, disability, and infirmity.
Through its creation of Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, Inc., the Eta Tau Lambda chapter has embodied one of the most critical objectives of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity: to further our economic and charitable agenda to enhance our institution and the lives of those in our communities. Eta Tau Lambda has been a pioneer in non-profit development and management of affordable housing for low and moderate-income families and the elderly.
The Residences at Good Park:
The Residences at Good Park will be West Akron’s newest neighborhood, comprised of 89-homes located in the heart of Akron, Ohio.
The neighborhood will feature brand new infrastructure including public roads, sidewalks, street lighting, a centrally-located park, and over two acres of green space, all less than one mile away from Interstate 77. Residents will enjoy city living at an excellent value in a neighborhood in proximity to major Akron employers, retailers, and golf courses.
The Residences will offer three types of homes that are designed to appeal to families, young professionals, and retirees alike. The options are as follows:
The Residences at Good Park include 42 single-family townhomes available for sale.
Parkside Residences includes 23 single-family homes available for sale.
The Residence at Good Park includes 24 custom-home lots which are also available for sale.
To learn more about Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, check out their website at: www.alphahomes.org.
Happy Holidays to you! I know it is close to the holidays but that makes this volunteer project that much more important as we need to help the Food Bank distribute as much food and aid as possible for those in need. I am looking for volunteers for the Akron Canton Food Bank service project.
The date is Wednesday, December 21 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307. After the food bank service project anyone is welcome to join me in going out to dinner at a downtown Akron restaurant to be determined later.
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon Friday December 16th, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Thank you for volunteering at your Foodbank! We look forward to seeing you.
Thank you from the bottom our hearts for the incredible support and love for Rotary Camp! It was so great to see everyone back for our 5th Rotary Camp Regatta.
With your help we raised $773,000 for improvements to the Waterfront, making it more accessible and safer for our campers.
Save the date for our next regatta and Rotary Camp’s 100th anniversary on September 28, 2024!
The off-site meeting and tour at Myers School of Art was enjoyed by all!!
Hats off to our program chair Gerry Kiefer for planning this event.
It was wonderful to have John Daily be able to attend thanks to Cyndi Kane bringing him.
Thank you to Arnold Tunstall, Director, University Galleries at Myers School of Art, at The University of Akron, who provided a wonderful tour and explanation of the Synapse 15 - Intersections of Art and Science exhibit.
Many of those attending had no idea the School had grown and this exhibit was beautiful - it was intriguing hearing about the various approaches the artists take and the materials they used to create their works of art.
The artists are doing amazing and very interesting work!!
The Rotary Club of Akron had an amazing presentation by Doug Piekarz, CEO of the Akron Zoo during our Tuesday, September 20, 2022, weekly meeting.
I encourage anyone reading this article who couldn’t attend the meeting in person, or on Zoom to follow the link (click here) to the recording for a great presentation. Some of the highlights of Mr. Piekarz presentation is included below.
Akron Zoo mission:
Connecting your life to wildlife while inspiring lifelong learning and conservation action: Mission triangle: Community, Education and Conservation - any decision we make must connect with the three elements of the mission triangle.
Humble Beginnings: Opened May 17, 1953, as the Akron Children’s Zoo with 12 nursery rhyme themed exhibits covering one acre. Originally was known as Perkins Woods, and the Akron Natural History Museum. The nursery themed exhibits were built to encourage attendance at the Natural History Museum. The Akron Zoo was incorporated in 1953, 70 years celebration next year.
1979 – First in the nation of a public/private partnership. The Zoo became a private not for profit charity and changed its name to the Akron Zoological Park, Animal habitats were added, guest amenities were improved and in 1989 the zoo was accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).
To ensure the sustainability of the Akron Zoo, Summit County voters approved a property tax in 2000. This successful levy campaign allowed the Zoo to make capital and operational improvements, increase the number of animals, more habitats and more opportunities to learn and the zoo was open year-round. Improvements made since 2000 include: Barnhardt Family Welcome Center; Lehner Family Zoo Gardens; Penguin Point; Legends of the Wild Komodo Kingdom Education Center; Conservation Carousel; Mike and Mary Stark Grizzly Ridge; Curious Creatures; Pride of Africa; Wild Asia and has grown from 33 to 56 exhibits,
2019 by the numbers: Akron Zoo is one of the most visited attractions in Summit County
402,143 on site attendance
91,456 participants in education programs
35,404 participants in field trips
12,878 member households
46 species survival plans on site
21 field conservation projects
2 extinct species (in the wild) call Akron Zoo home
1 of 237 AZA accredited zoos worldwide
Return on Investment:
For $1 of public support that the Akron Zoo has received since 2011, it has generated nearly $8 in impact.
$75.6 million invested, $581 million returned.
Sustainability:
Komodo Kingdom – First LEED certified building in Summit County
Komodo Café – First 4-Star Green Restaurant in Ohio and any U.S. zoo
Reduced water usage by 80% over 5 years
Composted over 3.6 million pounds of organic waste in four years
Grizzly Ridge – Certified LEED Silver
Installed composter – Big Hanna
Conservation Programs: In 2019 the Akron Zoo supported 21 conservation projects or programs, both locally and globally.
Seven of the projects are U.S. Based. Five in Ohio and two in other States.
The Akron Zoo supported three projects in South America,
Six in Asia,
Two in Africa.
The remaining three projects work on a global scale.
A Community Partner: The zoo’s goal is to be a strong community partner. Their latest efforts have focused on supporting our community during the COVID pandemic:
60 Facebook Live educational broadcasts to support educators and parents. (Now on YouTube)
Hosted free meal distributions
Hosted Red Cross blood drives
Donated 1,400 N95 masks to healthcare providers
Staff and volunteers made over 3,000 masks and distributed them to schoolchildren and the SCPH department
All About the Animals:
Growth:
Grown from 57 to 61 animal habitats
Experiences: Three new experiences opened since 2016:
Curious Creatures – Summer 2017
Pride of Africa – Summer 2019
Wild Asia – Summer 2021
Animal Residents:
Number of animals cared for has grown from 2,381 animals (239 species) to 2611 animals (252 species) since 2016.
439 individual animal births since 2016
Today:
53 species survival plans on site
2 extinct species (in the wild) call Akron Zoo home
A Perfect Inspection:
In June 2021 the Akron Zoo became 1 of 3 zoos in 50 years to receive a perfect accreditation inspection.
To learn more about the Akron Zoo and all that it has to offer, check out their website at www.akronzoo.org.
On September 13, 2022 Stew Buchanan arranged for the RYE students from District #6630 and #6600 to attend a Cleveland Guardians game. Host families, siblings, and club counselors were also present.
Welcome to Ja, Yara, Cristiano, Loris, Chihiro, Jose, Dani, and Madeline ( a potential outbound). It is nice to have exchange students back this year.
Sundays: October 16th, 23rd, 30th Event runs from 11:00am-7:00pm
Three shifts are available: 10:00am-1:15pm (October 29th 9:00am-1:15pm), 1:00-4:15pm, and 4:00-7:00pm You may sign up for more than one shift per day. Event occurs rain, snow or shine.
Boo at the Akron Zoo is a non-scary trick or treat experience for all ages that runs Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 (Presale)-7:00pm. All guests must purchase tickets, either an observer or treater, before entering the event and can be purchased presale or day of the event. Presale tickets gain entry at 10:30 a.m. and all treat stations close by 7:00pm. Treaters will have a candy passport allowing them to collect candy at each station. The entire zoo is open for guests to enjoy.
Volunteers staff each treat station and are paired with a zoo volunteer (EdZOOcator). This allows questions or concerns to be addressed quickly. We need approximately 24 volunteers for each of the three shifts to comfortably staff the event. Volunteers that are part of a large group will be split up in pairs. We are not able to keep groups together.
Boo at the Zoo is one of your Akron Zoo’s main events. As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on our revenue from the concessions, gift shop, admissions, carousel, etc. These monies allow us to provide our animals with the best possible care. In addition to our earned revenue, the Akron Zoo receives funding from a Summit County tax levy, private donations, and fundraisers, such as Boo at the Zoo. In order to keep costs low, we rely on assistance from volunteers, such as those from your organization.
I truly hope your organization will join us for this family friendly, non-scary event. To schedule your volunteer shift(s), please use our VolunteerSignUp.org link: volunteersignup.org/HKFJ9 Please contact me with any further questions. Shelley Orloski, Career Pathways Manager, boo@akronzoo.org, 330-375-2550 ex 7286. The Wednesday before your shift, you will receive detailed information regarding parking, check in location, etc.
Thank you for your support,
Shelley Orloski, CVA Boo at the Zoo Volunteer Team Leader
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn about the Summit County Historical Society during our Tuesday, September 13, 2022, weekly club meeting. Our speaker was Leianne Neff Heppner, who has worked at the Society since 1999, first serving as curator assisting with exhibits for the city and county, as well as county government records consultant. She has been the President and Chief Executive Officer since 2009 and looks towards the nonprofit organization’s 100th anniversary in 2024.
Founded in 1924, the mission of Summit County Historical Society is to preserve and interpret the history of Summit County and Akron, and to educate regional communities about the people and events that have shaped our rich history.
The Society, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, owns and manages several properties including the:
Perkins Stone Mansion, home of Akron's and Summit County's founding family.
John Brown House, home of the internationally recognized abolitionist; and
Old Stone School in downtown Akron - a partnership with Akron Public Schools.
Perkins Stone Mansion:
Completed in 1837, the Perkins Stone Mansion was built by Colonel Simon Perkins, son of Akron's founder General Simon Perkins. As one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Ohio, the Mansion is now a historical house museum whose objects and rooms not only bring to life the Perkins family's lifestyles over three generations but interpret the history of Akron and Summit County from Akron's founding to the turn of the century.
John Brown House:
Built circa 1830, by Benjamin O. Greene and Salmon Hoisington, it was rented by the Perkins family as the Stone House (today's Perkins Stone Mansion) was being built. Colonel Simon Perkins purchased the structure in early 1844 and then rented it to John Brown and his family.
Old Stone School:
The first schoolhouse built in Akron was Schoolhouse No. 2, also referred to as the schoolhouse of Portage Township School District No. 2. It was erected sometime in the early 1830s. It is located at the corner of Broadway and Buchtel Avenue.
Akron at the time was a tiny village in Portage County's Portage Township. There was already a school in operation in the Township located in the nearby village of Middlebury, known as Schoolhouse No.1. (The dates and location for this school is unknown.) Much later Akron annexed Middlebury, but Portage Township Schoolhouse No. 2 is still considered Akron's first school.
While Ms. Neff-Heppner was able to touch on some of the highlights of the Summit County Historical Society, I would encourage all readers to check out their website for additional information on the three properties listed in this article. You will find some very interesting facts about the history of Akron and Summit County. The website is www.summithistory.org.
The Rotary Club of Akron had a thought-provoking presentation on Tuesday, September 6th when Bhante Soorakkulame Pemaratana, Chief Monk, Pittsburgh Buddhist Center and Cleveland Buddhist Vihara & Meditation Center, spoke to the Club.
Bhante Pemaratana earned a PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. During recent years, he has given guest lectures and conducted seminars in universities including Pennsylvania State University and the University of Cambridge in the UK. He also travels to countries in Southeast Asia to conduct public talks and mediation retreats.
Bhante Pemaratana spends most of his time administering to the Sri Lankan community in the Tri-State area and to an ever-growing group of Americans interested in learning more about Buddhism, mindfulness, and meditation. He offers workshops on meditation and provides spiritual counseling to help people to deal with challenging issues of life.
He began his presentation discussing the partnership his religious community has participated in with a Rotary Club in Sri Lanka. This project involved opening two orphanages, one for males and one for females.
Continuing with his presentation, Bhante Pemaratana discussed how one’s spiritual values are in sync with the Service values that are part of the Rotary mission and vision. He also stressed Rotarians, and others who provide various types of service, to their fellow mankind, and don’t expect anything in return, do experience some social benefits by feeling good about what they do. Ultimately, we should all transform ourselves to be the best we can be.
Rotary Camp is collecting ACME receipts! Help us earn 5% Community Cashback by shopping store brands in Acme Fresh Market. Save your receipts from August 4, 2022 until December 24, 2022.
Receipts can either be mailed to Camp (4460 Rex Lake Dr., Akron OH 44319), or be turned in at the weekly Rotary Meetings.
Thank you ACME for your continued support to the community!
LAST CALL FOR YOUR ACME RECEIPTS THROUGH DECEMBER 24TH!
The September 27 meeting will be off-site, at the Emily Davis Gallery in the Myers School of Art, The University of Akron, 150 East Exchange Street. We will be joining Gallery Director Arnold Tunstall who will lead us through the exciting Art-Science, "Synapse 15" exhibition. Featuring a group of internationally acclaimed artists, Synapse 15 "probes ideas, images, and mutual interests to connect the art and science disciplines. Synapse focuses on artists and designers, as well as science and engineering collaborators who explore the natural world."
We will gather at the gallery at noon, where President Lynda will open the meeting and Gerry will introduce Mr. Tunstall. After viewing a brief introductory video, we will tour the two floors of the exhibition, then adjourn to a nearby classroom for lunch. Mr. Tunstall will join us and be available for any of us who would like to see the exhibition in more depth after lunch. However, those needing to leave by or before 1 are welcome to return later as the show goes through September 30.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Jim Mullen, President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Way of Summit and Medina Counties.
Over Jim’s tenure, United Way of Summit & Medina has expanded its footprint and programming. The merger of InfoLine and Medina County coupled with the implementation of programs such as the Financial Empowerment Centers and Family Resource Centers have been instrumental in the success and results of the Bold Goals.
Most of Jim’s presentation centered around the Four Bold Goals that currently drives the agency’s direction. According to Jim, the Bold Goals are how they measure their work to create lasting change. They target root causes of longstanding problems in our community. United Way looks at themselves as “In, With, and For Our Community.”
65% of APS third graders reading at or above grade
2015-2016 baseline: 38%
2020-2021: 27%
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on reading scores. In the 2018-19 school year, 50% of third graders were reading at or above grade level.
BOLD GOAL 2:
YOUTH SUCCESS
COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS
90% of APS high schoolers graduating in 4 years, with 60% college/career ready
2015-2016 baseline: 75% and 21% respectively
2020-2021: 83% and 28% respectively
BOLD GOAL 3:
FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT
Financially empower 11,000 people in Summit County
Summit County 2016 baseline: 42,000 people in Akron live in households earning less than Ohio’s cost of living.
June 2018 – June 2022: 3,271 Summit County residents are on the path to financial empowerment.
BOLD GOAL 4:
HEALTH EQUITY
Reduce the Black infant mortality rate in Summit County to 6 per 1,000 live births
2019 baseline: Black infant mortality rate is 15.4 per 1,000 live births while the Summit County infant mortality rate is 6 per 1,000 live births.
Not Your Parents United Way
United Way of Summit and Medina Counties has changed how they do business. For years, the organization distributed money to a variety of not-for-profit organizations within the community. Now the organization contracts with agencies, but also provides services directly to residents of Summit and Medina counties.
The organization annual revenue is $40 million (March 2022).
Direct Service programming is at the center of what they do.
Campaign revenue is about 1/3 of their total revenue each year.
Donor designations are less than $1 million, from over $8 million in 2015.
Two acquisitions of area non-profits since 2018 (InfoLine and Medina United Way)
What is significant about the Donor Designation item is that with more donors not specifically identifying where they want their money to be allocated, United Way is better able to meet the needs of the community as the needs change.
2021 Return on Investment
$50.8 million overall community impact
$38.1 million community contributions
$9.7 million direct benefit to clients
$3.0 million partner program leverage
In 2021 the Return on Investment was $11:1
To learn more about each of the Bold Goals and their impact on the community, I encourage you to view Jim’s PowerPoint presentation or visit www.uwsummitmedina.org. You will learn about the Sojourner Truth Plaza, the Imagination Library, Family Resource Centers, College and Career Readiness, Keys to Financial Empowerment, to name just a few of the innovative activities taking place at the United Way of Summit & Medina Counties.
The 13th annual Cornhole Tournament presented by Buckeye Corrugated Inc. was held this past Saturday on the beautiful grounds of Rotary Camp. This was a record year for teams, with 8 teams competing at the Ringers level and 36 at the Recreational level.
The day was a great success and we are very excited to announce that we raised $14,910 to help send 30 kids to campfor a week! Thanks to all who support the tourney with sponsorships, team registrations, raffle tickets, donations, auction items, and to all who volunteered.
Participants and volunteers enjoyed lunch from the Menche’s Bros Food Truck, beverages from the House of LaRose, ice-cream from Paul’s Drive-In Machine Rentals and snacks from Hickory Harvest. Special thanks to Scott and Jaime Kolligian for their continued support and commitment over the years to help make this event grow.
Congratulations to all the winners:
Ringers – 1st place: Scott Kolligian and Zac Hagy (Beers & Bags)
Ringers – 2nd place: Jeff Beattie and Ryan Beattie (The Sneakers)
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Paul Jarrett, Executive Director of the Akron Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Jarrett started with the Akron Symphony in 2012. Paul has worked throughout Northeast Ohio in both arts management and performance. Paul’s time with the Akron Symphony has focused on a culture of engagement in meaningful collaborations with dozens of local organizations, schools, and artists. Paul is a member of Leadership Akron Class 31, and a member of Akron Rotary.
For Paul’s presentation, he discussed the Top Ten Truths about Classical Music. Paul elaborated on each item. For more information on each of these “Truths”, I encourage you to view his presentation. Watch video (click)
The Top Ten Truths are as follows:
10) Some of the Music is Terrible – Lets face it, we have different interests, so what one individual might enjoy, another person might think the piece is terrible.
9) It’s ok to feel what you feel –
8) “You do the Andante, I’ll do the Grazioso” – Andante: moderately slow tempo, Grazioso: graceful, smooth, or elegant in style
7) You can join in –
6) You know what sounds fun? A lecture! ☹ -
5) Come as you are – the days of the tuxedo and formal dress are over!
4) Clap when you want –
3) 400 + years of crate digging – Every piece of music can sound different based on the producer’s interpretation, presentation, style, etc.
2) Music needs you – Music, to be appreciated, needs the orchestra/musician as well as the listener. Without either of these participants, music would just be some symbols on a piece of paper.
1) Music has value – Value is more than just a dollar figure. Value is what music can provide to all of us.
You can go to Spotify and find a playlist Paul created for Akron Rotary.
The University of Akron is honoring our own Stu Parry on September 3rd at 5:00 p.m. at First Energy Stadium.
Stu is a long-time Akron Rotarian (63 years). If Club members would like to attend the Recognition Reception, please see the RSVP information below.
There is no charge for attending the event.
The University is encouraging Rotarians to donate to the Stu Parry Recognition Wall. See the link included below.
The University of Akron Athletics and the Men's Soccer Program are proud to host the Stu Parry Recognition Weekend,
In 1954, Stu founded Zips Soccer as a club sport at the University of Akron. One year later, thanks to his undeniable energy, enthusiasm and passion for the sport, soccer became the 11th intercollegiate sport on campus. As a volunteer coach from 1954-1969, Coach Parry compiled an enviable record of 118 wins, 43 losses and 4 ties, including 9 Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association Championships. He developed 10 All-American soccer players.
During his 15 seasons at the helm, Akron consistently played the top teams in the country as well as those in Ohio. 1961, the Zips received their first ever NCAA post-season tournament bid. On five more occasions, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967 and 1968, Akron earned NCAA Invitations. In 1966 and 1968, Parry's fellow coaches honored him by voting him Ohio Soccer Coach of the Year.
Long active in the National Soccer Coaches Association, Parry served as the organization's president in 1968 and was a member of the rules committee for six years. In 1975, Coach Parry was inducted into the Zips Hall of Fame.
Stu's legacy has been continued by the coaches that have followed him.
We invite you to join us as we celebrate the legacy and contributions "The Father of Akron Soccer" Coach Parry made to the Akron Men's Soccer Program.
We do ask that Rotarians make a donation to the Stu Parry Recognition Wall. The link is below.
Please RSVP to Saturday's Recognition Reception by sending an email to cstockton@uakron.edu
CAMDEN STOCKTON Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development Department of Athletics The University of Akron Office: (330) 972-8255 Cell: (417) 825-2657
The Rotary Club of Akron had one of our own members, Malcolm J. Costa, as our featured speaker during our Tuesday, August 16th meeting. Malcolm has devoted his life to community service: organizing communities, developing programs and people to address poverty in Akron and Northeast Ohio.
For the past 45 years, Malcolm has served as President & CEO, Community Action Akron Summit where he administers community programs most notably as the prime Summit County contractor for the Community Services Block Grant.
Malcolm shared with the Club some of the programs offered by his agency. In addition, he presented information on the impact the construction of the Akron Innerbelt had on the African American Community in the 1960’s.
Community Action Akron Summit (CA) is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing a wide range of diverse and comprehensive services for over 40 years that address the needs of low-income residents of Summit County.
The concept of Community Action has been part of the American social fabric for 50 years. The Community Action movement dates back to 1964, when the Economic Opportunity Act was passed indicating the beginning of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty.
CA offers specific resources and educational training that promote economic self-sufficiency to low-income residents while assisting individuals and families to move upwards and out of poverty by providing a comprehensive system of education, training, support, and resources that are central to the programs and services offered.
What are some of those programs and services?
Pathways HUB Community Action Program
Represents a network of care coordination agencies focused on reaching pregnant women at risk and reduction of infant mortality.
Head Start Program
Provides high-quality early childhood education in nurturing learning environments for infant toddlers and 3 year-olds.
Foster Grandparent Program
Provides volunteer opportunities for low-income people aged 55 and older to serve children and teenagers who have special needs.
Energy Assistance Program
Assists low-income households that are threatened with the loss of basic utilities.
Earned Income Tax Credit Program
No cost income tax preparation service for low- and moderate-income families.
Chore Program
No cost snow removal and grass cutting service for eligible low-income families.
How Did the Construction of the Akron Innerbelt in the 1960’s Impact the African American Community?
Just as Community Action Agencies were created in 1964 by the Economic Opportunity Act, legislation to create Urban Renewal was also passed.
The mass exodus to suburbia after World War II left many major cities in poor condition.
Affordable, dependable housing was hard to find, especially for the poor.
To deal with escalating problems in urban areas, Johnson won passage of a bill establishing aDepartment of Housing and Urban Development.
With the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Akron began to look at constructing the Innerbelt. The decision to construct the Innerbelt impacted large segments of homes and businesses from West Cedar Street to the northeast, to Wooster Avenue to the South. These businesses and homes were occupied predominantly by African Americans.
The Akron Beacon Journal printed an article titled “The Devastation -The failed Akron Innerbelt drove decades of racial inequity” on February 3, 2022. Malcolm shared some of the highlights from that article.
The Akron Innerbelt tore through a Black neighborhood, destroying property values and hurting the people who lived there.
Black families that had worked hard to buy houses — long the standard for accruing and passing on generational wealth — lost them overnight.
Many became renters and entered public housing developments. Some were able to purchase homes in other parts of the city, though white flight followed them. Those who kept their homes also lost, as declining property values prevented them from being able to build equity.
With so many families leaving the neighborhood, school enrollment also declined, which led to school closures, further depreciating home values.
A 1975 document compiled by the Akron Department of Planning and Urban Renewal notes that at least 737 households were displaced during the highway’s first two phases of construction. But that figure does not account for two later phases lasting until 1987, and former city employees, displaced residents, advocates, and local historians believe the number is higher.
To make way for the Innerbelt in the late 1960s, city officials had been seizing property through eminent domain and offering a small amount of cash to homeowners for relocation purposes. The payouts, which frequently were contested by homeowners, were often not enough to purchase new homes.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the city was offering about $5,000 to each homeowner, though on rare occasions payments were as high as $15,000.
You can view the PowerPoint slides that Malcolm shared with the Club that shows some of the areas that were impacted by the decision to create the innerbelt and the resultant decades of racial inequity.
To learn more about Community Action Akron-Summit and the programs and services offered, I encourage you to visit www.ca-akron.org.
Speaker Recap: Malcolm Costa, Community Action of Akron Summit
Daniel M. Rice, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, headquartered in Akron was the guest speaker at our August 9, 2022 Club meeting. View the meeting by clicking here.
Mr. Rice presented information on the history of the Ohio and Erie Canalway and provided updates as to current and longer-term plans for the Canalway.
What is the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition?
The Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition (OECC), established in 1989, is the regional non-profit organization working for the conservation, development, and interpretation of the natural, historical, and recreational resources along the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway from Cleveland to New Philadelphia, Ohio. The OECC is dedicated to developing the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area in Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas Counties.
Their focus is on development of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, connector trails, and adjacent public spaces, all of which support a healthy and active ecosystem rich in culture and recreation.
What else does the Canalway Coalition do?
The Canalway Coalition also provides a variety of programs, from bicycling and canoeing events to fishing derbies along the banks of the Ohio & Erie Canal. These programs serve to connect our communities to the Canalway, educating on the impact of the Ohio & Erie Canal as a development asset in the mid-1800s, and how the impact can still be felt as a recreational asset today.
Does the Canalway Coalition partner with anyone else?
According to Mr. Rice, as a non-profit, they work with community, government, and corporate business leaders on development projects throughout the National Heritage Area. They have created collaborative relationships with elected officials, community leaders, park districts, local businesses, and volunteers. Mr. Rice said that they work closely with these partners to develop trail plans, encourage community engagement, and maintain the Towpath Trail.
What are some of the Programs and Events that the Canalway Coalition Offer?
From canoeing and bicycling to large-group cleanups, the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition offers a wide variety of events for individuals, friends, and families to enjoy while supporting the OECC efforts. Programs offer participants the chance to learn more about the Ohio & Erie Canal and what it means to become a steward of the environment. To learn more about the upcoming events, check out their website at www.ohioeriecanal.org/events.
To get a better feel about what is available in our own backyard, explore more about the Towpath Trail, the Akron Civic Commons, Summit County Trails and Tuscarawas County Trails, I encourage you to check out their website at www.ohioeriecanal.org as well as view the online presentation from today.
The Rotary Youth Exchange Committee and President Lynda Farkas welcomed Yara Martin and her host family, Keith, Tonya, Samantha and Carston Kramer, July 31, to a typical American potluck picnic. All took advantage of the beautiful late afternoon for fun and relaxation. It was a Great opportunity to get to know Yara and her host family. Samantha leaves for Brazil August 9.
13th Annual Cornhole Tournament benefiting Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs
Join us for Rotary Camp’s 13th Annual Cornhole Tournament, presented by Buckeye Corrugated, Inc. The tourney will be held on August 27, 2022 at 9:30am on the grounds of Akron Rotary Camp, in the beautiful Portage Lakes!
Sign-up your team today for either the Skilled Ringers Division ($90) or the Recreational Division ($60). Winners walk away with cash prizes! Also participate in an Air-Mail toss or Long-Toss for some bragging rights and awesome giveaways! Bring your friends, neighbors and family for a fun day! All registered players will receive a food voucher from the Menches Bros. Food Truck, and an ice-cream station. Beverages from our friends at the House of LaRose will be available for purchase to help keep you cool.
There are multiple ways to support this great event to benefit Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs by registering to play, participate with a sponsorship or recruit teams. Your participation will continue to strengthen the Camp's mission of Creating a world where there are only abilities!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Charles Guthrie at our Tuesday, August 2nd meeting. Mr. Guthrie is the Athletic Director for the University of Akron. He has held this position since July 1, 2021.
Guthrie comes to Akron from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he served as director of athletics since late 2017. At Green Bay, Guthrie led a department of coaches, staff and more that 240 student-athletes competing in 14 NCAA Division I athletic programs as a member of the Horizon League Conference. At Green Bay, his responsibilities included strategic, operational and financial planning; extensive external relations and fundraising programs in coordination with University Advancement; compliance and academic achievement; staff and coach development; and relationship building with campus and community constituents.
Mr. Guthrie began his presentation identifying many of the great things that are occurring at the University. During his brief tenure at the University, he has been charged with recruiting six new coaches.
One of his first hires was Joe Moorhead, who is returning to the University after several years coaching at other universities. Mr. Guthrie stated that Coach Moorhead was rated as the #1 hire by ESPN for football coaches in 2021.
Mr. Guthrie is also looking forward to great things with the University’s basketball team. Six of seven players will be returning for this year after experiencing a MAC championship this past year. Three of the returning players are pursuing their MBA.
Soccer has several returning players and have recruited some very talented new players.
He is looking for a new Track coach. The past coach retired after many years at the University of Akron. The University has been refurbishing the track field and is encouraging Akron residents to take advantage of running on the track as a community attraction.
With the return of Baseball at the University, Mr. Guthrie has recruited a new baseball coach from OSU who has 12 years coaching experience.
Mr. Guthrie has also recruited a softball coach from Arizona State.
The University is replacing the artificial turf at InfoCision stadium after thirteen years of use. He encouraged Rotarians to come to the stadium and root on the Zips this Fall.
In addition to Mr. Guthrie’s commitment to athletics, he is also adamant about his athletes excelling academically. While he was pleased to see the overall average GPA is 3.0 for the athletes, he intends to work on raising that overall GPA.
Mr. Guthrie also discussed the challenges coaches are experiencing with the NCAA decision that athletes can ask to be paid as athletes. He is hoping changes can be made that allow athletes to be able to “sell themselves” as an athlete for activities outside of their actual playing time. His concern is the ability of small schools to retain athletes who wish to pursue the money route and “go where the money is.”
Mr. Guthrie answered many questions during the Q & A portion of his presentation. I encourage readers to listen to his presentation. My written comments can’t match the enthusiasm exhibited in Mr. Guthrie’s presentation. The University and the Akron community are fortunate to have an individual like Mr. Guthrie as the Athletic Director at the University of Akron.
Michael Kahoe was inducted on August 2, 2022. He was sponsored by Tom Knauer. Tom shared that Mike understands the importance of public and community service and enjoys working on behalf of the residents of the state. He is passionate about serving and desires to focus more of his time working locally to improve the lives of residents in Akron and surrounding communities.
Mike is the Northeast Ohio Regional Liaison for Lt. Governor Jon Husted.
He was born and grew up in Bath and Richfield Ohio.
He was involved in helping a number of nonprofit organizations throughout high school. In 2019 he was elected to the Revere Board of Education and in 2021 was appointed to the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center Board of Education.
He also serves on the governing board for the Revere Class of 2020 scholarship, where they reserve funds to send a special needs student to a summer camp each year.
He enjoys cooking, traveling, and running. He is training for his first half marathon in August. He said "I am joining Rotary to meet other people invested in the community and find new ways to give back."
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Jim Mahon, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Management at the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau, John S. Knight Center, Greystone Hall and the Sports Alliance of Greater Akron, during our Tuesday, July 26 Club meeting. View the recording by clicking here.
So what does the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau actually do?
As the community’s destination marketing organization, the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitor’s Bureau proudly advocates the positive impact the hospitality industry has on the local economy and our quality of life.
Established in 1973 to promote Akron/Summit County as an ideal destination for business and leisure travel, the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau is the clearinghouse for area travel and tourism information. Funded solely by a percentage of the bed tax collected from visitors staying in Summit County accommodations, the Bureau is self-sustaining economic development organization. Visitor expenditures on lodging, dining, entertainment, and retail represent “new dollars” for the local economy – money that would otherwise not be included in revenue and tax totals. Mr. Mahon stated “Putting heads in beds” is an unofficial slogan that underscores the importance of marketing opportunities and experiences that require visitors to spend a night (or few) in Summit County.
Areas of responsibility within the organization include the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau, the John S. Knight Center and Greystone Hall. Within the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau are the Sports Alliance of Greater Akron and the Greater Akron Amenities, Inc.
What Impact Does the Hospitality Sector Have Financially on Our Community?
Hospitality expenditures include the following:
Overnight Accommodations
Dining
Retail
Entertainment & Recreation
Transportation
The economic impact in Summit County in 2021 were as follows:
13,986 direct jobs + 2,735 indirect jobs supported
$352.3 million in direct tourism employee wages
Who are the Stakeholders of the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau?
Visitors – Leisure & Business Travel
Hotels & Hospitality Partners
Meeting, Event, Tour & Sports Planners
Board of Directors & Elected/Public Officials
Local Residents, Organizations, and Businesses
The Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau has many goals. These goals address the following areas:
Vibrancy
Authenticity
Diversity
Accessibility
Affordability
Hospitality
Advocacy
Mr. Mahon shared with the Club how the Akron/Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau [Re]bounded and [Re]activated programs coming out of the COVID pandemic. This included both In-Market and Out-of-Market initiatives.
What are some of the past and current initiatives?
Partnerships In Motion
Partner Networking
Destination Development Grant Program
Speakers Bureau
Hotel, Marketing & Sports Alliance Meetings
Print/Digital/Social Media Advertising & Messaging
Tourism Ohio Co-op Program
Summit Brew Path, New Again Akron, and The Drip Drive
Sales Missions & Industry Trade Shows
Fly2AkronCanton
GG9 Legacy & LGBTQ Marketing Strategy
The Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau benefits all the citizens of Summit County and visitors coming to our community for business or leisure.
I encourage fellow Rotarians to access the following websites to gain additional knowledge on how we can utilize the services provided/coordinated by the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, the John S. Knight Center and Greystone Hall and various other stakeholders who make this all possible.
www.visitakron-summit.org
www.akron.travel
www.johnsknightcenter.org
www.greystonehall.org
www.playakron.com
www.grabliferighthere.com
www.summitbrewpath.com
www.newagainakron.com
www.thedripdrive.com
www.playeatshop.org
www.meetplaystay.com
www.fly2akroncanton.com
www.hospitalityeconomy.com
www.idefyconvention.com
Speaker Recap: Jim Mahon, VP Marketing & Brand Management
Wavemakers from the Rotary Club of Akron responded to the call of Dragons on the Lake July 23 and kept their rendez-vous to race on the water against challengers from local corporate and civic organizations.
The winners: The Dragon Dream Team, Akron's local breast cancer survivor team and its outreach program AND all who participated in the FUN-FILLED event.
Kimmie and Kaitlyn Hoch served as a strong stroke pair at the front of the boat while Brian Kosarko captained the team to a fourth place finish overall. Not a bad showing for first-time or once-a-year paddlers who reach out in this annual event to support Breast Cancer Survivors! Also on board pulling with strong strokes were Sharon Buie (BCS), Cyndi Kane, Olivia Pilon, Angela Kosarko, David and Anna Marie Hall and other Rotary supporters.
Wavemakers wore the best in t-shirt logo designed in 2018 by Tom Knauer. And they raised significant funds over and above the required participation sum.
Kudos and a HUGEThanks to Captain Kosarko and Rotary’s Wavemakers!!!!!
Our next Akron-Canton Food Bank service project is Wednesday, September 21st from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
The projects involve breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
ALL volunteers need to apply/register in order to volunteer (See below my signature for the link). I am the volunteer coordinator for the Akron Rotary Club and you will need the Akron Rotary Club’s address for signing up.
Akron Rotary Club
4460 Rex Lake Drive
Akron, OH 44319
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by Friday September 16th 9am if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Thank you for volunteering at your Foodbank! We look forward to welcoming you.
Akron Rotarians Are People of Action: Please Volunteer at Akron-Canton Foodbank SEPTEMBER 21st
The Date is Wednesday, July 20 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307.
ALL volunteers need to apply/register in order to volunteer.
I am the volunteer coordinator for the Akron Rotary Club and you will need the Akron Rotary Club’s address for signing up.
Akron Rotary Club
4460 Rex Lake Drive
Akron, OH 44319
I need a head count by this Friday, July 15th, so please let me know if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044 Thank you!
If you have any questions please call or text David Hall at 330-714-1044.
The service project will be followed by a social event open to all at Lock 15. Please come for dinner or drinks or both. This event is open to anyone that wants to join us; you do not need to attend the service project to join us at Lock 15. If you are coming to the social event please let David Hall or David Miller know so we can have sufficient table space and chairs for all. Please join us for an evening of conversation, laughs and fellowship. Lock 15 is located at 21 W. North St., Akron, OH 44304. Hope to see you there!
Past District Governor and Club Past Akron President John Reyes, was the recipient of the prestigious District 6630 Michael J. Johns Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award.
This award is given to a long-time member in good standing with Rotary District 6630 who has freely given of himself/herself through mentoring, sharing, and serving Rotary. Potential awardees include a past District, Zone or International officer or committee chair (not necessarily a PDG); a supporter of The Rotary Foundation to the best of their ability (not necessarily financial); and someone who has touched our District in many ways throughout the years.
John has led the charge on many critical matters within the District and continually provides support, guidance and mentoring for other members. He and his wife Linda are always ready to help take action to create lasting change for the District, our Clubs and our communities. They truly exemplify Rotary's motto 'Service Above Self'.
In addition, the following the following awards were presented to our Club and our other members for the 2021-2022 Rotary Year:
Outstanding Leadership & Service Award: Cheryl Warren, PDG
The award was presented by PDG Lohman to Cheryl as well as Bob Oborn (Stow-Munroe Falls), Mike Davanzo, PDG (Medina SR) and Kathy Berkshire (Lakewood Rocky River SR) for their unwavering leadership and service during his year as Governor.
TheA.Z. Baker Award - The Akron Rotary Club
Akron was one of 29 clubs (out of 50) to receive this award. The A. Z. Baker Service Awards were established in 1978 at the recommendation of then District Governor James P. Banks, and by action of the District Board of Trustees. This award honors our own "Mr. Rotary," A.Z. Baker, from the Rotary Club of Cleveland who served as Rotary International President in 1955-1956. His dedication and commitment to Rotary truly exemplified SERVICE ABOVE SELF and this award was designed to honor his memory by encouraging all clubs in the district to participate in each of the Avenues of Service which are the foundation of club activity.
Clubs qualify for this coveted award through the accumulation of achievement points.
Club Training & Educational Awards - The Akron Rotary Club
Akron was one of 7 clubs (out of 50) to receive this award. This award is given to any Club that has shown a commitment to the ideals and spirit of Rotary during the 2021-2022 Rotary Year.
Individual Training & Educational Awards
This award is given to any Rotarian who has shown a commitment to the ideals and spirit of being a Rotarian during the 2021-2022 Rotary Year.
13 individuals in the District received this award, 5 from the Akron Club:
Cheryl Warren, PDG
John Reyes, PDG
Julie Brandle, DGE
Lynda Farkas
Stew Buchanan, PDG
Congratulations to all of the 2021-2022 District Award Recipients!!
Akron Club and Members Receive Awards & Recognition
Congratulations to Lynda Farkas, our new 2022-2023 Club President. Lynda was sworn in by District Governor David Jones who then had the board of directors also take their oath of office.
For 2022-2023 we have an exciting level of RYE activity. We have two Long-term Outbound students Manny Nunez (S. Korea) and Samantha Kramer (Brazil) and one Short-term student Serena Guo to Belgium on direct exchange.
Our Outbound Exchange student Samantha (Sammy) Kramer attended our Rotary lunch June 28 with her father, Keith Kramer. She will leave for Brazil in late July to be there on time to start school. She wore her RYE jacket with a collection of pins already evident, so I’m certain she will have a fabulous time. She has communicated with her host family and is excited about going. Sammy’s grandfather is a Rotarian from Cincinnati and a former District Governor. He was the pin donor to her collection’s early start.
The Kramers, who live in Stow, are going to host Yara Martin Salas while Sammy is in Brazil. Yara has managed to get her J1VISA so she can now purchase her airline ticket. It was an arduous process, but she and her father finally succeeded and are elated. We received a very nice message from Jesús Martin, her father, thanking all who facilitated the visa process. Yara has already made out her schedule with help from Sam’s mom Tonya Kramer, and hopes to play volleyball for SMFHS. Yara will arrive July 27. Yara is the 4th member of her family to do the Rotary Exchange. One older brother went to Syracuse several years ago.
OLivia Pilon will serve as Counselor to our Inbound student Yara Martin Salas.
On July 12 Manuel Nunez, Outbound student to S. Korea, attended the lunch installation of President Lynda Farkas. His father, Jacinto Nunez, an active member of our club, was present as well. In addition to Manny, Serena Guo our STEP student (Short Term Exchange Program) was a guest with her Exchange sister from Belgium, Apolline Snyers. Apoline brought a Rotary flag from her sponsor club in Enghien, Belgium, to give to President Lynda Farkas. Apolline’s father is currently president of the club in Belgium. Serena’s mother, Grace Zhang, and sister, Anabelle Guo, were also guests for lunch. Serena will go to Belgium in August to complete the final leg of the exchange. It’s exciting to have young people involved in Rotary again.
The RYE Committee is planning a welcome potluck for Yara. Lynda Farkas will host the committee and our Inbound student Yara on July 31st at her home on Turkeyfoot Lake (6 pm). It has also listed strategies to engage our Inbound student and club members in activities throughout the year and looks forward to playing an active role helping young people bridge the cultural gap.
Apolline Snyers from Belgium, Serena Guo and Manuel Nuñez from Akron. Apolline and Serena are doing the STEP or Short Term Exchange Program this summer: 4 weeks together in Akron, 4 weeks together in Belgium. Manny is doing the long-Term program and will leave for S. Korea at the end of August. He will spend 11 months attending classes and hosted by Rotarian families.
July 1 of eachyear is a time of change in the Rotary world.
At that time of the year, Rotary International along with all Districts and Rotary Clubs around the world conduct a Changeover Ceremony/Installation which brings NEW leadership, NEW ideas, a NEW theme and renewed vitality.
We were honored to hear from fellow Rotarian Karen Hrdlicka at our June 21st meeting. Karen provided the following recap of her presentation which can also be viewed by clicking here or copy and paste this link in your browser https://youtu.be/YlcOvuL6rsk
Here is a recap she provided:
The word “philanthropy” simply means “love of mankind”. Paul Harris started Rotary in 1905 so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Now it is also an organization that seeks to solve complex humanitarian problems both globally and locally. Certainly a way to “love mankind”. As you know, Rotary International is intentional in how they achieve results. Shouldn’t you follow that example by being intentional about how you love your community?
The 4 T’s of Philanthropy is simply a framework that allows you to intentionally think about the way you show up in the community around an issue you are passionate about. If every person found a cause and was intentional about how they affected that issue, we could make a real difference in the world. The 4 T’s are:
Time
Treasure
Talent
Ties
Our very own Virginia Wojno-Forney is a great example. Last week she was honored by the Women’s History Project with the Imagination Award. Her passion is preservation. She gave her time volunteering with Progress through Preservation. She used her treasure by giving her own money to preservation projects in our community. She used her talent of vision to help envision a run down urban area into Cascade Lock Park and other projects. She used her ties with the GAR Foundation, city institutions and volunteers to achieve preservation goals. By using all 4 of her T’s towards a goal of preserving history and beautifying our community she produced real results.
Consider how you can be intentional as well. What are you passionate about? Where do you want to make a difference in the world? What change do you want to make in the community?
Time Find a nonprofit organization that is working in that area and sign up to be a volunteer. According to a study done by Volunteer Hub the value you bring to that organization as a volunteer is $28.54 an hour. In return a Cleveland Clinic study showed that when you volunteer you get a health benefit by strengthening your body, improving your mood and lessening your stress. 96% of volunteers reported the action enriched their sense of purpose in life. In Ohio, 33.2% of citizens 18 years and older volunteer. Imagine the difference it would make if we could increase that to even 40%.
Treasure Donate to that nonprofit. Many people have non-cash items (i.e. appreciated stocks, IRAs required minimum distributions, cryptocurrency, etc.) that can be donated through a donor advised or endowment fund at a community foundation and liquidated to give to nonprofits. Don’t forget to check if your company has a matching donation program. It is estimated that between $4-$10 billion is left on the table each year from corporate matching gift programs.
Talent Nonprofits are constrained in terms of the staff they can afford. Giving talent leverages specific skills. Board service is a great way to support a nonprofit organization you are passionate about. However, if that is not available or conducive to your schedule, consider project based work like setting up computer systems, social media management, or any other project that you are skilled to perform and the nonprofit needs.
Ties This is probably the easiest one of all, but no one thinks about it as an intentional step. As Rotarians we get how important networking is and this is just connecting it to a nonprofit. When you volunteer, bring along a friend. When you have to say “no” consider saying “no, but let me introduce you to…”. When you see a nonprofits social media post, share it and tell others why you love that nonprofit.
The Akron Community Foundation opened the Center for Family Philanthropy for the very reason of getting more people involved in supporting the nonprofits in Summit and Medina counties. If you are passionate about changing something in the world, our doors are open to help you think about how you can make a difference. And Karen Hrdlicka, as a fellow Rotarian, is always willing to take your call or have coffee to help you be more intentional in how you show up in the world and make a difference.
Want to have some fun while rowing for a great cause?
Please consider being on the Dragon Boat team!
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We need to verify if we can support a full team very shortly so let me know if you are fully interested in participating and if you have anyone else who may like to participate.
It costs $1200 for the team to participate in the event so expect about $50 per person out of pocket.
I will check with our Rotary Club to see if they will sponsor us again ... but we cannot count on this right now.
PRACTICE:
There will be 1 practice before the day in an evening decided by the event organizers.
On the day of, the event starts at 7:30am but as we have learned, only the captain or 1 person needs to be there to sign us up. The rest of the people need to be there around 8:30 to get ready. The races start at 9am so all the team would need to be there and ready in case we are in one of the first races.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
SHIRTS:
We will have to check with fellow Rotarian Tom Knauer to see if he can help with shirt logo again if anything needs changed.
Otherwise, I think I can get new shirts at about $25 each if we get 12 or more, $22 if we get 18 or more. These are performance t-shirts with the logo on them.
OUR TEAM:
Our current team is below with the indented people being invited by the Rotarian above them:
Brian Kosarko
Angela Kosarko
Hannah Lingel
Connor Jarvis
David Hall
AnnMarie Hall
Olivia Pilon
1 or 2 work associates?
Maybe
Julie Brandle
Karen Hrdlicka
Susan Colville-Hall
Brian Shanower (Brian K)
Natalie Shanower (Brian K)
Garrett Morgner (Brian K)
Bri Hastings (Brian K)
If you know anyone who would be interested or wants to participate, let me know and we can add them to the list.
For 2022-2023 we have an exciting level of RYE activity. Two Long-term Outbound students Manny Nunez (S. Korea) and Samantha Kramer (Brazil) and a Short-term student, Serena Guo, who is going to Belgium on a direct exchange.
Our Outbound Exchange student Samantha (Sammy) Kramer attended with her father, Keith Kramer (photo). She will leave in July for Brazil to be there on time to start school. She wore her RYE jacket with a collection of pins already evident, so it’s obvious she will have a fabulous time. She has communicated with her host family and is excited about going. Sam’s grandfather is a Rotarian from Cincinnati and was the pin donor to her early start.
The Kramers, who live in Stow, are going to host Yara while Sammy is in Brazil. Yara has already made out her schedule with help from Sam’s mom, Tonya Kramer, and hopes to play volleyball for SMFHS. Liv Pilon will serve as Counselor to our Inbound student Yara Martin Salas.
July 12 our short-term exchange student Serena Guo will join Akron Rotarians for lunch with her exchange sister from Belgium and Serena’s mother.
The RYE Committee will meet next week, June 28, to plan activities for our Inbound student following the regular meeting at Bounce. If you are a Rotarian who is interested in supporting young people in an international adventure, please join us.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Mark Willis, an attorney actively engaged in the practice of law, with an emphasis in the area of tort and insurance law during our Tuesday, June 14th Club Meeting. Mr. Willis presented information to Club members on information we all need to know about Ohio insurance law and the interaction of liability coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, medical payment coverage and health coverage.
View the presentation by clicking here or copy and paste the link into your browser https://youtu.be/KUP9tyRADkk
One of the first things Mr. Willis stated was "too often I have conversations with clients that find their lives upside down due to serious injuries, large medical bills and lost income from an accident to find out there is not enough insurance coverage or the wrong type of insurance coverage to cover their needs."
The theme that Mr. Willis stressed throughout his presentation was “At the point your need the coverage it is too late to do anything about the various insurance coverages in place. Better to understand how to protect yourself before some event – than afterwards.”
Mr. Willis began his presentation asking Rotarians the names of various insurance companies they were either insured with or had heard of. While the Club members listed at least a dozen companies, Mr. Willis reported that over 150 companies are licensed to sell insurance in the State of Ohio. The 12-15 companies we mentioned probably cover nearly 85% of those insured in Ohio, but the other companies are reputable companies and can often offer more favorable rates because of less overhead with advertising, etc.
Mr. Willis also discussed what “I have full coverage” means. You need to ensure you know what your “full coverage” really covers. What are the exemptions, who is covered, who isn’t covered, etc.
He shared a handout with everyone titled “Questions for Your Insurance Agent/Company”. This is an excellent guide for things we all can ask our insurance agent to ensure we have the coverage we think we have, or we think we need. See the attachment for items covered.
Yours in Service,
Terry Dalton
Rotary Club of Akron Secretary and Scholarship Chair
First Cookout of the year was Thursday June 9 at Akron Rotary Camp. Helpers included Tamara and Joe Mora. Guests included Jacinto and Manny Nuñez and Susan Colville-Hall. Campers have been coming for 98 years!!!!!
Blake Offenberger joined us virtually on June 7, 2022. Blake shared the mission of Focus Rescue and Rehabilitation, a 501c3 organization dedicated to saving Equines who have been forgotten, neglected, abused, and slaughter bound. They are located in Mogadore, Ohio.
Focus is committed to the health, safety and well being of each horse that enters our program. Our focus is on horses who are slaughter bound, abused, neglected, and surrenders from owners who are not financially or physically able to provide and care for their horses any longer. We will not accept surrenders of senior, blind, or lame horses who are simply no longer serving a purpose for their owner who intends to replace them. We may offer other alternatives for those horses, and we will also help promote their availability by compassionately sharing their information on our social media sites and website.
The horses who come to us will be brought current on all health, vet and farrier needs. Once the horse is ready to begin working, a training assessment will be completed. This assessment will give us the information necessary to continue their education if needed, what level of rider/handler is warranted, or if the horse is best suited as a pasture companion.
We strongly believe that every horse has a purpose, and our goal is to match each of our horses with the most appropriate adopters as possible. We strive to give each of our horses the best possible opportunities to succeed in forever homes, but understand that circumstances can change and are sometimes unforeseen. This is why we have a strict return policy, and require our horses to come back to us if the adopter is no longer able to keep, care or provide for them. We will do everything in our power to ensure that our horses do not end up in a neglectful situation or auction bound.
Our adoption process has been developed from years of placement experience, and the desire to have every adoption be as positive and successful as possible. Each adoption is carefully considered, and begins with an adoption application which leads to reference checks and a viewing of the facility where the horse will be kept. The adoption is complete with payment of the adoption fee and a signed contract.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Don Padgett III, Executive Director of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, a major on the PGA TOUR of Champions during our Tuesday, May 31st Club meeting. Padgett began his PGA TOUR career at TOUR headquarters near Jacksonville, Florida in 2000. In 2007, Padgett returned to his hometown of Akron, Ohio and has led the last fifteen professional golf tournaments at Firestone Country Club.
Since Padgett took over as executive director, over $15 million has been raised for worthy charitable causes throughout Northeast Ohio from proceeds from the golf tournament.
Mr. Padgett gave a brief overview of the history of the Firestone Country Club.
Firestone Country Club’s rich history began in 1929 as the vision of Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. In 2022, the club marks its 69th consecutive year of professional golf tournaments. Only a short list of three other clubs can boast such a tradition.
Firestone Country Club has long been synonymous with tournament golf. The first tournament hosted at Firestone was The Rubber City Open in 1954. The tournament was held yearly until 1959. Notable champions like Arnold Palmer and Tommy Bolt staked their claim to fame at this storied venue. The PGA Championship came to Firestone for the first time in 1960, then returned in 1966 and 1975. Firestone is the only club to have hosted three nationally televised professional events in one year. In 1974, these events were the CBS Golf Classic, American Golf Classic and World Series of Golf. In addition to being the current site of the SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, Firestone has hosted the World Golf Championships and Senior PGA Championship.
Through 2021, Firestone Country Club has hosted 91 professional golf tournaments on an international level. Champions at Firestone include nineteen World Golf Hall of Fame members and forty-two major championship winners.
The Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship tournament will take place July 6th thru the 10th. The Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship is a major on the PGA TOUR Champions. Each summer, 78 professionals compete on Firestone’s South Course for a $3 million purse. Past champions include Retief Goosen, Jerry Kelly, and Steve Stricker.
Mr. Padgett stated that proceeds from this community event help worthy charitable causes throughout Northeast Ohio. Tournament proceeds are generated when fans support and attend the festivities during tournament week. In addition to the competition, fans and sponsors enjoy Pro-Ams, the Ambassador of Golf Event, tournament hospitality venues, concerts, and special events.
Tournament week is staged with the help of hundreds of volunteers in partnership with Northern Ohio Golf Charities. To date, professional golf tournaments at Firestone have generated over $30 million for numerous area charities. Key charities supported include Akron Children’s Hospital, LeBron James Family Foundation, Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, First Tee of Greater Akron, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Challenge Golf Program, and United Way Summit Medina.
To learn more about the activities planned for the July 6th – July 10th as well as the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS, check out the website at BridgestoneSeniorPlayers.com.
Yours in Rotary Service
Terry Dalton Akron Rotary Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Speaker Recap: Don Padgett III, Bridgestone Senior Players
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Jon Fiume, Director and CEO of the Akron Art Museum at our Tuesday, May 24, 2022, Club meeting. Jon has been serving Akron’s arts and culture scene for over 20 years. His past contributions have included serving on the boards of the Akron Art Museum, Weathervane Playhouse, ArtsNow, and Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. He is currently a Public Arts Commissioner for the City of Akron, board member Leadership Akron, member of the Diversity and Inclusion committee for ArtsNow, and a member of the Arts Advancement Council for the University of Akron. As of February 2022, Jon is serving as the John S. Knight Director & CEO of the Akron Art Museum.
Jon began his presentation giving a little history of the museum. Volunteers were the sole staff until 1924, when city support made it possible to hire a professional director. The Great Depression tightened finances and ended City funding, forcing the Institute to again rely entirely on volunteers from 1931 to 1945. It functioned — much of that time in borrowed spaces — as an art center, offering classes and exhibiting mostly local artists. The collection was small, eclectic — containing archeological artifacts and decorative as well as fine art — and composed entirely of gifts. In 1937 the Institute moved into its first permanent home. Moving forward, for the past twenty-five years the Museum has continued to enrich the lives of those in Northeast Ohio and beyond through modern and contemporary art.
During 2020, the Akron Art Museum went through some challenging times. The result was the development of a Transformation Plan. The plan has the goal of the Museum becoming a stronger, healthier institution, absent of biases. Plan components consist of the following:
Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) Training to increase the staff and board’s knowledge of implicit bias and to increase awareness in the areas of DEAI.
Board Transformation Task Force to assess and determine opportunities to be a more highly effective board with consideration to the areas of board make-up, structure, board member orientation, committee structure, and others to be determined as needed/identified.
Internal DEAI Working Group to identify and address DEAI opportunities within the organization, establish a DEAI statement, and improve the overall culture. This internal council is employee-led and does not contain members from the board or executive leadership.
Community Advisory Board to increase communication and improve the overall relationship with all sectors of the community including other community leaders, members of the museum, and residents. Information was shared in the areas of DEAI, current events, and or challenges that all are facing.
Mission, Vision, Values Work Group to ensure alignment with the newly established practices coming from the workaround DEAI. Members will include the board and staff with the work began in early 2021.
Marketing and Communications Task Force to rebuild the community’s confidence in the Museum. Progress updates regarding the plan will be provided. Members will be made up of marketing and communications staff, advancement staff, board members, and an external communications firm representative.
Development of a 12–24-month Institutional Plan defining the objectives of the Museum for fiscal year 2022.
What is happening at the Akron Art Museum now?
Current Exhibitions:
Reflections on Perception: April 9th – September 11, 2022
Reflections on Perception explores how artists working in realism employ such surfaces to create engaging compositions. Explore how artists use this compositional device to impact how and what the viewer perceives.
Responsibility to Reveal: 30 Years of the Knight Purchase Award for Photographic Media: ends June 5, 2022.
Celebrate the Akron Art Museum’s steadfast commitment to art photography through this exhibition surveying the history of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Purchase Award for Photographic Media.
Upcoming Exhibitions:
Good Hope: June 1, 2022 – May 14, 2023
The Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation Gallery, and Rory and Dedee O’Neil Lobby:
Be inspired by the illustrations of this South African illustration studio. Good Hope transports visitors into the environs around the illustrators’ hometown, exploring the flora, fauna, and folklore. Exploration and humor are at the center of these wall-sized illustrations. Come get lost in whimsical, wondrous compositions.
FRONT International 2022 Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows: July 16 – Oct 2, 2022
Taking its title from a 1957 poem by author Langston Hughes, Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows aims to promote contemporary art as an agent of transformation, a mode of healing, and a therapeutic process. The Akron Art Museum’s presentation will focus on artists who employ materials to create craft-based artwork to cope and explore relationships between objects and lived experience.
Other Programs:
The Akron Art Museum offers a variety of other programs. They include the Family Program, Teachers and Schools, and AAM At Home to name just a few. To learn more about these programs and other activities offered by the Art Museum, check out their website at https://akronartmuseum.org.
Yours in Rotary Service
Terry Dalton
Akron Rotary Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Speaker Recap: JON FIUME, DIRECTOR and CEO, AKRON ART MUSEUM
This last Tuesday, May 17th, our club ventured to Kenmore to meet with Rotarian, Tina Boyes, and to hear the good news of some of what has been happening in Kenmore. Tina is the Executive Director for the Kenmore Community Development Corporation. We enjoyed a delicious lunch from Pierre’s Pizza in Kenmore, accompanied by sandwiches from Jimmy Johns. The atmosphere of the Rialto was both inviting and invigorating.
After our weekly Rotary business and club Happy Dollars, Tina shared how she was called away from a successful business career to return to her Kenmore roots. She took a radical leap moving from suburban Wadsworth with her family, back to the neighborhood community where she grew up. Over these last 5 years she has been diligently working to re-build the downtown Kenmore Boulevard storefronts with the purpose of re-invigorating the entire Kenmore area and providing vibrant emotional connections for families and singles.
We have been able to help move the needle this past year in Kenmore by helping beautify the downtown with painting and trash pickup. Through our club grant committee, we were able to provide the Kenmore CDC with a $6200 grant to help with the Better Block program which will be taking place in early June. Keep your eye on Kenmore, she’s entered a bright new day.
Mark your calendar and sign up NOW for the “ End Polio Now” Guardians Game against the Chicago White Sox on July 13, 2022.
Always a fun night, dinner in the Terrace Club, good lower bowl or upper bowl seats, silent auction and a raffle for a chance to throw out the first pitch at a future Guardians game and receive a Paul Harris Fellow Recognition.
You will be able to join with fellow Rotarians from our District 6630 along with District 6600 and 6650.
What a deal!
- See you at Progressive Field -
Wednesday, July 13th
Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians
Terrace Club and Non-Terrace Club Tickets Available
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Cynthia Snider — well known in the community as a fundraiser, media relations professional, and advocate for the arts at our Tuesday, May 19 Club meeting. Ms. Snider has been the Executive Director of Tuesday Musical Association since March 2020. She served as interim director since September 2019.
Ms. Snider presented information on the history of Tuesday Musical Association as well as some of the events that will be occurring during the 2022-2023 season.
On November 9, 1887, Celia Baker, wife of George Baker — a prominent businessman who was president of the Akron Electric Light and Power Co. — invited a group of women with “proven musical ability” to her home at 610 E. Market Street, Akron. They named themselves as the "Tuesday Afternoon Club."
For more than 100 years, Tuesday Musical’s members programs were hosted in the city’s stately private homes. Once Gertrude and Frank Seiberling completed their country estate, Stan Hywet Hall, in 1915, it became a favored venue for the club’s activities. Still today, Tuesday Musical’s members meet monthly for performances and refreshments in venues throughout the community, including Stan Hywet Hall.
A few decades after forming, Tuesday Musical expanded its mission to present concerts by world-acclaimed musicians. Global greats over the past 134 years have included such musicians as Leontyne Price, Imani Winds, Van Cliburn, James Galway, Renee Fleming, Itzhak Perlman, Wynton Marsalis, Beverly Sills, Yo-Yo Ma, and many more.
Tuesday Musical has expanded even more to offer robust education and community engagement programs. Today Tuesday Musical takes nearly all their guest artists beyond the concert stage and throughout NE Ohio to share their talents and inspirations with children and adults of all ages.
Annual Scholarship Program:
Tuesday Musical’s annual scholarship competition is widely recognized as the best of its kind in Ohio. Since starting the competition in 1955 with support from generous donors and volunteers, Tuesday Musical has awarded nearly 700 scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 to talented students embarking on careers as music educators and performers.
Snider joined Tuesday Musical in September 2015 when, after 31 years, she retired from The University of Akron (UA) where she directed communications, community engagement, development, special events, and other initiatives for UA’s programs in the visual and performing arts. She also worked closely with UA’s EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall.
Concerts:
Each season, Tuesday Musical scans the best of what’s out there and invites a series of artists to create a unique, endlessly enjoyable experience unique to our region.
Balanced between well-known, celebrated names & those that fly under the radar – you’ll enjoy a hand-selected variety of artists, styles, and genres. Plus, they bring you behind the music by letting you get to know the artists.
Free Tickets for All Students
Complimentary Student Ticket Program
Tuesday Musical Association invites all students to attend their concerts at no cost. It’s easy through the ticket voucher program, supported by generous donors. Here's how:
Receive a ticket voucher through your school, a private music teacher, at the Student Ticket Table the night of the concert or the Tuesday Musical office at 330-761-3460.
Redeem the voucher at the Student Ticket Table located in the EJ Thomas Hall Ticket Office Lobby on the night of the concert.
BONUS for parents/adult companions: If a parent/adult wants to purchase a reduced-priced companion seat, both the student and the adult should go to the Ticket Window nearest the Student Ticket Table to obtain both the free student ticket and purchase the adult ticket. Parent/adult companion tickets are $15.
Summer is here and what better way to celebrate than a first summer camp cookout at Rotary Camp with our campers and staff! We are looking for volunteers to help serve dinner on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 5:30pm – 7:30pm.
We will eat in the Pavilion, (weather permitting), and volunteers are responsible for setting up the buffet line, serving dinner and clean-up afterwards. Come with friends and family and enjoy the evening with us!
Annually, Akron Rotary selects one recipient for its District Matching Grant!
The 2021-22 recipient is the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance. and is being used to help present Music on the Boulevard.
Volunteers are needed before and at the event! See info and volunteer links below.
The Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance in partnership with Akron Civic Commons and the Rotary Club of Akron are excited to announce the return of Kenmore First Fridays to the historic Kenmore Boulevard business district. The events will kick off June 3 with live music.
Kenmore First Fridays will take place every first Friday of the month beginning June 3 and will continue through Sept. 2. The free events will run from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature live music, vendors, family activities, food trucks and an outdoor beer garden with a rotating cast of breweries that include HiHo Brewing Company, Lock 15 Brewing Company and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. See the full schedule below:
June 3: The Shootouts with Akronauts, plus Oddmall: The Great Grassman Gathering
Please welcome Michael Irby who was inducted as a new member on May 10, 2022. Michael was sponsored by Steve Buie (photo below).
Michael J. Irby worked for Akron Public Schools as an educator and administrator for many years. He has coached college and high school football for over 40 years. Mr. Irby participates in the community. He is the President of 100 Black Men of Akron, Inc. which is a local chapter of the 100 Black Men of America that focuses on mentoring, education, health, and financial opportunities/outcomes to the Black community. In addition, Mr. Irby is a Board member of the Akron Municipal Court’s COMPASS (Compassion, Opportunity, Mentoring, Purpose, Assistance Survival, Stepping forward) Program with Judge David Hamilton, member of Mayor Daniel Horrigan’s Ambassadors Program, member of Akron Police Chief Stephen Mylett’s Advisory Committee, Board of Director for the African American Association Board, and Chair of Trustees at Macedonia Baptist Church.
Michael is retired and enjoys working out, working in the yard, and mentoring youth. He has two sons, Michael II and Daniel, and is married to Angela.
The Rotary Club of Akron and the Akron Rotary Foundation celebrated our first Celebration of Youth Scholarship Dinner on April 25, 2022, at the University of Akron’s College of Business.
Fifteen Akron Public School Seniors were recipients of a $1,000 scholarship from the Akron Rotary Foundation. This year, APS had 56 students apply for the Rotary scholarships. After reviewing those applications, fellow Rotarians interviewed the remaining 40 students to select the 15 recipients.
Students honored at the event were: Arts, Media, and Communications Pathway: Noria Nuru – Firestone Community Learning Center, and Benjamin Riddle – Firestone Community Learning Center; Business, Marketing, and IT Pathway: Jessica Causey – North High School, Jose Garcia – North High School, Kayla Suansing – Ellet Community Learning Center, and Kayla Vinson -Kenmore/Garfield High School; Health and Human Services Pathway: Amya Evans – Kenmore/Garfield High School, Javiena Fry – Buchtel Community Learning Center, Keyasha Hasley -North High School; Manufacturing, Engineering, and Skilled Trades Pathway: Noah Klein – STEM High School, Rashaad Simmons – STEM High School, Sage Waehler – STEM High School; and Public Service Pathway: Keniya Trice – Buchtel Community Learning Center, Keira Mothersbaugh – Ellet Community Learning Center, Karley Scott – East Community Learning Center.
Our Keynote Speaker was Rachel Tecca, Assistant Superintendent/Chief of Leadership and Learning. Ms. Tecca congratulated those students present and provided information to those Rotarians in attendance about the College & Career Academies and Pathways. Ms. Tecca encouraged Rotarians, who are interested, to become involved with the various pathways. The career pathways are always looking for new businesses to partner with the Akron Public Schools to give students true life experiences relevant to their career interests.
An evening surprise for the students was a State Board of Education, Certificate of Commendation, presented by Mr. Tim Miller, State Board of Education Representative for District 7.
Special thanks to our Rotary Club of Akron Scholarship Chair, Terry Dalton and his committee making this event so very special!
Celebration of Youth: 2022 Akron Rotary Scholarship Dinner
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Joe Knopp, innovator, giver, and problem solver during our Tuesday May 3, 2022 club meeting. Like many college students, Joe goes to school fulltime, works 40-hours per week at his job, and is involved in campus activities. What sets this Walsh University senior apart from his peers is that at the tender age of 20, he has already started three businesses and the third one, Ripple, is making a huge impact.
Ripple was born in November of 2020. Joe had been running a profitable company for the last 6 months but felt like he wasn’t making a real difference in the world, so he put a pause on the business and took a trip to Florida with about five books, trying to figure out what was missing. One of those books was Start Something That Matters. That book changed his perspective on business. Growing up, Joe stated that he could always remember his mom say “Eat your green beans and drink your water before you get up from the dinner table.” As that thought crossed his mind, he looked at his dorm roommate and asked him what he thought about solving the world water crisis. His roommate quickly responded with “You’re crazy, that’s not possible,” which only fueled Joe’s competitive side to prove him wrong.
After some research, Joe discovered that they could build a well for about eight to ten thousand dollars. What Joe and his roommate came up with was Ripple, a brand dedicated to serving others by leveraging high quality product lines to solve real world problems. They just happened to start by selling high quality water bottles to give every human being access to clean drinking water.
They call themselves Ripple because of the idea that their efforts in the United States will have the ripple effect to impact thousands of lives on the other side of the world, as every 1,000 ripple bottles sold builds a well!
Less than a year after learning how he could help alleviate the world water crisis and devising a plan to earn the funds needed to build his first water well, Knopp traveled to Africa. He visited the Village of Katiiti in Uganda to see the impact of the water well firsthand and to visit five other sites set to receive a well. The first well, is providing clean water to more than 2000 individuals and direct lines to two elementary schools. What is unique about the wells are that they are solar powered, extending the lifespan of the wells by a significant number of additional years.
Knopp invested his life’s savings, $14 thousand, to purchase two thousand water bottles – the number of bottles needed to build one well. They arrived in March 2021 and occupied every inch of free space in their dorm room. Joe said he needed more capital, so he entered Stark Tank, a business pitch competition modeled after the television show “Shark Tank,” and won $10 thousand. He has also applied for a 501(c)(3) with the intention of building additional water wells. With a tax-exempt status, he’ll be able to apply for grant funding to make clean water a reality in Uganda and other nations.
“Ripple has already been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” said Knopp. “I wake up ready to take on the day and help give the gift of water to all.”
What is different about Ripple compared to other bottle companies?
What sets Ripple apart is their mission. They are not building a typical business --- They are building a brand of helping and impacting others. Their goal is to make a lasting impact on thousands of lives. “When you purchase a Ripple water bottle, you are purchasing a luxury water bottle that stands for change, kindness, and love for one another.”
How does Ripple help others?
They are a for-profit company with their own non-profit branch in order to build relationships and wells for the communities in need of water. Joe said they achieve their mission by raising funds through the sale of bottles. Ripple utilizes these funds by using their non-profit to reach out to contractors and communities to create sustainable wells that the communities will learn how to maintain and use for years to come. For every 2,000 Ripple water bottles sold, they build a well in a developing country.
Does Ripple partner with anyone?
Ripple is currently partnered with Skills Link Network, located in Kampala, Uganda. Skills Link Network is a nonprofit agency that provides 21st Century skills, entrepreneurial skills, monitoring, and networking, mainly for secondary school youth in Kampala and Wakiso districts. Their mission is to provide young people with regular coaching and progressive development assignments leading to impactful achievements that strengthen young people’s ability to lead better lives, improve their own and others’ livelihoods, and embrace global opportunities. They are Ripple’s on-the-ground liaisons who are coordinating Ripple’s international projects.
Ripple has some impressive long-term goals. After hearing Joe’s presentation, there is little doubt about his future goals.
To learn more about Ripple and how to order one of their bottles to support their mission, check out their website at https://www.wearetheripple.com/
At the District Conference of Clubs in April, 2022, District 6630 Governor Larry Lohman presented the Richard C. "Dick" Pitcher Award to Akron Rotarian PDG John Reyes.
This prestigious award recognizes one individual annually in District 6630 who goes above and beyond to support our Youth Services Programs through their time, talents and service.
During his tenure as District Governor, Reyes, an attorney with Buckingham Doolittle & Burroughs, recognized a need in the District for a district-wide Youth Protection Program.
This was no small undertaking. Reyes has dedicated hundreds of hours of his personal time researching, developing and implementing the Youth Protection Policies and Procedures (YPP) plan for the District and its clubs.
He organized a strong committee of Rotarians to help ensure every aspect of the program is designed tomake every reasonable effort to ensure that no Rotarian or other participant is subjected to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in the context of Rotary activities.
Strong support and effective management of youth programs throughout the District are essential to ensuring that all youth protection policies, including RI policies, and local laws and regulations, are followed. All district, club level volunteers and program officers have received training to ensure they understand Rotary and District 6630 policies and procedures.
Congratulations PDG Reyes - and thank you for your amazing dedication.
Photo L-R:
Chelsea Talty, RC of Chesterland, District Interact Chair
John Reyes, Past District 6630 Governor, RC of Akron
Larry Lohman, District Governor, RC of Kent
John Reyes Receives District 6630 Richard C. "Dick" Pitcher Award
At the Club meeting on April 26, 2022, President Steve Buie helped us all get to know Ginny Wojno Forney.
Ginny has a long history in Summit County and in Rotary. This interview helps share her tremendous story. There are few limits to Virginia Wojno-Forney’s activism or imagination. For decades Virginia has been a force behind some key institutions in the city, including Summit County Historical Society, Progress Through Preservation, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Akron Art Museum. But it is at the Cascade Locks Park that Virginia’s imagination is most apparent. Back in the 1980s, she saw the potential of a canal-era provisions store, the ruins of a series of step locks and the overgrown trashy urban jungle and saw a park where Akron could rediscover its canal history. Today, Cascade Locks Park, “a heritage park for Akron’s future,” is a testament to Virginia’s vision of what could be.
If you cannot view the video embedded below, click here to view it or copy and paste this link into your browser https://youtu.be/bjNcYCZwC2I
Our Club had the honor of inducting our newest member, Lauren Holly, on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. She was sponsored by Julie Brandle.
Photo L-R: Julie Brandle, DGN, Lauren Holly, Steve Buie, Akron Club President
Lauren was a prior member of the Fairlawn Rotary Club 2013-2021 where she also served as Club President.
Her transition in jobs and a desire to participate in a larger club led her to the Akron Club.
Here is some background on Lauren so you can get to know you a little bit better - be sure to introduce yourself when you see her!
Prior to coming to The Brain Injury Association of Ohio, Lauren was at Easter Seals Northern Ohio for 8 years, most recently, as the Chief Operating Officer. There, she managed aging and disability programs across 27 counties of northern Ohio, managing finance, program operations, and development. At Easter Seals she launched two new adult day centers providing services to individuals with disabilities as well as older adults. She created the Makerspace Vocational Program – providing individuals with disabilities an innovative environment to work on vocational skills and earn competitive wages. The last 21 years of her career she has been served across the health care continuum including adult day services, long term care, and homecare.
Lauren has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Akron. In addition to being past president at the Fairlawn Rotary Club, she is part of Women in Touch with Akron’s Needs where she sits on the board as the Director of the Civic committee.
She resided in Akron along with husband, Steve, and daughter Maddie.
When not working or volunteering, she can be found at one of my daughter’s many sporting events. She also enjoys camping, crafting and reading when time allows.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Renato Camacho at our Tuesday, April 12th meeting. Renato “Ren” Camacho is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Akron-Canton Airport. He has held this position since 2018.
Ren’s core responsibilities include leading a 50-member team of airport employees, strategic planning for the future of the airport, and directing all capital improvement programs.
Specifically, Ren ensures the airport is a vital, economic engine that increases economic activity and pride to Northeast Ohio.
Ren provided information on the current and future direction of the Akron-Canton Airport. Individuals wishing to view Tuesday’s presentation should Click Here to View the PowerPoint.
What authority operates the airport?
Public entity, governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees
Bi-county organization formed under Section 308 of the Ohio Revised Code
Operate on the revenues generated on the airport; zero tax dollars
Hyper-focused on marketing and customer experience – preferred airport in NE Ohio
What is the mission of the Akron/Canton Airport?
To offer customers an exceptional travel experience while serving as a major driver in the economic growth of Northeast Ohio; an approach that manages the business sensibly plus remains socially and environmentally responsible.
What is CAK’s Service Area?
30-Minute Drive Time
Population: 369,770
Labor Force: 185,495
Jobs: 173,985
60-Minute Drive Time
Population: 2.7M
Labor Force: 1.4M
Jobs: 1.5M
90-Minute Drive Time
Population: 4.2M
Labor Force: 2M
Jobs: 2.1M
What is CAK’s Economic Impact for the area?
One-billion-dollar economic impact
4,486 jobs
$212 million in payroll generation
$85 million in total tax revenue
What has been the effect of Airline Consolidation on CAK?
Consolidation reduces hubs and results in less flights, fewer seats, and higher load factors, which means fewer airlines to go after for CAK
How has CAK overcome adversity through the years?
Strengthen relationships with incumbent carriers
Work with potential new entrant carriers
Research and identify airline strategies that work for Akron-Canton and Northeast Ohio
Attract new air service to match demand
Fill the airplanes at CAK, if CAK can prove there is demand, they make the case for continued service
Working with carriers to increase the size of aircraft while maintaining or increasing frequency
Proactively react to move from 50-seaters to larger aircraft
Gate modernization to accommodate current and future aircraft
Reduce airport operating costs
Advocate and utilize local, state and federal grant programs
Support air service and airlines through coalition of local leaders
How has COVID Impacted CAK and the airline industry?
COVID put the aviation industry in a tailspin. The epidemic impact on the aviation industry escalated quickly. It also created a huge drain on the resources available to the industry. CAK, like most other airports, quickly shifted gears and began to implement additional safety measures.
What is ahead for CAK, post COVID?
Committed Airlines
CARES Act provisions allowed airlines to consolidate to CLE airport from CAK, but airlines stayed and have added back frequency.
Airport Improvements & Opportunities
CAK Gate Modernization finished ahead of schedule.
Pavement projects approved and scheduled.
Healthy travel enhancements.
Create innovative, sustainable, and economically beneficial commercial development of the Airport’s non-aviation land.
Renewable Energy Initiative
In the last 10 years transmission and distribution cost have gone up 50%.
Unreliable power? High energy costs? Budget constraints?
Airport facilities that can demonstrate controlled energy costs will be a key consideration for businesses locating to a specific Airport.
How can the Community help?
Support is Crucial
Confident that COVID-19 is going to hurt secondary airports most; to resume service CAK will need to mitigate risk.
The community must prove that people will fly from CAK.
The service CAK has needs to work before other carriers will consider.
Fill airplanes. If they aren’t filled, CAK won’t get more.
Data has become CAK’s leverage in air service development. Corporate/leisure travel volume is anonymous, only shared with airlines, and helps secure service.
Come to CAK with updates on new business, growing business or change in business. CAK can work together to build a story for the airlines. Not just employees, but vendors, clients, sales teams, and partners as well.
To learn more about the Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) check out their website at www.akroncantonairport.com
Yours in Service-
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Renato Camacho, President & CEO Akron-Canton Airport Presentation Recap
In celebration of Volunteer Month, please come and lend a helping hand on April 30th, 9am-1pm at Akron Rotary Campto get rid of the winter cob webs. Summer Camp is around the corner, and Camp needs our help in getting ready before the Summer Staff, and Campers arrive.
Tasks might include dusting, washing down beds, walls, mattresses, some fence repair and staining. Rotary Camp will have buckets and rags for cleaning. Please bring shopvacs, tall dusters, small step ladders and rakes, if you have them.
Akron Rotary Camp 4460 Rex Lake Drive Akron, OH 44319
We have a lot going on this month as a club and I wanted to bring everyone up to date so you can plan accordingly for when and where you might want to serve.
As a friendly reminder, please make note of everything that is being shared here or you might miss something you really want to participate in . . . we have added the Camp Cleanup to the list and removed the prior events.
► Tuesday April 19: NO WEEKLY MEETING AT BOUNCE INNOVATION HUB. ------ Meeting moved to Noon on Friday April 22 at our District 6630 Conference of Clubs Luncheon, Sheraton Suites, Cuyahoga Falls. A reservation is needed for Friday
► Wednesday April 20: Akron Rotary Camp is hosting families from I Promise School, the Village, for dinner. We are adequately staffed for the evening
► Saturday April 23: Rotary District 6630 Conference of Clubs and Leadership Assembly continues at Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls from 8:00- 4:00 p.m. Registration is required - click here
► Monday April 25: at 5:30 p.m. Celebration of Youth Rotary Scholarship Dinner at University of Akron’s College of Business 295 S. Broadway Street. Reservations are required - click here.
► Saturday, April 30: 9:00am-1:00pm - Please CLICK HERE to register - see more information below from Thane Billow.
So, there you have it. We have an exceptionally busy month with several wonderful opportunities to serve our community.
Stay well and be healthy!
In service together,
Steve
2021-2022 Rotary Club of Akron President Cell: 330-701-2970 Email: sbuie@learningrx.net
We have a lot going on this month as a club and I wanted to bring everyone up to date so you can plan accordingly for when and where you might want to serve.
As a friendly reminder, please make note of everything that is being shared here or you might miss something you really want to participate in.
► Tuesday April 12-14 is Be the Match / Zips Zap Cancer Bone Marrow Registry drive
► Tuesday April 19: NO WEEKLY MEETING AT BOUNCE INNOVATION HUB. ------ Meeting moved to Noon on Friday April 22 at our District 6630 Conference of Clubs Luncheon, Sheraton Suites, Cuyahoga Falls. A reservation is needed for Friday - deadline is April 17 to RSVP
► Wednesday April 20: Akron Rotary Camp is hosting families from I Promise School, the Village, for dinner. We are adequately staffed for the evening
► Saturday April 23: Rotary District 6630 Conference of Clubs and Leadership Assembly continues at Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls from 8:00- 4:00 p.m. Registration is required - click here
► Monday April 25: at 5:30 p.m. Celebration of Youth Rotary Scholarship Dinner at University of Akron’s College of Business 295 S. Broadway Street. Reservations are required - click here.
So, there you have it. We have an exceptionally busy month with several wonderful opportunities to serve our community.
Stay well and be healthy!
In service together,
Steve
2021-2022 Rotary Club of Akron President Cell: 330-701-2970 Email: sbuie@learningrx.net
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Council President Walters at our Tuesday, April 5, 2022, Club meeting. View the meeting by clicking here.
Councilwoman Elizabeth (Liz) Walters first served on Council beginning in 2016. She is serving her second term representing the citizens of Summit County as an At-Large member. She has been active on a wide variety of issues and working in partnership with her colleagues helped to navigate Summit County through the challenges of the last few years. She works hard to ensure a strong Summit County economy, support our communities and families, and innovate for a brighter tomorrow. In 2022, she was unanimously elected to serve a second term as Council President.
Early in her tenure she was instrumental in the implementation of Paid Parental Leave for county employees, the only Ohio county to pass such legislation. In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic she led the County effort to secure and distribute funding for small business and important social service nonprofits. Currently she chairs the Summit County Environmental Sustainability Task Force, co-chairs Summit County’s Special Committee to address racism as a public health crisis and serves on numerous County boards and commissions.
Councilwoman Walters began her presentation discussing how she sees her involvement in public service as a personal journey. Summit County Council represents the 541,000 county residents, a budget of nearly a half billion dollars, and a workforce of over 2,000 employees. She noted that Summit County became an Executive form of government in 1979. The first in the State to have this form of government. Council President Walters stated the role of county government is to be a convener of groups to solve community problems. These groups could deal with the challenges brought on my COVID and other health care issues, work to have stronger and safer communities, etc.
Much of Council President Walter’s presentation centered on the county’s efforts to address racism as a public health crisis. She says the effort with this initiative is to “call people in” rather than “call people out”. We have to live in the world we inherited and need to live by example. She stated County government needs to “get our own house in order, by being transparent, inclusive and recognizing the limits of county government when it comes to addressing systemic racism or other issues.
Council President Walters outlined the process the county has taken to address systemic racism and some of the findings the study/report presented.
In 2020 Summit County declared Racism as a Public Health Crisis (RAPHC), which established the Special Review Committee (SRC) whose charge was to determine how best to address systematic and structural racism throughout the municipality's nine townships and twenty-two cities and villages. The County conducted an initial examination of internal operations through dialogue and data analysis to highlight existing promising practices and uncover immediate next steps to address racism in the County. To facilitate the advancement of the county's racial equity journey, UPD Consulting was enlisted by the County to more systematically assess and examine several critical questions in the County’s equity journey:
● To what extent are County leaders and staff able to identify inequitable policies and practices? ● To what extent has the County examined the effect of systemic inequities over time?
● To what extent does the County know and understand where it is in the change process and how best to move across the Continuum to Becoming an Anti-Racist Multicultural Institution?
To learn more about the County’s findings, go to https://council.summitoh.net/pages/Public-Information and click on the three different reports (1) Resolution: Racism as Public Health Crisis, (2) Racism as a Public Health Assessment Executive Summary, and (3) Racism as a Public Health Crisis Assessment (full report).
I recently sent an email with information about the District 6630 Interact project to support the Ronald McDonald House. Since then the link to the Amazon Wishlist for RMH has changed. Please see below for the updated links to help support RMH. Note that there are now two separate links for each branch of RMH in Northeast Ohio, and you can choose which location you would like to support.
Link to send items from their wishlist directly to the CLEVELAND Ronald McDonald House: Cleveland RMH Amazon Wishlist
Link to send items from their wishlist directly to the AKRON Ronald McDonald House:Akron RMH Amazon Wishlist
The list of physical items to bring to the conference has not changed, and we will welcome any items you are able to bring on April 22nd and 23rd! For convenience, the list of items is attached to this email.
Thank you all once again for your support!
Chelsea Talty, District Interact Chair
District Interact Service Project for Ronald McDonald House
Volunteers will have the option to work at a table and help people sign-up for the Be The Match registry or walk the campus to promote the event or help funnel people to the tables.
You can pick which position and what time for each day you wish to help out.
The goal is to get 600 people registered over the 3 day period.
Thank you to The Beacon Journal for this wonderful article - click the link below!
Posted by Jim Lechko, District RI Foundation Chair
Hey fellow Rotarians, for the first time ever, as a part of our strategic plan, District 6630 is sponsoring a district wide service project!
We have collaborated with the local park systems to coordinate a project serving most of the counties in our district. The project will take place primarily over two Saturdays, April 23 (Earth Day) and April 30th (Arbor Day) with other days available also.
New projects for Portage County are also listed below!
The projects will involve tree planting and/or invasive species plant removal and area clean up. Registration is required so we know how many volunteers for each site to be able to plan accordingly with the park systems. Click on the link below for the area you are volunteering for:
Questions for the specific projects should be directed to the contacts listed above.
This is a great opportunity to get out and work with your fellow Rotarians as well as promoting Rotary out in the community. I look forward to participating in this event with all of you. Family and friends are welcome.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Akron’s Chief of Police, Stephen L. Mylett. Chief Mylett was sworn in as Chief of Police of the Akron Police Department on Thursday, August 19, 2021. Chief Mylett has over 30 years of law enforcement experience.
Chief Mylett now commands the department’s 447 officers and supervisors, 43 Reserve officers and 33 civilians that serve Akron’s 198,000 citizens.
Chief Mylett was attracted to the open Chief of Police position as he was looking for a place he and his wife could call “home” and where most of his children would possibly relocate or be closer to them.
He was impressed with Akron in a preliminary visit prior to applying for the Chief of Police position. After hearing Mayor Horrigan and seeing the leadership the Mayor was providing, he was convinced that Akron would be that “home” he and his wife were looking for.
Chief Mylett believes the police force is very united and universally his staff want to be of service to the Akron community. He is in the process of interviewing every staff member within the police department to see what their needs are and their commitment to provide services to the community.
The major desire the officers wanted to accomplish is to get rid of the gun violence.
The city of Akron took 1200 guns off the streets this past year. Chief Mylett says the bad news is that (1) crime is high, (2) drug overdoses are high, (3) there is a shortage of police officers. The good news is that (1) the City of Akron is seeing a decrease in the number of homicides, and (2) the department will be initiating a hiring campaign to attract new police officers. The Chief would like to provide more diversity within the department. Currently 80% of the force is White, 15% is African American. The city of Akron is 50% African American.
Individuals interested in becoming a police officer need to be between 21 and 40 years of age.
Chief Mylett wishes to provide his officers the three pillars of (1) Wellness, (2) Recognition, and (3) Personal Career Development.
His promise to the community is to build bridges and trust in the community.
To learn more about the Akron Police Department, go to www.akronohio.gov. and click the Police Department link.
Please check your email for your annual dues statement.
They were emailed electronically April 15th and follow-up statements have been sent out as well.
If you do not have it please reach out to Cheryl Warren at 330-495-9814 and she will resend it to you. We sincerely appreciate your help to ensure your dues are paid before June!
The Rotary Club of Akron enjoyed listening to Tracy Emrick, CEO of Countryside Conservancy along with Marilyn Wotowiec, a volunteer with Countryside, at our Tuesday, March 22nd meeting.
Countryside was created in 1999 to help the Cuyahoga Valley National Park solve the problem of how to conserve the quickly disappearing rural character of the Valley – the dozens of once vibrant farmsteads had fallen to the plow of industrialization and the concentration of our food system.
Countryside began by helping the park identify the farms with the highest potential to be resuscitated. A competitive Request for Proposals was developed to attract like-minded people who wanted to realize their small farm dream while being part of something bigger than themselves – the Countryside Initiative program.
Countryside next set out to build a community to support these new farmers’ enterprises. They began a farmers’ market program in 2004, first in CVNP to offer the Countryside Initiative Farms direct to consumer access, and then, soon after, in Akron to expand the opportunity for producers and consumers regionally.
It was also clear from the beginning that small farms attracted new farmers and connecting them to educational and technical resources would play a vital role in their development and sustainability. Countryside U was launched as an educational tool where people considering farming could explore their small farm dream, and where growers could hone necessary skills like propagation and season extension.
What is Countryside’s Mission?
Their mission is to connect people, food and land through programs, advocacy, and education. They work to ensure that people have access to local, healthy food; that farm and food entrepreneurs have the resources to operate viable businesses; and that farmland is protected and preserved.
What is their Vision?
They envision healthy soils, waterways and communities that demonstrate farmland, farmers and food entrepreneurs can thrive in concert with the ecosystem and that farmland remains a healthy, cherished resource. All the while, creating a culture where good, local food is accessible to all.
What are some of their Initiatives?
Countryside Initiative
This innovative program began in 1999 to preserve and protect the rural landscape in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. To date, there are over a dozen restored farm properties in the program. The farms and Countryside bring in over 100,000 people into the park each year and have an economic impact of over a million dollars per year
Beginning Farmer Program
This program connects beginning farmers with valuable resources through agricultural technical assistance, business support, farm link, internship, and apprenticeship opportunities. The goal is to create a hands-on learning environment, paired with classroom style workshops, to inspire and educate those who are passionate about pursuing a career in agriculture.
Farmers’ Markets
Countryside began managing the first farmers’ markets in a National Park in 2004. They host 3 seasonal markets, providing year-round access to locally produced foods and goods. They serve 80+ vendors and 50,000+ customers each year. Since 2014, annual vendor sales have exceeded $1 million.
Food Access
Countryside Farmers' Markets accept SNAP (food assistance) and offer Produce Perks, a matching incentive for the purchase of locally grown, fresh produce. Countryside is a regional spoke for the Produce Perks program and facilitates it in a 4-county region. They accept WIC and Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Vouchers, and offer Carrot Cash, a nutrition incentive for WIC clients.
What has been their impact in 2021?
Over 2,000 + farmland acres supported by their programs
23 years in partnership with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Over $500,000 in Farmers’ Market earnings for farmers specifically
4,500 + hours of farm intern on-the-job training at 17 northeast Ohio mentor farms
570 hours of intern classroom and instructional training
$237,000 redeemed in food assistance for low-income families
$762,000 + collectively earned by local, small businesses at Howe Meadow
How can we help their mission?
There are many ways individuals can assist Countryside. The easiest way is to participate in their Farmers Market. The organization is currently beginning a fund-raising campaign to raise funds to purchase a food truck that will be able to provide food to some of the area “food deserts.” There are individuals who are not able to get to their food markets and/or live in areas that have no reliable source of food (food deserts).
To learn more about Countryside, their programs, volunteer opportunities, etc. you can visit their website at https://countrysidefoodandfarms.org.
As a reminder, our regular weekly meeting for Tuesday April 19 will NOT be held.
In lieu of this meeting, we ask that you sign up to attend the District Conference luncheon on Friday, April 22 at Noon at Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls.
LAST DATE TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE IS APRIL 17TH!
Every Rotarian is welcome and encouraged to attend any of the sessions and dinners that are being hosted. Stay over and enjoy the hospitality suites at the end of each evening too!
Note: Hotel reservations must be booked by April 8th to receive $139 room rate (extended until April 8th).
I wanted to take a moment and thank you all for your help and support in our Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank (ACRF) service project.
It was a beautiful day and I know we all could have been enjoying a rare warm sunny March evening with our family and friends so your efforts are truly appreciated!
As you can see in the photo our efforts helped provide 1,960 meals for those in need through the 600 food pantries the ACRF serves in the Akron Canton area. Additionally, our friends from Karpinski Engineering spent two hours filling bottles of hand sanitizer with product provided by GOJO.
It is my goal to make an effort to volunteer once a month at ACRF so I hope that you will consider joining us again in the future service projects.
I will be putting out another call for sign up in April. I hope to make it every 3rd Wednesday of the month but need to confirm with ACRF first. More to come on this.
Each March, the Club Presidents-Elect (PEs) from all of the Ohio Rotary Clubs gather in Columbus for training, education and to exchange ideas in preparation for their year as President. It is called All Ohio PETS.
This was the first in-person session in two years due to the pandemic.
Akron Club President Elect, Lynda Farkas, enjoyed a weekend of sessions and networking with her classmates.
Each year, the sessions are developed by the five incoming Ohio District Governors.
Our District (District 6630) had many PEs and volunteers who attended the event (photo below/click to enlarge).
This year the 2022-2023 Class was honored to have in attendance, Rotary International President-Elect Jennifer Jones who will be the first female in Rotary history to serve as the RI President.
RI President Elect Jennifer Jones imagines a Rotary where members act to make their dreams become reality and they make the most of their club experiences. She urges members to engage more with each other and use these connections to build partnerships that change the world.
The final tally is in and were extremely happy to announce that Akron Rotary’s 32nd annual Chili Open Golf Classic presented by Wayne Homes has raised a total of $376,744! We are incredible grateful to everyone that supported the event and helped make it a monumental success for both the Rotary Club and the Rotary Camp.
Click here to watch the short video that captured some great moments at the Chili Open!
75% of the dollars raised came from Sponsorships and Camperships. We are thankful to everyone who helped us in securing Sponsors, or where a sponsor. Representatives were in attendance from the following Community, Corporate and Premier Sponsors:
Wayne Homes – Maurie Jones, Todd Brown, Jen Collinsworth, Maurie Jones & Steve Wessel
Integrated Project Solutions – Matt Furlong & Steven Kirkpatrick
Maynard Family Foundation – Pam Loughry & Amy Maynard Griffith
Dick Siess
The VanDevere Bunch – Jerry VanDevere, Brian VanDevere & Lori Sams
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs – John Reyes & Brandyn Costa
CLA – Bill Choler & Dan Riemenschneider
Lala’s in the Lakes – Lisa & Jeff Houck
Rubber City Radio – Justina Bucceri
Summit DD – Lisa Kamlowsky
Wealth Impact Advisors – Jim Redmond
Brennan, Manna & Diamond – Justin Alaburda
Hale Farm & Village – Travis Henline
Reymann Foundation – Margaret Skinner
STEERE – Brian Steere
Congratulations to Dan Riemenschneider, recipient of the 2022 Jim Redmond Ambassador of Service Award. This award was established in 1991 in recognition of community leaders who have gone above and beyond in support of the Rotary Club of Akron, Akron Rotary Camp and the Akron Community. Thank you, Dan for sharing your time and talents with us and the Akron community. We are very happy that Carol could join and celebrate with you.
We also want to acknowledge our key in-kind Sponsors.
Focal Point as our Social Media Sponsor;
Hale Farm and Village for being the perfect host site for the Chili Open;
Rubber City Radio Group – WAKR, WONE, WQMX & Alternative Cleveland for all our on-air commercials and on-air interviews; and
Whitey’s, as the official Chili of the Chili Open.
Special thanks to all our Rotarians, sponsors and friends of Rotary who sold, purchased and promoted raffle tickets. Everyone rallied in helping us raise a total of $57,700 in raffle ticket sales.
Thanks again to The VanDevere Bunch for donating the 2022 Kia Forte LXS through their Thrive and Drive Program. This was our 10th year participating with them for the Car Raffle.
Congratulations to the lucky raffle ticket winners:
1st Prize: Dr. Jerry Sude won the 2022 Kia Forte LXS.
2nd Prize: Justin Riley – Goodyear Blimp Ride for Two
3rd Prize: Chris Gorta – 55” 4k Smart LED TV
Snowmania - Brynden Duncan
Make sure to redeem your $10 off Oil Change voucher at any of the VanDevere Chevy, Buick or Kia locations, and your $15 coupon off the purchase of two entrees at Lala’s in the Lakes, located at 4315 Manchester Road, Akron.
We had the privilege of hearing from a Rotary Camp Parent, Jonathan Mitchell. Their son, Jesse, is currently a camper at Rotary Camp. Jonathan shared what camp means to his family, and especially to Jesse, as he is accepted for who he is. They are very grateful for Rotary Camp as it provides the respite that they need.
The Chili Open is ourRotary Club’s primary fundraiser in supporting the operational needs of Akron Rotary Camp. The success of this event is due in large part to the commitment of our Rotary Club and the Corporate Community. Each one of you should be very proud of helping us breaking records year after year and taking the Chili Open to the next level!
Mark your calendars for the 33rd Akron Rotary Chili Open Golf Classic on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at Hale Farm.
Last week we announced that Ginny Wojno has been named one of the Summit County Historical Society's Women of the year.
We now have information about tickets for the event.
Ginny and the other recipients will be honored at a special presentation on June 15 at the John Brown House, 514 Diagonal Road, Akron. Heather Pollock of the University of Akron will be the emcee.
Jessica Swiger, the Executive Director of First Glance Student Center was the speaker at our Tuesday, March 1, 2022, Club meeting. She has been associated with First Glance for over ten years creating and operating programming for the youth in the Kenmore and greater Akron area. Jessica has emerged herself in the challenging, yet rewarding, world of urban ministry.
First Glance is a youth center that operates in the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron. Kenmore and the Greater Akron area is their home. For over 20 years, First Glance has hosted a wide variety of programming for students of all ages. They offer teenagers and young adults a safe place where they are loved, valued, and ultimately provide them with hope. First Glance has seen over 9,800 different students come through their doors and leave as a part of their family, empowered to reach their potential & become who they were created to be.
What kind of programs does First Glance offer?
First Glance provides a variety of programs. Listed below are just a few of those programs offered.
Young Adults Mondays 7:00-9:30 pm
As students transition into adulthood, they are given the opportunity to continue receiving encouragement, support, and help with practical needs. Volunteers and young adults share a meal and fun each week. Open to ages 18-29.
Launch Kenmore Mondays & Wednesdays 2:30-5:15 pm
Creates a safe environment with academic support, physical activity, and spiritual direction. First Glance partners with a local elementary school to offer this after school program to the kids and families in the Kenmore community.
Ladies' Night Out Tuesdays 5:00-7:00 pm
Guides teen girls through tough issues such as relationships, gossip, sex, and self-worth. This happens through lessons, projects, and opportunities for girls to connect with adult female volunteers through mentorship.
Man Up Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 pm
Provides community and allows volunteers to encourage the young men of the community to be men of character. Each week this program engages through abundant conversations, team sports, manly projects, and boyish shenanigans.
The ALLEY Second Friday of the Month 7:00-10:00 pm
The Alley is for high schoolers all over Greater Akron to come on Friday nights to have a safe place to hang out, have fun, and build relationships. It is a “teen nightclub” that has a live DJ, dancing, fun drinks, games, and more. It is a safe place for teens all over Greater Akron to be at on Friday nights, including an off-duty police officer, check-in system, drug and alcohol free.
To learn more about First Glance and other programs they offer, check out their website at www.firstglance.org. They are located at 947 Kenmore Blvd., Akron.
Yours in Rotary Service -
Terry Dalton
Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Speaker Recap: Jessica Swiger, First Glance Student Center
Akron Rotarian John Daily was looking quite dapper Tuesday as he joined us via Zoom alongside Dr. Rob McGregor.
John has not missed a weekly Akron Rotary meeting since being inducted on Jan 1, 1966 -- that is over 56 years of perfect attendance!!!
Thanks to the wonderful efforts of Jack Harig, Rob McGregor, Cyndi Kane, and others, throughout the pandemic John religiously was able to join us virtually to keep his perfect attendance record.
Rob told us we may be seeing John in person at a meeting soon!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Kemp Boyd, Executive Director discuss the mission of Love Akron during our Tuesday, February 22nd Club meeting.
View the presentation by clicking here or copy and paste this link into your browser https://youtu.be/1YBGulRQAEE
The mission of The Love Akron Network is Connect, Convene, and Collaborate with Change-Makers to make a Collective Impact. Their vision statement is “A Christian-based organization, an intersectional hub working to unify the colors, cultures, and congregations to see Greater Akron thrive.
Love Akron challenges Christian leaders of the local church, para-church ministries, marketplace, and nonprofit sectors of Summit County to... ...unite as a prayer network for the purpose of leading communities and congregations in prayer strategies as one church. ...tear down the walls that divide the colors, cultures, and congregations and to build bridges of understanding for the purpose of creating strategies that promote unity and harmony. ...invest their collective resources for the purpose of the whole church taking the whole Gospel to the whole county.
Love Akron was established in 1995 by Pastor Mark Ford, Pastor Knute Larson & Rev. Dr. Ron Fowler. The first event was a prayer meeting, hoping it would grow into a city-wide prayer movement, and has since been successful. With the retirement of its founding leader in April 2019, Love Akron hired Executive Director Kemp Boyd.
Mr. Boyd is committed to empowering others to make Greater Akron thrive. What this means is Love Akron wants to listen together and learn together, so that we can lead together as a city and not as separate organizations. As Mr. Boyd stated, “Better together collaborating with community change agents resulting in collaborative impacts.”
Love Akron, through the guidance of Kemp Boyd and his staff, attempts to help the community celebrate our differences not just acting when there is a tragedy. What unites us, not divides us.
Love Akron attempts to bring awareness to what resources are available in Akron already, and then bringing together a team of players to address a concern.
Love Akron has 3 Initiatives for 2021. One of those will be to address the challenge of 850 children being served by Children Services Board and only 170 foster home beds available.
Love Akron has several initiatives. One of those initiatives is related to Mental Health and Wellness. Love Akron’s Mental Health and Wellness Initiative focuses 100% on the unmet needs in the Greater Akron communities. The unmet need is that individuals have not been exposed to the benefits of Mental Health treatment for many reasons, one of which is due to the stigma surrounding this subject.
Love Akron is working in partnership with community organizations to provide support and help to a very underserved and undiagnosed population. Their focus, mission, and goal are to change the culture of mental health so that those in need will receive the care and support they deserve, all while addressing misinformation and raising awareness on such.
Another initiative is their Grieve Recovery Program. According to Mr. Boyd, grief is the normal and natural emotional response to change or loss of any kind: death, divorce, moving, financial changes, health changes, relationship changes. Grief is also the result of unmet hopes, dreams and expectations and the loss of intangible concepts such as safety, trust, security, respect, faith, dignity.
In collaboration with Summit County ADM Board (primary investor) and Summa Health, Love Akron has trained Fifteen (15) specialist to lead and conduct both of these initiatives (see more information about these initiatives on their website).
For additional information on Love Akron you can visit their website at http://www.loveakron.org
Christine Curry was inducted February 22, 2022, and was sponsored by Steve Buie.
Christine is the CEO of OPEN M. Prior to joining OPEN M, Christine was the stewardship and development program coordinator at Northeast Ohio Medical University. Previously she served the citizens of the City of Akron as a member of Mayor Daniel Horrigan’s cabinet as director of communications for two years. Before joining the cabinet, Christine proudly served her alma mater, The University of Akron, for nearly 20 years in a variety of capacities. She hired in as a public relations representative and moved up within the Division, serving as a public relations representative, director of Alumni Relations and lastly as director of development, stewardship, and donor services.
She is a member of Leadership Akron Alumni Association (Class 24) and serves on the Akron Roundtable Board of Trustees, Our Lady of the Elms Board of Trustees, and the Lebron Family Foundation - LAB Community Board. Christine also is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., ZTO Chapter, Akron. Throughout her professional and volunteer career, her main focus has been to help children, teens and young adults achieve their dreams.
Christine has taught workshops on resume writing, newswriting, self-esteem, interviewing, and cultural diversity for YEPAW, Upward Bound, Summa Health System’s former nursing program, Women’s Network, Akron Public Schools, and area church youth groups. Christine’s vision for OPEN M is to continue the mission of creating pathways out of poverty for individuals and families while also providing more robust, skills-based services that will enable those receiving help to move from being needful members of the community to self-sustaining members of the community.
Charly was inducted February 15, 2022, he was sponsored by Cheryl Warren. Please be sure to introduce yourself to Charly at our next meeting!
Meet Charly Murphy:
He is the caterer at Bounce Innovation Hub and he owns 3 stray dog cafes, 2 Bobs Hamburg’s and food trucks and carts. Also, the Akron pickle and Akron cares home health care.
All three Stray Dog locations are in downtown Akron. Also, 19 retail locations sell Stray Dog condiments throughout Ohio.
The whole operation began as away to help employ persons with employment challenges. We are actively still pursuing that mission, as well as passionately providing wonderful food to the greater Akron area.
Akron pickle fest, Akron Veggie fest, Ohio Hot Dog fest, and the Akron pug fest are parts of the Stray Dog concessions family. Additionally, vending at more than 100 festivals per year, The brand is growing in recognition and size.
Akron cares has a group home in collaboration with Dayton Street development (another Charly Murphy company) and cares for the disabled in their own homes. We sent two of our residents to Akron Rotary camp for the past few summers - and our leadership team jumped in the lake last winter to raise money for Akron Rotary camp.
Two teenage children, both in high school, and both university of Akron students are both involved in the efforts.
REALTORS Are Advocates, Community Servants & Dedicated to DEI
Akron Rotarian Sandy Naragon who serves as CEO of the Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS (ACAR), along with ACAR COO Mike Valerino were guest speakers on Tuesday, February 15th.
Naragon, who has worked for the REALTOR Association for 40 years, retires on March 31st. Mike Valerino, a 20-year REALTOR Association Executive, has been named her successor.
As co-presenters they shared the good works of the Akron Cleveland REALTORS including:
Advocacy for private property owners
Building better communities
Philanthropic endeavors
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Advocacy:
The Realtor Party is a non-partisan advocacy group that works to advance public policies and candidates that build strong communities, protect private property rights, and promote vibrant business environments.
Advocacy helps landowners use their property the way they intended, protects investment by opposing point of sale ordinances, restrictive sign ordinances, restrictive zoning laws, excessive transfer taxes, etc.
A huge victory was real estate being deemed an essential business by Governor DeWine in the height of the pandemic. Despite covid, the many reasons why people must move—job transfers, new babies, parents moving to assisted living, death, divorces, marriages didn’t stop. In states where real estate stopped—the economic and social impact was devastating.
Placemaking:
Realtors build stronger communities is by teaming up with the National Association to offer placemaking grants to turn spaces into places!
Is there a vacant lot in your neighborhood? Are you working with a local non-profit or city government to turn that space into a welcoming neighborhood amenity like a pocket park, community garden, or all-abilities playground? Consider applying for a placemaking grant from ACAR, and if selected, we will be a community partner on the project! Grants are up to $5,000! Applications are due March 31. https://www.akronclevelandrealtors.com/placemaking
Real Estate Community Cares:
In 2014, the Real Estate Community Cares Fund was created to support community through financial donations to housing-related charities. We are also currently accepting applications for foundation grants! Here’s the link: ACAR Real Estate Community Cares Application
Nationally, 2021 was the 20th anniversary of the Realtors Relief Foundation, which was created in the wake of the 911 attacks—it has distributed over $33 million to victims of natural disasters and manmade catastrophes. ACAR contributed $25,000 to the fund.
DEI
Mike Valerino spotlighted ACAR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work. He kicked off his presentation with a bold apology from the National Association of Realtors 2021 President Charlie Oppler. Oppler said, “What Realtors did was an outrage to our morals and our ideals. It was a betrayal of our commitment to fairness and equality. “We can’t go back to fix the mistakes of the past, but we can look at this problem squarely in the eye and, on behalf of our industry, we can say that what Realtors did was shameful, and we are sorry.”
Valerino went on to outline the ways in which the National Association and ACAR are attacking it’s DEI efforts including:
An award-winning interactive fair housing simulation called Fairhaven.
Prohibiting racist conduct in its national Code of Ethics—in all facets of life, not just real estate transactions.
Adding DEI to Realtor Association’s Core Standards
Proactively formalizing Allied Partnerships
Taking an active role in partnership organizations
Applying for diversity grants
Contracting with the Diversity Center of Cleveland to offer groundbreaking diversity series of training
Requiring all employees to earn the At Home With Diversity designation
Creating a DEI Presidential Advisory Group to oversee all activities
The Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS serves 6,750 members in Cuyahoga, Summit and Portage Counties.
About Sandy and Mike:
Sandy Naragon
Sandy Naragon is the CEO of the Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS. She has served the REALTOR family for 40 years. She manages a staff of twelve and her primary responsibilities include leadership development, DEI, finance, member outreach, strategic planning and governance.
Sandy serves on committees at the Ohio and National Associations of REALTORS. She is a Rotarian and volunteers for the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs and the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank. Sandy is a proud member of the Akron and Cleveland Realtist Associations, the Northeast Ohio chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS and the LGBTQ Real Estate Alliance.
She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business & Organizational Communication from the University of Akron. She earned the At Home With Diversity designation in 2020 and the REALTORS Certified Executive designation in 2003 from the National Association of REALTORS.
Sandy is married, has a stepdaughter, son-in-law, three grandchildren and one very chill German Shepherd named Zena.
Mike Valerino
Mike Valerino is the Chief Operating Officer of the Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS®, and will become CEO starting April 1, 2022. Mike has worked for the REALTORS® in Northeast Ohio for over 20 years. In his current role Mike is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the operational and program aspects of the annual budget. He also partners with the CEO to have overall operational responsibility for the organization.
Mike serves on committees at Ohio REALTORS® and the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). He serves on CHN Housing Capital Advisory Board, Northeast Ohio Fair Housing Collaborative, Lead Safe Cleveland Steering Committee, and Avon Lake CRA Housing Council. Mike is a proud member of the Akron and Cleveland Realtist Associations, the Northeast Ohio chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS and the LGBTQ Real Estate Alliance.
Mike has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication from Ohio University. He Holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) and REALTOR® Association Certified Executive (RCE) designations as well as NAR’s At Home with Diversity certification. In 2017, Mike received the “AE Leaders of Tomorrow Young Professionals Award” from NAR.
Mike is married with four children and a boxer dog named Penny. He enjoys coaching sports, making good barbeque, and playing bad golf.
Speaker Recap: Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors
We have adjusted our Akron Canton Food Bank service project to the fourth Wednesday every other month.
So I am looking for volunteers forWednesday, February 22 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Akron location which is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307. After the food bank service project anyone is welcome to join me in going out to dinner at a downtown Akron restaurant to be determined later.
The service project involves breaking down large containers of food into smaller portions for redistribution to area food pantries. The two hours flies by as we all have fun with the project and we get the opportunity to meet a few new people from other organizations/companies that are there volunteering as well.
IF YOU HAVE NOT VOLUNTEERED BEFORE AT THE FOOD BANK THEN I NEED YOU TO REGISTER. See volunteer application link below.
If you have any questions please call or text me at 330-714-1044.
I need a head count by noon Friday February 17, so if you would please let me know by then if you plan on attending by sending me an email or text: dhall@preferredlegacy.com or 330-714-1044. I greatly appreciate it!
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank’s Main Campus is located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, Akron, OH 44307, at the corner of Dart Avenue and Opportunity Parkway off of OH-59 near Downtown Akron. Get Directions.
When you arrive, please park in the front of the building or in the Dart Avenue parking lot. Use the front glass doors to enter the building.
If the parking lot is full, please park in the grass lot or proceed to the Shipping and Receiving parking lot on the other side of the building.
If entering through Shipping and Receiving, enter through the RED visitor door and proceed to the front desk.
We also recommend carpooling when possible.
What to wear:
Face Masks are optional.
Safety is our priority! Please note that open-toed shoes are not permitted in the warehouse.Jewelry is not permitted in the clean- room and we recommend wearing limited jewelry when volunteering.
Comfortable shoes are recommended as you may be on your feet the entire time.
It is best to dress in layers. The weather outside may affect the temperature inside the warehouse.
Thank you for volunteering at your Foodbank! We look forward to welcoming you.
Wow! We’re not even a week removed from last Saturday’s 32nd Chili Open, and good news continues to pour in today. Over $375,000 has been raised to support our Akron Rotary Camp.
It was a joy to experience “The Magic” that takes place at Hale Farm each February. Just when you think it can’t get any better, it does! The weather was beautiful, the food was good, and the golf and fellowship were outstanding.
Congratulations to Jeff Sheeks, Cyndi Kane, Jim Redmond, Dan Riemenschneider, Dan Reynolds, Mella Castner, Amanda Warner, other team members, as well as all our wonderful sponsors- Wayne Homes, Van Devere Auto Group, Focal Point, Whitey’s Restaurant, Hale Farm, and so many others.
Thank you to each club member for doing your part, as well as the encouragement and support of the greater Akron community, to help make the 2022 Chili Open a huge success! Heaven must be smiling to witness this continued story of love and devotion unfold for special needs children, their families, and greater Akron!
Let’s allow ourselves the opportunity to smile and rejoice.
Well done everyone!
Steve
p.s. make note that we are starting back to Bounce Innovation Hub with hybrid meetings, this upcoming Tuesday, Feb 15th, at noon.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Donald Obermeier, from the Akron Chapter of the ACE Mentor program during our Tuesday February 8th meeting.
The Akron chapter of ACE has been in existence for four and a half years. The Akron/Canton ACE program has approximately 50 students currently enrolled in their program. The ACE Mentor Program of America (ACE) was founded in 1994. ACE is a free, award-winning, afterschool program designed to attract high school students into pursuing careers in Architecture, Construction and Engineering industries, including skilled trades.
ACE is a federation of more than 75 chapters, operating in 38 states and Canada, and largely based in metropolitan areas.
At a national level what does ACE do?
Over 10,000 students participate annually, drawn from approximately 1,450 high schools.
Most ACE students (69%) are minority, and over 40% are female.
One-quarter of ACE seniors entering college are first generation students.
More than 4,100 volunteer industry professionals mentor student teams through a 35-hour-long simulation of designing and constructing a project.
Approximately $2.5 million in scholarships are awarded annually to high school seniors and alumni studying to pursue industry-related careers.
ACE also offers students summer camp and internship opportunities.
What is the ACE Mission?
To engage, excite, and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and continued support for their advancement into the industry.
What are ACE’s Primary Goals?
Help build a large, diverse, and better-prepared workforce.
Prioritize engaging students and communities traditionally underrepresented in the industry.
Assist and guide students by providing scholarships, internships, and mentoring as they pursue career pathways into the industry.
What are the Core Values of ACE?
Inclusion – We will nurture and value the diversity of backgrounds, identities, talents and beliefs of each individual involved in our program.
Collaboration – We believe a spirit of mutually beneficial collaboration will produce the greatest results and maximize our volunteer and fiscal resources.
Excellence – We aspire to deliver the highest quality and most impactful mentor program and commit to approach our work with fairness and honesty.
How does ACE work?
ACE is made up of affiliates(chapters) serving local communities. Each affiliate has a board of directors, program leaders, and a number of student teams. Average teams are composed of 15-25 students and led by their volunteer mentors who are professionals from the build industry.
Each team is set up to emulate an actual design team, with students guided through a mock design project by their architect, engineer, construction management, and tradesperson mentors.
Mentors assist the students as they work towards a final project, introducing them to the careers, industry vocabulary, and various roles companies play in the construction industry.
ACE runs during the school year, with each affiliate setting their own schedule. The teams meet for approximately 15 sessions, for about two hours after school, usually on the same day each week. The Akron chapter meets every other week.
The meetings are held either in schools or at the offices of the firms to give the students as authentic an experience as possible. It is the students’ responsibility to get to each ACE session. ACE makes every effort to select meeting locations that are convenient for students.
Why ACE?
Besides all of the reasons stated previously, ACE exists because of the shortages in workers in the areas that ACE is concentrating on. By providing these programs, ACE hopes to recruit desperately needed employees, but also provide diversity in the careers identified. Minorities and individuals from underserved populations are significantly underrepresented in the design and construction industry workforce. ACE helps address this problem.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Lisa A. Gray, the founding president of Ohio Excels during our Tuesday February 1st meeting. Gray’s career has been dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of ALL of Ohio’s students.
Prior to leading Ohio Excels, Gray had her own consulting practice specializing in public policy development, government relations, advocacy, strategic planning, and project management with an emphasis on public education. Her clients included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Achieve, Inc., Philanthropy Ohio, Battelle for Kids, Ohio Business Roundtable, Teach for America, Jobs for the Future and the Office of Governor Taft, among others.
What is Ohio Excels?
Ohio Excels is a nonpartisan coalition of business leaders committed to helping improve education for every Ohio student. Their mission is “To provide an informed business perspective to help improve and transform Ohio’s education system so that it better prepares students to meet the demands of our evolving economy.” Their vision is “All Ohio students have access to and are supported to excel in early childhood, K-12 and post-secondary experiences that prepare them for life and success in a changing economy.”
What are their Core Principles?
Ensure Equity – All students deserve the right to educational success Too many of Ohio’s students currently do not enjoy that opportunity.
Expect Academic Excellence – Education is a critical foundation for life success, and our students deserve the opportunity to develop foundational skills and knowledge that will enable them to achieve in school, the workforce, and life.
Focus on Students – Students needs must be the center of all policy and practice decisions.
Use Data – Education decisions must be informed by data that honestly illuminate student, school, and system performance.
Strengthen Implementation – Leaders must create consistent, innovative policies and support crucial implementation challenges to ensure student success.
Coordinate Investments – The state should better coordinate all of its investments to serve students’ needs by identifying existing state resource, eliminating barriers and silos, and requiring state agency partnerships that meet the comprehensive needs of students.
Offer Quality Choices – Families and students deserve the right to choose the school that best meets their students’ unique needs and have funding for that choice.
Build on Success – Share examples of success and replicate the best educational practices, interventions, and schools so that students have access to proven options at all levels of the education system.
Why Has Ohio Excels Chosen Business as Their Strategic Partner?
Improving the quality of education will give students a better chance to succeed and will help Ohio businesses grow and innovate, fueling a robust state economy.
Why Was Ohio Excels Formed?
Ohio Excels’ initial coalition began by assembling a diverse board of business leaders from across the state, developing core principles to guide their work and attracting a growing number of others from Ohio business community to join their cause. With this strong foundation, Ohio Excels was formally launched in March 2019 and the organization has quickly emerged as a leading voice at the Statehouse, bringing an informed business perspective to improve and transform Ohio’s education system.
What are Ohio Excels’ Current Education Priorities?
Early Childhood Advocacy
Covid Catch-Up & Early Literacy
School Funding & Student Wellness Supports
Report Cards for Districts & Schools
Computer Science & STEM Education
Columbus New Skills Ready Network
College Enrollment and Re-Enrollment Study
Complete to Compete Attainment Coalition
Strengthening Business Advisory Councils
4th Annual Aim Hire Education & Workforce Conference
What Have Been Some of Their Accomplishments?
Putting In Place Stronger Graduation Requirements
Working to Address Ohio’s Digital Divide
Helping to Ensure Quality & Equity of Remote Learning
Strengthening Ohio’s Business Advisory Councils
Developing a Plan to Increase Educational Attainment
Leading Discussions on the Future of the Workforce – Aim Hire
Reforming Ohio’s School Report Cards
To learn more about Ohio Excels and see how you might get involved, check out their website at www.ohioexcels.org.
Annually, District 6630 awards grant dollars to Rotary Clubs who qualify to receive them. The matching grant is given to a worthy project selected by Akron Rotary. One of the requirements to qualify to receive funding is by having members of our club attend a mandatory District Grant Seminar.
Mark Seward and I have served as co-chairs for several years and acted as a committee of two! President Elect Lynda Farkas has a goal of engaging more Rotarians in our Club’s community efforts. If community service and reviewing grant proposals sounds like a fit for you, register for ONE of the District Grant Seminars below:
Here are the dates!
2/24 @ 6 pm – Akron Summit Library
3/1 @ 6 pm – Middleburg Heights Library
3/5 @ 9:30 am – Mayfield Branch Cuyahoga County Library (there will be a virtual option for this session but you must register to get the link)
Our Annual Chili Open Golf Classic is back and we need everyone’s help to make this a successful event!
Please SIGN UP HERE to volunteer where you can! You are welcome to come part of the day, or help out with a couple of tasks. Some of the tasks are outside, so please dress appropriately for the weather.
We ask that all Volunteers park at Old Trail School which is located at 2315 Ira Road, Akron, OH 44333. There will be a shuttle bus to transport you to Hale Farm.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
We are grateful for your support!
Kind regards,
Dr. Doug Hausknecht Chili Open Volunteer Chair chiliopen.net Gotcamp.org
The Rotary Club of Akron enjoyed a very enlightening presentation by Kitrael Chin. Mr. Chin is the President/Director and Founder of Hearts For Music, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3. Hearts For Music is the world’s first special needs orchestra that attempts to unite all disabilities of all ages in creating and performing music. Mr. Chin is a Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) with over 20 years of clinical experience. He has a specialty certificate in Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy from the New York Center for End-of-Life Care (HPMT).
Kitrael noted that he has been blessed with the joy and privilege of working with many kids and young adults displaying a wide range of disabilities ranging from mild to severe intellectual disabilities to cerebral palsy and Autism. In 2000, Kitrael started Musical Fingers LLC a music therapy and instruction company in Mantua OH, which to this present day serves many families throughout NE Ohio.
Hearts For Music was created to provide opportunities and avenues for individuals with special needs wanting to pursue their love for creating and performing music in a professional ensemble setting. At the core of Hearts for Music, is an orchestra made up of 20 to 25 children and/or young adults with a variety of special needs. The philosophy behind Hearts For Music
By manipulating and playing a combination of acoustical instruments, digital instruments and adaptive instruments, the Hearts For Music Special Needs program tackles a broad range of musical works ranging from classical symphonies to modern pop and rock.
Where Does Hearts For Music Meet?
Currently HFM have Ohio sites in Brecksville, Mentor/Willoughby and Solon. Additional Hearts For Music sites will be appearing in 2022! The Aurora High School will be adding HFM as part of their daytime school programing in 2022.
Who Can Participate?
While their youngest is 4 years of age, and the oldest is in her 60s, there is no age limitation. Members have diagnoses ranging from Autism to Down syndrome to chromosomal abnormalities such as Turner’s Syndrome. HFM also welcomes children/teens without special needs to participate so that they learn how to be caring and compassionate towards others with special needs.
Do Participants Need to Have Musical Experience?
While an understanding of music is helpful, it is unnecessary for participation. If a child or loved one desires additional music training, HFM can offer recommendations. Kitrael’s philosophy is “Just come with a love and heart for music!”
Can I Help In Any Way?
Absolutely individuals can help! Donors and volunteers are at the heart of Hearts For Music. Please consider donating to HFM or contacting them about being a volunteer. Volunteers don’t need formal music training, just a love for music and a sincere desire to see each child succeed. Even simply spreading the word about Hearts For Music on social media is a big help.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to hear Chaz Billington and John Reyes explain the Youth Protection Initiative impacting all Rotary Clubs, at our Tuesday, January 18, 2022 Club meeting.
Chaz is the Chair of the Rotary Club of Akron Youth Protection Committee and a member of the District 6630 Youth Protection Committee.
Many Club members are aware that youth protection and safety is a high priority of Rotary International, District 6630, and all of the clubs and members. You may be less aware that Rotary International mandates youth safety protections be implemented for all Rotary related youth activities, events, and contacts.
After considerable effort, the District 6630 Youth Protection Committee, chaired by our own PDG John Reyes, rolled out a comprehensive Youth Protection Policy.
There are few activities in the District and its Clubs that are more valuable or more important than working with youth. It is imperative that all of us do our best as Rotary International mandates to make all youth activities as safe as possible for all involved.
What is the Youth Protection Policy?
“Every activity conducted or sponsored by Rotary will occur in an environment free of abuse and harassment.” The district’s policy complies with Rotary International’s Conduct Standards, as adopted by the RI Board of Directors, October 2019.
“To the best of their ability, Rotarians, Rotarians’ spouses and partners, and all other volunteers must safeguard the children and young people with whom they come into contact and protect them from physical, sexual and psychological abuse.”
What is the Purpose of the Youth Protection Policy?
Safety of Youth Involvement in all Rotary Programs
Consistent and supportive incident management
Compliance with RI directive
Protection of club members from allegations
Liability protection
Legal reporting requirements
Are Rotarians Required to Be Trained in These Policies and Procedures?
All Rotarians, spouses, partners and volunteers must be trained, understand and follow the policies in the District 6630 Youth Protection Policies and Procedures document.
Harassment or abuse by members or those associated with authorized District and Club activities will not be tolerated.
Club compliance is supervised by the District Governor; all clubs will be monitored for ALL youth programs.
What is the definition of Youth interactions?
Youth interactions are defined as:
Casual Contact (incidental and infrequent group contact)
Continued Contact, more than casual, may or may not be in a group setting, and applies to Rotarians generally assigned to support Rotary functions
What does the Club need to do to be in compliance with District 6630 and RI?
Insurance coverage protects the Clubs and District from third party liability claims. Nonetheless:
• Clubs must document any event alleging abuse or harassment involving youth.
• Clubs should review programs and implement procedures for:
o Transportation
o conducting interviews
o volunteer screening
Clubs create action plans for responding to incidents.
All Clubs participating in Youth Programs will:
Provide the District with a signed Compliance statement.
For Volunteers with Continued Contact, provide confirmation of volunteer screening prior to participating in youth activities
Clubs participating in Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) must meet additional requirements regarding training, learning materials, applications, websites and community resources.
What are the duties of the Club President and the Club Youth Protection Officer (YPO)?
The Club President:
Enforces District Policy
Reviews club youth activities
Appoints the Club YPO
Creates youth protection committee if needed
The Club YPO:
Co-ordinates with District leaders for volunteer screening
Annually conducts youth protection training for club membership
The Club YPO also Co-ordinates with the District RYE chair, if the Club participates in RYE.
Will Rotarians be required any specific training?
All Rotarian and non-Rotarian Volunteers who work with youth must complete the online Youth Protection Awareness Training
All Volunteers who have Continued Contact with youth must undergo screening:
Undergo an interview as assigned by the DG
Complete the required volunteer application.
Provide personal references – at least three.
Undergo a criminal background check
Training includes:
Recognizing sexual abuse and harassment
How to report incidents to the Club, the District, and legal authorities.
Additional District Training is required certain other classifications of individuals working with youth
How are allegations handled?
Any adult to whom a youth reports abuse or harassment, will immediately refer the complaint to the sponsoring Club Youth Protection Officer, but if none, to the Club President.
Complaints alleging sexual and physical abuse must be reported to law enforcement immediately.
There will be full cooperation with all law enforcement agencies and child protective services.
If the complaint involves a RYE youth, the report should be made to the District RYE chair, who assumes the duties of the Club YPO in addition to his own duties
Non-criminal complaints will be handled at the Club level and reported to the District Governor within 72 hours.
What is Next in implementing this policy?
A variety of tasks need to be accomplished by June 2022. Chaz will be creating a Youth Protection Committee. Club Rotarians interested in being on this committee should contact Chaz. Chaz will also reach out to Rotarians he believes should be on the committee based on their involvement with the youth programs currently being provided by the Akron Club.
Additional information will be shared with the Club as we implement this new policy and the required training rolls out.
The 2022 Chili Open Online Auction will again feature Dr. Rob McGregor’sWheelbarrow of Good Cheer and Wanda Whipkey’s Wine Fridge! Your help is needed to fill both of these auction items with a donation of unopened bottles of alcohol, bottle of wine, mixers, bar glassware, mixing tools, cocktail napkins, etc. If you don’t have time to shop, we can shop for you! Send a check payable to Akron Rotary Camp, 4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319. The Wheelbarrow and Wine Fridge are popular and high bidding items in the Auction.
We need additional items for the online auction. Autographed sports memorabilia, behind the scenes tours, brewery packages, Country Club/Golf Club packages, family entertainment packages, food gift baskets, restaurant gift cards/certificates, spa packages, sporting event packages/tickets, are a sampling of items needed.
We also need donations of small gifts or promotional items for door prizes. Every Chili Open attendee receives a complimentary entry into the door prize drawing.
If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 or amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
Collecting Items:
With our weekly Rotary Club meetings being back to virtual. The Rotary Camp Staff will be happy to meet you during selected times and drop-off locations to assist you in dropping off your bottles of liquor/wine, silent auction items, door prizes and raffle tickets.
Collection Dates/Times/Locations:
Wednesday, January 19: 5pm-6pm - Rotary Camp & Hilton Akron/Fairlawn
Tuesday, January 25: 5pm-6pm – Rotary Camp, Hilton Akron/Fairlawn and World Elite
Tuesday, February 1: 5pm-6pm – Rotary Camp, Hilton Akron/Fairlawn and World Elite
Akron Rotary Camp is located at 4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH 44319
World Elite Kids is located at 81 Northwest Ave, Tallmadge, OH 44278 Hilton Akron Fairlawn is located at 3180 W Market St, Akron, OH 44333
Fellow Rotarians, thank you in advance for your donations to help make the Chili Open a continued success for Akron Rotary Club to benefit Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to the Akron Public Schools’ Superintendent. View the presentation by clicking here or copy and paste the link into your browser https://youtu.be/ppeD7o29Vb8
Born and raised in Akron and educated in Akron Public Schools (APS), Superintendent Christine Fowler Mack is an experienced school district leader whose first classroom experience was in the APS system as a teacher at Robinson Elementary School from 1989 – 1995. Following that, Fowler Mack was a student dean and teacher leader for two years in APS.
Named superintendent of Akron Public Schools in 2021, Christine Fowler Mack began her leadership duties July 1, 2021.
Superintendent Fowler-Mack provided the Club some information about the school system as well as some of the goals and direction the APS system is going. With more than 4,100 teachers and staff, APS budget stands at more than $565 million. This number equates to $10,652 per student. There are 21,113 students enrolled. Of these 21,113 students 465.5% are Black, 31% are White, 9.3% are multi-race, 8.8% Asian/Pacific, and 4.3% Latino. The APS system has 48 school buildings and 4 administrative/support buildings.
APS graduated 1140 students in 2021. A total of 9,297 college credits were attained, 18,744 hours of internships and jobs were accomplished and there were 935 Industry credentials.
APS continued to embrace the Career and College Academy approach.
Fowler-Mack discussed the 4 core commitments of APS. These commitments are: 1) High Quality Instruction, 2) Health and Safety, 3) Staff Support, and 4) Adaptive and Responsive Practices. Some of the Health and Safety initiatives include mask wearing, surgical masks, handwashing, cleaning and sanitation, social distancing, transportation systems, building systems, school visitors, COVID testing, vaccination clinics, athletic and field trip engagement modifications.
Fowler-Mack discussed the Portrait of an Akron Public School Elementary Student as well as a Portrait of an Akron Public School Graduate. These portraits included 5 areas: 1) Social skills development, 2) Contributions of society, 3) Strong habits of mind, 4) Real world skills, and 5) Plan for the future.
COVID was and continues to be a challenge to the system, but Fowler-Mack emphasized the challenge also unleashed a wave of innovation that accelerated changes improving various aspects of the APS system.
Some of the Strategies for Innovation and Improvement included the following: 1) Family Resource Centers, 2) Akron Children’s Hospital Academy of Health and Human Sciences at North High School, 3) The I Promise School, 4) College and Career Academies, 5) Stay in the Game, and 6) I: World (every student has a notebook or laptop which made the virtual learning last year more of a reality than many urban schools).
Currently in draft is an “Excellence through Equity” vision statement that will be presented to the School Board in the very near future.
Superintendent Fowler-Mack entertained questions from Rotarians.
She also provided information of the Vaccination Clinics that are taking place - the next one is on January 14, 2022 3pm-7pm at North High School.
The vaccination is for student and staff boosters or second shots for students who received first shots through APS vaccination clinics.
The Chili Open is only 24 days away and we are counting on your support to make this event successful!
RAFFLE TICKETS Our club members have been asked to sell a minimum of $200 in raffle tickets. The goal for ticket sales is $60,000. Many have had great success in selling tickets by sending an email solicitation to your family, friends and business colleagues asking for their help in purchasing tickets. Thank you in advance to those of you who have sold tickets and those that are still selling.
Please mail your sold raffle tickets to Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron OH 44319), no later than Friday, January 28, 2022. If you are in need of more tickets to sell, we will have them on hand as well. Tickets can also be purchased here.
SILENT AUCTION
The Silent Auction will feature a "Wheelbarrow of Good Cheer!" and an 18- bottle Wine Fridge. Help us fill the wheelbarrow and fridge with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits, mixers and wine.
ONLINE AUCTION
We are also still in need of items for our online auction, like food baskets, golf packages, or family entertainment packages.
If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 or amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
DOOR PRIZES
Do you have any items, gifts, or maybe promotional items from your company that can be used as door prizes? Please consider donating them, as we still need some items. Our attendees love getting door prizes at the event!
Thank you in advance for your donations to help make the Chili Open a continued success to benefit Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
2021-2022 District 6630 Governor Larry Lohman began his presentation with a little history of his introduction to Rotary from his father and his involvement with Rotary service project from a little boy forward. As he stated during his presentation, Lohman has grown up in the service of Rotary and his community. He helped his father’s Rotary Club (Cambridge, Ohio) with service projects and fundraisers. The Cambridge Club has had three generations of Larry's family as members, including his great-grandfather, a founding member of the club. Larry also served with The Boy Scouts of America where he earned his Eagle Scout Award, his Church Youth Group, and as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society.
He has been a member of The Rotary Club of Kent since 2007 and has served as International Services Chair, Program Director, President-Elect and President. He led the charge to identify ways to better inform the community about Rotary. During his presidency he developed a new club legacy award to honor members for their years of service. This award was first presented to Past District Governor Gordon Keller, and thereafter in his memory.
Larry has been very active with Rotary District 6630 for several years, so it should be no surprise that he is now our District Governor. He has been very involved with his Kent club in providing clean water systems to villages in El Salvador for over 20 years. Larry explained that his involvement with the water project came about after attending a Rotary delegation trip to El Salvador. He came to fully understand the importance of water and the global grants that make it possible. In 2019 Larry headed a water project in El Rodeo, El Salvador that brought clean water to a village of 65 families. The villagers never had clean running water and had been walking about one mile to obtain polluted water.
During his term as District Governor, Larry would like to focus on two specific areas. Those areas are Youth, and Publicity/social media awareness activities.
YOUTH:
Through his service with the Rotary Club of Kent, Larry brought a focus of Youth Services to his club which sponsored a new Interact Club and has begun participating in Rotary Youth Exchange. Larry headed up the revitalization of the Kent State University Rotaract Club.
He envisions creating a mentorship program between the Club, and local young professionals’ organizations. He would like to form an Alumni Association for individuals that are former members of Interact and Rotaract.
SOCIAL MEDIA/GETTING ROTARY’S NAME OUT THERE:
Larry believes that Rotary, and what Rotary is all about, isn’t communicated as effectively as it could be. Larry is proposing that the District Publicity Committee members be available to local Clubs to assist with social media events, including service projects by providing media assistance.
DG Lohman reminded Club Rotarians that the District Conference will be held at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls on April 22 and 23. He is encouraging the Club to conduct our weekly meeting at the Sheraton during the District Conference.
The District’s Membership committee is holding a Membership Roundtable Zoom meeting on 1/15/2022 at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the meeting is to share ideas for membership recruitment, retention, etc. Individuals interested in attending can email Peter Tuttle at ptuttle@ptcdi.com to get a Zoom invite.
DG Lohman entertained questions from Club members after his presentation.
The 32nd annual Akron Rotary Chili Open Golf Classic is 30 days away! This is our Club’s annual major fundraiser to benefit and support our Akron Rotary Camp. The Chili Open represents 30% of the annual operating costs to the Rotary Camp’s annual budget. This ensures that no child is turned away from attending Camp for their family’s inability to pay.
This year’s event goal is $320,000, we have currently raised $204,000 - 64% of goal. With every Akron Rotarians help, we can meet this goal – it takes a village and you are our village! A very special thank you to those of you who have provided sponsorships, camperships, purchased and/or sold your raffle tickets and donated door prizes or auction items.
Since we aren’t meeting in-person you can easily provide your support by visiting www.chiliopen.net. Or reach out to us to see how you can help, our contact info is listed below.
Raffle Ticket Chairs, David Miller and Andrew Grover, have been very busy reaching out and promoting raffle ticket sales. It’s important to know that the VanDevere Bunch will donate the car for the raffle at no cost to the Chili Open but a minimum of $40,000 in ticket sales must be met. Your help is needed in promoting, purchasing and selling your raffle tickets. This is a very easy way to support the event.
Thank you in advance for helping us to make the Chili Open a continued success to support our campers and their families.
Our club members have been asked to sell a minimum of $200 in raffle tickets. Our goal for ticket sales is $60,000. Many Rotarians have had great success in selling tickets by sending an email solicitation to family, friends and business colleagues asking for their help in purchasing tickets. Thank you in advance to those of you who have sold tickets and those that are still selling.
Since we aren’t meeting in-person, please mail or drop off your sold raffle tickets to Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron OH 44319), no later than Wednesday, January 26. If you need additional tickets let us know and we will get them to you ASAP. Tickets can also be purchased here.
Raffle tickets are $20 per ticket, each raffle ticket includes $25 in discounts:
Purchase two entrees and receive $15 off your bill at Lala’s on the Lakes, located on Manchester Road, Akron.
Raffle ticket prizes are:
1st prize is a 2022 Kia Forte LXS, or $16,000 cash payout - Thank you to The VanDevere Bunch!
2nd prize is a Goodyear Blimp Ride for two, courtesy of Wealth Impact Advisors – Thank you Rotarian Jim Redmond!
3rd prize is a LG 55” 4k Smart LED TV, courtesy of the S Group, Inc. – Thank you Rotarian Jeff Sheeks!
Everyone who purchases five (5) tickets for $100 will automatically be entered into the SNOWMANIA drawing for a chance to win $50,000. This is in addition to the five (5) chances for the car raffle drawing. For SNOWMANIA to go live, we need 6-inches of newly fallen snow accumulation on February 19, 2022 between 12:01am and 11:59pm at the Akron-Canton Airport, Ohio as independently determined by Weather Command. The qualifying winning ticket for SNOWMANIA will be drawn on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at the Chili Open. Winner need not be present.
If you have not returned your raffle tickets yet, please show your support and purchase them today. Thank you for helping us to meet our goal FORE the kids!
As we all know, with the increasing number of COVID cases, there has been an ongoing and growing need for effective COVID testing. When individuals travel to local emergency rooms at hospitals, the demand helps overwhelm available capacity.
As a result, several hospitals in the area, including Summa and Akron Children’s, have been cooperating with the Ohio Department of Health, the Summit County Public Health Department and the Ohio National Guard to create a drive-thru testing center at Summa’s Gorge Blvd. headquarters. The project is funded by the Ohio Department of Health.
With very little notice, a plan was developed to go live with this testing process on Tuesday, December 28th.
Local health systems are strained by in-hospital response to COVID. To run this testing, volunteers, approximately 15 a day, are needed for the next couple of months to support about a dozen National Guard and Summit County Health Department clinicians.
The testing is done outdoors on a drive-thru basis with National Guard and Summit County Health Department staff handling the “close in” work on swabbing and interacting with those driving through.
Volunteers are needed to help with traffic control and test kit assembly among other things.
Information concerning this was transmitted to our Club by Past Club President Rob McGregor on December 23, 2021. Through the good efforts of Dr. McGregor and District Governor Nominee Julie Brandle, this request for assistance was quickly circulated throughout the Summit Cluster of Clubs.
My spouse, Linda, and I were able to register for and take part in the drive thru testing center on Thursday, December 30, 2021. Summa personnel handled the orientation training and direct supervision of the volunteers. We were blessed with volunteers from Leadership Akron, Summa itself, and other organizations.
Over 800 individuals are being served each day at this site. While none of us are ever likely to have front-line response duties as a healthcare worker or first responder, it was gratifying to be able to help in a small way with this ongoing project.
DGN Julie Brandle, Rotary Club of Akron visits with Marquice Seward, Family and Community Services at Kent Social Services in Portage County, the first stop on The Warm Hands, Warm Hearts collection delivery tour!
Brandle delivered to the following organizations, one in each county covered by District 6630. The hats, socks, gloves/mittens, scarves were collected in conjunction with the District 6630 Foundation Gala held this year at Windows on the River in Cleveland this past November.
Thank you to all Rotarians who so generously provided these items for those in need.
Summit County-Haven of Rest
Medina County-Battered Women's Shelter
Lake County-Project Hope
Geauga County-Women Safe
Ashtabula County-Samaritan House
Cuyahoga County-The Salvation Army
Lorain County-The Haven
Were you wondering just how many items were collected?
For the last 70+ years, our Club has sponsored this event to bring Christmas cheer to children with autism and other life challenges at the S.U.P.E.R Learning Center.
In addition to delivering presents to the children, our Club is planning to provide funding for a “Bubble Tube” for the children. The Bubble Tube is a sensory piece of equipment used to provide a relaxing, colorful, and improved sensory experience that has proven to be especially helpful for kids with autism.
We need to raise $3,000 to pay for the event and to purchase the Bubble Tube. We expect half of these funds to be provided through discretionary club funds available to President Buie. The remainder ($1,500) needs to come from members of the Club.
Here is how you can give:
Checks* should be made out to S.U.P.E.R Learning Center and mailed to:
Bill Manby Jr
Paradigm
1611-A Akron-Peninsula Road
Akron, OH 44313
*Please include Akron Rotary Club in the memo section of your check
You can also send funds via Paypal or Venmo to Bill Manby Jr (bmanbyjr@paradigmequity.com). Please also indicate your contribution is to go to the S.U.P.E.R Learning Center when you send funds.
We will continue to accept funds through year-end for this project. Thank you for your help and consideration!
Sincerely,
Steve Buie
Bill Manby Sr
Bill Manby Jr
Mark Seward
With Your Help . . .Club to Sponsor Bubble Tube for S.U.P.E.R. Learning Center
Jim Redmond and Doug Kohl presented to the club an update on our Akron Rotary Foundation, the third leg of our stool – the others being the Rotary Club and the Camp. Jim began by thanking the club for allowing him to serve the last 9 years as the President of the Foundation. Jim will be rolling off due to term limits, but he looks forward to staying involved. He announced that at a recent election of the Foundation Board, Doug Kohl was voted in as the new president. Jim also announced that Dan Riemenschneider will be the 2021-2022 Ambassador of Service awardee and will be honored at the Chili Open in February. Dan intends to stay involved with the Foundation, staying involved with our finances. Jim is very proud that the assets of the Foundation are now $2.2 million. He also shared that the Foundation’s money is invested in 2 locations, roughly $1.6 million Huntington Bank and the balance of $600,000 with Akron Community Foundation.
You may view the presentation by clicking here or copy and paste this link https://youtu.be/_UD9D3qh1s8 into your browser
Jim was also pleased to announce that the Camp and the Foundation have entered into a new collaborative arrangement where $400,000 of Camp’s cash on hand will be invested with the Rotary Foundation until needed by the Camp for future needs. This allows the Camp to earn more on their money than parking it in low interest savings. This new relationship was met with applause by the club members present and online.
Jim introduced Doug who thanked the group for the responsibility of leading the Foundation and opened his comments by noting the occasional confusion that club members have between the Rotary International Foundation and the Akron Rotary Foundation. Doug thanked Thane Billow and Bill Manby, Jr. for their leadership in promoting the RI Foundation. RI is an incredible, world-wide organization with an awesome mission. Rotary is a global community – a network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Rotary International’s mission supports 6 over arching causes: promote peace; fight disease; provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; save mothers and children; support education; grow local economies.
Doug shared that The Akron Rotary Club was founded in 1914 as the 107th club in the world. Our own local Akron Rotary Foundation was founded in 1992 to fund the endless impact of the Rotary Club of Akron in our community and beyond. Since 1994, the Akron Rotary Foundation has contributed over $3.0 million to the causes that make our community a great place to live and work. Our local Akron Rotary Foundation has 4 areas of focus – Community Development, Youth Empowerment, International Understanding, and a unique priority – The Rotary Camp For Children with Special Needs. This camp enjoys favored status with The Akron Rotary Foundation for the work it does to serve the community.
Jim and Doug thankedall Rotarians and encouraged everyone to consider Rotary in their year-end giving. Additional information can be found on the Akron Rotary website, www.akronrotary.org.
If you want a model for #positiveaging, look no farther than fellow Rotarian Malcolm Costa, which is why I nominated him to be a hall of fame inductee. Congratulations Malcolm, awesome citizen, amazing leader and fellow Rotarian.
President/CEO of Community Action Akron Summit, Inc.
Malcolm J. Costa has devoted his life to community service: developing programs and creating opportunities to benefit workers in Akron and Northeast Ohio.
Born and raised in Akron, Mr. Costa is a graduate of Akron South High School. He started his career at the IBM Corporation as a computer service dispatcher while earning a bachelor’s degree. From 1972 to 1974, Costa served as Director, United Services for All at the Akron Urban League while pursuing a master’s degree in Urban Studies and Public Administration. From 1974-1977, Costa held the position of Director of Student Development at Youngstown State University where he designed and implemented programs for non-traditional students. Costa also completed his master’s degree in Urban Studies at the University of Akron in 1977.
Since 1977, Costa has served as President/CEO, Community Action Akron Summit, Inc. where he manages 250 employees operating Head Start, the Foster Grandparent Program, Emergency Services, Child Assault Prevention, Emergency Home Energy Assistance (E-HEAP), and other community programs. In 1983, when Community Action Akron Summit, Inc. (formerly Akron Summit Community Action, Inc.) and Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership created the Greater Ohio Health and Welfare Benefits Plan (GOHIO), Costa was appointed as a trustee and vice chairman for 600 employees’ health benefits; he was elected chairman and administrator of the trust in 1989. Costa is certified as a community action professional (1996) by the National Association of Community Action Agencies. From 1994-2001, Costa served as an outside director of Bank One Akron NA. He is also a graduate of the 1990 Class of Leadership Akron.
Costa currently serves as Secretary - Downtown Akron Partnership. He received the University of Akron Outstanding Alumni Award in 2000.
Mr. Costa and his wife Crystal Ann have five children.
We find ourselves in good shape as a result of the continued thread of solid leadership. Pat O’Neill, Rob McGregor, the Risk Committee, and your Rotary Board have done an outstanding job of keeping our club physically safe and in the black. We are continuing our climb up and out of COVID into the new, emerging world. Time will tell how long the climb will be.
Rob McGregor, Jacinto Nunez, and Karen Hrdlicka led the charge for recruiting the next round of leadership for the club officers, the Board, new members to the Foundation Board, as well as details surrounding new Camp Board members. We are blessed to have such a deep well of competent leaders.
Here is a summary of what I shared with the club.
I asked - So, how are we doing?
When I shared my vision for leading our club back in July, I had 3 goals in mind.
Build and expand our efforts with Diversity and Inclusion.
Service, service, and then more service.
Strengthen the relational and communication bonds between the club, the camp, and the foundation.
Here’s an update:
Diversity - We are gaining ground in Diversity and Inclusion. We are making and building strong relational ties. The Lebron James I Promise School and their Family Foundation with Michele Campbell and Erika Mayer. Katy Miller, Dr. Rob, myself, and Dan Reynolds, Mella, and Mike Gallucci, President of the camp board are working to help I Promise families. You will be hearing more about this with an event or two coming AFTER the Chili Open. Currently, we are working on what those events might look like.
100 Black men – we heard from Michael Irby, President, last week and the wonderful mentoring program they have going on with young black men in the city. Also, the new work they are beginning in expanding to Akron University students.
Be the Match – Dale Smith from The Rotary Club of Mentor, shared 4 weeks ago about their Bone Marrow match registry. We are looking to work to raise awareness and participation since the black population only has 28% matches. The white community has greater than 80%.
Service – We have been wise to stay outside and work with new Rotarian, Tina Boyes, who heads up the Kenmore CDC -Community Development Corporation.
We have done a Kenmore beautification day with trash pickup and gardening. 100 Black men joined us with 11 of their crew. We also had 3 days of painting 3 different storefronts along the Boulevard. The painting made a huge aesthetic difference.
And last week, we were involved with Christmas decorations for one of the offices on the Boulevard.
Lots of new life is springing up in Kenmore and our support of Tina and the Kenmore CDC is raising community pride and ownership. There will be more opportunities to serve in Kenmore in 2022.
Strengthen Relationships – We have had lots of quality conversations going on between the club, the camp, and the Foundation.
Camp has been working to help strengthen the club. The camp allowed the club to use Interest $ from their investment with the Foundation for the last 5 years. This helped to increase the presidential spend for other service projects from $4,000 a year to $15,000 a year. They also made the decision to provide weekly Rotary meeting management at no cost, thus saving the club over $10,000 a year. Lastly Dan, Mella, and Camp Board chairman, Michael Gallucci have committed to using the camp and their resources to help hurting/ traumatized children from the I Promise School, as well as other hurting children from the city. You will be hearing more details in the next couple of months.
The Foundation has been nothing but supportive of the club and the camp. Their heart and vision is to support both avenues to increase service with meaningful impact to Akron and the surrounding community.
Per the recommendation of board member, Karen Hrdlicka, we are looking to conduct a meeting of all 3 Boards sometime in early Spring to further enhance our synergy and see best how we can collectively impact more children, their families, and our city. We are gaining greater critical mass in our union.
Now, about our upcoming Holiday/Christmas Luncheon on December 21st. Please reach out to Colleen Iacianci, Brian Chima, or Cheryl Warren to confirm your reservation. We will be meeting from 11:30-1:00 and we have a wonderful time planned at Bounce Innovation Center. Good food, nice desserts, wine, spirits, and great fellowship. BTW, round tables, linens, china, Christmas/Holiday music (not with live performers) and shared Christmas memories. Please make your reservation now so we can let our caterer know. The cut-off date for reservations is December 17th.
Please invite your spouse or significant other. This is a time for us to celebrate!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn more about the organization 100 Black Men of Akron and its National organization, 100 Black Men during our Tuesday, November 30, 2021, Club meeting.
The overall concept of The 100 began in 1963 in New York City when a group of concerned African American men began to meet to explore ways of improving conditions in their community. Since the inception, the vision has materialized to be shared by more than 10,000 members reaching over 125,000 underserved, underrepresented minority youth annually.
Their motto, “What They See Is What They’ll Be” very succinctly expresses how their programmatic services rendered to disadvantaged, disenfranchised and low-income youth and families positively change their life trajectory.
What is the mission of the organization?
The 100 Black Men of Akron, Inc. mission is “to improve the quality of life within our communities and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans.”
What is their value statement of the organization?
“The 100 Black Men of Akron, Inc. is committed to the intellectual development of youth and the economic empowerment of the African American community based on the following percepts: respect for family, spirituality, justice, and integrity.”
What is vision statement of the organization?
“The 100 Black Men of Akron, Inc. seeks to serve as a beacon of leadership by utilizing our diverse talents to create environments where our children are motivated to achieve and to empower our people to become self- sufficient shareholders in the economic and social fabric of the communities we serve.”
How does the Akron Chapter operate?
Through the National organization’s expansion of 100 Black Men chapters, each chapter delivers unique programs that address specific needs in local communities. Through 57 years of testing, the National organization created the 100’s successful model. A proven blueprint for mentoring and developing young people into future leaders by surrounding themselves with a positive network and giving them the opportunity that they may not have thought was possible.
The Akron chapter focuses their energies on:
Mentoring Youth
Health and Wellness
Economic Development
The Akron chapter works with youth from the 4th grade through high school.
While the Akron chapter is small, approximately 33 members, they are always looking for interested individuals. Membership is not exclusive to Black men. What membership entails is a commitment to be a part of the organization, participate in a minimum of training in how to be a good mentor and be able to understand the youth culture they will be mentoring.
Collaboration is a key component of the local chapter. There is a strong collaboration with the Akron Public Schools, the Akron Municipal Court, the City of Akron, and the University of Akron.
An example of one of organization’s collaborative efforts is the COMPASS program under Judge David Hamilton. In November 2020, Judge David Hamilton launched the court-sponsored program entitled Compassion, Opportunity, Mentoring, Purpose, Assistance, Survival, Stepping Forward (COMPASS).
COMPASS has been created for males aged from 18 to 26 who are high risk to reoffend and will provide an alternative to jail. The target demographic will have a traumatic family history (including family members who also have a criminal history), a history of dealing with trauma/mental illness, a housing issue such as homelessness, a lack of work/underemployment and a lengthy criminal record.
100 Black Men – Akron assists with mentoring individuals referred to this program, assists participants in attaining their GED, acquire health insurance, etc.
To learn more about COMPASS, go to: akronmunicipalcourt.org/programs/compass.
Global Ties Akron is working with Global Ties US and the Stevens Initiative to recruit participants and facilitators for the MERGE Program. Fellow Rotarian, Michelle Wilson, is Executive Director of Global Ties Akron.
Seeking female facilitators for virtual mental-health-focused youth exchange
Are you a 22 to a 29-year-old woman from the United States or a MENA region country who is passionate about mentorship? Do you have an interest in community building, mental health, and international exchange? Then apply to become a facilitator for the first-ever cohort of the MENA-USA Empowering Resilient Girls Exchange (MERGE). MERGE brings together 15 to 19-year-old girls from the United States and MENA region in a supportive virtual space to learn about their own mental health, develop emotional resilience skills, and share this knowledge with their communities. MERGE facilitators serve as learning guides and coaches for their participant sections throughout the exchange and support their participants on the identification and creation of their contribution to a final digital strategy resource bank. Training and a modest stipend are provided. Apply here by December 10, 2021. / Apply at gties.us/merge(for places where you can’t link)
Are you a 15 to a 19-year-old young woman interested in mental health & international exchange? Then we’re looking for you!
Applications are now open to participate in the first-ever cohort of the MENA-USA Empowering Resilient Girls Exchange (MERGE). MERGE brings together 15 to 19-year-old girls from the United States and MENA region in a supportive virtual space to learn about their own mental health, develop emotional resilience skills, and share this knowledge with their communities. Over the course of this eight-week virtual exchange program, participants discuss and experiment with a variety of stress-relief and coping techniques while guided by trained facilitators, engaging in both synchronous (live) and asynchronous exchange. In MERGE’S final two weeks, participants work together to create an entry for MERGE’s digital resilience strategies website to share with their community and the world! Interested? Apply here by December 10, 2021. / Apply at gties.us/merge(again if linking isn’t possible)
MERGE Program - Facilitator & Participant Recruitment
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn more about the Rotary International Foundation with a presentation by our own Rotarians, Thane Billow and Bill Manby Jr., co-chairs of our Rotary International Foundation Committee during our Tuesday, November 23, 2021, Club meeting.
The Rotary International Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions.
It was founded in 1917 by Arch C. Klumph.
What is the mission of The Rotary International Foundation?
“The Rotary Foundation helps Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.”
The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.
A portion of our individual Club members’ dues goes to our District and to Rotary International to fund many of the worldwide, district and local projects.
Since the Foundation was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.
With all of our help, we can make lives better in our community and around the world.
What impact can one donation have?
For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.
$50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.
$500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for child
What are the areas of interest that The Rotary International Foundation focuses on?
Rotary has identified specific causes to target to maximize our local & global impact. Through global grants and other resources, we help clubs focus their service efforts in the following areas:
Peacebuilding and conflict prevention
Disease prevention and treatment
Water, sanitation, and hygiene
Maternal and child health
Basic education and literacy
Community economic development
Support the environment
An example of one of Rotary International’s specific causes is the “End Polio Now” project.
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for 35 years. The goal of ridding the earth of this disease is closer than ever. Rotary International started in 1979 with vaccinations for 6 million children in the Philippines. Today, Afghanistan & Pakistan are the only remaining countries where polio remains endemic.
So, how does The Rotary Foundation affect each Rotarian?
The specific causes mentioned above can only come about by the generous donations of individuals, businesses, etc. There are several areas Rotarians can participate. Individuals can donate to the Arch Klumph Society, the Bequest Society, the Major Donor category, the Paul Harris Society, or being a Paul Harris Fellow.
Rotarians wishing to know more about each of these categories can reach out to Thane or Bill who would be more than willing to explain these categories.
An easy way to get started is to become a Paul Harris Fellow. The Club will be reinitiating the Paul Harris Fellow Lotto in the very near future.
Of the 137 Akron Club Rotarians and 7 Honorary Rotarians 58 are either current Paul Harris Fellow recipients, on their way to becoming a Paul Harris Fellow, or as in many cases, adding another Paul Harris Stone.
L-R: Lynda Farkas, PDG Stew & Cheryl Buchanan Linda & PDG John Reyes, DGN Julie Brandle, PDG Cheryl & Steve Warren
Our Club members took part in the 2021 District 6630 Foundation Awards Gala on November 11, 2021.
The evening was a celebration of the great works of the Rotarians/Clubs during the 2020-2021 Rotary Year.
With almost 100 people in attendance, there was wonderful fellowship and some fun that included an "ugly sweater" contest! Click to View All of the Event Photos
The event theme was "Warm Hands, Warm Hearts" - gloves, mittens, socks and hats were donated at the event and will be shared among the 7 counties here in NE Ohio.
DGN Julie Brandle is shown gathering up the donations of:
The Rotary Club of Akron was presented with information on the “Be the Match” program at our Tuesday, November 16, 2021, Club Meeting. View the presentation by clicking here or cut and paste the link into your browser https://youtu.be/wAAVLNDpEcs
Dale Smith is a manufacturing quality and process improvement leader, having worked in industries ranging from ceramic tile to undersea telecommunication systems manufacture. Dale retired in May from Avery Dennison after seven years there. Dale has a B.Sc. in Ceramic Engineering from the Ohio State University, a Six Sigma Blackbelt from Sigma Breakthrough Technologies and is an certified and experienced Kepner-Tregoe problem-solving facilitator.
Dale has been a Rotarian since 2003, belonging to the Cambridge, Downtown Macon, Kent, Camden (SC) and Mentor Rotary Clubs as his career progressed. Dale has been active in many roles in these clubs and served as President of the Cambridge (05/06) and Mentor (19/20) Rotary Clubs. Dale is a member of the District 6630 Membership Steering Committee.
Dale is married to Jeri Ann and resides on Raccoon Ridge in Newbury, Ohio. He enjoys gardening, winemaking and taking daily hikes in retirement with his three yellow labs Murphy, Quinn and Keeva.
Tonya Davis is a marketing, PR, and community engagement specialist who has been swabbing cheeks with Be The Match for more than 10.
Her passion for making a difference in the world is only rivaled by her love for karaoke.
Give her a microphone, and Tonya will either entertain or educate you!
She loves her job and living Be The Match's life-saving mission daily.
What is Be the Match?
The mission of the organization is “We save lives through cellular therapy.”
The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that operates the Be The Match Registry of volunteer hematopoietic cell donors and umbilical cord blood units in the United States.
The Be the Match Registry is the world's largest hematopoietic cell registry, listing more than 22 million individuals and more than 300,000 cord blood units. Hematopoietic cells from NMDP donors or cord blood units are used to transplant patients with a variety of blood, bone marrow or immune system disorders. As of December 2020, the NMDP had facilitated more than 100,000 transplants worldwide.
What is the Impact of Be the Match?
Every Three Minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer
Every 10 minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer.
Every year, more than 14,000 patients are diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or other diseases for which a marrow or cord blood transplant from an unrelated donor may be their best or only hope of a cure.
70%of all patients who need a transplant do not have a matched donor in their family
Approximately 70% of transplants facilitated by the National Marrow Donor Program® are leukemia or lymphoma.
What Treatable Diseases use Blood Stem Cells?
70+ blood diseases & blood cancers can be treated/cured by blood stem cell transplant, including:
leukemia and lymphoma
sickle cell disease
severe aplastic anemia
inherited immune disorders
Be The Match currently covers the US, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. There are @ 50 National databases around the world.
How does matching work? Matching is much more complex than blood types. It's your heritage or ancestry.
It’s based on genetic typing involving the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA).
Patients are most likely to match a donor who shares their ethnic heritage.
Currently, not all patients have an equal chance of finding a donor.
The odds of finding a match based on ethnic background is alarming for some ethnic categories. The odds currently are as follows:
White 79%
Native American 60%
Hispanic 48%
Asian or Pacific Islander 47%
Black or African American 29%
Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donations
PBSC is one of two methods of collecting blood-forming cells for bone marrow transplants. The same blood-forming cells that are found in bone marrow are also found in the circulating (peripheral) blood. PBSC donation is a nonsurgical procedure, called apheresis.
83% of donors give by PBSC.
Similar to donating platelets
Shots for 5 days (4 days before collection & 1 the day of collection)
A machine filters out stem cells and returns remaining blood to the donor
Most donors visit with friends or watch TV during the procedure
Marrow donations
17% of donors give blood stem cells collected from bone marrow.
Surgical procedure
Anesthesia = no pain during the procedure
Same day, usually outpatient
Doctors withdraw blood stem cells from back of the pelvic bone
Your cells replenish themselves in 4-6 weeks
Why is the Mentor Rotary Club involved with Be the Match?
In 1992, Carolyn Shandle-Cobb, daughter of Rotarian Cliff Shandle, was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. There was no family match.
Cliff asked fellow Rotarians to consider being donors. Not stopping there, the club decided to have an event to recruit other people in the Mentor Community.
The first event was May 23, 1993 - more than 800 people showed up. A second event was held June 23 with another 222 registered.
A donor was found for Carolyn but sadly she passed from an infection in July before the transplant could occur.
The Shandle family and Mentor Rotary Club vowed to host recruitment events and fundraise to support Be the Match and other families in need.
Recruitment events have been hosted at Lakeland CC, Lake Erie College, and Notre Dame College
The Mentor Club raises about $5000 annually.
How Can the Akron Rotary Club Help?
The Rotary Club of Akron has a focus on engaging diverse populations where there is the most need for people to join Be the Match.
Can the Mentor Club partner with the Rotary Club of Akron and 100 Black Men to raise awareness and recruit new donors?
College donors are young, diverse, and provide the best outcomes for patients. Is there an opportunity to work with the Rotary Club of Akron and your diverse partners to have a recruitment event at the University of Akron or other colleges in the area?
The Rotary Club of Mentor has donated $5000 to Be the Match to cover testing costs of these events.
To learn more about getting involved with Be The Match, you can contact Tonya Davis at 216.406.6236.
Thank you to all who joined us in person and virtually for the tee-off to the 32nd annual Chili Open Golf Classic! We are extremely thankful to our Chili Open Presenting Sponsor Wayne Homes, and appreciate their continued support.
Funding from the Chili Open help ensures that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. The Chili Open provides significant operational camperships for families who otherwise would not have the opportunity to send their child with special needs to camp.
Your involvement as an Akron Rotarian will assist in helping to send children and adults with disabilities to summer day and overnight camps, as well as year-round respite programs. For over 97 years, Rotary Camp has been a viable resource for the Akron community, in providing campers with the opportunities to experience traditional camping activities, develop friendships, learn life skills and create memories that will last a lifetime.
The easiest way to support the cause is Raffle Tickets! We ask every Rotarian to purchase or sell their ten raffle tickets or more. 1st prize is a 2022 Kia Forte LXS, or $16,000 cash prize; 2nd prize is a Goodyear Blimp Ride for Two; and 3rd prize is a 55-inch 4k Smart LED TV. Raffle tickets were distributed to all Rotarians that attended the meeting. If you did not attend in person, you should receive you raffle tickets in the next few days by mail.
Another way to support the Chili Open would be through a sponsorship. View the updated sponsorship benefits packet here. Please consider to increase your sponsorship, renew your sponsorship or even to become a first time sponsor. Your support makes the Chili Open an annual success for our Club.
We also need help with Camperships, Door Prizes, Silent Auction Items and Volunteers to help with set-up, during the event, and tear-down.
Still wondering what the Chili Open is about? Click herefor a short video to share with prospective sponsors and donors to help promote the Chili Open and to help secure sponsorships. Thank you to Rotarian, Mario Micale and Narrative Digital Design for creating it.
For 97 years, Akron Rotary Camp has been the main project of our Rotary Club. Every Rotarian is needed to help us raise $320,000 for Rotary Camp continue with their mission of “Creating a world where there are only abilities!” Thank you for teeing off with us and we are looking forward to seeing you on February 5, 2022 at Hale Farm and Village for Akron Rotary’s 32nd Annual Chili Open Golf Classic.
We are honored to serve as the Chili Open co-chairs, please reach out to us on how you can help.
Rotarian Dan Reynolds, Director of Endless Possibilities with Akron Rotary Camp and Vice President of Camping Services and Properties with the Akron Area YMCA provided a Rotary Camp update on the impact of COVID, summer camp program success, respite camp programs, strategic planning, and the importance of the Chili Open.
Chili Open co-chairs Rotarian Jeff Sheeks, Owner of the S Group and Rotarian Cyndi Kane, Realtor with RE/MAX Crossroads Properties were excited to formally kick-off the 2022 Chili Open!
Dan reported that the camp had a fantastic Summer! Camper numbers were still reduced, at ½ capacity, for COVID precautions – but the most important thing is – the camp was open and continued to find ways to safely meet the needs of campers, families, and staff through these most challenging times.
Some camp highlights shared by Dan included:
The Bud Rogers Adventure Park was a great experience. For many campers, this was a first time experience.
Hammocks – Campers loved having some down time in the hammocks around camp this summer.
Happy Day School - The return of day camp in Portage County at the Happy Day School. We served about 40 campers every day at that site for 8 weeks.
New Staff - we’ve had the opportunity to hire some new full time staff this year:
Our new nurse is Jess Selden. She started in June.
Our newest addition to our team is Ben Fink, our new program director. Ben joined us in August. We just bid farewell to Tina Gardner, our past program director a couple weeks ago. She’s moved to Florida to study zoology.
Summer 2022:
As the camp plans for the summer of 2022 – the 98th year:
Excited about continuing to grow programs closer to pre-pandemic levels.
Planning on operating at 75% capacity.
Biggest challenges moving into the next summer season is staff recruiting.
Not unlike every other industry right now, the camp community has struggled greatly the past few years to recruit and retain great camp staff.
Camp board has been very proactive in supporting recruiting efforts. This year camp increased weekly rates from $265/week to $325/week.
2022 draft budget has a starting rate of $450/week.
Strategic Plan:
The camp board held a strategic planning retreat a few weeks ago and Dan is looking forward to sharing the outcomes of that plan once it is approved.
As part of the planning process camp board and staff surveyed the Akron Rotarians, summer staff, and camper families. This baseline feedback has been extremely valuable to the planning process.
Listed below are just a couple pieces of information parents have shared as part of this survey process:
“Angie loves to come there, and I appreciate that I can leave her and not worry about her safety.”
“Rotary Camp is the highlight of my child’s year – especially this year with limited social experiences available. Staff are amazing. We are so grateful.”
“Camp gives my camper a sense of belonging, teaches independence, and how to get along with others.”
“Camp provides two weeks of respite for us and two weeks of outdoor summer fun for our son.”
“Camp gives our family a little break from Autism life. We find it so valuable, especially for my typical kids to go do typical things and have my full attention.”
“As a single parent, I value the respite time. It’s been very difficult to find care for Adam.”
“Kenny’s year revolves around three dates – his birthday, Christmas, and Camp!”
Dan concluded his presentation with the following:
“In the past you may have heard me speak about the butterfly effect – the idea that your actions cause actions in other people who influence others that you will never know. What we do as Akron Rotarians is the best example of the Butterfly Effect.”
“Our efforts and successes at the Chili Open provide for life changing, meaningful experiences, to our campers, families, and staff. For many of us, the Chili Open is a day of hard work, good times, beer, and Whitey’s chili but for countless others this event is a lifeline for support and respite, a sense of independence and belonging, and the most developmental growing experience in a college student’s life.”
With that being said, let’s get behind the 2022 Chili Open campaign to raise $320,000 through sponsorships, camperships, raffle ticket sales, online auction, and volunteering on February 5, 2022 at Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio.
Terry Dalton
Akron Rotary Club Secretary and Scholarship Chair
Akron Rotary Camp Update & Chili Open Kick-Off
Laura Duda was previously a member of the Akron and Tampa Downtown Daybreak Rotary clubs. Julie Brandle serves as her current club sponsor and her original sponsor was Steve Shechter.
She said she is happy to reconnect with old Rotary friends and make some new friends.
Rotary has been deep in her heart for many years - she participated in a group study exchange program and lived in India for several months during the cultural exchange. Laura said, “it changed my life”. She participated in polio immunizations and visited rural areas of the country, where the only reason there is a hospital, ambulance and a school, is because of Rotary.
Along with other scholars she formed a club in Tampa where she served as President.
Duda is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. As the chief communications officer, Duda leads all internal and external communications for the company, including public and media relations, employee communications, corporate reputation management, philanthropy and community relations, as well as Goodyear’s fleet of world-famous airships.
Raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Duda attended Western Carolina University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing & Editing. She later received her Master of Arts degree in Mass Communication from University of Florida and her Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Tampa. She is accredited in Public Relations and is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society and a graduate of Leadership Tampa, Leadership Greater Chicago and Leadership Akron.
In 2020 and 2021, Duda was named to the National Diversity Council’s Power 50, honoring women in the C-suite from top corporations who endeavor to improve not just departments and companies, but communities as well. She was also named to PR Week’s 2021 Hall of Femme, recognizing inspiring women who set the bar higher within their organizations, nominated by their peers and colleagues, and as one of the 2021 Women of Note by Crain’s Cleveland Business. Duda was Goodyear’s 2020 Employee Resource Group executive sponsor of the year for her work with the company’s Asia India Middle East (AIM) ERG. Duda is a board member of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition and a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Duda and her husband, Michael, both avid hikers, live in Northeast Ohio with their four-legged children.
Candace Harmon may be new to Rotary but not to community service! She has over 20 years serving with Girl Scouts where she is a lifetime member.
Harmon enjoys being actively involved and is a member of the Akron Chamber, Medina Women's Endowment Fund Board, AFP NEO, and Leadership Akron women's program.
She refers to herself a “camp nerd” and served as a camp director so she is excited about helping with projects at our Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children.
Tamara Mora is her sponsor and shared “Candace has been involved in Northeast Ohio for years. She will make a great Rotarian because she has a passion for the general betterment of the Akron community. She has been in fundraising/development/non-profit work for 7 years. Candace has a fun and caring spirit.”
Harmon currently works as the Strategic Partnership Manager for Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates and is a graduate of The University of Akron.
She is married to Travis and they live in Copley with their 3.5 year old daughter. Harmon and her family enjoy spending time outdoors.
Michelle Wilson is the Executive Director of Global Ties Akron (GTA). At GTA, Wilson is responsible for international exchanges for professional developments through the U.S. Department of State and has written grants to bring professionals
from a myriad of countries to Akron, Ohio, usually up to 8-10 delegations per year. She has met many of our members through her initiatives and has spoken at numerous Rotary Clubs.
GTA, under Wilson's leadership, provides outreach to the Akron community linking our local children to the international scene.
On her Linkedin profile she states "Through my work both with Global Ties Akron and in the community my focus is on building mutual understanding and respect, helping others to realize the value of diversity especially through global education and citizen diplomacy, and connecting the Akron area and Northeast Ohio to world leaders and changemakers to build a global network of community builders."
Her sponsor, Susan Colville-Hall said, “Michelle Wilson is a miracle worker. These groups experience a schedule of interaction with community services and industries suited to their professional needs. They may be medical teams, educators, civic engineers, government servants, etc. Friendships and international connections are formed and Akron benefits because the rest of the world knows Washington, D.C., New York City and Akron, Ohio!”
She and her husband John reside in New Franklin, Ohio.
Our invited speaker, Mr. Tommy Bruno, was unable to attend our Tuesday, August 24, Akron Rotary Club meeting because of technical challenges accessing our Zoom meeting, but not all was lost because Laura Smiley, Underwriting Sales Director of The Summit and a fellow Rotarian provided the Club with some general information on the radio station.
WAPS-FM, The Summit (91.3 FM) has been in existence for 65 years. The radio station is Akron-Canton’s home for true music diversity. The radio station 90.7 FM also serves the Youngstown - Warren, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania area and worldwide via mobile at thesummit.fm.
The radio station is locally owned and operated by the Akron Public Schools, and is a member supported public radio. The Summit plays a wide variety of music, including Rock, Pop, Folk, Acoustic, Local Reggae, and much more.
The radio station offers commercial-free music for Northeast Ohio and beyond through four channels. These channels are:
The Summit – Their flagship station
The 330 – Features the past, present, and future of Northeast Ohio music – homegrown, hyper-local and powered by the Summit
KIDJAM! Radio – Is an exciting and fun online listening experience that everyone can enjoy.
The KIDJAM! Radio mission is to entertain and empower children to build good health and lifestyle habits, self-esteem, and character.
The Summit believes that a child’s personal development is profoundly influenced and shaped by the increasingly sophisticated types of media and technology that are widely accessible to our youngest citizens.
KIDJAM embraces this technology by combining high-quality entertainment with a solid foundation for shaping character.
KIDJAM messages are delivered between songs by kids, for kids, sharing tips to motivate, educate and inspire.
Rock and Recovery – Is a community for people experiencing addiction, trauma, and mental health issues, supporting self-motivation, sharing information and resources, and offering personal serenity both on-air and online.
The Rock and Recovery™ Mission: Provide entertaining and meaningful music and uplifting messages with individual testimonials for people experiencing recovery from substance use, alcohol, trauma and mental health disorders. This resource is open to loved ones, families, and friends as well. Rock and Recovery™ mobilizes and supports our recovery community to grow and heal together through the therapeutic power of music mixed with messages of hope and inspiration curated to serve as encouragement for each personal recovery journey.
To learn more about 91.3 The Summit and their other programs, check out their website at https://theskummit.fm
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Ms. Chapman at our Tuesday, August 17th Club meeting. Ms. Chapman shared with the Club information about the Diversity efforts being implemented throughout the Akron Public School District.
Chapman began her career with Akron Public Schools in 1995. Recently appointed as the district’s Chief Diversity Officer, she works to promote equity and inclusion across the district, staff, and community engagement. Her recent work includes a focus on diversity training and coaching for teachers, school leaders, families, and other professionals.
The Akron Board of Education is committed to preparing each child for success. They believe that every student, parent/guardian and staff member bring their own personal backgrounds and experiences into their schools; and the schools are richer for it. Each of them has a legitimate expectation to have a barrier-free learning environment counteracting the contemporary and historical impact of bias, prejudice and discrimination which for generations has produced a predictability of learning outcomes based on race, ethnicity, class, socioeconomics, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, diverse language fluency, religion, and cognitive/physical ability.
The Board believes that the responsibility for student success is broadly shared by district staff, families, community and students' own efforts. The APS Board members believe It is the obligation of the district to embrace the diversity within the school district while actively eliminating practices that perpetuate the disparities among students so that all students have the opportunity to benefit equally.
With this Board member backdrop, the district created the Chief Diversity Officer position that Ms. Chapman occupies. Ms. Chapman mentioned that diversity is more than just “race” relations. Diversity has many dimensions. I refer readers to the slides below that were included in this article and shows the various dimensions of diversity. All areas included in the diversity chart intersect in some way.
To ensure a successful learning environment, the APS District is committed to ensuring an equitable opportunity for all students. To ensure “equity” within the APS environment, the following areas are being addressed in various ways:
Business Engagement
Fiscal Equity
Student-Centered Learning
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Family and Community Engagement
School Climate
Diverse Staff of Excellent Educators
Equitable Student Access
Teacher Quality
The APS District believes in student-centered learning and a barrier-free environment. To accomplish this, the district believes in:
Student Voices being listened to
Access based on individual needs
Access to learning that meets individual student needs (including learning disabilities, illness/physical limitations, cultural and language difficulties
Providing the necessary guidance and supports – across all the many unique and different ways people come to the education table.
Ms. Chapman noted that the pandemic has been challenging but there is some good that has come out of the challenges the district encountered. Without a doubt, Ms. Chapman believes virtual learning will remain as an option for those families who wish to participate in virtual learning long after we return to “normal” face-to-face learning.
To learn more about the APS diversity initiatives, I encourage you to listen to Ms. Chapman’s presentation. Click here to view our meeting or cut and paste the link into your browser https://youtu.be/-VZ6hBPvbGg
CLICK ON THE RESPECTIVE IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Carla L. Chapman Discusses Diversity Efforts in Akron Public Schools
Haiti has been struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The poorest country the western hemisphere is in real trouble. COVID infections and deaths are increasing, the government is struggling after the assassination of the president and gangs have increased civil unrest. Now an earthquake and unstable weather makes life unbearable. The fear is palpable.
Gift of Life Northeast Ohio has supported improved health care for children now for almost 10 years. Working with local Haitian Rotarians we have made great stride improving care at St. Damien Pediatric Hospital. Now is not the time to give up.
We are working with Akron Children’s Hospital to urgently prepare a 40 foot container with much needed medical supply to enable the hospital to care for children. We are asking for your help as this will take money to equip and send the supplies.
Donations for St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Haiti should be made through Akron Children’s Office of Pediatric Global Health. This is lead by Dr. John Pope who many of you may have seen on channel 8 TV news this week with pictures of our last heart surgery mission into Haiti.
Join us for Rotary Camp’s 12th Annual Cornhole Tournament, presented by Buckeye Corrugated, Inc. The tourney will be held on August 28, 2021 at 9:30am on the grounds of Akron Rotary Camp, in the beautiful Portage Lakes!
Sign up your team today for either the Skilled Ringers Division ($110) or the Recreational Division ($60). Winners walk away with cash prizes! Also participate in an Air-Mail toss or Long-Toss for some bragging rights and awesome giveaways! Bring your friends, neighbors and family for a fun day! All registered players will receive a food voucher to the Menches Bros. Food Truck, and an ice-cream station. Beverages from our friends at the House of LaRose will be available for purchase to help keep you cool.
There are multiple ways to support this great event to benefit Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs by registering to play, participate with a sponsorship or recruit teams. Your participation will continue to strengthen the Camp's mission of Creating a world where there are only abilities!
Any questions? Please call Rotary Camp at (330) 644-4512. Thank you in advance for helping us to make this a successful tournament to support Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
We are looking forward to seeing you at the event!
Scott Kolligian Co-founder and Chair Annual Cornhole Tournament
Our Club was pleased to welcome Olivia (Liv) Pilon on August 10, 2021.
Due to a job relocation, she transferred to the Akron Club from the Kent Club where she had been actively serving since October 1, 2019.
She ran the Four-Way Test Speech contest for the Kent Club and volunteered on all their service projects.
Liv is the District Executive at Summit County Boy Scouts of America (BSA). She has been with BSA since July, 2019 and was previously based in Portage County.
In addition, she volunteers with Hudson Alzheimer's Association and the Young Professional Group - Benjamin Rose for young Alzheimer's volunteers.
Liv is also a member of Kent Jaycees.
She graduated from KSU in 2019. with her Bachelors in Sociology.
Liv has a tremendous dedication to community service and we look forward to serving beside her to make a difference in the lives of others.
The following quote from Margaret Mead is shared on Liv's LinkedIn profile:
All social change comes from the passion of individuals.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Ms. Tso at our Tuesday, August 3, 2021 weekly meeting and learn about the tremendous services Asian Services in Action (ASIA) Inc. provides to the Akron and Cleveland communities.
In her role as CEO, she is responsible for leading the largest health and social services agency in the State of Ohio focused on addressing the needs of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), immigrants and refugees. ASIA’s mission is to empower and advocate for AAPIs so they have access to quality, culturally, and linguistically appropriate information, health, and social services.
History of ASIA Inc.
ASIA was founded in 1995 by a group of Asian women who wanted to help Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), immigrants, and refugees struggling to integrate in the U.S.
At the time that ASIA was founded, most of the immigrants and refugees were coming from Asian countries.
Today, ASIA *also* serves immigrants and refugees from Middle Eastern countries and Africa.
ASIA welcomes all communities.
ASIA started as a social services organization performing health screenings and community health promotion.
ASIA opened its International Community Health Center (ICHC) in 2013.
ASIA’s Programs:
Children, Youth, and Families:
The CYF services department empowers families to grove and thrive through a collection of resources and programs aimed at academic enrichment, advocacy, and parenting support. CYF provides programming for pre-K through 12th-grade development, acculturation, academic support, and enrichment through a culturally competent lens by creating opportunities for positive peer experiences and leadership building. As ASIA’s oldest social services department, they arrange language-specific peer support groups for women, parenting education, and advocacy for refugee/immigrant parents of children and youth.
Sustainability Services Addressing Social Determinants of Health
The sustainability services department empowers clients to become self-sufficient through benefit access, economic development, and financial planning while providing opportunities for community engagement.
Housing Counseling
Emergency Food Assistance
Workforce Development
Benefits Access
Transportation Services
Tax Filing Assistance
Interpretation and Translation Services, Est. 2000
The ITS Department was born out of increased demand from health providers, legal practitioners, and community members served by ASIA.
The Legal Department provides comprehensive statewide services and consultation immigration legal services to low and moderate-income immigrants and refugees across Ohio.
Immigration
Legal Permanent Residency (aka “Green Card”)
Naturalization/Citizenship
Family Law
Marsy’s Law Representation for Victims of Crime
Healthy Asian Pacific Islander Fresh (HAPI Fresh) Farmer’s Market
A variety of home-grown vegetables grown from seeds brought to this country from their homeland. Many of these vegetables are not available in our local supermarkets.
International Community Health Center/Federally Qualified Health Center
ASIA-ICHC offers excellent quality healthcare to individuals in Akron and Cleveland, including substance abuse and mental health services. ASIA-ICHC serves all patients regardless of ability to pay.
Apex Fund for Economic Development
Microloans – Up to $25,000
Small Business Technical Assistance
Aging Adults bka “Lucky Seniors”
Pre-pandemic
Congregate Meal Program
Civics and Socialization
Post-pandemic shift •
Previous in-person programming suspended
Basic needs and benefits access increased
Emergency Food, Mobile Meal Delivery
Wellness checks
New or increased use of communication platforms
WeChat
Teaching Lucky Seniors to use Zoom
COVID updates
Testing availability
Vaccine availability
ASIA’s Impact:
Culturally and linguistically centered services
Trusted community members on staff
Responsive to community needs
Empowering new arrivals
Advocacy
To learn more about ASIA Inc. check out their website at www.asiaohio.org.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Terry Dalton
2021-2022 Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Speaker Recap: Elaine Tso, CEO Asian Services in Action (ASIA)
I wanted to follow up with each of you regarding meeting in-person at Bounce Innovation Hub in downtown Akron. Following our meeting today I had a very lengthy and informative phone call with Dr. Rob to discuss resuming meetings.
Per our discussion and per his knowledge of what has transpired over the last few days in greater Akron, I have decided that it is in the best interest of our membership that we continue to sit pat and wait to see what happens over the next few weeks. Currently there has been an outbreak of the Covid 19 Delta variant that is affecting previously vaccinated people. As you heard in today's meeting, one of our own, Connor Jarvis, tested positive on Sunday. He and his wife were both previously vaccinated.
As much as we all want to sit down face to face and share a meal and some fellowship together, we will need to wait a little longer before we can gather in good conscience.
I apologize for being the bearer of bad news. I want the best for each one of us as I am sure you do as well.
All my best,
Steve Buie
An Important Message from President Buie: In-Person Meetings
The Rotary Club of Akron had the extreme pleasure of listening to Katie Beck at our Tuesday, July 27 Club meeting. Katie is a creative community builder, director, writer, facilitator, speaker, and artist who works to build spaces that highlight and prioritize underrepresented voices. Given these qualities it isn’t surprising that she was selected to be the Executive Director of the North Hill Community Development Corporation.
Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are nonprofit, community-based organizations focused on revitalizing the areas in which they are located, typically low-income, underserved neighborhoods that have experienced significant disinvestment. While they are most commonly celebrated for developing affordable housing, they are usually involved in a range of initiatives critical to community health such as economic development, sanitation, streetscaping, and neighborhood planning projects, and oftentimes even provide education and social services to neighborhood residents.
CDCs play a critical role in building community wealth for several key reasons:
They anchor capital in communities by developing residential and commercial property, ranging from affordable housing to shopping centers and even businesses.
At least one-third of a CDC’s board is typically composed of community residents, allowing for the possibility of direct, grass-roots participation in decision-making.
CDCs’ work to enhance community conditions oftentimes involves neighborhood organizing, a process critical for empowering residents and gaining political power.
Ms. Beck has been a community organizer in the North Hill community for the past 5 years. In 2017, Ms. Beck helped to open the Exchange House with the Better Block Foundation of North Hill, which is a cultural hub and international hostel that celebrates cultures and cultivates community capacity through partnerships, programming, and built environment.
At the beginning of 2020, she stepped into the role of Executive Director for North Akron Community Development Corporation (NACDC), a nonprofit building upon physical infrastructure, cultural heart, creative spirit, history, and entrepreneurial drive of artists and local small business owners in North Hill.
NACDC focuses on entrepreneurship and economic development, creative placemaking, and building social cohesion through 5 public spaces that include the Exchange House, the Backyard (outdoor pocket park), NoHi Pop-up (rotating restaurants), NoTique (mixed-use retail), and the upcoming Market House (women-focused microbusiness incubator).
The mission of NACDC is to assure a vibrant thriving North Akron community that inspires and connects its residents while celebrating its unique diversity.
NACDC seeks to be a nationally recognized CDC making connections that strengthen the power of community members and communities.
What programs are offered by the NACDC?
A few of the programs offered by the NACDC are listed below.
Exchange House:
The Exchange House is more than just a place to stay; it’s a cultural immersion. The Exchange House offers three private rooms on the second floor with a shared bathroom. On the bottom floor of the house is a cultural exchange experience, programmed with the immigrants who reside in Akron. Join Exchange House for tea-time. Or sit in on an English as a Second Language (ESL class). The Exchange House hope is that you not only get a comfortable room to stay in during your visit, but you also get to know the neighbors.
By staying at the Exchange House, you not only help the NACDC provide cultural programming to North Hill area refugees; you immerse yourself in the local culture of the North Hill neighborhood!
The Exchange House offers three private, lockable bedrooms on the second floor. Rooms 1 and 3 each include a single queen-sized bed, while Room 2 includes a twin-sized bed. All three beds include quilts designed and handmade by local North Hill women.
Amenities include free Wifi, washer and dryer, heating and air-conditioning, and free parking on the premises. Safety features include a smoke detector, fire extinguisher, carbon monoxide detector, and first aid kit.
Market House:
Market House is a women's empowerment center that is centrally located in North Hill's Temple Square business district. There are currently three private office or studio spaces available for rent. Amenities include private and secure room with 24/7 access, WiFi, shared 1.5 bath and full kitchen, membership of the makerspace, and use of community space when available. Any maker, artist, or entrepreneur is encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to women- and minority-owned or -led businesses.
NoTique:
The NoTique features vendors and makers from the local community at 772 - 776 N. Main Street in North Hill. The 620 square foot retail space rotates new and emerging entrepreneurs in a storefront next to NoHi Pop-up restaurant located in Temple Square. Any maker or entrepreneur is encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to women- and minority-owned businesses. Currently there are 25 vendors utilizing the space.
NOHI Pop Up Restaurant:
NoHi Pop-Up is a carry-out, rotating restaurant in Akron's North Hill that features a different food artist every weekend.
NoHi commercial kitchen is an incubator that prioritizes minority and women culinary art entrepreneurs by serving as a vehicle for development and demonstration of new cuisine concepts. Regardless of culinary experience, NoHi empowers individuals to pursue their passion and talent by sharing their unique heritage and culture through opportunities for artistry and entrepreneurship.
The NACDC support this program by: -Providing access to a commercial kitchen -Providing assistance, training and education about health safety, food management, and operations from industry professionals -Providing real time oversight and support during operating hours -Fronting food costs that are reimbursed from sales
The NOHI Pop Up kitchen started in August 2020. Since that time, the program has generated over $270,000 in sales since November 2020.
Interested in knowing more about the North Akron Community Development Corporation?
Stew Buchanan put together another successful End Polio Now Night at Progressive Field. (photo left with Dr. McGregor)
Everyone had a great time!
Dr. McGregor brought a guest and potential new Akron Rotarian, Ryan Palmer - they were still smiling in this photo (right) during the 7th inning stretch - unfortunately in extra innings the Cleveland Indians (soon to be known as The Guardians) lost the game.
The evening raised much need funds to continue our Polio eradication efforts worldwide.
Aimee Wade was inducted into the Rotary Club of Akron on July 20, 2021. She was sponsored by Julie Brandle who said "Aimee has a heart to do good for others."
She is married to Ryan and is a life-long resident of Summit County.
She has worked with the ADM Board for more than a decade where she was recently appointed as the new Executive Director.
Wade is the first woman and the first person of color to serve as the Executive Director of the ADM Board. “I recognize the significance of this role in our community, and I am committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to ensure that quality, effective and equitable behavioral healthcare services are available for all Summit County residents,” she said. “Moving forward, I am concentrating on providing HOPE for the community: Health and Wellness, Outcomes, Potential and Equity. I firmly believe that together our collective impact has infinite potential.”
Wade holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Criminology from The Ohio State University and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Akron. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and an Ohio and Internationally Certified Prevention Consultant (OCPC).
She is also a member of the Summit County Opiate Abatement Advisory Committee and the Summa Community Engagement Committee. She is a past Board Member for Child Guidance and Family Solutions and a graduate of Leadership Akron Signature Class 35.
Please join us in welcoming Aimee to the Rotary family!
Congratulations to our newest Akron Crown recipients
Wanda Whipkey passed the Tiara to Sandy Naragon
and
Terry Dalton passed the Crown to David Hall (no photo available of David at this writing but one will be posted soon)
Sandy was crowned as Queen for being an integral part of our Club grants, working on the strategic plan for both the Club and the District, organizing PowerPoints behind the scenes for various needs and so much more!
David received the Kings crown for his tireless efforts in organizing greeters, invocators and serving in many other ways that help support the Club President and our members. We will get a photo of David wearing his crown soon!!
ABOUT THE AKRON ROTARY CROWN
When our Club began meeting remotely, Katy was so impressed with Cheryl Warren's handling of our Zooms that she spontaneously sent her a Tiara and crowned her the Queen of Zoom!
Cheryl approached Katy to ask if they could "pass it forward", so they decided to keep it moving every other month or so, crowning a Queen or King or Both for their efforts to benefit our club! Katy secured a Kings crown to have in addition to the Tiara.
The member(s) who receives the crown(s) must wear them for a month to our weekly meetings – either virtually or when we go live.
We will do it every other month to allow time in between to transition the “Akron Rotary Crown”
The member(s) who last received the crown(s) then helps Cheryl and Katy identify the next worthy member(s) then he/she drops off the committee and the next recipient joins us – so it rotates.
Now, Terry and Wanda will be part of the committee to help pick the next recipient(s) and will then drop off and the new recipients come on...so it rotates.
It's important to point out that this is not a popularity contest - some month's there may be no one and other month's there may be more than one person. We are looking for members who are often doing things quietly behind the scene or big things too.
We encourage the committee chairs and all members to submit ideas to Katy and Cheryl - just email us. We want to continue recognizing members for all their good deeds!
The Transition of the Akron Rotary Crown & Tiara
Our Rotary District 6630 Awards night was held July 14th honoring Clubs and individuals for their successes in the 2020-2021 Rotary year and recognition of several of the Akron Club members that served on various District committees.
We congratulate each and every member who received recognition and thank all of our members for their dedication to Rotary and Service Above Self.
Under the direction of 2020-2021 President McGregor, the Club received the A.Z. Baker Service Award.
The A.Z. Baker Service Award is to encourage a reaching out in total service and the "development of resources" on the part of all clubs in District 6630, the A. Z. Baker Service Awards were established in 1978 at the recommendation of then District Governor James P. Banks, and by action of the District Board of Trustees. This award honors our own "Mr. Rotary," A.Z. Baker, from the Rotary Club of Cleveland who served as Rotary International President in 1955-1956. His dedication and commitment to Rotary truly exemplified SERVICE ABOVE SELF and this award was designed to honor his memory by encouraging all clubs in the district to participate in each of the Avenues of Service which are the foundation of club activity.
McGregor also received the Training and Educational Club Leadership Award. This award is given to any club that has shown a commitment to the ideals and spirit of being a Rotarian during the 2020-2021 Rotary Year. Thank you, this was a culmination of the efforts of all of our members and your overwhelming commitment to our Club.
The following Club members earned the Training and Educational Individual Award given to any District Rotarian who has shown a commitment to the ideals and spirit of being a Rotarian during the 2020-2021 Rotary Year:
Julie Brandle
Stew Buchanan
Rob McGregor
Cheryl Warren
Akron Club members who were recognized for their service and dedication by serving on District committees were:
Outstanding Leadership:
John Reyes
Certificate of Special Recognition:
Julie Brandle
Stew Buchanan
John Reyes
Cheryl Warren
Appreciation Award for serving as Assistant Governor:
Julie Brandle
Distinguished Service Above Self:
Julie Brandle
Sandy Naragon
Cheryl Warren
Akron Club and Members Receive Awards from District 6630
Holt formed Akron Urban Agriculture to promote gardens and urban farms like Akron Urban Farms in Ohio. The organization has a clear and concise plan for helping cities like Akron and Cleveland through gardening and farming.
The main goal of Akron Urban Agriculture, is to spread awareness of local quality gardening, farming, food production, mass extinctions and sustainability in the city of Akron. As a part of this goal, they hope to raise the standard of quality of food options in Akron public schools as well as the University of Akron. For that reason their Community Supported Agriculture program will activate and motivate local food web networks and neighboring schools. To achieve these goals, they have already started a community garden at the University of Akron main campus and are raising funds with the goal of implementing a seasonal extension of food cultivation through methods such as a solar greenhouse or high tunnel (hoop house).
Holt said they see the local production of quality healthy food as a means to address current issues ranging from air pollution, food shortages, homelessness, non nutritious foods, waste management and unemployment.
He shared that having an urban farm like AUA will increase pollinators and unity in Akron. They are also constructing green building structures monthly with local urban farmers and gardeners in Ohio.
Currently he is working on a congressional project called the Akron/Cleveland High Tunnel Seasonal initiative that started in 2012. Representative Marcia Fudge (District) 11 has consistently supported the vision of this initiative in district 11. Her offices in Ohio and Washington, DC have been essential for the success of this project. He has also been working with the USDA for the past four years on agriculture, construction, conservation, education, safety, and sustainability in Akron.
He said "the main things in my specialty to offer Akron Urban Farms are agriculture, conservation, construction, education, design, farming, marketing, photography, project management and safety." Awareness and advocacy is part of our primary pillars for building a better community that focuses more on farming, gardening, supply chains and sustainable practices in rural or urban environments.
Julie Brandle was selected in the Fall of 2020 to serve as our District 6630 Governor for the July 2023- June 2024 Rotary year.
At a ceremony on July 14, 2021, Brandle was officially sworn in as the District Governor Nominee (DGN) along with District Governor Elect (DGE), David Jones who will serve as Governor in 2022-2023.
(Photo L-R) Past DG Beverly Ghent-Skrzynski administered the oath of Governor Elect and Nominee, DG Larry Lohman then pinned DGE Jones and Jones in turn pinned DGN Brandle.
(Photo L-R) Larry Lohman, 2021-2022 District Governor, Julie Brandle, David Jones
About Julie:
She is a past president of the Rotary Club of Akron and served as an Assistant Governor for Summit S - Medina County Cluster. She has chaired the District Conference Committee, and was a member of the Foundation Gala committee. She has also served the District as a facilitator for the Tri-District Membership Seminar and was chair of the District public image committee.
Brandle is a committed community advocate and currently serves on the boards of The Rotary Club of Akron, Kent State University's Construction Management program, the Portage Development Board (economic development), Akron Civic Theatre, Akron Urban League, Greater Akron Chamber, ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) Northeast Ohio, Coleman Foundation and the Hattie Larlham Foundation. Julie volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. Julie is a Lifetime Gold Award Girl Scout and holds the adult honors of Women of Distinction and the Thanks Badge.
She is a graduate of Cuyahoga Falls High School, as well as Bowling Green State University where she earned a double major in Interpersonal and Public Communication and Soviet Studies and a travel grant scholarship to study in Kiev, Ukraine. She is a graduate of Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses, ScaleratorNEO, Leadership Portage County and Leadership Akron's Class 37.
Brandle is the president and a founder of Metis Construction Services, a female-owned commercial general contractor located in Kent. Metis completes ground-up, renovation, and facilities maintenance projects throughout Ohio, along with projects currently in PA, IL, KY, MI, DE, MO, and NY. With over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and public relations, Julie oversees these areas of expertise for Metis along with being an integral part of the management team that designs and manages the overall business strategy for Metis Construction.
Brandle is the daughter of Rich (deceased) and Leann Soika and has a brother Rich (Sharon) and sister Kristen (Orlando) and 5 nieces and nephews (Orlando, RJ, Lydia, Ardynn and Reid). She and her husband Steven reside in Brimfield Twp. Their daughter Kimberly is a 2021 Bowling Green State University graduate and is excited to begin her first year this fall as a third and fourth grade Intervention Specialist at Monclova Elementary in the Anthony Wayne Local School District.
What is a Rotary District Governor?
District Governors (DG) are elected by the district clubs two to three years before taking office. This time is dedicated for them to plan and attend development/training and leadership sessions.
There are approximately 526 District Governors worldwide.
Once their one-year term as Governor is complete, they retain the title of Past District Governor (PDG).
What does a District Governor do?
As a District Governor you have proven strong leadership skills and decision making. During your year in office, clubs look to you for leadership, support, and motivation as they carry out service projects and participate in Rotary programs.
What you do
Strengthen clubs, organize new clubs, and grow membership
Encourage contributions and other support for The Rotary Foundation
Promote positive public image and serve as spokesperson for district
Develop a safe environment for youth participants
Conduct district conference and other meetings
Supervise district nominations and elections
Prepare budget, provide annual report, and help administer District Designated Funds
Complete online district qualification
Work with governor-elect and other district leaders
The Rotary Club of Akron has a long history of its members being selected as District Governor.
These members of the Akron Rotary Club have honorably served as Rotary International District 6630 Governors (DG). District 6630 has been renamed over the years as noted.
Formerly 21st District (renamed in 1922)
1922-23 Theodore E. Smith*
Formerly 158th District (renamed in 1937)
1944-45 Harry E. Votaw*
Formerly 229th District (renamed in 1949)
1956-57 William D. Zahrt*
Formerly District 663 (renamed in 1957)
1968-69 Leslie P. Hardy*
Renamed District 6630 (renamed in 1991)
2003-04 Jack A. Harig
2010-11 Stew Buchanan
2015-16 Cheryl A. Warren
2019-20 John L. Reyes
*Deceased / We also wish to recognize Richard Farkas who was scheduled to serve as a DG for the 2016-17 Rotary year. We were saddened when Dick passed away prior to the commencement of his term as DG.
Rotary Club of Akron Past President, Pat O'Neill, organized an in-person send off for our esteemed 2020-2021 Club President Dr. Rob McGregor. This followed a virtual send off at Rob's final club meeting.
Rob, accompanied by his wife Sharon, enjoyed a beautiful evening on the lake at The Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
Surrounded by many Rotary members and guests, McGregor received accolades and a few fun jabs throughout the evening.
During Rob's presidency, the Club was precluded from meeting in-person due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time Club members were able to officially gather in-person.
This photo archive (click here)includes photos from this special evening as well as the PowerPoint slides that were presented at Rob's last virtual meeting.
Special thanks to Julie Brandle, Pat O'Neill and Mella Castner for the photos and to Sandy Naragon for the PowerPoint slides.
The following poem was previously shared but is worthy of a second posting. It was written and presented to Rob by Pat O'Neill at the event:
With his suit neatly pressed and a bowtie around his neck,
His head is shining without a speck.
When we’d gather at Portage, he was known for his socks
It certainly was not for his flowing locks.
At the crack of dawn he hits the gym,
To get the guns, the abs and keep his waistline slim.
The world's strongest McGregor was a title he owned.
Thanks to those push ups that keep him toned.
He’s a man who is humble, and a man who won’t gloat.
But he sure puffs out his chest when he’s in a dragon boat.
When he walked Abby and Ali down the aisle,
From the International Space Station you could see his smile.
Sharon and Rob you sure raised your girls right,
But that black and yellow is a hideous sight.
He’s a medical doctor, that’s easy to see.
So who convinced him to be the President of Rotary?
“Rob, you’ll be our leader and it will be a piece of cake.
So little of your time this job will take.”
12 months later, and it was all a blur
Zooming each week, you became a tech connoisseur.
The ice breakers were a hit, just don’t call on me.
I can’t quickly recall my favorite memory.
Oh wait, yes I can, I remember this year.
The beautiful sight as Big Ben shed a tear.
He goes by many names including dad, doc, and Rob.
During the year of Covid, we had the best man for the job.
Our club had your back, for that much is clear,
As long as we didn’t ask, “how about just one more year?”
Mr. Past-President, we can’t thank you enough
I’m sure watching Steve take the mic won’t be so tough.
So, to the man with many names, you found your favorite this year
Being called Papa Mac will bring you the most cheer.
So Dr. Rob, I hope this poem you found cute,
Cheers to not having to say, “you forgot to unmute.”
Past President Party for Dr. Rob McGregor, 2020-2021 Club President
Dr. Campbell has spent many years pursuing her passion in the education sector. The Akron native attained her education from Ohio institutions including a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Ashland University, a Master’s from Kent State University’s Higher Education Administration, and a Doctorate from the University of Akron as a Doctor of Education.
As the executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation, she is able to positively affect the lives of children and young adults through educational initiatives, Dr. Campbell brings LeBron’s vision to create positive and lasting change in his hometown to life through daily and long-term interventions rooted in research and driven by passion.
Under Campbell’s direction, in 2011 the LeBron James Family Foundation began working on the high school dropout crisis facing the Akron community and launched its core I PROMISE program in partnership with Akron Public Schools. This deep-rooted initiative targets the district’s lowest performing students and provides them with the programs, support and mentors they need for success in school, following them all the way through graduation. In partnership with the Akron Public Schools, the Foundation targets students at the end of their second grade that are struggling the most. Research has shown that 25% of this identified group will likely drop out of school. It is this segment of students that the Foundation and the I PROMISE School chooses to work with. These students would then begin at the I PROMISE School beginning with the Third grade.
Dr. Campbell briefly touched on the challenges LeBron faced as a young student. She reported that LeBron missed 82 days of school in the fourth grade. It was this life experience that drove LeBron to create the LeBron James Family Foundation and all of the different programs that have evolved to create the opportunities for these students and their families to be successful.
In addition to sharing with us about the students and families they serve Dr. Campbell also shared about the LeBron James Family Foundation’s impact on the community – from opening the I PROMISE School, to expanding into transitional housing the I PROMISE Village by Graduate Hotels and long term housing with I PROMISE Housing, and culminating in the innovative House Three Thirty, which will see the historic Tangier turned into a community space providing job training, financial health, and gathering space for our I PROMISE families.
The growth into these other areas were the results of listening to the families of the students to see what barriers they were confronting that limited the students, but also themselves. The families tend to have jobs, but not careers. The I PROMISE Family concept is to help the family have more than just jobs, but a career path.
With a commitment to redefining community and building stronger families, The LeBron James Family Foundation invests its time, resources, and passion into creating generational change for the kids and families of Akron through a focus on education and co-curricular educational initiatives.
When asked if the LeBron James Family Foundation had plans to expand the program into other cities and States, Dr. Campbell stated the Foundation realizes their own limitations. They have conducted workshops for other school districts and communities who are interested and will share their successes and challenges, but will remain Akron based.
With its foundational I PROMISE program, the Foundation serves more than 1500 students and their entire families by providing them with the fundamental resources, wrap-around supports and family programming they need for success in school and beyond. As stated earlier, the Foundation has layered in additional supports including higher education and family supports at the I PROMISE Institute, transitional housing at the I PROMISE Village, longer-term housing at the upcoming I PROMISE Housing, and several hand-on supports in between. According to Dr. Campbell, these life-changing resources, combined with the Foundation’s “We Are Family” philosophy are re-defining what a family and community looks like.
When asked why the program has been so successful so far, Dr. Campbell credited her staff for their efforts in creating trust with the families. Trust in so critical for the families participating in the program. Trust is something that many of the families had not been able to find with many of their previous interactions with other “systems.”
For more information on the LeBron James Family Foundation and the I PROMISE School, I encourage you to visit their website at www.lebronjamesfamilyfoundation.org.
Speaker Recap: Dr. Michele Campbell, Executive Director, LeBron James Family Foundation
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to our 2021 – 2022 Club President, Steve Buie, at our Tuesday, July 6 meeting, as he provided the Club with a little history about his life, his family, his career path, and his passion for the Rotary Club of Akron.
Steve began his presentation quoting from Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Specifically, Steve quoted the first three habits of “Dependence, Independence, and Interdependence.” In some ways we can look at these three habits as our path to maturation.
To put these words in perspective, think of Dependent as relying upon or depending on someone of something. Interdependence is mutually dependent; reliant on one another.
My Story - Dependence:
We all start our story from a place of dependence as we grow into who we are and what we do with our lives.
Steve joined the Akron community on March 17, 1955. He comes from Scottish roots. His grandparents settled in Buie Creek, North Carolina. His father and mother moved to Akron to work in the tire industry. Steve has been a long-time runner. He was captain of the Cross-Country team and holds a record time for running the Cross Country 2-mile event.
Steve’s career has seen some time working at the University of Akron as well as several years in the Northeastern part of Ukraine, where he became fluent in Russian.
Due to health concerns, in 2012 Steve and his family moved back to Akron to care for his parents.
His love for Ukraine did not end with his return to Akron. Steve assisted in the development of an Economic Development program that provided microloans for individuals in Ukraine along with securing medical equipment and supplies for hospitals in Ukraine. Steve estimates that he has assisted over 120 individuals traveling to Ukraine as part of his outreach efforts to partner with individuals in Ukraine to improve their living conditions.
In 2014 Steve had the opportunity to purchase LearningRX. LearningRx is a one-on-one brain training center in Akron that pairs students with their own brain trainers for challenging and fun mental workouts consisting of game-like exercises. For additional information on LearningRX check out their website at www.learningrx.com/akron-bath. Unique to the LearningRx -Akron/Bath Center is a pilot program named “Success4Rkids.”
Success4Rkids is a non-profit formed with the express purpose of working with schools to equip school-age children with necessary strong, foundational, cognitive learning skills.
Success4Rkids is currently conducting a pilot program with the I Promise School to help 10 students become skilled and confident readers.
Our Story – Independence:
As Steve stated during his presentation, we as Rotarians are all unique and bring unique talents and treasures to our Club. One of Steve’s goals for the coming year is to get the Club members to know more about each other as well as the City of Akron. He intends to introduce a new 90 second vignette at each Club meeting about a past Akron Rotarian leader.
THE Story, Akron - Interdependence:
We need to look at our individual impact within Rotary and our sphere of influence. Steve’s vision for the next year centers around three areas:
Strategic Plan – specifically our Diversity and Inclusion initiative
Service Projects – Services with a purpose
Enhance Relationships – Relationships with the Club, Camp, and Foundation
We look forward to a great year with Steve’s leadership!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Rob McGregor, at our Tuesday, June 29 meeting, as he provided the Club with a review of all that transpired during his presidency which is coming to an end on June 30th. As Dr. Rob labeled his presentation “Year of Lemonade: Turning Lemons into Lemonade” couldn’t have been more accurate.
Who would have predicted when Dr. Rob began his ascent into the Rotary Club of Akron President pathway that he would find himself serving an entire term in a virtual environment? How fortunate that the Club had Dr. Rob’s expertise and commitment to providing the Club support and guidance as we worked our way through the challenges thrust upon the Club as a result of the pandemic.
Dr. Rob began his summary of the year with the following quote from Victor Frankl. “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” It was obvious that Dr. Rob led our Club throughout the past year with that quote in mind.
Some of the accomplishments and activities during Dr. Rob’s tenure as President included the following:
Pack That Truck/ Akron Food Bank Food Collection
Isolation Gowns purchased through a District Grant that provided badly needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Children’s Hospital
Clothing collection to donate materials for masks to be made and distributed to those in need
Mixology 101 – Shakin, not Stirred
Akron Urban League – PPE donations to small businesses
Together but Apart – Metro Parks Hiking Spree Challenge
The Well CDC $7,000 District Grant for the Akron Hope Program
Akron Public School - school supplies distribution event
Recognition of Dr. Jeff Kempf by St. Damien Pediatric Hospital in Haiti
Camp Holiday Drive-by Christmas Party
Virtual Chili Open - record earnings of $312,486
Mixology 202 – Manhattan
Save the Monarchs – Butterfly Milkweed Project Metro Parks
Partner with the Well to beautify 7 Middlebury properties
Dr. Rob concluded his presentation with the following quote from John F. Kennedy, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past, or the present are certain to miss the future."
Not only is that how Dr. Rob looked at his year as our Club President, but also his belief in the future of our Club.
Thanks for a great year of Leadership Dr. Rob!
Terry Dalton
Club Secretary 2020-2022
Dr. Rob McGregor: My Year as Rotary Club President
We proudly recognize and thank Sandy Naragon whose outstanding generosity to the The Rotary International Foundation (TRF) demonstrates a spirit of giving which helps sustain and improve the lives of others.
Sandy reached a new milestone in her donor legacy as a multiple Paul Harris Fellow (PHF). You will find more information below about the recognition levels and how you can become a PHF.
Sandy Naragon - Paul Harris + 6
Her pin contains a Ruby
Paul Harris Fellow/Multiple Paul Harris Fellow
Donors of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants program, or people who have that amount contributed in their name, can be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows. Each new Paul Harris Fellow receives a commemorative certificate and a pin. At each new level a new stone is added to their pin to reflect their Paul Harris level. Click here for more about Donor Recognition.
The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.
TRF distributes a portion of donations made to the Annual Fund to our District to support local Club grants. Only donations that are designated to the Annual Fund qualify to be redistributed to the District / Clubs.
We are proud that 92% of funds are spent on actual program awards and services it delivers. TRF provides 100% accountability & transparency and has received Charity Navigator's highest level as a 4 star charity.
Our mission The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
What impact can one donation have?
For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.
$50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.
$500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.
Jacqui Flaherty-Ricchiuti , CEO and Executive Director of Keep Akron Beautiful was our featured speaker at the Tuesday June 22 Club meeting. Jacqui Flaherty-Ricchiuti was named the Executive Director & CEO of Keep Akron Beautiful (KAB) in December 2014. Keep Akron Beautiful is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve Akron’s quality of life through beautification and responsible environmental management. A city and private sector funded agency, Jacqui is responsible for raising over $800,000 annually to operate the agency by extensive grant writing. Keep America Beautiful, Inc. awarded the agency second place recognition in 2014 for comprehensive program excellence of affiliates serving similar populations and Akron has been a President’s Circle Award annually since 2003.
Beautification is one of KAB three pillars that encompass their mission of improving Akron's quality of life through beautification and responsible environmental management.
One of the ways this is accomplished is through their Adopt a Site program. The Adopt-A-Site program is a long-term volunteer project that helps beautify public lands in Akron. Volunteers commit to prepare, plant, and maintain a flower garden in their approved site for the entire season. KAB assists with the sites to ensure success. There are currently over 60 Adopt-A-Sites throughout Akron.
Another way is through their Beautification Watch Awards.A "Thank You" for Taking Pride in Your Property. Beautification Watch Awards are KAB’s way of saying “thank you” to residents and businesses who take pride in keeping their properties clean and beautified. Every July, volunteers drive an assigned route and nominate all of the addresses that they think should win the award, based on assigned criteria.
The third way is through their Flowerscape Program creating Beautiful & Functional Urban Flower Gardens Flowerscapes are beautiful and functional flower bed installations placed throughout the city of Akron. We have 32 urban Flowerscape sites throughout the city that are planned, planted and maintained by our Flowerscape Crew. They focus on creating functional gardens that are not only beautiful to the community, but are also habitat for wildlife. They also try to use many plants that are indigenous species from this bio region.
The Second Pillar of KAB mission is Litter Reduction.
The Litter Collection Program works on Litter & Illegal Dumping Removal Five Days a Week. Keep Akron Beautiful litter and illegal dumping removal is performed Monday through Friday throughout the year by an in-house litter crew who supervises court-ordered community service workers.
In 2019, we removed 204,940 lbs. of litter and illegal dumping!
Clean up Akron Month is their Largest Volunteer Impact of the Year.
Every April, thousands of volunteers from all around the area take the initiative to get involved and help clean up their city.
In 2019, 2,632 volunteers took time to help make Akron a cleaner and healthier place to live for all this April. These volunteers cleaned up a total of 17.84 tons of trash and 53 tires from 108 sites, including 20 schools.
Loan A Receptacle.
Litter & Recycling Receptacles for Public Events ,Keep Akron Beautiful loans out 50-gallon litter and/or recycling receptacles to assist with public litter control at public space events. These 50-gallon wax-coated cardboard trash and recycling containers are borrowed for use at downtown festivals, Lock 3 concerts, city park events, Soap Box Derby, Stan Hywet Hall events, movie night at Glendale Steps, etc. and returned for others to use.
Our receptacles are graciously funded by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
The third pillar is Community Improvement. This is accomplished in a few ways.
Trailer Programs~
Trailers Filled with Supplies for Community Projects
KAB has two trailers that can be used by community members to complete community projects.
The Community Pride Trailer is filled with supplies for any kind of project such as installing a new playground or preparing a community garden for the season. The Litter & Illegal Dump Trailer is filled with supplies for large litter cleanups.
The trailers are free to use and can be rented for three days maximum.
Our trailer program makes a huge difference in our community and has been made possible thanks to generous donors Citizens Bank and Dominion Energy!
Graffiti Wipe Out Services.
KAB Removes Graffiti All Over the City of Akron
Keep Akron Beautiful operates the Graffiti Wipeout System, a graffiti removal service for public property within the City of Akron. KAB removes graffiti on public property. The requests for removal service can be made by calling 3-1-1 or 330-375-2311. Keep Akron Beautiful will also remove graffiti from private property at a cost of $50 (sometimes more for larger jobs). Please call 330-375-2116 for private property graffiti removal.
Akron Rotary Camp 4460 Rex Lake Drive Akron, OH 44319
Enjoy pontoon boat rides, zip-lining on the Bud Rogers Adventure Park, s'mores at the campfire, along with fun and fellowship throughout camp.
Dinner will be served outdoors in the Pavilion. It will include Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast and BBQ Pulled Pork, or a Veggie Burger upon request, smashed redskin potatoes, roasted vegetables and more. ______________________
An open bar is included.
Catered by Robert J. Events. ______________________
Past President Pat O'Neill, will pay a special tribute to Dr. McGregor around 6:00pm.
Contact Mella Castner at Rotary Camp (330) 644-4512, mellac@akronymca.org for any questions.
Steve Millard, President & CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber was our featured speaker at the Tuesday, June 15 Club meeting. Mr. Millard provided an overview of the Greater Akron Area Chamber of Commerce. The Greater Akron Chamber serves Medina, Portage and Summit Counties.
Mr. Millard’s work is focused on leading the chamber’s efforts to drive jobs and investment in the Greater Akron region, improve the region’s competitiveness and to advocate for the needs of the business community in the region with its elected and appointed officials.
Steve is a certified chamber executive, serves on the Boards of Leadership Akron, the Summit Education Initiative (data-based school performance collaborative), Conexus/NEO (regional workforce intermediary) and Medical Services Company. He is a frequent adviser to businesses and a regular facilitator for strategic planning and leadership team retreats.
What is the Mission of the Greater Akron Chamber?
The mission of the Greater Akron Chamber is to drive economic growth and prosperity for Greater Akron by supporting the success of the business community and acting as a convener of stakeholders on key issues facing the region.
Who does the Greater Akron Chamber Serve?
The Chamber represents a membership of diverse businesses ranging from global manufacturers to small machine shops and professionals to non-profit organizations and educational institutions. The Greater Akron Chamber is committed to continual improvement of our community, our economy, and our quality of life. The Chamber serves more than 1,500 member companies, offering the best bottom-line, result-producing benefits; networking and marketing opportunities; small business support; public representation; and information services.
What Strategies Drive the Focus of the Greater Akron Chamber?
Support Company Growth; Jobs and Investment
Grow company revenue, capital investment and jobs in Greater Akron by leading targeted business attraction, retention and expansion efforts for high potential opportunities.
Support Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
Create advantage for the region’s small and middle market businesses by connecting them to customers, capital, content and ecosystem support resources.
Drive Economic Inclusion
Advance economic opportunity through diversity and inclusion to accelerate the growth and success of Greater Akron’s companies.
Facilitate Employer Workforce Solutions
Drive employer focused solutions to critical skill gaps by increasing job access and employer engagement with the talent development system.
What Can the Chamber Do for My Business?
While the Chamber can help your business in many ways, there are four competencies of the Chamber that can be of great assistance!
Catalytic Research and Advocacy -- Drive ideas and decision-making on action to further Greater Akron’s economic success from the perspective of the business and employer community.
Storytelling -- Bring visibility to the region’s assets, companies, needs and opportunities with a focus on driving value for the business community, its employers and their workforce.
Convener and Facilitator -- Bring companies, organizations, and key stakeholders together to dialogue and connect around opportunities for mutual economic success in Greater Akron.
Distinctive Products, Services and Resources to Support Members -- In places where gaps exist and the mutual needs of our members can be supported, the Chamber will invent and/or invest in capacity to fill the need and support their success.
How Has COVID-19 Impacted the Chamber and the Businesses it Represents?
The past 15 months has been challenging for the Chamber, as it has for its members. What has happened as a result of the pandemic and the political polarization confronting the country has created some new opportunities as well as challenges for the Chamber and its members. The Chamber and its members are addressing economic disparities, systemic racism, etc.
CEOs are thinking about greater growth opportunity based on pent up demand, keeping new customers as a result on the expansion of online purchasing, earning back previous customers, winning back workers, providing new kinds of flexibility in working conditions, addressing cyber-security, and being more transparent in the areas of diversity, environment, inclusion, and a changing regulatory environment.
2021 Strategic Planning Sessions
To address some of these new challenges, the Chamber will be holding several opportunities for an open discussion about ideas, initiatives, and opportunities for the future work of the Chamber. The Chamber is currently going through an update of the Chamber’s strategic plan and blueprint to reflect changes in their work and some of the new realities of the post COVID-19 environment.
According to Mr. Millard, this is an opportunity not only to provide input on the work of the Chamber and its priorities, but to have an opportunity to get together and share ideas with other business owners and leaders as we all emerge from a more restricted meeting and events environment due to COVID-19.
June 10, 1924 - Rotarians, Hez Simmons and Walter Hoyt rented a YMCA camp for 10 days to provide a summer camp to meet the specific needs of children with disabilities and Rotary Camp for Crippled Children was born. During the early days the campers had mostly polio and cerebral palsy. When campers would get homesick during their stay at camp, Hez would say: “Sure, we’ll take you home, but first I need a new lanyard.” He and the camper will talk and work on the lanyard until homesickness was overcome. Thank you Hez and Walter, for founding Rotary Camp, where we, for the last 97 years, Create a world where there are only abilities!
Dan Reynolds Director of Endless Possibilities Akron Rotary Camp
Thank you to everyone who was able to volunteer for our beautification project!! Enjoy pictures from the day. ▶ View photos and start slideshow
June 12th - The Akron Rotary Foundation, a 501 C3 partnered with The Well Community Corp, also a 501C3 to provide landscaping enhancements to 5 homes located in the Middlebury area of Akron. This project is designed to rehabilitate the housing in a depressed area of the community that dates back to the founding of Akron. The Rotary Club of Akron's commitment was to provide materials and volunteers to enhance the appearance of the home by trimming and cleaning up existing landscaping as well as planting of annual and perennial flowers, and mulching of flowerbeds to brighten the curb appeal and encourage other property owners to do likewise.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to one of our own at our Tuesday, June 8, 2021, club meeting. The purpose of this week’s presentation was to inform Club members of the purpose of our Risk Management Committee and how every Akron Rotarian can be part of our risk management efforts when participating in Club sponsored activities/events. VIEW THE MEETING VIDEO - CLICK HERE
And who would be better than Chaz to be the Chairperson of our committee. Chaz is a partner in the Vorys Cleveland office and a member of the labor and employment group. He has significant experience advising in-house legal counsel and HR leaders on a wide range of labor and employment matters, including: the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); collective bargaining, labor relations issues and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); drafting and implementing employee handbooks; providing management and employee trainings; and assisting with HR related issues associated with both mergers and acquisitions. For the past fifteen months COVID-19 has consumed a large percentage of his workload!
Chaz received his J.D. summa cum laude from Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and served as a senior editor for the Cleveland State Law Review. He also served as a research editor for the Cleveland State Journal of Law and Health. He received his B.S. and A.A.S cum laude from the University of Akron.
Who are the Risk Committee Members?
The committee is comprised of Chaz Billington, Dr. Robert McGregor, Pat O’Neill, Terry Dalton, Sam Lupica, Jacinto Nunez, John Reyes, and Michael Gladysz.
Why Does the Committee Exist?
To provide oversight across the Club for all categories of risk to ensure that proper practices are in place to identify, understand, and manage risks.
What are the Committee’s Responsibilities?
A few of the committee’s responsibilities include:
Create a culture of risk management throughout the Club
Conduct risk assessments and develop risk management plan for Club operations and activities
Identify and continuously audit the Club’s insurance plans, policies and needs
Assess and prioritize risks associated with Club operations and activities
Communicate risk management-related advice and recommendations to the Board
Determine how to manage identified risks and develop risk response plans
Communicate with Club leadership, membership, and volunteers regarding safety, risk management, and risk response plans
What Does the Committee Do and Not Do?
The Committee makes recommendations to the Board of Directors
The Committee does not approve or disapprove any particular event or proposed action of the Club.
What Has the Committee Done This Year?
Consulted, advised, and helped plan risk mitigation efforts with the Chili Open
Analyzed Club insurance coverage to identify any gaps
Monitored local, state, and federal COVID related guidance
Discussed several proposed events
Created forms like releases and waivers for in-person events
When Do Fellow Rotarians Need to Reach Out to the Committee?
When Club members are planning a Rotary-sponsored event or member-attended events.
If We Are Planning an Event, What Does the Committee Need from Akron Rotarians?
Description of the event
Anticipated date(s)
Any proposed/existing safety/health protocols
Contact person
Turnaround time
When Does the Committee Meet and How Do We Contact the Committee?
The Risk Committee encourages all Rotarians to reach out to the committee if you have any concerns about anything you might be concerned about from a risk perspective for the Club or individual members.
Yours in Service -
Terry Dalton RC of Akron Secretary Scholarship Chair Risk Committee Member
Charles Billington, Vorys Cleveland, RC of Akron Risk Management Presentation
The current board and incoming board members held a retreat in June. This was designed to help these leaders transition, learn about their various communication styles, and plan for the 2021-2022 Rotary Year.
Once again the annual Rotary Night at the Indians can be held without restrictions. While we missed last 2020, we are glad to be back now and raising money for End Polio Now.
On July 22, 2021, the Cleveland Baseball team will play the Tampa Bay Rays. And Rotary will be there too—in the Terrace Club, walk on the field with “End Polio Now “ T shirts, having the First pitch raffle and other exclusive raffle auctions. Now we just need YOU!!!
Please see the attached flyer and get your reservations in as soon as possible.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to a presentation on the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company, the driving force behind the development of the Football Hall of Fame project at our Tuesday, June 1st weekly meeting. Our speaker was Anne Graffice, Executive Vice-President of Public Affairs. Anne joined Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) in December 2019. In this role, Ms. Graffice oversees community, investor, media and government relations, and manages all corporate social responsibility initiatives for the Company.
In July 2020, Ms. Graffice was a key component of the transaction that made Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company public through a merger with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company.
Previously, Ms. Graffice successfully served in a similar role at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which she joined in May 2016 as Vice President of Development & Strategic Adventures. She served as the Hall’s primary corporate and community relations contact, and oversaw diversity programs and policies; controlled development and engagement for the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls; and developed programming for the Center for Excellence.
What is the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company?
The Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company is a multi-dimensional Sports and Entertainment Company. They are comprised of three divisions. The first is their Themed, Experiential Assets which includes themed attractions, hospitality, and live entertainment. The second area is their Media company which is comprised of original content, High Profile Partnerships and Sponsorships. The third company, which has grown more quickly than anticipated because of COVID-19 is their Gaming company which is comprised of Fantasy Sports, e-Gaming and Sports Betting.
The concept behind these growth areas is to make the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company a Destination Asset for Greater Northeast Ohio and beyond.
The Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company has divided up the development of the Destination asset into three phases:
Phase I which is completed and created about $250 million in assets is comprised of
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Tom Benson HOF Stadium
National Youth Football and Sports Complex
Phase II (Double Tree by Hilton hotel opened in downtown Canton in Nov, 2020) (A $30 million dollar renovation)
Approximately 120 acres developed to create the following:
Hall of Fame Indoor Waterpark
The Eleven, a Hilton Tapestry Hotel
Constellation Center for Excellence (75,00 sq. ft multi-use office building, center and hub for research and development for sports. Will also have a huge scoreboard in the front of the building.
Center for Performance – an indoor fieldhouse, home for the NFL Alumni Association and their academy. It could be used for auto shows, indoor garden shows, indoor football games, indoor training facilities, etc.
Retail Promenade – There will be two of these with 10-12 different storefront businesses.
Play-action Plaza – an outdoor interactive green space.
Phase III (Up to $300 million in new assets across 600 acres of available land)
Includes potential for additional attractions, dining, lodging and accommodations housing options, etc.
What is the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Center Approach for Success?
An opportunity to invest in the most powerful sport in America
Leveraging powerful brands across an integrated platform
Delivering unique experiences for loyal consumers
Maximizing media content and sponsorships
Significant long-term growth potential for their shareholders
Exceptional leadership with proven track record
What has been happening and can happen at the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Center pre COVID and post COVID?
More than 70 events were held in 2019. This included stadium, youth sports and private events.
The Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium can hold live events, concerts and performances, weddings, corporate retreats, and indoor/outdoor parties.
The National Youth Football and Sports Complex and hold youth sporting events and tournaments, sports academies and athletic clinics.
The Center for Performance can house indoor sporting events, NFL Alumni Academy sports/events and convention space for events.
The Constellation Center for Excellence can provide meeting space and speaking engagements.
The Premium Hotels (Double Tree and the Eleven Hilton Tapestry hotels) can provide meeting space for meetings, conventions and banquets, weddings, corporate retreats, and indoor/outdoor parties.
The indoor waterpark can be rented for events and private parties
The Play- Action Plaza provides green space for recreation, events, and informal gatherings.
To learn more about the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Center growth plans, etc. I encourage readers to view the recording: click here or copy and paste this link https://youtu.be/VAc4_DdzK0w.
Having heard Ms. Graffice’s presentation, I am sure you will be eager to follow the development of this destination spot and frequent the events that will be occurring now and in the future. An asset that Northeast Ohio should be very proud of.
Anne Graffice, EVP, Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment
The Akron Rotary Foundation, a 501 C3 is partnering with The Well Community Corp, also a 501C3 to provide landscaping enhancements to 5 homes located in the Middlebury area of Akron. This project is designed to rehabilitate the housing in a depressed area of the community that dates back to the founding of Akron.
The Rotary Club of Akron's commitment is to provide materials and volunteers to enhance the appearance of the home by trimming and cleaning up existing landscaping as well as planting of annual and perennial flowers, and mulching of flowerbeds to brighten the curb appeal and encourage other property owners to do likewise.
We are in need of three-four people for each of the five houses so 20 volunteers to trim shrubs, plant flowers and rake out beds.
When: 9am - Noon on Saturday, June 12th
What we ask that please you bring: Shovels, gardening tools, rakes, trimmers, work gloves and smiles!
How to volunteer: Contact Steve Buie at 330-701-2970 or via email at sbuie@learningrx.net
Location of project: 51-89 Eber Avenue. Steve will have a map link to send to those who volunteer.
Service Project June 12th: Volunteers Needed Please
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Howard Parr, Executive Director of the Akron Civic Theatre at our Tuesday, May 18, 2021 weekly Club meeting. Mr. Parr provided some history of the Civic Theatre as well as a preview of the fantastic results from the most recent restoration and expansion of the existing location.
Howard Parr has more than 25 years of professional experience in arts, entertainment, and consulting. His work includes organizational development and strategic planning, as well as program management and event production.
Howard has served as executive director of the Akron Civic Theatre since September 2007. He served as The Civic’s Director of Development and Planning from 1999 – 2004, during which he directed the capital campaign for the theater’s $22.5 million expansion and restoration project. In addition to his work on the capital campaign, he was talent buyer for in-house programming (through 2002 – 2003), as well as for the first season of Lock Three Park, an outdoor performance space immediately adjacent to the Civic Theatre.
History of the Akron Civic Theatre:
Long recognized among the community’s cultural landmarks, the Akron Civic Theatre has a rich and spectacular history. It has provided the community with a venue for quality entertainment and live performances for over seventy years.
The theater was built in 1929 by Marcus Loew and designed by famed theater architect, John Eberson. The interior structure was fashioned after a Moorish castle featuring Mediterranean decor, including medieval carvings, authentic European antiques and Italian alabaster sculptures.
Among facilities of its size, the Civic is one of only five remaining atmospheric theaters in the country where patrons experience a twinkling star-lit sky and intermittent clouds moving across the horizon, all while sitting inside the auditorium.
Restoration and Expansion:
The current $8.5 million capital campaign builds on the rich history of the Civic Theatre. The transformation is creating a better entertainment experience and more ways for all of us to enjoy the “Jewel on Main Street.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic impact of the Civic Theatre was an annual $8.1 million dollars with an annual attendance of 135,000 individuals. In addition to the events held at the Civic Theatre, the Civic administration also provides the box office services for EJ Thomas Hall and participates with the Akron Civic Commons which is an initiative that looks at the city’s public spaces. In addition, the Civic Theatre also provides booking and technical support for Lock 3 events.
The current capital campaign which in the home stretch, is restoring the Grand Lobby and the Arcade. In addition, there will be a 200+ seat performance space. This new space will be in the adjacent Whitelaw building with residential housing in the upper floors. This new performance space will allow the Civic to host 100 smaller events and will allow more full-theater events in the main stage. The Civic will also construct an outdoor deck which will allow individuals additional ways to interact with the Civic and surrounding downtown venues. The Civic will be installing a huge outdoor digital screen. This digital screen will allow the Civic to broadcast select shows, giving you outside access to their programming. They will also hare events via live Facebook broadcasts, podcasts and more.
While visiting downtown, experience an exciting collection of public art around the Civic. You will find murals on the sweeping exterior walls of the Civic along South Main Street and West Bowery Street.
The Civic will be holding a grand re-opening the week of August 14 with a gala event on August 14th.
To view some of the before and after pictures of the Civic Theatre restoration, I encourage you to view the recording of Mr. Parr’s presentation.
To search for upcoming events at the Civic, please visit their website at www.akroncivic.com.
Howard Parr Talked About Civic Theatre Restoration at Club Meeting
Thank you to everyone that came out for our Spring Clean-up days at Rotary Camp! Camp looks great and we appreciate all your hard work and energy to help us get ready for summer! Our first group of staff will be moving in next week into freshly clean cabins.
Thank you again, and we hope to see you back sometime this summer!
You are all invited to register for the Rotary InternationalICC preconvention and attend the virtual Sessions on June 10, 2021. Follow this link for more information.
Rotarian Claudine Schooley will represent ICC USA-Ukraine and will participate to a panel discussion at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time, New York time) with Moderator Ovidiu Cos (Romania), ICC National Coordinator James Onions (UK), and ICC National Coordinator Cecilia Sequeira (Portugal) on the subject: "Starting and managing an Inter-Country Committee". Please come with your questions!
Claudine Schooley
ICC USA-Ukraine Chair of Section
Rotary E-Club of One World – District 5240
Intercountry Committees: Opening Opportunities for Peace
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Tiffanie Ferguson who serves as the Clinical Director at CHC Addiction Services at our Tuesday, May 11th weekly meeting.
CHC Addiction Services is a private, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation. They are an addiction services agency providing comprehensive prevention, treatment and recovery services for addictive and compulsive behaviors and disorders.
Tiffanie has been an employee of CHC Addiction Services for the past 17 years. She is dually licensed as a clinical counselor and chemical dependency counselor supervisor. Previous to her role as Clinical Director she was instrumental in the development of CHC’s adolescent substance abuse treatment and detox programs at the height of the opiate epidemic. Tiffanie speaks and trains regularly to clinicians and the public at large about the best practices in addiction treatment, trauma-informed care, co-occurring disorders and much more.
CHC Addiction Services’ mission is to treat, inspire, support, and empower individuals and families impacted by the disease of addiction. CHC Addiction Services has made it their lives’ work to help those on the road to recovery, regardless of social or economic factors. They believe that substance use disorders are progressive, fatal illnesses that may require several treatment strategies for successful recovery. CHC provides individual, family and group counseling, medically-assisted treatment (MAT), residential treatment and much more.
CHC Addiction Services believes that total well-being is a key factor to successful recovery. Therefore, they provide quality medical treatment, housing, case management and child- care services in addition to their counseling and therapy services.
Not unlike many other agencies providing substance abuse and/or mental health services, CHC Addiction Services has seen an increase in substance abuse problems during the pandemic. In addition, there has been an increase in the use of Fentanyl or other drugs with Fentanyl mixed in with them. Some of this increase has been attributed to social isolation and a decrease in social support/recovery groups. CHC has used teletherapy during much of the pandemic and now provide a combination of virtual services as well as face-to-face services following CDC guidelines.
CHC provides a variety of treatment programs. Some of these include:
Adult Counseling Program: The Adult Counseling Program at CHC Addiction Services is designed to provide education, treatment and support for individuals with addiction ranging in severity from mild to severe. Since co-occurring disorders are common among those with substance use problems, CHC Addiction Services employs Master’s level clinicians who are well-equipped to teach patients effective recovery skills to improve the quality of their lives.
Adolescent Treatment: CHC Addiction Services offers many options for adolescent treatment. This program centers around long-term abstinence. Programs include Community-based treatment, Outpatient Counseling, and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): CHC Addiction Service’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is designed to promote the recovery process through group and individual counseling, case management, vocational development, community support groups and re-integration programming. The Five Week program is a total of 15 group sessions. Patients who complete the IOP program are recommended to continue with aftercare programming as well as ongoing individual counseling sessions.
Medication-Assisted Treatment: CHC has a wide range of treatment options, including programming for all three FDA-approved medication assisted treatment medications. CHC’s first Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) began in 1974. Patients in medication assisted treatment (MAT) receive both medication and counseling services as a part of their treatment. MAT is a highly effective, evidence-based practice in which medication stabilizes brain function and allows the patient to return to optimal functioning.
Methadone is the most widely used and studied treatment for opiate addiction. It has been identified as the most effective treatment. It is a long-lasting, synthetic narcotic that acts in a way similar to morphine or other narcotics. When used in proper doses, methadone does not create euphoria, sedation or analgesic effects. It is used as a maintenance treatment to stop cravings.
Women’s Recovery Program: CHC Addiction Services has been providing specialized women’s programming since 1990. The program focuses on gender-specific, trauma-informed care and seeks to eliminate barriers to recovery that often affect women, including lack of transportation and child-care. The program also highlights the stigma of substance use in an effort to treat both substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Residential Programs: Residential treatment is the highest level of care for substance use disorders. The need for residential treatment is determined after looking at an assessment of needs. Staff works with potential patients to complete the intake process and insurance companies to complete the necessary steps for entering treatment.
CHC Addiction Services accepts a variety of insurance programs.For individuals with no insurance, services are available through funding provided by the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADM) Board.
For additional information on the programs listed above, I encourage readers to visit CHC Addiction Services at chcaddiction.org.
Tiffanie Ferguson of CHC Addiction Services Presentation Recap
We proudly recognize and thank the following individuals whose outstanding generosity to the The Rotary International Foundation (TRF) demonstrates a spirit of giving which helps sustain and improve the lives of others.
Each of these members reached a new milestone in their donor legacy as multiple Paul Harris Fellows (PHF). You will find more information below about the recognition levels and how you can become a PHF.
Left to Right:
Nathanael Billow - Paul Harris + 2
Dr. Robert McGregor - Paul Harris +3
Dr. Douglas Hausknecht - Paul Harris + 4
John Margida - Paul Harris + 5
Paul Harris Fellow/Multiple Paul Harris Fellow
Donors of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants program, or people who have that amount contributed in their name, can be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows. Each new Paul Harris Fellow receives a commemorative certificate and a pin. At each new level a new stone is added to their pin to reflect their Paul Harris level. Click here for more about Donor Recognition.
The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.
TRF distributes a portion of donations made to the Annual Fund to our District to support local Club grants. Only donations that are designated to the Annual Fund qualify to be redistributed to the District / Clubs.
We are proud that 92% of funds are spent on actual program awards and services it delivers. TRF provides 100% accountability & transparency and has received Charity Navigator's highest level as a 4 star charity.
Our mission The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
What impact can one donation have?
For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.
$50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.
$500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Seema Rao, Deputy Director and Chief Experience Officer of the Akron Art Museum at our Tuesday, May 4, 2021 Club meeting. A native Northeast Ohioan, she has twenty years of museum experience. As a staff and a consultant, she’s worked with the Cleveland Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art, Cincinnati Museum of Art and many others. Sharing collection stories is her favorite part of her job. Ms. Rao explained that the role of Chief Experience Officer is a relatively new position in major art museums.
So, what does a Chief Experience Officer actually do, and why does the Akron Art Museum need a position like this?
In simple terms, it is an attempt to provide an “experience". “A chief experience officer (CXO) is an executive responsible for the overall experience of an organization's products and services. As user experience is quickly becoming a key differentiator in the modern business landscape, the CXO is charged with bringing holistic experience design to the boardroom and making it an intrinsic part of the company's strategy and culture.” (Wikipedia)
In a world of competing social media experiences and other sources of entertainment, museums need to ensure the overall experiences of visiting a museum is an attractive choice. The ultimate outcome is bringing a holistic experience to their audiences and making the Akron Art Museum an intrinsic part of the company’s strategy and culture.
This commitment is consistent with the mission of the Akron Art Museum. Their mission is “to enrich lives through modern and contemporary art. The museum manifests this commitment by: promoting the awareness, interest, appreciation, education, and participation in the fine and applied arts produced since 1850.”
“Spanning three centuries, like the museum’s collection, together the Akron Art Museum symbolizes the museum’s dual role as preserver of the past and herald of the future.”
What’s happening at the Akron Art Museum?
The 10,000 Things: Recent Works by Jordan Wong:
“The Akron Art Museum will launch an outdoor exhibition titled The 10,000 Things: Recent Works by Jordan Wong in the Bud and Susie Rogers Garden on May 29, 2021. The 10,000 Things weaves together inspirations from Asian Art with graphic design, iconographies, and the artist’s own philosophical musings.” The outdoor exhibition will be displayed all summer.
Totally Rad and Totally Radical:
“The Art Museum has launched its first of two exhibitions that draw upon the Museum’s permanent collection. Each exhibition focuses on highlights of particular interest of the 1980s. Totally Rad offers a dazzling dive into colorful vibrancy. The exhibition focuses on artists who found inventiveness, freedom and fun by testing out every extreme possibility that color has to offer.” Totally Radical span the decade’s political flashpoints. They show artists adopting techniques from advertising, bringing previously unseen images to light, and pushing photography in new directions, all to get their points across.” Both exhibitions opened on February 18, 2021 and can be viewed through September 19, 2021.
Some future events you might want to investigate further on the Akron Art Museum website are:
Family Day: 10,000 Things Art Party
Akron Art Museum After Work: Games in the Garden with Artist Jordan Wong
Family Day Concert
Family Day Neighborhood Garden Party
Public Talk by the Guerrilla Girls
The Akron Art Museum has much to offer, so check out their website for their hours of operation, and other things to view and do at a great treasure for the citizen of Summit County and surroundings. Visit at www.akronartmuseum.org.
Yours in Rotary Service -
Terry Dalton
Akron Club Secretary & Scholarship Chair
Seema Rao Akron Enlightens Us About Akron Art Museum Exhibits
Akron Children's Hospital, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rob McGregor, and Tony Gutowski, Director of Government Relations spoke at the Stow Rotary Club on April 28, 2021. Their topic was COVID Silver linings: Pediatric Healthcare and Advocacy Opportunities. Dr. McGregor has provided many insights throughout this pandemic and guests at this presentation learned how Akron Children's pivoted during the pandemic and the exciting steps they are taking to further meet the needs of all of our communities.
Welcome to The Akron Rotary Club DONNA SKODA, MS., RD., LD
Donna Skoda was sponsored by Cheryl Warren and has presented to our Club as well as many others throughout the area.
She is married to Dennis Skoda, CPA, CGMA who is a Financial Executive. Donna's mother Phyllis, who is 93, also resides with them in the Akron area.
She has spent the past 25 years rescuing Pug dogs and currently has five, Peyton, Beijing, Lucy, Fefei and Barron. She enjoys gardening and cooking her favorite is Italian dishes.
Donna serves as the Health Commissioner for the Summit County Public Health. She has worked in community based public health programs for over 25years. Her current responsibilities include overall management of the health district including the assessment and epidemiological components within the Health District, data and information systems and general strategic planning for the health district in the community. She has served as staff for the Summit 2020: A Quality of Life Project from the beginning and continues to assist with the local management.
Previously, she was employed in Cuyahoga County for 15 years implementing community-based programs in the areas of nutrition and many other areas in public health, the community and within hospital systems. She is a registered, licensed dietitian with a Master’s degree in Public Health and Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University.
On April 27, 2021, our Club honored students in the career fields of Business and Hospitality/Tourism.
Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship from the Akron Rotary Foundation.
Terry Dalton serves as a member of the Akron Rotary Club Board of Directors and as the Club Secretary and has chaired the Rotary Scholarship Committee for about 10 years. Any members interested in helping are encouraged to reach out to Terry at 330-815-1525 or via email to tdalton1226@gmail.com.
We are happy to share that you as supporters can now use the Amazon Shopping app on your mobile phone to sign up for AmazonSmile and select "Rotary Camp for Children With Special Needs Inc" as their favorite charity. This is a great opportunity to engage with your supporters to help increase your AmazonSmile donations.
Feel free to send these sample messages out to remind your family/friends and co-workers who may also wish to support the Camp via Amazon Smiles:
Sample Message:
Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select "Rotary Camp for Children With Special Needs Inc" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They'll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.
How it works: 1. Open the Amazon app on your phone 2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features 3. Select "Rotary Camp for Children With Special Needs Inc" as your charity 4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
On April 20, 2021, our Club honored students in the fields of Allied Health, Automotive, Bio-Science, Criminal Justice and Education.
Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship from the Akron Rotary Foundation.
Terry Dalton serves as a member of the Akron Rotary Club Board of Directors and as the Club Secretary and has chaired the Rotary Scholarship Committee for about 10 years. Any members interested in helping are encouraged to reach out to Terry at 330-815-1525 or via email to tdalton1226@gmail.com.
Thanks to the committee members who participated in the interview and selection process: Ryan McCauley, Zach Prosser and Jay Rutter.
About the Scholarship Recipients:
The Students of the Year recognized April 20th were Rishma Tamang, Allison Lee, Kyrice Brunson, Star Griffin, Arissa Holcomb, and Ma Cho.
Thursday4/22/2021 District 6630 Only (This is our District):
6 pm
Annual Meeting (Electors - please enter the meeting at 5:45 pm)
The required Elector Credential Certificate form that was sent to each Club Secretary/President MUST be returned to Mike Davanzo (mdavanzo@zoominternet.net) by April 12, 2021.
This is required to be able to vote at the Annual Meeting.
7 pm - 8:30 pm
Conference Kick-off: Recognition of the two Clubs that reached 75 years and two Clubs that reached 100 years.
Members achieving 50 years in Rotary in 2019-2021 and
Celebration of Life with families of those who have passed away 2019-2021.
Friday4/23/2021 Multi-District (All Districts):
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Keynote Speaker: Rob Raylman: The Gift of Life International.
Enjoy a fun radio show with music, trivia, and prizes. BYOB.
Saturday4/24/2021 Multi-District and District 6630 will have a special breakout session as well:
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Multi District: Interesting speakers from around the country and world plus comments from the four District Governors.
Keynote Speaker: RID Brad Howard: “Pivot Point or End Point”
District 6630 Governor Pat Myers will share how all our clubs led through challenging times.
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
District 6630: An exclusive breakout with our 4-Way Test Speech Contest winners
Chartering of the Lake County Sunrise Satellite Club
2. The confirmation contains a Join Meeting Link (see sample below)
This link is unique to each of you. Do NOT share your confirmation link.
Only registered attendees can enter the meeting.
Be sure you login the day(s) of the event using the email you registered with.
3. Our District # is 6630 NE Ohio.
4. If you are using the Zoom desktop app – please be sure your application is updated to the most current version (this is not applicable to those who login using the web application).
Join Us: 2021 Virtual District 6630 Conference of Clubs
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of hearing about TASCforce, LLC at our Tuesday, April 13, 2021 Club meeting. Our speaker was Bill Sepe, Co-Director of TASCforce, a non-profit advocacy group formed in 2019. Their focus is the promotion of multi-purpose recreational trails in and around Summit County as well as creating & preserving green spaces. The presentation included the proposed Veterans Trail.
Multipurpose trails are expensive, but they are an investment that lives on in perpetuity.
Green space and equitable access to it is imperative sustaining healthy lifestyles.
Greenways have an economic benefit to the communities they exist in by:
Boosting property values
Adding recreational opportunities
Creating opportunities for alternative ways to commute to work
Improving wellness
Increasing tourism
Providing access to businesses and retail stores
Background on the Proposed Veterans Trail
An abandoned railroad right of way runs through Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Silver Lake, Stow, and Hudson – about 12.5 miles long.
It has not been used since 1996 and will require tremendous investment in order to support rail traffic again
It has long been recognized as an ideal trail opportunity and has been studied for more than 16 years.
The owner, Metro RTA, is indicating a willingness to allow it to be used for a trail – as they did with the Freedom Trail.
Summit Metro Parks has expressed an interest in partnering with Metro RTA to build and manage the trail.
Why Would this Track Make an Ideal Trail?
It connects the communities of Hudson, Stow, Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls and Akron and provides a North-to-South trail right up the densely populated middle of the county.
It connects with 7 other trails and provides an ideal opportunity for both commuter and recreational use.
The right-of-way goes along and crosses over the Cuyahoga River. In Silver Lake, it passes the golf course at Silver Lake Country Club. Stow has numerous secluded sections, In Hudson, it passes by a private lake, Ellsworth Meadows Golf Course, O’Brien Cemetery, and Cascade & Veterans Way parks.
The trail would start at Akron’s Northside Train Station and end downtown Hudson, behind the Acme Plaza.
Connectivity to Other Trails:
It would connect to the following trails:
Boston Heights Trail
Highbridge Trail
Connection to Towpath Trail
Existing Summit Metro Park Bike & Hike Trail
Freedom Trail
Akron’s Rubber City Heritage Trail
Hudson’s proposed extension of Veterans Trail
How Can Rotarians Help Support This Project?
Write letters to Metro RTA asking them to:
Dismiss the rail proposal and embrace the multipurpose trail proposal instead
Make an application with the Federal Transit Administration to permit the right-of-way to be repurposed as a multipurpose trail.
Request the support that Senator Rob Portman’s office has offered to facilitate the F.T.A. application.
Once the application is approved, sign leases with Summit Metro Parks and/or the local communities along the right-of-way to allow the trail to be built.
For additional information about the trail project go online to www.taskforce.org and sign the online petition and receive updates on the progress that is occurring as well as other worthwhile projects in the area.
William (Bill) Sepe Discussed Multi-purpose Recreational Trails at our Weekly Meeting
The speaker for our Tuesday, April 6th Club meeting was Tiffany Roper, CEO of Eat, Speak, Love LLC. Tiffany was born in Akron, and is a two-time graduate of Kent State University with a B.A. in Psychology and a M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health. Her passion has always been to help others help themselves by providing guidance, resources, and inspiration for success. View the presentation (click here).
After working many years providing mental health counseling, Ms. Roper ventured out on her new business just prior to the pandemic hitting the community. Despite the pandemic, she has been very successful in growing her business.
According to Ms. Roper, “In a rapidly changing and unpredictable world, entrepreneurship and business ownership seems riskier than ever. Big business and major corporations tend to have financial security, larger platforms, and a more stable customer base than do their smaller homegrown counterparts.
When it comes to women and minorities in business, the disparities in access to capital, mentorship, lack of exposure make successful business ownership appear to be beyond our reach. Despite these disparities, the spirit of entrepreneurship remains alive!”
Eat Speak Love(ESL) serves to turn small businesses into an experience. They invite local entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, chefs, and speakers in to showcase their talents and ultimately, enhance Akron’s economic, culinary, and cultural scenes. ESL serves as a launchpad for women and minority entrepreneurs to market their unique brands, vision, and passion projects.
SMALLBIG BOX
A unique aspect of Tiffany’s business is her SMALLBIG Box. Eat Speak Love, is committed to the local economy, their partners, and their patrons. ESL strives to amplify the voices of small business owners, entrepreneurs, and local creatives who discover, innovate, and craft. The boxes contain product samples and previews of mainly women and minority business owners, whose products are sure to be your next obsession.
A SMALLBIG BOX can be purchased for $30 and a SMALLBIG BOX - 3 Box Subscription normally selling for $90 can now be purchased for $75.00
Speaking Opportunities
Ms. Roper is also available to speak to organizations. She can spark the motivation and inspiration your workers/team needs to increase productivity, team cohesion, and overall gratitude. She offers interactive presentations virtually or in person (within COVID guidelines). Several of her topics include: Gratitude, Personal Elevation, Living in Purpose, Sisterhood and Women Empowerment.
ESL Partners
Our partners are local business owners, entrepreneurs, artists, and visionaries who own, seek to open, or are starting businesses in the Greater Akron Area. ESL’s priority is to highlight and support women and minorities who are embarking on their own journey of equitable business ownership. Through their collaboration they will showcase the talent, quality, and passion that goes into the products of any small business. At ESL, our patrons are invested in the revitalization of Akron’s economy, cultural diversity, and overall small business expansion.
Individuals wishing to learn more about ESL are encouraged to visit their website at eatspeaklove.com, or visit them on Facebook at eatspeaklove.akron.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to one of our own members and the life changing program that he operates at our Tuesday, March 30th weekly club meeting.
Presenting along with Mr. Buie, were Susan Costello and Andrew Durr, staff of Success4Kids, an offshoot of LearningRx.
What is Brain Training?
If you are not sure what “brain training” is, Steve explained that you are not alone. “A lot of prospective clients come for brain training with questions about what exactly it is that happens. Though the programs are complex, what they do is fairly straight forward: the training exercises strengthen the cognitive skills that are integral to thinking, learning, reading, memory, and attention. There are many underlying skills that are critical to performance, and our wide variety of brain training programs target them all.”
Steve stated, “Clients at our Akron brain training center work one-on-one with their own personal brain trainers who guide them through challenging—yet enjoyable—mental exercises that target the client’s specific weaknesses. Our programs are like a fitness routine for the mind. Neuroplasticity of our brain – Use it or lose it!”
Well, isn’t this just another name for tutoring?
Another misconception Steve noted is that many individuals think they are a tutoring service. Though Success4RKids recognizes the benefits of tutoring, what they do is much different. Their brain training center focuses on an entirely different set of issues. Tutoring is best for redelivering difficult subject matter—or reteaching material that a student might struggle with—while cognitive skills training focuses on strengthening the brain to make learning and performance easier. “We get at the root of problems and customize a plan that targets each client’s specific needs.” “Our programs are more about training versus teaching.”
What Brain Training Programs Are Available?
Success4RKids offers a variety of cognitive skills training for school-age children. These programs target and strengthen weak cognitive skills. Programs consist of fun, challenging mental exercises done in the context of a one-on-one training relationship. These mental workout sessions are customized to address the unique needs and abilities of each client and are designed to strengthen the foundational cognitive skills that enable our brains to think, learn, read, remember, pay attention, and solve problems.
These skills — attention, memory, auditory processing, logic and reasoning, processing speed, and more — impact our mental performance in every area of life, including school and work. The result? Dramatic, measurable improvements in mental performance.
Success4RKids – A Program for Every Student:
“While each situation is unique, most clients spend 12 to 34 weeks training with us. Best of all, Success4RKids offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of our clients.”
Here’s a short description of some of the programs as taken from their website:
ThinkRx® is our core program. Offered over a minimum of 12 weeks, this program works on all the core cognitive skills. Every client who is over seven years of age and in a full program trains with ThinkRx.
ReadRx® incorporates ThinkRx® with ReadRx. A powerful reading intervention, ReadRx trains the cognitive skills of auditory processing (the skill that allows the brain to analyze, blend, and segment sounds) as well as other skills that are critical to reading success.
ComprehendRx® takes reading intervention to a new level, focusing on the cognitive skills that are critical for reading comprehension. This program works on many cognitive skills, including visual processing, reasoning skills, sequential processing (the ability to understand and integrate information in order), working memory, and metacognitive strategies (the development of self-awareness and the ability to self-assess).
MathRx® trains the cognitive skills needed to efficiently and effectively develop numerical fluency, learn math concepts, solve problems, and perform calculations.
LiftOff® is available to preschoolers through first graders and works on the foundational cognitive skills and early reading skills so important for early learners. These include auditory processing (the skill that allows the brain to analyze, blend, and segment sounds), attention, memory, processing speed, visual processing, and reasoning.
StudyRx® helps clients develop stronger study skills. The program teaches clients 14 test-taking tips, 12 top learning strategies, as well as eight core study skills based on fictionalized stories of historical figures and the habits, skills, and perspectives that contributed to their success.
Brain Booster programs are offered in two formats. The first is for adults who do not have a need for a full program, and instead are interested in doing mental exercises with a trainer at their own convenience. The Brain Booster program for adults is offered in 12, 18, or 24-session segments. Brain Booster is also offered to clients who have completed one of our other full programs and are interested in additional one-on-one training.
BrainSkills® is a digital brain training program that can be used to supplement the one-on-one training that is the cornerstone of all our programs, or as a maintenance program for those who have completed one of our full one-on-one programs.
Success4Rkids is a non-profit formed with the express purpose of working with schools to equip school-age children with necessary strong, foundational, cognitive learning skills.
Success4Rkids is currently conducting a pilot program with the I Promise School to help 10 students become skilled and confident readers.
For further information on LearningRx Akron-Bath, I encourage you to go to their website www.learningrx.com/akron-bath.
Yours in Service -
Terry Dalton
We Call It Brain Training. Our Clients Call It Life Changing.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Kyle Putinski, the Executive Director of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina, and Stark Counties, Inc. an affiliate of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, the Nation’s largest donor-and volunteer – supported mentoring network. organization at our March 23, 2021 Club meeting.
In his position, Putinski leads a team of youth development specialists serving children who are matched with an adult volunteer in the community and site-based programs for children age 6-18. Putinski is focused on helping the organization meet it strategic initiatives of increasing brand awareness, service delivery and quality in its core programs, financial sustainability, and board development.
Mr. Putinski opened his presentation with the following two questions. “Who made a difference in your life, and What is a long-term relationship or a one and done meeting?” These two questions are about the heart of Big Brothers and Big Sisters (BBBS) and forms the philosophical approach taken by BBBS.
Following up on these two questions, Kyle proceeded to discuss the impact Covid-19 has had on our youth. He indicated that we are seeing an increase in depression, an increase in anxiety, isolation, a decrease in calls to Children’s Services, an increase in Trauma and a Decrease in academics.
So how can BBBS assist with these issues and what is Big Brothers and Big Sisters?
The mission of BBBS is “Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.” The vision is “All youth achieve their full potential.”
By partnering with parents/guardians, volunteers, and others in the community BBBS is accountable for each child in their programs achieving:
Higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships
Avoidance of risky behaviors
Educational success
Programs Offered:
Community Based Programs
In-Person Site Based (on hold due to COVID-19)
Virtual Site Based
Bigs in Blue (police program)
Community training.
For specifics on each program, visit their website.
How Can You Help?
Be a Big:
Time Commitment:
There is a one-year time commitment
Age limit
18 and up
Touch base with your “little” no more than once a week but a minimum of 2 times a month
In-person background check
Enrollment Process:
Inquire Online: Inquire today to speak with a match specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Apply: Ready to take the next step right now? Complete the online application. This will help speed up the process. Alternatively, after you inquire online, a match coordinator will contact you to complete the application offline.
References: You'll need to provide at least three references of people we can talk to about your ability to be a mentor.
Background Check: Child safety is our priority, so we'll review your records to ensure you'll be a good fit for our program.
Interview: A match coordinator will interview you in person.
Matching: We will review the kids in your area who need a Big Brother or Big Sister and find the best fit for you. Depending on your gender and the kind of child you'd like to work with, matching may go very quickly or take some time. Making the right match is important to our commitment to form lasting relationships.
Outcomes– BBBS hopes to attain the following outcomes:
70-75% will increase feelings of social acceptance
70-75% will increase educational expectations
80-90% will improve GPA
90-100% will improve attitudes toward risky behaviors
On March 16, 2021, our Club honored students in the Manufacturing, Engineering, Skilled Trades & Health and Human Services categories.
Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship from the Akron Rotary Foundation.
Terry Dalton serves as a member of the Akron Rotary Club Board of Directors and as the Club Secretary and has chaired the Rotary Scholarship Committee for about 10 years. Any members interested in helping are encouraged to reach out to Terry at 330-815-1525 or via email to tdalton1226@gmail.com.
About the Scholarship Recipients:
The Students of the Year recognized March 16th were Anna Gray, Jennifer Skerlong, Mary Winer, Anjana Tamang, Tam Chau, and Emma Grass.
We were pleased that four of the students were available to join our meeting [click to view recording].
These students are extremely accomplished students and active community volunteers.
During our Tuesday, March 9, 2021 Club meeting, President Rob McGregor provided an overview of the reboot of our Club’s Strategic Plan. Shared below are the key elements of action items the Club’s Board of Directors believe we can tackle over the next 3-6 months.
Board Summary of Akron Rotary Strategic Plan Re-boot quick action items:
Visibility/Impact
Create standard work for service project development, proposing and vetting.
Possible service project work group or sub-committee.
Outline project frameworks-
Recurrent annual, one time, within our club/shared with a community partner or other Rotary Club.Create a grid of our current “regular projects” to better inform our club and community.
Distribute Bio-information of new members.
Inclusion/Diversity
Set up joint (virtual for now) opportunities to highlight other organizations’ cultures. Food/drinks.
Enhance our partnering efforts with Rotaract, Interact, and culturally different organizations/fraternities/sororities. We can offer labor and financial support for their service projects.
Strategize and be deliberate with short-and-long term engagements with diverse communities (Overlaps with Engagement group).
Rotary Experience
Create current state GRID (See impact above #2) of our club’s activities organized by scope and level of RI: local club/zone/district/international.
Create orientation plan for new members and periodic updates for more seasoned members.
Update/enhance distribution and educate how to access bios of new members and their sponsors and intentionally highlight member’s businesses in newsletter (Overlaps with engage).
Engage
Create a survey to determine HOW Rotarians want to connect and be engaged.
Facilitate networking now – periodic vocational ice breakers. Add titles/vocation/avocation on ZOOM name tags (and eventually on real name tags). Can these action groups be a first step to engage new members and “voluntell” new member participation?
Distribute Bio information (overlaps Impact/Inclusion/experience).
Transform
Lean into North Hill area partners (International Institute, Asian Services, Celebration Church, North High) to give them something they perceive they need instead of us guessing/assuming we know what we should do (overlaps Inclusion).
Begin dialogue with LeBron James Foundation for potential long-term project for respite at our camp for families ravaged by the pandemic (Overlaps Visibility/Impact).
Innovate
Develop formal policies/procedures for succession planning, on boarding, etc. to enhance efficient transitions and preserve institutional memory.
Membership pathway development – couples/corporate/younger members under 35 (overlaps with inclusion).
Create tools to educate and guide our members to better navigate Club Runner, on boarding checklists, more engagement with website (Overlaps with Visibility/Impact and Engage).
Plan to participate in Happy Dollars during the Tuesday meetings?
We want to bring even more joy to our meetings and include a photo associated with what you are happy about!!
Simply email it to Cheryl Warren (click here to email her) and put HAPPY DOLLAR PHOTO in the subject line. Photos must be received by 5pm on the Monday prior to the meeting. Those sending photos will be called on first during the meeting to share your happiness as we show the photo!
Even if you don't have a photo, plan to share your joy during our meetings - you will all have a chance to do so as usual after the photos run!!
If you also wish for the information/photo to be included in our newsletter that will go out after our meeting, please indicate this in your email and provide me with a brief description of the reason you are submitting it (such as "So happy that my son Joe has received his Master's Degree from The University of Akron in the field of ABC!). This text will only be used for the newsletter - you will share it at the meeting!!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Aimee Wade, Interim Executive Director of the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADM) Services Board at our March 2, 2021 Club meeting. You can view our meeting by clicking here.
Wade earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Criminology from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Akron. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and an Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant (OCPC). Wade has been with the ADM Board for 10 years and currently serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Services, a position she has held since 2015, in addition to her status as Interim Executive Director.
The Summit County ADM Board is responsible for seeing that effective and affordable prevention, treatment, and recovery services are available for adults, teens, and children with mental illness and/or alcohol or other drug addictions.
The ADM Board contracts with over 30 local organizations to ensure state-of-the-art services, for individuals and families at critical times in their lives, are available.
Through the support of a local property tax levy, the ADM Board provides opportunities for recovery and hope for a better life.
Alcoholism, drug addiction, and mental illness are real medical conditions that can affect anyone.
Recovery is possible with the right services and support services funded by the County of Summit ADM Board.
Funding
The ADM Board in 2021 has nearly $45 million in revenues. 78% of the revenues come from the local levy that is on the ballot every six years. 10% of the revenues are Federal dollars and 12% are State dollars. Less than 1% comes from local non-levy dollars.
The ADM Board has approximately $45 million dollars in expenditures in 2021. 94% of the expenditures are allocated for contracted alcohol, drug and mental health services provided by local not-for-profit organizations. 6% of the expenditures are for Board Administration.
Data for Funding Decision Making
The ADM Board uses data gathered from the funded agencies as well as other local, State and Federal sources to make decision on how the revenue dollars are allocated. Several of the areas monitored by the ADM Board include:
Depression symptoms by region
Mental Health Variables by Gender Differences
Overdose Cause of Death by Year
Overdose Death Rates per 100,000
Day to Appointment for Addiction Helpline Caller
Detox Availability by Days to Access
Residential Treatment Availability by Days to Access
Summit County Suicide Rate per 100k by Year
Activities and Initiatives
Collaboration with ASIA Inc. to develop relevant communications and education around mental health for the diverse populations they serve.
Collaboration through the ADM Change Direction Faith Initiative with local faith partners to train key individuals in the Grief Recovery Method.
General and targeted suicide prevention and awareness campaigns partnering with local pharmacies, pizza and take-out restaurants, and the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank.
Grant funded ADM providers through the end of December 2020 to ensure that they could keep their doors open as an essential service provider.
FEMA Counseling & Outreach grant is supporting community education and referrals for services to help combat stigma, isolation, and grief as result of COVID-19.
Collaboration with Akron Public Schools-College and Career Academy at Buchtel High School to introduce Behavioral Healthcare as Healthcare!
Extended resources early in the pandemic to allow for hazard pay in our crisis and residential programs as well as for those essential to working in the community with our Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) and Seriously Persistently Mentally Ill (SPMI) populations.
Engagement of Mental Health Adult Care Facilities (group homes/adult foster homes) across Summit County to ensure that they had information and access to PPE, testing, and the vaccine.
For more information about the Summit County ADM Board you can check out their website at www.admboard.org.
Yours in Rotary Service
Terry
Speaker Recap: Aimee Wade, Interim Executive Director, ADM Summit County
Club social chair queen, Katy Miller, organized another fun virtual social hour called "Manhattan Valentine's Day". The social was held on February 19th featuring Connor Jarvis as our host. In advance, Connor provided the ingredient list for his favorite "perfect" Manhattan cocktail and some snack suggestions that pair well with a Manhattan.
Connor provided great ambiance with his background of the bar from the Waldorf Astoria. We welcomed several members/spouses: Katy Miller, Rob McGregor and his wife Sharon, PDG Stew Buchanan and his wife Cherie, David Hall, Cheryl Warren and her husband/former Akron member, Steve Warren (now President of the Rotary E-ClubNEO). And we were truly honored to be joined by Harrison McGregor who likes to attend our social functions with his mom and dad whenever he can!
If you missed out on the fun - the recipe is below for the perfect Manhattan and you can always reach out to Connor - he will be more than happy to guide you through making this spectacular adult beverage!
Our trivia question at our recent weekly meeting was "who was wearing these fun socks at the social?" No one guessed correctly . . . but it was revealed that it was David Hall.
Connor’s “go-to” Manhattan ingredient list:
Bourbon or Rye Whiskey
A non-wheated or more “rye” forward Bourbon is preferred (i.e. not Weller, Larceny, etc.)
Connor likes high-quality, low-mid to mid-priced labels that are readily available / easy to find for my Manhattans (such as, Four Roses Yellow Label, Elijah Craig, Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek (Bourbon), Evan Williams Single Barrel, Templeton Rye) – I save the Buffalo Trace, Weller, Eagle Rare, Henry McKenna, etc. for sipping, not mixing
Sweet Vermouth
Connor’s pick: Carpano Antica Formula or Carpano Punt e Mes
Bitters
Angostura Aromatic bitters are my classic, but feel free to get creative here to add some expression to the cocktail (for example, I used cranberry bitters around the holidays)
Cherries
Please, please, please don’t just use a “run-of-the-mill” maraschino cherry – this isn’t a Shirley Temple
Connor’s pick: Luxardo Brand , Fabbri Amarena, or Bada Bing
Chef Rosh is a highly innovative and passionate chef with an exceptional 14 years record of international culinary experience in establishments such as Park Hyatt Resort & Spa, The Sagamore Resort and Thistle Marble Arch Hotel.
Gurnani earned a Bachelor of Business Administration before attending the Culinary Institute of Canada where she earned a Bachelor of Culinary Management. Coming from a traditional Indian family, she said her biggest challenge as a chef wasn’t conquering any cuisine or dish – it was getting her loved ones to accept her career path.
After graduating culinary school, she took some time to travel the world, exploring foreign cuisines and discovering innovative cooking techniques. Gurnani draws inspiration from her Sindhi heritage, and her signature style is fusion. But sometimes she prefers to keep it simple.
Even before she realized she could pursue that passion as a career, she knew it was her calling. Gurnani, popularly known as Chef Roshni, gained recognition as a contestant on FOX's "Hell's Kitchen." She then went on to win the popular Food Network show "Chopped." A Toronto native, she currently resides in Houston.
After Hell's Kitchen, Roshni became Culinary professor at The Art Institute of Houston and is also a private chef, wedding caterer and travelling chef consultant. She appeared on Cutthroat Kitchen and Beat Bobby Flay on Food Network and was Executive Chef at Revolve Kitchen + Bar in Hotel Derek in Houston.
Gurnani feels Sindhi cuisine hasn’t yet become mainstream like other Indian food. She tries to educate people about the unique and decadent flavors it has to offer. “We use a lot of aromatics, a lot of floral spices like cardamom, saffron and lots of dried fruit,” she said.
When asked what she cooks at home, Chef Rosh stated, “When I cook at home, I cook from what I know,” she said. “Kidney beans and rice is my go-to, my comfort food.” As a wife and mother Chef Rosh makes it a point to feed her family home-cooked meals daily. Her philosophy is that food is not just for satisfying hunger, but for “feeding the soul.” “There’s only so much takeout you can eat,” Gurnani said. “You may be full, but you’re not satisfied, and there’s a huge difference.”
How does the working mom manage to prepare fresh meals several times a day? She said “time management is key.” Gurnani sets aside one day a week to do cooking prep. She buys her groceries, marinates her meats and chops onions and garlic in bulk. When she gets home from work, it takes her about 20 minutes to finish cooking. “I think a lot of people feel they have to do it from scratch every day,” Gurnani said. “It’s all about planning your meals.”
Apart from having her traveling, Chef Roshni has her own catering and consulting company, as well as, a published cook book author. Chef Roshni believes "food is a journey, not a destination."
Chef Rosh is very familiar with Ohio. She visits Northeast Ohio 3 – 4 times per year, including working with Children’s Hospital and a Catholic school in Hudson.
Chef Rosh also encouraged everyone to be comfortable cooking. She reminded everyone that “recipes are only guidelines. If a recipe calls for 30 ingredients and you only have 15, still go for it. Improvise, experiment. Cooking should not be a chore, make it fun.”
You can find out more about Chef Rosh at her website, chefrosh.com.
Below is also a recipe if you wish to use it:
Sindhi stuffed kebabs
by Chef Roshni Gurnani, as featured on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay, April 2019
Ingredients
1.5 lbs. ground goat meat/lamb or chicken
4 yellow onions
4 Thai chili
1 qt yogurt
2 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup fenugreek leaf
2 bunch mint
1 cup lime juice
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup curry powder
1/2 cup garlic purée
1/2 cup ginger purée
8 tbsp cardamom powder
4 tbsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp cumin seeds
5 tbsp turmeric
6 chopsticks
Salt and pepper
2 cups basmati rice
Directions
Kebab – tenderize meat with acid [lemon juice] and mix together for about 10 minutes to really allow meat to become tender. Then combine meat and spice mix and set aside. After about 25 mins of resting, form meat over chop sticks and grill on each side for 3-4 mins. Let rest.
Soak rice for 15-20 mins, rinse well. Pan fry rice in oil and cumin seeds. Then add water and butter to rice and allow to “poach” for 12-15 mins.
Chutney – combine cilantro, mint, green chili, yogurt and lime juice to a blender and season with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!!
Yours in Rotary Service -
Terry
Chef Rosh Creates Food for the Soul: Chef, Mother, Teacher and Reality TV Star
Geraldine (Gerry) Kiefer, PhD, was sponsored by her mother, Virginia (Ginny) Wojno.
Geraldine recently moved back to Akron from Winchester, Virginia after retiring from Shenandoah University where she was a Professor of Art. Gerry has extensive art background as she is a graduate of Kent State University and earned a Masters Degree from Oberlin College and her Ph.D., Art History, from Case Western Reserve University.
Gerry was a longtime member of the Frederick County Rotary Club and the Winchester Rotary Club. Thanks to Ginny, she has considerable knowledge of The Rotary Club of Akron having attended several times as a guest. Gerry said she considers herself "an Akron Rotarian since birth".
Gerry is very familiar with the Camp and looks forward to participating in events and service opportunities. You may spot Gerry driving around town in her new car (her old one just conked out) and she is thrilled that she is able to transfer her Rotary license plates!
Gerry is a Rotary Paul Harris+5 (Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) recognition is given in appreciation to anyone who contributes, outright or cumulatively – or in whose name is contributed – a gift of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, PolioPlus Partners or the Humanitarian Grants program. The recognition consists of a certificate, pin, and medallion. Recipient's recognition amount level. US $2,000 to 2,999.99 - one sapphire; 3,000 to 3,999.99 - two sapphires; 4,000 to 4,999.99 - three sapphires; 5,000 to 5,999.99 - four sapphires; 6,000 to 6,999.99 - five sapphires 7,000 to 7,999.99 - one ruby; 8,000 to 8,999.99 - two rubies; 9,000 to 9,999.99 - three rubies).
She is very energetic and plans on being extremely engaged with our club through participation on various committees and service projects.
Ryan McCauley was sponsored by Dan O'Connell.
Born and raised in Stow, Ohio, and lived in Phoenix for seven years where he worked as a project manager at Bank of America.
Ryan and his wife Jessica and their one year old, moved back to the area about six months ago when he joined the family business, McCauley Financial LLC.
He is involved with the Fairlawn Chamber of Commerce and through his father and brother`s work at The Hudson Rotary Club, knows a lot about Rotary and is excited to give back through our service projects.
He is a graduate of Western Reserve Academy and received his B.A. from Kent State University.
When not working , Ryan enjoys golf and working around his new house, which is just around the corner from our Rotary Camp.
Welcome to The Akron Rotary Club Steve Bossart and Zach Prosser!
Steve Bossart was sponsored by Julie Brandle. Steve has been attending our meetings routinely before his induction.
He is the Vice President of Business Development and Marketing for Coleman Professional Services and has over 30 years of professional experience, his past 14 years were in the healthcare and behavioral health industries.
At Coleman, he leads a team that includes regional development and marketing executives and grant writing staff. He is also charged with exploring avenues to expand the Coleman business throughout the state.
He has an established history in the nonprofit sector of our community and is very passionate about community service and philanthropy.
Julie wrote, "Steve embodies the word service. He is optimistic and enthusiastic about serving others".
Steve is very involved with his fraternity, Delta Chi, and serves as an alumni advisor.
He is married to Lorrie and they have two young children.
Steve earned a degree in Public Relations from Kent State University and a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
Zachary (Zach) Prosser is not new to the Akron Rotary Club, he was a member of our Club previously but had to step away temporarily and is thrilled to be back.
He was originally sponsored by Sam Lupica and recently, Tom Knauer helped him get back into our Club.
Zach and his wife Heather life in Stow. He leads a very busy professional life. He has completed his tenure as the president of a nonprofit coaching organization, and now remains active as Lead Pastor in North Hill at Celebration Church. He also founded Zach Prosser Coaching and is a Master Facilitator and Coach Trainer.
As a trainer, Zach provides International Coaching Federation (ICF) approved coach training to those desiring to utilize coaching skills either professionally as a coach or those looking to advance their skills in leadership. He received the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Young Leader Award (Prague) and the ICF Chapter Recognition Award (Dublin).
In addition, he is now the Director of Coaching & Coach Training for Emerge in Akron.
He shared that he "always enjoyed being a part of Rotary and the projects and is looking forward to re-engaging and serving".
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn about the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) at our February 16th Club Zoom meeting. Watch our meeting video by clicking here.
Our speaker, Roger R. Geiger is Vice President/Ohio Executive Director for NFIB, managing the public policy, political, member activism and communication programs
throughout the state. He also represents NFIB with national policy organizations.
So, what is NFIB?
NFIB is the voice of small business, advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is a nonprofit (501.c.6), nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since their founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. NFIB has 350,000 members nationwide. There are 21,000 Ohio members and 409 members in Summit County. Membership eligibility is for small businesses with 25 employees or less and revenues of $2,000,000 or less.
There are over 1,000,000 small businesses and an additional 650,000 individuals who are self-employed. Eight out of Ten small businesses have less than 25 employees.
70% of us had our first job opportunity working for a small business. 75% of small business employers grew up within 50 miles of where their business is today.
Two out of three new jobs are created by small businesses.
What Does NFIB Do?
ADVOCATE
When a big issue affects small and independent businesses, NFIB is there. They have been for over 75 years and will continue to be.
NFIB has an ear to the ground on what’s happening in Washington, D.C., and the state capitals. That puts NFIB at the forefront of advocating on today’s most pressing small business issues, such as taxes, healthcare, and regulations.
INFLUENCE
When NFIB speaks, legislators listen. They know that NFIB brings them the voice of small business.
That voice, hundreds of thousands strong, comes directly from NFIB’s members and their research—combined, they make a powerful and influential case for their advocacy.
Because of NFIB’s credibility, they are asked to bring the small business perspective to Congress, state capitals, the courts, and the media.
OFFER BENEFITS
NFIB works with trusted providers to offer quality products and services that can save your business time and money.
COVID IMPACT
The vast majority of small business owners have been very concerned about the survival of their businesses as well as the safety of themselves and their employees . Clearly there is a need to support the small businesses as part of the various COVID Relief programs. Ohio has received approximately $8 billion in COVID Relief from the Federal government.
Seventy-five percent of small businesses in Ohio have been able to remain open.
LESSONS LEARNED
Although the past year had the pandemic, there was a record number of start-up businesses this past year. Over 17,000 businesses started up. People are willing to take a risk. Individuals may have lost their jobs because of COVID – 19 and decided to take their skill set and start their own business.
The average start-up cost for a new business is $5,000. Annual membership for NFIB varies but average is $230 annually.
Want More Information?
To learn more about NFIB and their policy agenda on Taxes, Health Care, Labor, Economy and Regulatory Reform, I encourage you to check out their website at www.nfib.com. You can also reach the NFIB office at 614-221-4107.
Follow-up from VP of National Federation of Independent Business
The generosity from our Rotary Club members, sponsors and volunteers made this Chili Open a monumental success.
The total amount raised this year is $315,961!
Our presenting sponsor Wayne Homes has been a part of the Chili Open since 1993. This year they stepped up their support with a matching raffle ticket purchase which resulted in $7,420 in raffle ticket purchases. Wayne Homes leadership also presented the Chili Open with a $5000 donation in addition to the presenting sponsorship. Thank you again to all the sponsors listed below in this newsletter.
Congratulations to our raffle ticket winners:
1st Prize:
Rhonda Mele
Vandevere Sponsored 2021 Chevrolet Trax LS
2nd Prize:
Keith Anstine
S Group Sponsored 55" 4K Smart LED TV
3rd Prize:
Julie Lehman
Steve Warren Sponsored FOX Sports Ohio Media Package
SnowmaniaWinner: David Miller
Our club members went above and beyond in securing sponsorships, camperships, raffle ticket sales, donations, and silent auction items. It was truly a remarkable day to celebrate as a club.
Mark your calendars for the 32nd Chili Open on Saturday, February 5, 2022 where we hope to be back at Hale Farm.
Wayne Homes didn’t invent custom, on-your-lot homebuilding. But for nearly 50 years, we’ve been working hard to reinvent it. To make it more customer-oriented. More affordable. And even more flexible, with practically unlimited customizable choices. In other words, to make it more do-able for more people.
That’s our mission. And we’re happy to say we’ve made some great strides. Our customer satisfaction rating is among the best in the industry, and we’re one of a handful of builders in the entire country to win the National Housing Quality award.
It was great to see the energy from those who participated in our meeting on February 2nd.
The ratings and comments you provided in the recent survey gave us a wonderful base for this meeting.
Our virtual brainstorming session consisted of six different breakout rooms – each focused on an area of our Strategic Priorities.
Impact
Experience
Include
Engage
Transform
Innovate
Our facilitators and scribes captured the discussions and will provide their summaries to me in the coming days.
Next Steps:
The facilitators/scribes will share highlights as a team, then I will take our suggestions for action to the Club board.
At our weekly meeting on Tuesday,March 9th I will discuss the action items with you – our Club members.
So please mark your calendar to attend!
I can’t thank everyone enough for the time and expertise they put into this process. It is important for the future of our Club that we continue this forward motion.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to our own Doug Kohl during our Tuesday, January 26th Club meeting. His presentation was about our Akron Rotary Foundation. View the video of the meeting by clicking here.
Just like the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, which was created in 1917 for the purpose of "doing good in the world," the Akron Rotary Foundation supports activities for youths and is dedicated to furthering world understanding and peace.
The Akron Rotary Foundation was founded on February 5, 1992. The agent of incorporation was Jim Redmond and Mike Sweeney, of Brouse McDowell, was the attorney who assembled and filed the documents with the state of Ohio that made the Foundation a legally recognized 501(c)3 charity, able to accept donations on behalf of the club and the camp. The first trustees were: Don Nelson, Ron Allen, Mike Rabe, Jeff Schobert, Mark Wernig, Don Kelly and George Rooney, Jr. Rotarians Jack Harig, Bud Rogers, Roger Read and others were also involved.
Today, the Akron Rotary Foundation’s board of trustees are Jim Redmond, Katy Miller, Mark Krohn, Rima Muakkassa, Jeff Sitz, Julie Brandle, Marsha Holcomb, Brian Steere and Doug Kohl. Long-time board member, Dan Reimenschneider, serves as a special advisor. The ARF Board invests, grows, then distributes the moneys to Rotary and community projects.
The Akron Rotary Foundation is established to benefit the programs of the club. The earned income and corpus benefit the charitable causes of the Rotary Club of Akron. As the Foundation’s assets grow, so does its ability to support in perpetuity Akron Rotary causes.
The Akron Rotary Foundation is committed to guidance, support, and education of area youth and special needs children. This is best said in the Akron Rotary Foundation's Vision and Mission Statements which read:
VISION The Vision of the Akron Rotary Foundation is to provide funding for opportunities for youth that are supported by the Rotary Club of Akron with special emphasis on educational and recreational needs of emotionally and physically challenged children.
MISSION
The mission of the ARF is “Funding the endless impact of the Rotary Club of Akron in our community and beyond.”
WHAT DOES THE AKRON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SUPPORT?
- Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs
- Foreign Exchange Students (Rotary Youth Exchange)
- Scholarships - Akron Public Schools
- Other Causes of the Rotary Club of Akron
- Club President's Discretionary Fund
WHAT HAS THE AKRON ROTARY FOUNDATION FUNDED SINCE ITS INCEPTION?
Since 1994, The Akron Rotary Foundation has contributed over $3,258,066 to the causes that make our community a great place to live and work.
Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs: $2,889,888
High School Scholarships: $107,287
Barrett Academy: $163,969
Other Community Efforts: $96,922
In the winter of 2018, the Foundation board interviewed members of Rotary to better understand their knowledge of the Rotary Foundation and its mission.
Many knew the Rotary International Foundation – the philanthropic vehicle of Rotary International. It focuses world-wide on the mission of Rotary International.
Few were aware of the history of our local Akron Rotary Foundation and the many programs it supports. Discussions distilled our cause to 4 focus areas:
Community Development
Neighborhood improvement
Enhancing partnerships that improve neighborhoods
Energizing & impacting Akron community projects
Youth Empowerment
Interact – High School leadership programs
Rotaract – Encouraging young adults to lead
Akron area public school scholarships
Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA)
International Understanding
Rotary Youth Exchange – creating global citizens
Partnering with local Rotary Club & RI initiatives
RI’s 6 priorities
The Rotary Camp – a unique priority of the Foundation, this program enjoys favored status with the Foundation. At least 1/3rd of all Foundation earnings support the work of Camp
The establishment of a Foundation protects Rotary’s financial assets in case of future change or in event of catastrophic litigation. The Foundation has become a safe harbor for the contributions to Rotary’s important work in the local community.
To learn more about the Akron Rotary Foundation, the Planned Giving and Contribution Avenues for the ARF, I encourage you to go to www.akronrotary.org/akron-rotary-foundation .
Doug Kohl, Member, Akron Rotary Foundation Board of Directors Presentation Recap
Thank you Akron Rotarian Lorrayne Gervase (photo right) for volunteering to read a story for the APS Virtual Storytelling initiative.
If you are interested, contact Julie Brandle at jbrandle@metisconstruction.com for more information and guidelines.
Julie Brandle, DGND, Assistant Governor - S Summit and Medina Cluster Past President, Rotary Club of Akron, Ohio Cell 330.858.6672 | jbrandle@metisconstruction.com
Akron Public Schools Virtual Library: Calling all Storytellers
The Chili Open Golf Classic is quickly approaching. February 6th will be here before we know it! It's time for all hands on deck please . . .
RAFFLE TICKETS
Our club members have been asked to sell a minimum of $200 in raffle tickets. The goal for ticket sales is $60,000. Many have had great success in selling tickets by sending an email solicitation to your family, friends and business colleagues asking for their help in purchasing tickets. Thank you in advance to those of you who have sold tickets and those that are still selling.
Please mail your sold raffle tickets to Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron OH 44319), no later than Wednesday, January 27. Or, feel free to stop by one of the drop-off locations listed below for Thursday, January 28th. If you are in need of more tickets to sell, we will have them on hand as well. Tickets can also be purchased here.
SILENT AUCTION
The Silent Auction will feature a "Wheelbarrow of Good Cheer!" and an 18- bottle Wine Fridge.
Help us fill the wheelbarrow and fridge with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits, mixers and wine.
ONLINE AUCTION
We are also still in need of items for our online auction, like food baskets, golf packages, or family entertainment packages.
If you know of anyone that will be able to donate something, please let us know. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email Amanda at Akron Rotary Camp (330.644.4512 / amandaw@akronymca.org), and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
COLLECTION SITES
The Rotary Camp Staff will be happy to meet you during selected times and several drop-off locations to bring raffle tickets, silent auction items, or bottles of liquor on:
Thursday: January 28 12-1 pm at Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH) 5-6 pm at Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH), or
5-6 pm at World Elite Kids (81 Northwest Ave, Tallmadge, OH 44278), or 5-6 pm at Hilton Akron Fairlawn (3180 W Market St, Akron, OH 44333)
Thank you for your support in making this year's Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to one of our own, Cyndi Kane - Member, Akron Rotary Club and A.M. Akron Toastmaster Club during our Tuesday, January 19th Club meeting. Her presentation was about Toastmasters. Click here to view the video of the meeting.
Cyndi has run a successful real estate business for the past 18 years. She has been very active in her REALTOR Association at the State and Local Levels. She holds many REALTOR designations and certifications from the National Association of REALTORS. Prior to Real Estate, she was a Licensed Optician for 16 years. Cyndi has found Toastmasters to be a great resource for her career growth.
Cyndi has been a Toastmaster since 2008. She is both an Advanced Leader and Advanced Communicator, having served as President of the Club in 2013.
So, how can Toastmasters benefit me and or my company/organization?
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization’s membership exceeds 352,000 in more than 16,400 clubs in 141 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds build confidence as speakers and leaders.
Better Speakers and Leaders: Toastmasters is the best way for anyone—whether a working professional, student, stay-at-home parent or retiree—to improve his or her communication and leadership skills. Members overcome the fear of public speaking and learn skills that aid them in becoming more successful. Toastmasters creates better listeners and stronger team members and leaders who can comfortably give and receive constructive evaluations.
Joining Toastmasters:Joining a Toastmasters club is easy. A listing of clubs by geographic area can be located on the Toastmasters website at www.toastmasters.org/find. Visitors to the website can select the most convenient club, attend a meeting, and apply for membership. (Applicants must be 18 or older.) New clubs can be started with permission and assistance from Toastmasters International.
How Toastmasters Works:
At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club meets once a week for approximately an hour. Each meeting gives members several opportunities: 1) Conduct meetings: Members learn how to plan and conduct meetings. 2) Give impromptu speeches: Members present one - to - two minute impromptu speeches about assigned topics. 3) Present prepared speeches: Members present speeches based on projects from Toastmasters’ communication and leadership program. Projects cover topics such as speech organization, vocal variety, language, gestures and persuasion. 4) Offer constructive evaluation: Every speaker is assigned an evaluator who points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.
Toastmasters and Leadership:
Leadership takes practice. In Toastmasters, members learn leadership skills by organizing and conducting meetings and completing projects. The projects address skills such as listening, planning, motivating, and team building and give members the opportunity to practice them. Just as Toastmasters members improve communication by speaking, they learn leadership skills by leading.
Community Benefits:
Toastmasters helps many members in their community-service activities. Using the skills developed in Toastmasters, members have become more active in business, church, service and charity organizations. Toastmasters are able to organize activities, conduct meetings and speak in public as their organizations’ representatives. Some even become active in local, state or national government.
Cyndi summed up her presentation by saying that Toastmasters is the least expensive, best education that one can get.
For further information about Toastmasters and their five different pathways, check out their website at www.toastmasters.org.
Yours in Rotary Service -
Terry
Cyndi Kane Spoke about Toastmasters and Leadership
Connor Jarvis will be our host and below is his Manhattan ingredient list with snack suggestions.
Don't drink Manhattan's? That's okay... have your favorite beverage on hand and come to enjoy a little social time!
Connor’s “go-to” Manhattan ingredient list:
Bourbon or Rye Whiskey
A non-wheated or more “rye” forward Bourbon is preferred (i.e. not Weller, Larceny, etc.)
Connor likes high-quality, low-mid to mid-priced labels that are readily available / easy to find for my Manhattans (such as, Four Roses Yellow Label, Elijah Craig, Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek (Bourbon), Evan Williams Single Barrel, Templeton Rye) – I save the Buffalo Trace, Weller, Eagle Rare, Henry McKenna, etc. for sipping, not mixing
Sweet Vermouth
Connor’s pick: Carpano Antica Formula or Carpano Punt e Mes
Bitters
Angostura Aromatic bitters are my classic, but feel free to get creative here to add some expression to the cocktail (for example, I used cranberry bitters around the holidays)
Cherries
Please, please, please don’t just use a “run-of-the-mill” maraschino cherry – this isn’t a Shirley Temple
Connor’s pick: Luxardo Brand , Fabbri Amarena, or Bada Bing
Martini Glass or Rocks (lowball) Glass
Accompaniments / Snacks:
Spiced nuts
Pretzels
Crackers
Sharper cheeses
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Flatbreads
If a meal: steak, chops, pasta
Mark Your Calendar to Have Some Virtual Fun Friday Feb. 19th!!
Wayne Homes didn’t invent custom, on-your-lot homebuilding. But for nearly 50 years, we’ve been working hard to reinvent it. To make it more customer-oriented. More affordable. And even more flexible, with practically unlimited customizable choices. In other words, to make it more do-able for more people.
That’s our mission. And we’re happy to say we’ve made some great strides. Our customer satisfaction rating is among the best in the industry, and we’re one of a handful of builders in the entire country to win the National Housing Quality award.
Acquire Investments on behalf of al Akron Fusion Ventures LPs
and Portfolio Cos
Akron Community Foundation Akrochem Corporation Akron Fusion Ventures Akron Porcelain & Plastics Co. Akron Tool and Die Co., Inc. Artists, Inc.
Benchmark
Charles and Melissa Billington (2)
Mella A. Castner
Caston & Main Brew Yard
Blind & Sons The Brandle Family Cell-O-Core Choice Home Inspections The Caroline Lyman & Family Foundation Concordia at Sumner John Daily DKC-Warfield and Company Dominion East Ohio Jim and Ann Durr (5) The Dick Farkas Family (3)
Final Touch Construction Galehouse Lumber Co. The Geopfert Company
Morgan Goldthwaite
GPM Friction Products Morgan Goldthwaite
Graves Lumber Co. Andrew and Amanda Grover Jeff Grosenbaugh, Citizens Bank, Commercial Banker Earl W. Hamlin III Harwick Standard Distribution Corp. Marcia Holcomb Holmes Siding Hudson Technology Partners Hummel Funeral Homes (2) Oscar and Barbara Hunsicker Ishee Investment Consultants Connor and Courtney Jarvis Terry and Jennifer Jarvis Jack Jeter Cyndi Kane – Re/Max Crossroads Kingdom Title Solutions Kovatch Castings Kyocera SGS Precision Tool Manby Kids: In recognition of their dad, Bill Manby, Sr. Margida & Associates, Inc. (2) Steve and Jeannine Marks Rob and Sharon McGregor Joe and Tamara Mora The Murphy Girls Lighting Showroom Dan and Sheila O'Connell Oriana House Paradigm Equity Strategies, LLC Parson Insurance Agency Peninsula Associates Architects, LLC Pleasant Valley Teardrop Trailers Polymer Valley Chemicals and Minerals Portage Community Bank Premium Balloon Accessories Pulp Franchising, Inc. Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar, Stow Raging Wolf Solutions, LLC Roger Read/Sally Miller John and Linda Reyes Dan and Wendy Reynolds Dan and Carol Riemenschneider Shamp Bionics Sikich LLP Mike and Sandy Soful Stark Truss Company, Inc. Stillpoint Therapeutic Massage Center Stow Munroe Falls Community Foundation, Inc. Scott and Dorie Stutler Wayside Furniture Western Reserve Hospital Westfield Bank
Dr. Robert McGregor is the Chief Medical Officer of Akron Children's Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics at NEOMED. He spoke to our members about Covid and Covid vaccine status and distribution plans evolving in Akron as well the pros & cons of the new Covid vaccines. He then opened up an interactive and fairly lively Q and A session. View the presentation by clicking here or on the above graphics.
As CMO, Dr. McGregor is a voting member of Akron Children’s Hospital board of directors, and his CMO responsibilities include: implementing the hospital’s strategic plan; overseeing all provider clinical care delivery; directing medical education; and overseeing physician and nurse practitioner recruitment contracting and retention. During his tenure he has facilitated re-design of the quality oversight structure and has recently taken over the oversight of the Research Institute. For the past 11 months Dr. McGregor has serves as co-incident commander beside the Chief Operating officer and has been instrumental in working with the hospital and community throughout the pandemic on safety protocols. Prior to Akron Children's, Dr. McGregor was the pediatrician-in-chief and interim pediatrics chair at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and a pediatrics professor at the Drexel University College of Medicine.
PDG Harig, DGND Julie Brandle and Linda Farkas of the RC of Akron helped collect items from the Summit County S-Medina County Cluster to be delivered to the VA Hospital.
Michael Gallucci was inducted on January 12, 2021. His sponsor is Dan Reynolds.
Michael has been a member of the Rotary Camp Board of Trustees for approximately 8 years and became the President of the Board on January 1, 2021.
Reynolds shared, “he is very dedicated to the camp and is a fantastic leader in our community. He sees the big picture and has the unique ability to work with anyone to accomplish a goal.”
Michael is the Executive Vice President of RDA Hotel Management Company and President of the Cornerstone Management Company, which over the past 32 years has owned and operated seventeen hotels/restaurants and offers hotel consulting services. He graduated from Bowling Green State University and Cleveland Marshall College of Law and has been a licensed attorney since 1980.
He also serves on the boards of Akron General Health System and is a Trustee of the Esther Lewis Warburton Foundation.
He and his wife Grace enjoy traveling and spending time with family.
Welcome Michael Gallucci our Newest Akron Rotary Member
The Chili Open is February 6th and we are counting on your support to make this event successful!
Raffle Tickets Please take a moment to watch this message (click on the photo) from Jerry VanDevere from The VanDevere Bunch about Chili Open Raffle Tickets! If you have not returned our raffle tickets yet, please show your support and purchase them today at ChiliOpen.net. Please share with your friends, family and colleagues and support this great cause.
Help fill the Wheelbarrow of Good Cheer and Wine Fridge
The 2021 Chili Open Silent Auction will again feature a Wheelbarrow of Good Cheer and a Wine Fridge! Please help us fill these items with any donation of unopened bottles of wine, spirits and mixers, bar glassware, cocktail napkins, etc. If you can’t make it shopping, we will be happy to accept donations for this. Your contributions can be sent directly to Nichole Major through Venmo @Nichole-Major, or Paypal, Nichole2282@yahoo.com. These will be very desirable items to bid on during the auction, and the winning bidder gets to take home their new wheelbarrow along with all of its contents.
Collecting Items:
The Rotary Camp Staff will be happy to meet you during selected times and several drop-off locations to bring raffle tickets, silent auction items, or bottles of liquor on:
Thursdays: January 14, January 21 and January 28 12-1 pm at Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH) 5-6 pm at Akron Rotary Camp (4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, OH), or
5-6 pm at World Elite Kids (81 Northwest Ave, Tallmadge, OH 44278), or 5-6 pm at Hilton Akron Fairlawn (3180 W Market St, Akron, OH 44333)
Thank you in advance for your donations to help make the Chili Open a continued success to benefit Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs!
Here are the most current results of our fundraising efforts as of January 12, 2021!
Thank you and please keep up the great work...we WILL get there!!
Although the Chili Open will look different from previous years due the impact of COVID-19, and whether you choose to attend in person or virtually, your gift will make a significant impact allowing us to continue to serve the vulnerable youth in our community.
The annual fundraiser represents 30% of operating costs to the Rotary Camp's annual budget. This ensures that no child is turned away due to their family’s inability to pay. We are extremely thankful to our Chili Open Presenting Sponsor, Wayne Homes for their continued commitment to the camp.
Join us in welcoming our newest member, Megan Olesen. She was sponsored by Tom Knauer.
Megan recently began a new career as a Realtor with Howard Hanna, however she maintains a relatively full-time position teaching English as a second language to Chinese children from the comfort of her home. Prior to those two current roles, Megan worked for Summit DD in several positions including in schools and group homes.
Megan and her husband of 12 years, Kurt, live in the Lakemore area along with their 6 year old daughter, Emma. Kurt works as a financial analyst at the Cleveland Clinic. Megan currently home schools Emma and belongs to several home school support groups and are also involved in Girl Scouts. As a family they enjoy hiking, traveling, and being outdoors. In her free time Megan loves to read.
Megan and Kurt are passionate about instilling the values of service and volunteerism in Emma at a young age. Megan is very familiar and impressed with the Rotary Camp, as her 18-year-old nephew has autism and has participated in various programs at the Camp for many years.
During her intersation, Megan expressed an interest in joining our Club due to our reputation as a leading service organization in the community, and her desire to give back to the Greater Akron/NEO communities in a meaningful way, while also forging friendships, and mutually beneficial connections and relationships for career networking purposes.
Rotary Camp had a great kick-off to the Holidays on Sunday, December 20th, as Santa and his Elves were busy spreading some Holiday Cheer. Our holiday drive-by was a huge success with over 60 families participating. All campers and their siblings received a gift from the jolly man himself, and every family went home with a gift card to help with the holidays.
We truly appreciate all the support of gifts and gift card donations for our campers and their families. Thank you for helping us spread some Holiday Cheer!
You can view the video of the event at https://youtu.be/6XpKwdzAles. Thank you to all who helped make this a special event!
Dan Reynolds District Executive Director Akron Rotary Camp
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of virtually touring Stan Hywet Hall during our Tuesday, December 15th holiday club meeting. In addition to the virtual tour, listed below are a few interesting facts about Stan Hywet that might intrigue you to visit Stan Hywet for the first time or make a return visit.
Stan Hywet Beginnings: In 1910, F.A. Seiberling, co-founder of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, began to purchase land in Portage Township, a farming area on the west side of the Akron city limits. Seiberling and his wife, Gertrude, wanted to build a home large enough for their growing brood and their extended family. They also wanted the house to function as a center for entertainment and events for the greater Akron community. They named it Stan Hywet, Old English for stone quarry — after the property’s most prominent natural feature. Seiberling hired architect Charles Schneider, landscape designer Warren Manning, and interior decorator Hugo Huber to create Stan Hywet. Construction began in 1912 and the Seiberling family moved to their new house in December,1915. The Seiberlings enjoyed Stan Hywet Hall for the next 40 years —opening their doors countless times to the community, as well as marking family milestones throughout the estate.
The Stan Hywet estate includes:
70 acres
5 historic buildings
10 fully restored historic gardens
collection and furnishings with 95% original to the estate
Historic House Museum and Garden:
After the death of F.A. Seiberling in 1955, Stan Hywet became a non-profit historic house museum, opening for tours so that the public could benefit from the cultural, educational, and inspirational riches of one of the most significant achievements in architecture and horticulture to come out of America’s Industrial Age. Stan Hywet is open Tuesday-Sunday for tours, April - December.
Stan Hywet Hall: Construction 1912 – 1915:
Architectural Style: Tudor revival
Construction materials, exterior: red brick, steel, sandstone, Vermont slate, copper, oak and plaster
Construction materials on the interior include American oak, chestnut, black walnut, sandalwood, teak and rosewood
Manor House Square Footage 64,500 sq ft.
Length: 300 feet; the basement extends the length of the house
Height: Main Structure, three stories; Music Room, two stories; Tower, four stories
The Estate became a beacon of progress for F.A. and his business associates, who often met at Stan Hywet to discuss and negotiate the challenges of the day.
Gertrude Seiberling:
F.A. Seiberling's wife, Gertrude, established her own reputation as an accomplished artist, musician and patron of the arts. The home served as an international stage for well-known figures in music, the arts, and politics. She applied her passion for gardening, music, and the arts to help found Tuesday Musical and the Akron Garden Club, institutions that remain strong, vibrant, and iconic organizations and that still support the estate today.
Alcoholics Anonymous:
The Gate Lodge has its own important history. On Mother's Day, 1935, Henrietta Buckler Seiberling daughter-in-law of F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling, brought together Bill W. and Dr. Bob, so they could talk to each other about their drinking problems. The conversation lasted well into the evening, a discussion that led to the creation of Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization that continues to benefit millions worldwide.
IMPACT ON AKRON
Stan Hywet is Akron’s first and largest National Historic Landmark
The 6th largest historic home open to the public
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums
Throughout their lifetimes, F.A. and Gertrude Seiberling set an unparalleled example to their children, who made the choice in 1957 to carry forward their parents’ generosity by gifting Stan Hywet to the Akron community. We follow the example set by F.A., Gertrude and their heirs as we usher it forward for the benefit of future generations. Above the Manor House entryway, the crest bearing the motto Non Nobis Solum (Not for Us Alone), welcomes guests as warmly today as it did a century ago.
Stan Hywet is clearly an Akron treasure. If you haven’t had the opportunity to tour the home and grounds, I encourage everyone to do so. There are special events throughout the year and there is an annual membership option that is reasonable. For further information on Stan Hywet, please check out www.stanhywet.org.
Nearly 200 local nonprofit organizations have been awarded $5,135,000 in grants from the County of Summit and Akron Community Foundation through the Summit County COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Program, as well as through an additional contribution from Summit DD. The program, announced earlier this fall, is providing federal CARES Act funding to 501(c)(3) organizations throughout Summit County that provide for the basic needs of underserved County residents, as well as nonprofits in the arts and cultural sector.
The Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs was one of the recipients. Thank you!!
Those of us who serve on the Rotary Club of Akron Foundation board wish you the best as 2020 comes to a close. Many members of Rotary have asked what the Akron Rotary Foundation does as opposed to Rotary International Foundation. Some even didn't know a local foundation existed. Below is a communication to help concisely answer what your Foundation focuses on and supports. Please read on (click on image to enlarge)...
If you have the ability, we hope you will include the Akron Rotary Foundation in your year end giving. You canclick here to donatenow or simply send a gift by US Mail to the Rotary Camp. Thank you for your consideration and let's have a great year in 2021!
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Ali Miller and Chris Meyers from Playhouse Square at our Tuesday, December 8, 2020 weekly meeting. View the video by clicking here.
Chris has been employed with Playhouse Square for the past 18 years, the past 12 years as Sales Manager. Ali is an Akron native and graduate of Firestone High School. Ali’s work experience includes the Akron Civic Theater, The Public Theater in New York City (famous for some little shows called A Chorus Line and Hamilton), Broadway.com and Broadway Across America in New York City, and finally a return to Ohio to work with Playhouse Square. It was a very engaging presentation with multiple follow-up questions about the organization, its challenges, successes, etc.
Playhouse Square is a theater district in downtown Cleveland. It is the largest performing arts center in the US outside of New York City. Constructed in a span of 19 months in the early 1920s, the theaters were subsequently closed down, but were revived through a grassroots effort. Their renovation and reopening helped usher in a new era of downtown revitalization in Cleveland.
Playhouse Square is one of Broadway’s premier touring partners, made possible by the region’s enthusiastic Broadway audiences - the largest base of season tickets holders in the country (over 50,000), skilled labor force, knowledgeable and hard-working staff, dedicated volunteers, and beautiful venues.
Playhouse Square is a Not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is presenting and producing a wide variety of quality performing arts, advancing arts education and creating a destination that is a superior location for entertainment, business and residential living, thereby strengthening the economic vitality of the region.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION
Playhouse Square understands its vital role as an educator in the community and is committed to providing arts learning opportunities of the highest quality to enrich the lives of students, families, teachers, and adults.
Since its inception in 1998, the Community Engagement & Education Department has offered thousands of events, workshops, classes and more, most with minimal or no fees, to people of all ages from all areas of Northeast Ohio.
Playhouse Square is proud to commit to arts education, providing a variety of free and low-cost programs dedicated to inspiring and invigorating people of all ages, perspectives, and abilities. As a result of the pandemic impact, Playhouse Square has modified their community education programming.
Educators have been given rights to all nine shows that have been recorded. Currently 900 classrooms have signed up and over 19,000 students have benefited. In addition to the ability to view these shows in the classroom, there are also pre- and post- show activities for the students to participate in as part of their learning experience.
While Playhouse Square is known for the great performances that are produced to interested ticket holders, what is more impressive are the sensory-friendly programming that the Playhouse Square has implemented. Their sensory-friendly initiative is dedicated to increasing access and inclusion for those with sensory needs including persons with autism.
Like many businesses, Playhouse Square has been impacted significantly as a result of COVID 19. To date, they have had to cancel over 600 performances and have sustained a $7 million dollar loss. They will be implementing a fund-raising campaign to help them continue to weather the pandemic. Current plans call for a resumption of their programming in the Fall of 2021.
Playhouse Square has partnered with the University of Akron/EJ Thomas Hall for the past 5 years to share their Broadway Series. Currently EJ Thomas has over 2500 ticket holders for the Broadway Series. This partnership will continue when the Broadway Series returns in the Fall of 2021.
To learn more about Playhouse Square and their numerous initiatives, growth plans, etc., I encourage everyone to go to their website www.playhouse.square.org.
Rotary Youth Exchange Committee held its 1st meeting in months Dec. 1 via Zoom. It was exciting to see returning members since we have NOT worked together since March. We referred to documents that that set out new Rotary policy for Youth Exchange from RI President Holger Knaack* and Bob Heydorn*, Rotary District 6630 Youth Exchange General Chair. There will be no exchanges before Jun 30, 2021. The decision to accept exchanges will be made at that date. Our patience has been alerted and we are working to maintain the momentum the RYE Committee had developed over the last two years hosting two exchange students each year. It’s important that we be ready to help the young people of Akron engage in this life changing experience when the exchange becomes possible. (*These communications were also in the most recent District Newsletter.)
Topics we discussed focused on finding strategies to strengthen the RYE Program during this Stay-at-Home period. We plan to build greater Club knowledge of RYE Program and connect with Interact and RYLA clubs to get the message out to other youths. To do this, we will reach out to former Inbounders (Zoey Mayer, Elin Na and others) so they can attend a Zoom meeting and share (5 minutes) about what they are doing now. We also intend to work with John Margida to invite Rotex (former District Outbound students) to present their experiences to the Club (Audrey Carroll, Viet Nguyen, Auri Gaston, etc.). Another way to reach young people and their parents is to put the message about RYE programs in school districts’ newsletters to parents (Akron, Coventry, Stow, Green, Norton). We’d like to meet with Mark West, District 6630’s person in charge of RYLA, to share information about the Exchange. We intend to reach out to Janice Weaver and Alma De Blasio, Interact Advisors at North High School. It would be wonderful for The Rotary Club of Akron to facilitate a H.S. Interact project to promote International Peace through Exchange.
Another focus was Protecting Youth Program Participants, a concern that stems from the need for Rotary to send students into a “safe environment.” So, by announcing that there will be no exchanges before June 30, 2021, and that the decision will be made then whether to allow the exchanges to proceed guarantees that Rotary is protecting our young participants. In addition, our Akron Risk Committee will clear any documents that go to members or to the general public.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was another focus of discussion with ways to include it in our program. We talked about ways to make the program available for a committed student who can’t afford the cost of fees and air transportation, since we have had students in the past who dropped out because of financial challenges. We are looking into multiple ways to address this concern. We would like to see greater diversity of young people applying for the program. We can definitely work with schools and districts to encourage more students to apply if they know there is support there for them.
There is also a new option for students, the virtual exchange. We hope to learn more by talking to Rotarian John Koetz (in Columbus) who has been in charge of virtual exchanges to date. A couple of committee members plan to attend a Webinar on 22 January on this topic. We are also looking at ways to help students become more language proficient before they go abroad or during a virtual exchange.
Another important topic, Develop recruiting strategies, guided our brainstorming. Suggestions ranged from
1) get in contact with all past host families to engage them in supporting our host family recruitment;
2) place notices about our program in local high school or district newsletters regularly to get the contact information out there for hosting, a description of short-term program, a description of long-term program; 3) send articles to local papers like Stow Sentry, the West Ender, etc.; and, 4) bring in past Outbound students (Rotex) to keep the topic on the front burner for the club.
Next meeting in January will be 12th or 19th at 11 am before General Meeting. TBA later.
We are open to new members who would like to work with young people, welcoming them, making certain their experience is going well, helping them get used to the American culture, acting as a guide to Akron’s cultural offering.
To get you in the festive mood here are some Mocktail and Cocktail (if you are feeling super festive at noon!) recipes to try during our meeting or after the work day is over and you want to watch the recording.
Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail~
Shake 2 ounces each bourbon, cranberry juice and orange juice in a shaker with ice; strain into a glass filled with ice and garnish with cranberries,
White Christmas Martini~
INGREDIENTS
2 ounces vanilla vodka
2 ounce white chocolate liqueur
1 ounce white creme de cacao
1 ounce half-and-half
Honey and coarse sanding sugar for rim garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the honey into a shallow dish and put the sanding sugar in another shallow dish. Coat the rim of the glass in the honey; then dip the rim in the sugar to coat evenly. Set the glass aside.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the vodka, white chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, and half-and-half. Shake vigorously and strain into the prepared martini glass.
Holiday Mocktail ~
INGREDIENTS
4 cups cranberry juice
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups orange juice
ice
sprite or sparkling water (optional)
sugar for glass rims
INSTRUCTIONS
Measure out and stir cranberry, orange and pineapple juices together in a pitcher. Add the ice and sprite (or sparkling water).
Dip the damp edge of glasses into sugar, if desired.
Pour into glasses and serve.
Maybe a sweet treat is more your style? How about some Cinnamon chocolate Fudge?
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
Butter, for greasing the pan
Kosher or flake salt, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper, about 14-inches long and 7-inches wide, allowing the excess to overhang the sides. Set aside
In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the condensed milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips and butter. Put the bowl on a saucepan of barely simmering water and mix until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth, about 6 to 8 minutes (mixture will be thick). Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with salt, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm.
Run a warm knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the fudge. Remove the fudge to a cutting board. Peel off the parchment paper and cut the fudge into 1-inch pieces. Store refrigerated in an airtight container or freeze.
Enjoy and don't forget to wear your most festive Zoom top!
Katy Miller, Club Social Chair
Are you ready for our Holiday Zoom gathering on Dec. 15th?
The Annual Meeting of the Rotary Club of Akron was conducted on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 The purpose of our Annual Meeting is to announce the election of Officers and Directors for the Club, the Rotary Camp Board, and the Akron Rotary Foundation (See the results elsewhere in this newsletter), provide an update of the Club’s financial condition, an overview of the past year’s activities, and potential goals and activities for the next year.
Shared below is a synopsis of the Annual Meeting presentation.
Financial Report for the fiscal year July1, 2019 through June 30, 2020:
The year ended with the Club in a positive financial position. The 990 has been filed and is posted online accordingly.
Achievements in 2020:
While the past year has been challenging with the onslaught of COVID 19, the Club has much to be proud of.
Membership: As of November 30, 2020, the Club has 136 Active Members (plus 3 approved/pending induction)
Club Activities:
New Council of Chairs meeting monthly, new Risk Management Committee meeting monthly, broader approach for Virtual Speakers.
Creation of Diversity team including a small socially distanced service project with PPE distribution to minority owned businesses.
A sampling of the Club’s Service to the Community projects: Shoe Box Project, Paul Harris Award Presentations, Assisted Urban League in PPE Distribution, James Bond virtual cocktail party, Together but Apart - # Akron Rotarians hiking the Summit Metro Parks Fall Hiking Spree (made Fox News), ICC launched with former Club member Claudine Schooley leading the effort, virtual service project – Interview Coaching for North High School Seniors, Collaboration to plant trees with Davy Tree and Akron Public School Supply Distribution, Planting of Monarch Butterfly garden at Rotary Camp, End World Polio Day activities, Kicked of 2021 Chili Open fund raising, Rotary Disaster Grant award presented PPE to Akron Children’s, Coordinating Akron Rotary Holiday outreach.
2020 – 2021 Outlook:
Optimism – Glass Half-full, Victim versus forward thinking
Revisit our Strategic Plan and move forward on our various goals and strategies.
And finally, quoting Dr. McGregor “We can’t let what we can’t do, interfere with what we can do!”
For the full presentation, a PDF of the PowerPoint can be viewed by clicking here.
This year has been difficult—especially for those who are isolated from friends and family who typically visit during the holidays.
Akron Rotary’s Social and Rotary Cares Committees have teamed up to launch Operation Rotary Holiday Outreach! Chairs Katy Miller and Sandy Naragon are calling on volunteers to call or send cards to fellow Rotarians throughout the holiday season.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to be updated on the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International during our Tuesday, November 24th meeting. Rebecca Silber, who serves as the Annual Giving Officer for Zones 30 and 31 was our featured speaker.
It was evident that Rebecca cares deeply about connecting donors and volunteers to the causes they are most passionate about and feels a calling towards her fundraising work as a way to leave a positive impact on the world around her.
Working at The Rotary Foundation has fulfilled a career dream of Rebecca’s working for an organization that is not only well respected but is also known internationally for its commitment to making the world a better place through Service Above Self.
Rebecca feels strongly about building bridges between Rotarians and The Foundation so they can experience a deep sense of fulfilment and accomplishment through their generosity and service.
Many Rotarians are not familiar with all of the giving opportunities that are available to us through the Rotary International Foundation. This summary of Ms. Silber’s presentation will highlight a few of those opportunities.
The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
The Foundation awarded $86,677,399 in funding to 1,306 grants during fiscal year 2018. Here is a breakdown of the six areas of focus the grants supported:
Preventing Disease
$35,660,986
Providing Clean Water
$18,761,791
Supporting Education
$10,998,136
Growing Local Economies
$10,503,910
Saving Mothers & Children
$7,204,677
Promoting Peace
$3,547,899
These six Areas of Focus guide everything the Foundation does. A seventh area of focus will be implemented in July 2021. That focus will be “Supporting the Environment.”
The Rotary Foundation supports both Global grants and District grants:
GLOBAL GRANTS:
Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. By working together to respond to real community needs, clubs and districts strengthen their global partnerships.
Global grants can fund:
Humanitarian projects
Scholarships for graduate-level academic studies
Vocational training teams, which are groups of professionals who travel abroad either to teach local professionals about their field or to learn more about it themselves
How they’re funded:
Global grants have a minimum budget of $30,000 and a maximum World Fund award of $400,000. Grant sponsors can use a combination of District Designated Funds (DDF), cash, and/or directed gifts and endowment earnings to fund a global grant. The Foundation will provide a 100 percent World Fund match for all DDF contributions. There is no minimum World Fund match.
DISTRICT GRANTS:
District grants fund small-scale, short-term activities that address needs in your community and communities abroad. Each district chooses which activities it will fund with these grants.
What district grants support:
You can use district grants to fund a variety of district and club projects and activities, including:
Humanitarian projects, including service travel and disaster recovery efforts
Scholarships for any level, length of time, location, or area of study
Youth programs, including Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Rotaract, and Interact
Vocational training teams, which are groups of professionals who travel abroad either to teach local professionals about their field or to learn more about it themselves
How they’re funded:
Districts may use up to 50 percent of their District Designated Fund to receive one district grant annually. This percentage is calculated based on the amount of DDF generated from a district’s Annual Fund giving three years prior, including Endowment Fund earnings.
How Does a Rotarian Donate to the RI Rotary Foundation?
There are multiple areas a Rotarian might consider. The following is a list of possible areas:
Annual Fund Share
World Fund
Polio-Plus Fund
Disaster Response Fund
Endowment Fund
For additional information on the RI Rotary Foundation, I would encourage Rotarians to access the Rotary Foundation website: www.MyRotary.org.
Upon logging in, then click on Rotary Foundation.
(Click on the graphic to view larger)
Yours in Rotary Service,
Terry
Rebecca Silber, Annual Giving Officer for Zones 30 and 31 - Speaker Recap
At the District Foundation event November 19, 2020, we celebrated successes from the 2019-2020 Rotary Year.
It was truly an honor to have Jennifer Jones, Rotary International President-Nominee (2022-2023 RI President) at the celebration. She will serve as RI's first female president in its history.
Clubs, Rotarians and Non-Rotarians were recognized for their generous gifts and for living by the “Service Above Self” motto and the 4-way Test.
The virtual event was kept to one hour and can be viewed by clicking here.
Congratulations to our members and Club for the following recognitions:
PDG Cheryl Warren and her husband Steve were recognized for becoming Major Donors.
Club Members that are in the Paul Harris Society were recognized.
The Akron Club for the Disaster Relief Grant providing PPE Donations to Akron Children's Hospital.
The Akron Club for its support of the End Polio Now Campaign (Clubs that contributed at least $1,500 to the End Polio Now Campaign).
Here are the images shared at the event - click on each to view larger.
District Foundation Event Recognizes Akron Club & Individuals
Christine began her official duties as CEO of OPEN M, on July 20, 2020. Prior to joining OPEN M, Curry served the Northeast Ohio Medical University as special assistant to the president and as stewardship and development program coordinator within the University’s Division of Advancement. She previously spent two years as a member of the City of Akron’s Mayor’s cabinet as director of communications, and more than 18 years at The University of Akron, in a variety of roles including director of development/stewardship and donor services, director of alumni relations and as a public relations representative.
She is a strong believer in giving back to her community and currently serves on the Akron Roundtable Board of Trustees, LeBron James Family Foundation - LAB Community Board and our Lady of the Elms Board of Trustees. Curry is a member of Leadership Akron - Class 24.
The Vision for OPEN M is to be a community leader in breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming lives, one person and one family at a time. Their Mission is “A Christian ministry, to provide pathways out of poverty for all by feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and strengthening the community.”
OPEN M (Opportunity Parish Ecumenical Neighborhood Ministry) was formed in 1968, at a time of poverty, crime, riots, and war. In Akron, longstanding neighborhoods were being destroyed, and white residents were fleeing to the suburbs. Into that chaos, four churches came together to establish an urban ministry in one of Akron’s hardest-hit neighborhoods. Calvary Evangelical United Brethren Church and Main Street Methodist and began ministering to people via backyards and front porches. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and Wooster Avenue Christian Church joined the effort, rounding out OPEN M’s original Covenant Churches.
OPEN M took the name Opportunity Parish Ecumenical Neighborhood Ministry to reflect the place (Opportunity Park) where they minister, and the idea that the neighborhood itself was OPEN M’s parish. From the beginning, OPEN M has been open to all people, without regard to class, race, income or religious affiliation.
OPEN M continues to develop new and innovative programs to help people in the community become more self-sufficient. Today, more than 1,000 volunteers and many additional Covenant Churches and other supporting organizations help OPEN M continue growing, but their core purpose remains the same: Feed the Hungry,Care for the Sick, and Strengthen the Community.
Their core programs include:
Employment Services:
Employment Services offers various programs and educational opportunities to assist each participant in finding meaningful and lasting employment.
One Job, One Year
OPEN M’s mantra is ‘One Job. One Year.’ With their Employment Services team, supported by partner resources, they help participants reduce the barriers that keep them from lasting employment. Key elements of Employment Services include:
A job readiness and financial literacy workshop An emphasis on job retention A customized mentoring program Transportation assistance Relationships with core employers in the community
By training participants to succeed in the workplace, Employment Services also helps Summit County businesses, providing them with a dependable source of productive, reliable, entry-level workers.
FOOD SERVICES:
Hunger is one of the biggest issues facing our community today. Food on the table or in the fridge is something that most of us take for granted. For some, it can prove to be one of the largest hurdles to overcome yet is still one of the most important. Open M’s Food programs help individuals feed their family with emergency food assistance, hot lunches, and monthly food giveaways.
HEALTH SERVICES:
Health Services offers a Free Dental Clinic, Pharmacy and Medical Clinic that provides primary healthcare, with a range of specialties, to those without insurance.
OPEN M established a nursing clinic in 1979, in response to the serious lack of available health services for the poor and working poor. In 1995, OPEN M transformed their nursing clinic into the Free Medical Clinic, significantly expanding services. Initially, the clinic operated out of six different locations, but in 1999, they consolidated their programs into a single 22,000 square foot facility, further increasing the programs offered. In 2006, OPEN M added more space by expanding their clinic to include a full-service pharmacy, along with additional offices for medical personnel. In 2012, they began to transition the focus of healthcare services, moving away from crisis intervention and toward prevention.
OPEN M Challenges:
The COVID pandemic has created multiple challenges for OPEN M. These challenges include an increase in demand for all services, a drop in volunteers who are often older individuals who have a higher risk of getting infected with COVID 19 and are hesitant to continue to volunteer at this time, and an increase in expenses related to creating a safe environment for their staff, volunteers and individuals needing their various services.
NOVEMBER MOUNTAIN OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION
In partnership with the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, OPEN M will host three Mountain of Food distributions throughout the months of November and December. The direct distributions will take place on Nov. 20, from 9 - 11 a.m., Nov. 24 from 2 - 4 p.m. and Dec. 18 from 9 - 11 a.m. The extra November Mountain of Food will take the place of the Thanksgiving Eve meal held at OPEN M in years past. This program provides mainly perishable foods such as, bread, fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and more. Due to the unprecedented need throughout Northeast Ohio, the Mountain of Food program has been extended beyond Summit County to residents of all counties with no referral required. Guests are served on a first-come-first-serve basis and asked to stay in their cars at all times while practicing current social distancing guidelines. In a typical year, more than 80 tons of food move through OPEN M’s doors and out into the community through a culmination of food programs. As unemployment continues to rise, along with food insecurity, OPEN M anticipates serving a record number of people in 2020. The Mountain of Food program is one of four programs provided by OPEN M to alleviate hunger in our community. For more information on OPEN M food programs, please call 330-434-0110 or visit www.openm.org/food-programs. OPEN M is actively seeking volunteers to assist with the Mountain of Food program. To volunteer, please email volunteer@openm.org or call 330-434-0110 to speak with Development Manager, Jess Rist.
Wanting More Information:
Rotarians wishing to know more about OPEN M, the number of individuals served in each program and other information about OPEN M are encouraged to check out their website: https://openm.org/
We are currently accepting donations of toys and gift cards for our annual Holiday Party on December 20th. Like all of us, our campers’ and their families’ lives have been completely turned upside down this year. This year’s Holiday Party for Camp will most likely be a drive through event due to COVID-19 precautions but for many of our campers it is the only time they see Santa, so our goal is to make it as joyous as possible. Help us spread a little joy by purchasing a gift that Santa can share or a gift card for groceries.
Gift cards in any amount from major stores such as Target, WalMart, ACME, and Giant Eagle are also being accepted.
Gift cards and donations can be mailed or dropped off at Akron Rotary Camp, 4460 Rex Lake Dr., New Franklin, OH 44319. Questions? Call camp at 330.644.4512 or email Dan Reynolds at danr@akronymca.org.
Thank you to all who joined us on the greens this past Tuesday as we reviewed the details of the 31st Chili Open Golf Classic. On February 6, 2021, at Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio, we will be playing golf for the kids. This video (click here) gives you a glimpse of what happens in the day of a Chili Open!
Although the Chili Open will look different from previous years due the impact of COVID-19, and whether you choose to attend in person or virtually, your gift will make a significant impact allowing us to continue to serve the vulnerable youth in our community.
The annual fundraiser represents 30% of operating costs to the Rotary Camp's annual budget. This ensures that no child is turned away due to their family’s inability to pay. We are extremely thankful to our Chili Open Presenting Sponsor, Wayne Homes for their continued commitment to the camp.
Rotarians are needed to help with the sale of raffle tickets, acquiring unique silent auction items, and providing sponsorships. Please consider increasing your sponsorship, renewing your sponsorship or becoming a first time sponsor. If you need assistance with sponsorship questions please reach out to our Sponsorship co-chairs, Christina Horak or June Ring.
Raffle tickets were mailed out to Rotarians and you should receive them this week. We ask every Rotarian to purchase or sell a minimum of ten raffle tickets at $20 each.
2. Sell or buy 5 additional raffle tickets at chiliopen.net
3. Come visit Rotary Camp! If you have not been to Camp or would like bring a prospect, please schedule a visit with Dan Reynolds.
For 96 years, Akron Rotary Camp has been the main project of our Rotary Club. Every Rotarian is needed to help us reach our $300,000 goal in 2021! Let's help camp live out their mission of “Creating a world where there are only abilities!”
I am so thrilled to see so many out and taking advantage of our Socially Distant but Together #AkronRotaryHikes Social time!
Remember to use the hashtag when you post to Social media and send me a picture of your completed form to be entered to win a Fall Goodies Basket I am putting together.
Akron Rotarian Dr. Jeff Kempf was recognized for his vision in the development of The St. Damien Collaborative for the Improvement of Pediatrics in Haiti. This is a unique partnership of US Children's Hospitals and Universities.
The Akron Rotary Club and other clubs in District 6630 were very supportive and involved in providing funding when Dr. Kempf orchestrated sending a team of physicians to St. Damien and in turn brought their team to Akron for training.
St. Damien Children's Hospital has partnered with collaborative members from Akron Children's Hospital, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, University of Connecticut, Dell Children's Hospital. East Tennessee State University, The University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Nebraska Medical Center, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter, as well as others as part of the St. Damien Collaborative.
During the fundraiser, Mitch Albom, author of Finding Chika and Tuesdays with Morrie, did several readings.
A.S., Georgia Military College; B.S., United States Air Force Academy; M.S.A., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; M.S., National War College; Ed.D., Benedictine University
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Dr. Tim Collins, President of Walsh University during our Tuesday, October 27, 2020 Club meeting. His presentation was about the unique approach Walsh University takes with their students. His talk reflected on what’s going on around us with COVID 19 and the University’s approach to the pandemic. Click here to view the Club Meeting and presentation by Dr. Collins.
Timothy J. Collins, Ed.D., was appointed Walsh University's seventh President in 2019.
Dr. Collins brought more than 22 years of senior-level experience to Walsh University as a distinguished higher education professional with leadership expertise in philanthropic endeavors, conceptualization and implementation of institutional strategic plans and a demonstrated understanding of a private university’s mission, student-centered culture and Catholic traditions.
Prior to joining Johns Hopkins University in 2005, Dr. Collins served as a Senior Officer in the U.S. Air Force with multiple senior command experiences during his 23 years of service in the U.S. and abroad.
As a Catholic University, welcoming students from 38 states and 31 countries, the University offers undergraduate, graduate, and online adult accelerated degree programs. Walsh’s ultimate mission is to develop leaders in service to others.
Walsh University offers small class sizes, hands-on experiential learning opportunities interdisciplinary institutes, internships and global learning programs. Walsh education is also affordable with 98% of students receiving some form of financial scholarship or aid and a tuition guarantee. Graduates leave Walsh University prepared to succeed in the workplace and in their communities for life.
Walsh students enjoy a healthy balance of academic, spiritual, and social activities:
For nearly 2,650 students, the search for the right college has led them to Walsh University. Students find that learning transcends the classroom, caring faculty help students aim higher, and leadership requires more than intellect.
As an independent, Catholic university, Walsh University encourage individuals to act in accordance with reason guided by the example and teachings of Jesus Christ. Their aim is to develop students' mind, body and spirit - this is Walsh's distinguished tradition and the heart of its appeal.
Helping Students Discover a Sense of Purpose:
Walsh's unique character and commitment to faith, together with nearly 100 academic majors and minors, award-winning athletics and vibrant student life are primary reasons that Walsh attracts students from around the globe. With outstanding academic facilities, chapels, residence halls, a health and wellness complex, and flagship programs in the areas of health sciences, business, education, and so much more, students have a wide variety of options to make their mark at Walsh University.
BUILDING CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP QUALITIES:
While students' involvement in communities here and abroad takes many forms, every service experience imparts important life lessons that build character and leadership.
SKILLED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE TRAINING: ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR PEOPLE TO THRIVE IN A TECHNOLOGY-BASED ECONOMY:
By 2021, it is forecast that the Internet of Things (IoT) will surpass 25 billion devices and $1.1 trillion spent worldwide. The incredible amount of data and business opportunities generated by IoT will create a vital need for employees in all industries to have base-line knowledge of IoT, how it functions and how it will transform their job responsibilities. These skills will result in increased efficiency for employees and employers.
To address this skilled technical workforce need, Walsh University has developed several programs:
3-day interactive, practical immersion experience
Examples, exercises and applications directly from day-to-day work activities
Walsh University professors and experienced industry consultants
Certificates of Completion are Available in the Following Credentials:
Data Analytics
Data Analytics – Applied Business Solutions
Business Analytics
Designing and Implementing an Azure AI Solution
DevOps Executive Workshop
DevOps Foundation
DevOps Implementation Boot Camp
Additionally, you will walk away with:
Understanding of fundamental concepts of IoT
Knowledge of how readily available electronics can collect useful data in real time
Skills to cost-effectively create efficiencies within tasks and systems
Ability to use IoT tools to increase a company productivity and profitability.
Dr. Collins addressed the COVID challenge and how Walsh University is addressing the pandemic. He sees Walsh University students and faculty being “physically distanced but socially connected.” In commenting on the current polarization in the nation, Dr. Collins noted several reasons he believes fosters this polarization: 1) Separation of religion from knowledge, 2) Separation of church from college, and 3) Separation of spirituality from student life. Today “Me is the center of everything rather than Community being the center of everything. The business community makes our community go. Community must lead – not always depend on the government to do everything. What can I do to make things better?”
Dr. Tim Collins, President Walsh University Presentation Recap
Stew Buchanan and I met with Claudine Schooley and the group that is forming the ICC with Ukraine last Thursday. They are doing some pretty awesome work. The projects were presented here. Stew, Doug Hausknecht and I will continue to meet with this group.
Claudine Schooley, Chair of ICC Ukraine – USA, served as host and introduced 22 members (from Rotary districts all over the U.S. and Ukraine) and guests who attended the International Zoom meeting entitled, Hearts of Europe Global Grant Program, Wednesday, Oct. 21. Susan Colville-Hall and Stew Buchanan attended from the Rotary Club of Akron. Guest speaker, Mykola Stebljanko, PDG Rotary District 2232, Ukraine-Belarus, presented on the USAID Hearts of Europe Global Grant Program. A jointly funded 3-year program by USAID and The Rotary Foundation, it has an application window which opened in March 2020 and closes with projects completed and reports submitted by the 4th quarter of 2022.
Grants are administered by The Rotary Foundation and are matched by the Club and USAID.
For example, you have $15,000 from the Club + $15,000 TRF + $15,000 USAID = $45,000.
Program requirements are the same as Rotary Global Grants. There are a few additional requirements. **** see last paragraph
The three initial projects selected for implementation in Ukraine are:
1. Cervical Cancer Prevention Program (Estimated Budget - $95,000)
2. VTT: Exchange of Experience in Cardiac Surgery (Estimated Budget - $136,000)
3. The Ring of Care for Mother and Baby (Estimated Budget - $166,000)
Mykola Stebljanko is available to present at any USA club zoom meeting, and he looks forward to receiving invitations. Mykola Stebljanko is also willing to participate to a zoom meeting at the virtual ICC table (House of Friendship) at District 5240 Conference, November 6-8, 2020.
Claudine also made an announcement about the ICC World Conference in Kiev in October 2021.
***** In addition, (1) projects should increase engagement and strengthen relationships between Rotary members in the U.S. and in Eastern Europe. (2) The International Club must be a Rotary Club/District in the U.S. and Host Club must be one of the Eastern Europe countries where USAID has a presence. (3) A member of the International Club or District must visit the project and meet members of the Host Club and involve Rotaractors in the Project if a Rotaract Club is in the vicinity. Pre- and Post Project Surveys and Quarterly Reports are required.
President-Elect Steve Buie proudly inducted Lorrayne Gervase as a new Rotary member on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. She was sponsored by Tom Knauer.
Lorrayne works for SAFY of Canton/Akron as their Foster Parent Recruiter. She has lived in Ohio for most of her life and completed her graduate at Webster University and has professional experience in social work, case management, juvenile probation and inside sales.
Lorrayne is a member of the Stark County Safe Kids Coalition, Summit County Trauma Informed Coalition and Summit County Food Coalition.
She is married to Nick and they reside in New Franklin. She has 2 biological daughters (13 and 15) and 2 step daughters (19 and 15) and enjoys watching them participate in sports, spending time in the sun with family and reading.
We would like to give a warm welcome to our new member Lorrayne!
District Governor Myers presented member Terry Dalton with the District Governor's Citation - the Unsung Hero Award.
The unsung hero award is designed for Club Presidents to pay tribute to a person whose special service to Rotary has placed them in a category all of their own. A person whose dedication and commitment to Rotary has been given without recognition, without reservation and unselfishly. Many times it's done very quietly and behind the scenes.
Each Club President is asked to select only one member annually from their Club for this prestigious award from the Governor.
Dr. McGregor said "Terry has an uncanny ability to read my needs before I even know what they are." He added that Terry is quite the parliamentarian and is the Robert's Rules champion.
Terry has served the Club for many years as our Club Secretary and chair of the Scholarship Committee. He is a veteran, has a degree in Social work and is an Eagle Scout.
Terry does a lot of things behind the scenes that most of us never see... organizing the scholarship interviews, finalizing the recipients, awards, and attendees for their presentations. He facilitates putting together all the board meetings, records minutes and keeps our Club records in great order. In addition, this year, he has organized several special meetings for our Club President and stepped in to help with the virtual weekly meetings and provides a recap of the speaker presentations so we can share them with others. "No" is simply not in his vocabulary!
He shared that the the reason Rotary has been so meaningful and impactful in his life is that he truly lives by Service Above Self in all he does.
As many get ready to celebrate Halloween, President McGregor asked for members to submit their memorable/favorite costumes. Thank you to all who participated!
Dr. McGregor with his daughter on a magic carpet.
Cheryl and Steve Warren - as Elvis with his peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Colleen Iacianci as wacky wavy inflatable flailing
arm tube people - the name of the costumes
is a mouthful!
Julie Brandle as Gretel for a murder mystery
David Miller - In addition to the Harry Potter
one here are the Millers over the years.
(see more below)
Cheryl and Steve Warren as Santa and Mrs. Claus
a little earlier than normal - but if the stores can do
Every year, the Rotary Club of Akron (RCOA) is eligible to apply for Rotary District Matching Grants up to $7,000 ($3,500 from District; $3,500 from RCOA). Projects must fall in the following areas of service: Peace & Conflict (Prevention/Solution); Disease Prevention & Treatment; Water & Sanitation; Maternal & Child Health & Welfare; Basic Education & Literacy; Economic or Community Development and new in 2020—Supporting the Environment.
The recipient of the 2020-2021 Matching District Grant is The Well CDC! The RCOA Board of Directors selected The Well’s Akron Hope program after reviewing seven proposals from worthwhile area non-profits. The Akron Hope program serves Mason Community Learning Center, the local elementary school in the Middlebury neighborhood on the eastside of Akron.
The goals of Akron Hope are to connect families to stable housing, living wage jobs, and other community resources; provide resources for students to succeed academically, emotionally, and socially; and increase the civic engagement of parents within the school and the community. The program hopes to serve 600+ students (including 300+ at a second elementary school) and 100+ families.
One of the requirements for receiving the matching grant is including meaningful Rotarian involvement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Akron Hope program has adjusted its Community Connection programming. They still plan to involve Rotary with safe volunteer opportunities to connect with students and parents—either virtually or via socially distanced outside events. Please watch for news on how to participate in coming months!
The Annual Meeting for the Rotary Club of Akron will be held December 1, 2020 at Noon via Zoom
In accordance with our club bylaws, an Annual Meeting of this club shall be held on the Tuesday preceding the regular December Board of Directors Meeting in each year but no later than December 31st of each year.
The purpose of the meeting is to announce the elected the officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year, provide updates and reports from the Club and to discuss and vote upon any resolutions as needed.
Per our Club bylaws, a quorum for this Club Annual Meeting is defined as 1/3 of our membership being present. So we would really appreciate your attendance.
The Rotary Club of Akron was honored to have District Governor (DG) Patricia (Pat) Myers as our featured speaker during our October 20, 2020 meeting. For our fellow Rotarians who haven’t had the privilege of meeting DG Myers, I would like to share a little of who Pat is. Click to view presentation.
DG Myers grew up in Ohio. She earned a Social Work degree from the Kent State University Honors College where she still serves on the Alumni Board. She also earned an MBA from the McLaren College of Business at the U. of San Francisco. Her career included: Director of the Palm Beach County Habilitation Center, Grants Manager of the State of Florida, Board member of the Florida Institute of Governments, which she established, and Executive Director of the Foundation, Development and Government at Palm Beach Community College and for the Community College System of Florida.
In 1990, she was asked to return to KSU to lead a foundation and corporation grants campaign. For 20 years she was the KSU Legislative Agent for their eight-campus system. She was also a loaned executive to the Chancellor of the University System of Ohio. Pat has received many awards and honors, too numerous to add to this article.
Her Rotary experience started when asked to join the Hudson Rotary in 1990, serving on many Rotary committees and is a founding member of The Hudson Clocktower Rotary. The new club formed with a group of dedicated Rotarians who saw a need to provide training for future leaders to keep Hudson strong. They took action by establishing Leadership Hudson and Junior Leadership Hudson, where Pat continues to serve on the board.
DG Myers began her presentation by thanking the Club for inviting her to speak with the Akron Rotary Club. She stated “It is an honor to serve your widely respected and admired club, and a bit intimidating to be in the presence of a club filled with outstanding leaders. When I came to the 100-year celebration at The Hilton in Fairlawn, and watched the video of your history, I was impressed with the leadership of Akron Rotary in your community, particularly your focus from that first year on youth, and children with special needs and how every step of the way you have used your leadership skills to unite, take action, and create lasting change.”
DG Myers continued by recognizing the involvement of so many of our club members, past and present, with District leadership activities.
DG Myers thanked Dr. McGregor for agreeing to use his leadership skills to serve as President. “When you and I talked you shared that as a medical professional, you realized even before we had to cancel All Ohio President Elect training in March, that you would need to plan differently for your year as President. I heard your concern of understanding the seriousness of the Virus first-hand in your work you looked at how to keep your club Members and others safe as they planned their meeting and events for the year. You formed a risk management team of professional medical, legal, insurance, finance club members, and developed a rubric to assess the risk if meeting In-person or holding events or fundraisers. Rob- Your club is fortunate to have you at this time – today – this year.”
A Year of Change:
DG Myers commented, “this is a year of change and like Rotary International President Holger Knaack’s theme of “Rotary Opens Opportunities,” The Akron club - is finding opportunities -to answer a call for help, to honor people; to provide needed school supplies, food, PPE, even camp – to unite – take action - to connect even if at home staying safe. We are people who love being with others who share the same core values we have had for 115 years –we like to serve, laugh together, share concerns, celebrate good news, care for others. We have all had to share in this difficult time.”
“We have had to stretch and learn new Habits and – yes- technology. I say – we were kicked into using technology whether we wanted to or not.”
How does DG Myers see the year ahead?
“My vision is the same as Rotary’s vision. My goal this year is that each of our clubs and members are connected and engaged. My Objectives include to sharing with each member the opportunities, resources and support that Rotary International, the district and other clubs can provide, as they become available. As we open our eyes and minds, suddenly – we see, as your President is doing –that we can still reach out to those who needs a hand.”
“How can we in our clubs, district or Rotary International take this time to look at how we can restructure our committees, events, fundraisers, our goals and activities, our youth and students, to think and plan – together. Those of us volunteering on district committees are asking questions –How do we meet together when we cannot be in person? Do we need to have all these meetings – can we use technology even after there is a vaccine-should we have hybrid meetings, how can R.I. and the district honor the donors to the Rotary Foundation annual fund, to keep the fight to end polio and provide grants for needs relating to the pandemic, shelter boxes for other natural disasters, youth exchanges.
How can R.I. and the District provide the support for your club -and its officers -more effectively. How can we all share ideas and resources?”
In conclusion, DG Myers quoted Past R I President Ian Riseley who said
Thank you for your support of Rotary Camp last year through the 30th annual Akron Rotary’s Chili Open Golf Classic presented by Wayne Homes! Below is a short video highlighting our trials and successes through the uncertainty of 2020. As a result of your support we are able to continue our mission of creating a world where there are only abilities!
Thank you, again!
Dan Reynolds
Executive Director
Akron Rotary’s 31st Annual Chili Open Golf Classic!
On Tuesday, October 13th, the Rotary Club of Akron had the opportunity to learn about Heart to Heart Communications presented by co-founders, Rev. Norm Douglas, M.Div. and Lawrence Vuillemin, Esq. It was a very inspiring presentation with multiple follow-up questions about the organization, its mission, philosophy, etc. Watch the presentation below or by clicking here.
THEIR STORY
Heart to Heart is a leadership development non-profit organization that works with individuals and organizations from all-across the Greater Akron community.
Throughout 2019, Heart to Heart hosted 226 events, including breakfasts, workshops, retreats, and their signature series sessions and worked with 24 organizations. Over 1,700 people participated in Heart to Heart programming through their organization or individually.
At Heart to Heart, their team facilitates conversations around mission, vision and purpose statements to inspire leaders, and ensure the organizational leaders are living out the statements that define their organization.
Their unique curriculum is grounded in the belief that there is a strong connection between employee inner and interpersonal development and the vitality and success of every organization.
THEIR MISSION
Enriching lives by helping individuals and organizations strengthen and live their inner values.
THEIR VISION
A community where people find meaning and purpose and live ethical values in daily work and community life.
HISTORY OF HEART TO HEART
Rev. Norman Douglas, M.Div. (left) and Lawrence Vuillemin, Esq. (right), Heart to Heart co-founders, crossed paths in the spring of 1986. During Larry’s recovery from a life-changing stroke at the age of 35, he was reflecting on how his work life could be linked more strongly with his personal beliefs and values when he met Fr. Norm, who was looking to help individuals experience their inner core values as more relevant to the practicalities of their everyday lives, including work.
Soon, people were coming together to discuss in a heart-to-heart way how to strengthen the link between their deepest beliefs and ideals and their daily activity. It was their vision to strengthen the connections between people’s inner core values, ethical values, and daily work. They believe that this focus upon the inner development of individuals is a necessary foundation for enhancing workplace relationships, purpose, ethics, wellness and productivity.
From their early beginnings, they eventually expanded into the not-for-profit organization called Heart to Heart Communications, Inc. facilitating workplace programs and personal enrichment experiences.
Since 1990, more than 30,000 people have attended their corporate workshops, training, H. Peter Burg Leadership Connections Series, and community programs.
During the presentation, Rotarians were asked to silently think about how one matches your values, faith and ethics to your workplace and personal life.
Current Heart to Heart Service Offerings
Core services can be customized and tailored to an organization’s needs. The services offered, include, but are not limited to:
Inclusive Leadership Series: Leverage inclusivity to create a strong culture that impacts the bottom line. In today's technology-driven world, understanding the power of inclusivity enables leaders to address workplace and personal challenges such as unconscious bias and miscommunication while strengthening personal and employee engagement.
H. Peter Burg Leadership from Within Series: An in-depth and practical guide to strengthen leadership capabilities, with an emphasis on personal inner growth as the foundation for effective leadership.
The Enneagram: An insightful, practical, and proven program about how we are alike and different, what motivates us, where we place our attention, and how we communicate, manage change, and more.
Appreciative Inquiry: A positive approach to problem solving by discovering organizational strengths and designing processes to realize hopes and dreams.
Mindful Leadership: Participants will have opportunities to experience and practice proven techniques for integrating mindful leadership into a busy life, enabling leaders—whether they lead organizations, teams, or families—to enhance their ability to lead and live with excellence.
StrengthsFinder: Become more adept at identifying and using well your strengths at work. Determine how to further recognize, encourage, and leverage team strengths.
Working as One: During this workshop teams will walk away with strategic considerations and concrete ideas for how to work better together using specific communication tools and techniques.
I encourage anyone who could not attend the Tuesday meeting to view the recording of Father Norm and Larry Vuillemin, Esq. Their passion about the mission and vision of Heart to Heart should get everyone to explore this program further for both their personal growth and the growth of their organization.
Rotarians wishing to learn more about the Heart to Heart Communications program can go to their website at https://www.h2hc.org or reach out to them at the following address: Heart to Heart, 37 N. High Street, Suite B, Akron Ohio 44308, or phone number: 330.434.3278
People, Passion, Purpose, Performance - Elevating Your Leadership
What's ahead as we move into winter? Surely things still are different and remaining virtual as we wait for a vaccine but there are some good ideas coming from some of our members.
We can look forward to a Virtual Tour of Stan Hywet on December 15th for our Virtual Holiday Party and maybe a Holiday Cocktail recipe to enjoy during the party or after 5 when the work day is done.
We are working on an idea to maybe have like a Holiday PenPal or Social Pal to reach out to some of our members who may be alone during the holidays or really any of us who would like to be involved with maybe a deepening Rotary friendship with someone over the season.
Look for a virtual bingo to come your way as well.
I appreciated all of the suggestions and look forward to being social with all of you in person soon, when its safe of course~
If an organization is looking for a speaker that would excite their employees or an organization is looking for a keynote speaker for an annual event Billy Taylor would definitely be someone to engage. The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Mr. Taylor during our Tuesday, October 6, 2020 Club meeting. His theme throughout the presentation was “people driven excellence.” Both his business life and his personal life seems to follow that motto. Click here or on the video below to view the presentation.
Mr. Taylor is an American business executive, dynamic speaker, and leadership guru. He is the CEO and President of LinkedXL, a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm. Mr. Taylor spent 30 years with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT), serving as Director of North America Manufacturing and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. As the Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Goodyear, Mr. Taylor led diversity and inclusion strategies for 64,000 employees across the 22 countries where Goodyear operates.
Mr. Taylor has been called upon by universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Army to demonstrate how to drive and sustain effective results through embracing the culture and enabling employee ownership.
A servant leader, Mr. Taylor, is a member of the executive advisory board for two of the world leaders for knowledge in enterprise excellence, The Shingo Institute and The Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME).
He earned an MBA from Baker University, in Baldwin City, Kansas, and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Prairie View A&M University, in Prairie View, Texas.
The philosophy behind Mr. Taylor’s LinkedXL organization is that their practitioners coach and demonstrate business process excellence and lean leadership management from decades of practical experience driving transformational change in large and small scales diverse companies. Their insights on leadership are rooted in culture change and a passion for engaging people; a core element of transformational change that has become the centerpiece of LinkedXL’s client relations.
LinkedXL partners with clients to help manage the intersections of business. The intersections are where strategic elements and tactical execution overlap to break through and override silos to enable results.
LinkedXL consulting ensure strong linkages between planning, deploying, and executing strategy.
Mr Taylor challenged us with the questions, “How transparent are you with your employees, or work teams?” “What holds you back from growing in your company or achieving your goals?” “Is it a “sticky floor or a glass ceiling?”
“What are your standards to live by?” Mr. Taylor referenced on more than one occasion the influence his mother had on his success by always reminding him and holding him accountable to the standards he wished to live by.
Mr. Taylor talked about the 4 fundamentals of Human Need:
We need to be heard
We need to be understood
We need to matter
We need to be emancipated
We need to ask people what they need/want, followed by asking further to analyze the purpose.
What are the keys to success?
Inspiring trust/creating a safe environment for change
Key to being able to unlock “what is” in order to discover “what can be.” “Comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Critical to measure what matters
Deliberate practices incorporated into leadership practices
Define winning (both at the job and in your personal life)
Align yourself to winning
Execute winning
Critical Lessons:
Make people visible and they will make the organization valuable
Right culture: Principles to live by
Key performance actions
Performance indicators
Leverage the 4 Human Needs
Psychological safety – celebrate
All encounters matter.
While I have attempted to capture Mr. Taylor’s presentation, I encourage everyone to go to Mr. Taylor’s LinkedXL.com website for greater information about his approach to people driven excellence. Additional information can be found on his Linked In account.
Billy Taylor Provides Insights on Leadership Management & Transformational Change
On Tuesday, September 29th the Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of hearing past Club Presidents share some of their experiences, not only as president, what Rotary has meant to the and a little about them personally.
Lance Chima is a 3rd generation member of Chima Travel.
Pam Kiltau has been a member of Rotary for 30+ years and was the first woman president of the Akron Club. She currently is employed at Baird Financial.
Doug Hausknecht has been a member of the Akron Club for 24 years. Doug is a “retired” professor at the University of Akron.
Pat asked the three panelists the following questions:
What impact has Rotary had on your lives?
Doug – ability to travel around the world through the friendship of Rotary.
Lance – where else can you go and brush elbows with so many professionals committed to performing service above self.
Pam – I found myself needing to find my place at 29 years of age as a female in the Akron Rotary Club – trying to fit in and stay the course.
What words of wisdom would you share with new and prospective Rotarians to get the most out of your Rotarian experience?
Find someone to help you feel welcome.
Get involved.
Involve yourself in any and every thing to find where you are the most comfortable.
Use Club Runner to become familiar with who other Rotarians are and what their interests/professions are. Reach out to someone you find interesting in the directory.
Finding someone in the Club you can go to.
Finding your passion.
Having each other’s back.
What are your fondest memories from being a Rotarian?
Pam – After displaying a formal dress worn at the black- tie day for presidents, her fondest memory is the Poker Run that was held for several years. (Several Rotarians commented in the Chat room that they would like to hear more about the Poker run. It really was a fun time for all who participated, and it helped get Rotary’s name out in the community).
Lance – Watching my son Brian become a Rotarian. Club turning 100 years old and leading the Centennial celebration.
Doug – The family of Rotary. Meeting with Bill Gates.
Hi Akron Rotarians!! Another volunteer opportunity has just popped up! Your help is needed!
As you know, the ENVIRONMENT has been added by Rotary International as an area of focus. For this year's Parks Week we will be planting trees at Erie Island and Joy Park!
Join us with your quarantine pod and help us add to the city's tree canopy.
Planting will take place on October 3rd and 4th as follows:
Please register for a shift directly through the links provided above(you can click on them or cut and paste these into your browser) and select the amount of people who will be joining you.
Please note that all groups must have 10 or less people.
Please bring a pair of work gloves, a shovel, and garden rake. If you do not have access to these please email gnyburg@akronohio.gov
If you do attend, please share your photos on social media with the #AkronRotaryPlants and/or email me photos direct at jbrandle@metisconstruction.com.
THANK YOU!!
Parks Week Tree Planting is Sponsored by The Davey Tree Expert Company
Thank you.
Julie Brandle Rotary Club of Akron
Volunteers Needed Oct 3 & 4: Come out and plant a tree or two!
Your help is needed! Volunteers are needed for the following event. Click on Sign Up to view available slots and book yourself directly online.
Mary Outley-Kelly (she oversees 28 elementary schools in the APS) is in my Leadership Akron Class. When she told me about this volunteer opportunity we felt it was right up our alley! The APS will have two drive-thru distribution sites for school supplies (North High School and Kenmore). Our club will serve the North High School location on October 4th from 1-4pm. Metro is donating bus services to get student families from across the district to these two locations also.
All volunteers and recipients will be required to wear masks and social distance as well as there will be sanitizer on site.
Please Sign Up on the sheet like the AUL event. This would be for three - 1-hour increments with up to 10 volunteers each.
The club members would have to register in advance due to social distancing and safety precautions.
It is MANDATORY to pre-register. Unregistered volunteers will not be permitted to enter school grounds.
In conjunction, it is possible to make donations through the Akron Rotary Foundation for North High School specific school supplies that the high schoolers need from now until October 31, 2020. These donations would be for school supplies to be used in the second half of the year.
We could also arrange for donations of physical supplies at a few area member businesses if people are open to it or we can offer no contact porch pick-ups to retrieve donated items.
If you should have any questions or need more information please reply to this email or call me at 330.858.6672. Thanks!
You can sign up directly on the Rotary Club of Akron website byclicking here. We appreciate your participation and look forward to making this a great event together!
Thank you.
Julie Brandle Rotary Club of Akron
Volunteers Needed Oct. 4th: Akron Public Schools School Supplies Distribution
We have an opportunity that was presented to us through our Interact Club contact at North High School.
They are hosting a VIRTUAL video conference and are seeking SIX (6) Rotary volunteers to present to a class of seniors at North High School on the topic of interview skills.
We are in need of ONE(1) volunteer per teacher (not time slot) – so a total of SIX (6) more people are requested for this service project please. I am taking one slot and will fill the last slot that is left open after we get 6 volunteers .
It is NOT necessary to work in a field associated with the teacher’s pathway – it is listed should you have a preference but the presentations are for general interview skills.
Each teacher has provided time slots so you can select your preferred time for the respective teacher (see below or click here). Again, we only need one person PER teacher
The easiest way to do this is for you to email me ASAP.
At our September 22nd meeting , we welcomed Hilary as the newest member of The Rotary Club of Akron. She is an attorney in BMD's Akron office. Her practice focus is civil litigation and construction law.
Throughout law school, Hilary served as a judicial assistant at the Summit County Common Pleas Court. While at the court, she learned what it means to be a good attorney, a good litigator, and a good advocate. Hilary plans to take the technical and practical lessons she learned in law school and in the courts and apply them to her litigation practice.
She graduated from the University of Akron School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude and Kent State University, B.A., Art History
During law school, Hilary assisted a professor on research for his evidence textbook.
Hilary was a fellow for the Miller Becker Center for Professional Responsibility. As a fellow, she was responsible for assisting in planning and hosting CLE events at the law school. One of these events hosted District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., the District Attorney of New York County, New York.
Passionate about giving back to her community, Hilary volunteered with the University of Akron School of Law’s Expungement Clinic which has been recognized by the American Association of Law Schools as an "Innovative and Outstanding Program". She also found time to volunteer with Paws and Prayers, a local animal rescue shelter.
She is a member of the Akron Bar Association where she also serves as the Communications Officer, New Lawyer Section.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Donna Skoda, the Health Commissioner for the Summit County Public Health Department during our Tuesday, September 22, 2020 Club meeting. Her presentation was specifically oriented toward the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a very engaging presentation with multiple follow-up questions about the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mission of Summit County Public Health is to protect and promote the health of the entire community through programs and activities designed to address the safety, health and well-being of the people who live in Summit County. The Health Department seeks to create a healthful environment and ensure the accessibility of health services to all.
Their vision is a community where all can achieve optimal health where they live, work and play, resulting in... HEALTHY PLACES, HEALTHY PEOPLE, AND HEALTHIER TOMORROWS.
SCPH’s core values are reflected in their strategic approach and guide their interactions with clients, community partners and each other. Summit County Public Health’s core values are embodied in the acronym “PROMISE.”
Providing professionalism - Honesty, integrity and competency in all interactions
Respect - Everyone who interacts with us in any capacity will be treated with respect
Outstanding quality - We are nationally accredited and have an ongoing commitment to continuous improvement
Mission-driven dedication - Our mission statement says it all. It's who we are and what we do
Innovation - We look at every situation as an opportunity to be forward-thinking and proactive
Service-orientation - Our goal is to provide excellent customer service in all interactions
Equity for all - Everyone should have the opportunity to attain their highest level of healthy, regardless of social or demographic factors.
Many of the initial COVID-19 Summit County cases were in long term care facilities (nursing homes, assisted living facilities). With new knowledge on promising treatment options and improved testing, social distancing and mask wearing, the increase of cases in long term care facilities is being managed much better.
The challenge facing Summit County, as in most other counties in Ohio, is the issue of communal spread. Currently 90% of all new cases are from community spread. Several reasons for this community spread are the resumption of after-school activities and family gatherings where the family bubble or pod is breached and individuals are exposed. She stated that up to 40% of cases are asymptomatic.
The SCPH District has received over 7000 COVID-19 related complaints since the pandemic became of concern in March. The United States has experienced over 200,000 deaths in the past 7 months. In a really bad flu season, the United States experiences about 36,000 deaths. The SCPH department is trying to confront the pandemic through multiple strategies.
Recently Summit County saw a new spike in cases. Ms. Skoda stated that anytime the community “reopens” some segment of our community, we will see an increase in the spread. She also reported that the county, as well as the nation, are seeing long term secondary effects from the virus.
Ms. Skoda stated that the availability of testing materials for the virus is no longer a problem. The problem facing the county now is the shortage of laboratory testing capacity. She also cautioned us all about the varying degrees of effectiveness with the anti-body tests that are available. Currently the department is ramping up “quick testing” for the Summit County schools. When asked whether the SCPH department was doing contact tracing, Ms. Skoda said that this is occurring and that they have been doing contract tracing for years because of past concerns with the spread of HIV, Ebola and other viruses that the community has been exposed to over the years.
While Ms. Skoda’s presentation was about the pandemic, I encourage everyone reading this synopsis of her presentation to go to www.scph.org to see all of the programs the health district is responsible for. In addition there is the Summit County COVID-19 Dashboard available on their website that provides a great deal of data and resource materials for all of our education about this pandemic.
Summit County Public Health Commissioner Discusses Pandemic
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed our fellow Rotarian and Rotary Camp Director as our guest speaker during our Tuesday, September 15th Club meeting. Dan provided fellow Rotarians with an update on what is happening at camp, the impact of COVID-19 and shared ways we can provide support to the camp. Click here view the video presentation.
For readers who don’t know much about Dan, let me share a little about him. Dan started his YMCA career as a camp counselor at Rotary Camp in 1995. In 1999 he became the director at Akron Rotary Camp. Under his leadership camp has grown from serving 200 campers each summer to over 1800 throughout the year. In addition to program growth, Akron Rotary Camp has completed over $5million in capital improvements over the past eight years. In 2014 Dan’s leadership role expanded to provide leadership to the Camp Y-Noah team. Today, Dan’s current title is District Executive Director working with Rotary Camp and Camp Y-Noah and the branch day camps.
He earned a bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Slippery Rock University. He is a member of the American Camp Association (ACA), served on their National Standards Commission for seven years and is the current co-chair of the Standards Committee for ACA, Ohio. Dan also serves on the YMCA of the USA Overnight Camping Cabinet.
The newest feature of the camp is the Bud Rogers Adventure Park. The Adventure Park allows individuals living with a disability the opportunity to experience the thrills that were previously unavailable to them. The park was constructed by Adventure Experiences out of Texas. The cost for the adventure park was approximately $315,000. Individual Rotarians interested in experiencing the adventure park are encouraged to contact the camp staff to arrange a time. Due to the current pandemic, social distancing will be required. To view more information about the Adventure Park, please view the recording of today’s presentation.
This year’s camping experience was drastically reduced but staff were able to hold several weeks of camping experiences with many adjustments, reduced campers, etc. The camp will resume respite this weekend.
Financially, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the budget. A number of action steps have been taken to control costs and maximize available revenues.
Some current updates include:
The Camp Regatta has been postponed until 2022.
The Cornhole tournament held last weekend will provide approximately $10,000 in revenue
The camp will be initiating some Family Events for campers
Camper backpacks will be filled shortly
Partnership with the Super Learning Center will continue
Preparing for a modified 2021 Summer camp experience
Beginning strategic planning for the 100th anniversary in 2024 of the camp
How can Rotarians help the camp staff?
Help with the 31st Annual Chili Open
Participate in volunteer opportunities
Share the Rotary Camp Story – come for a tour, bring a friend
Support donations through Amazon Smiles, Facebook campaigns, etc.
Dr. Matthew Deevers is the Executive Director of Summit Education Initiative, where he previously held the role of Senior Research Associate. Before joining SEI, he was a public school teacher and administrator.
SEI’s mission is to improve personal and regional prosperity through increased educational attainment. Education provides a clear path to future success, career opportunities and promotes vibrant and resilient communities. The SEI sees their role as providing support and enhance existing systems. Mr. Deevers commented that part of SEI’s mission is to ensure students have the degree and skills needed to have the life they desire and dream of. The proper education allows for greater pathways for the future.
To help Summit County realize their vision and act upon its mission, Summit Education Initiative:
Articulates the major educational challenges facing Summit county and
Tracks the progress being made to address those challenges by conducting research and publicizing relevant data and findings
Encourages and facilitates collaborations designed to address those educational challenges and
Develops prototype programs that test and refine strategies for removing barriers to high educational aspiration and achievement.
The goals that drive SEI’s mission and vision are:
to increase the number of students ready for kindergarten success
to increase the number of students on track for success in school,
ensure all students who graduate high school have a plan to become enrolled, enlisted or employed,
to increase the number of individuals with career credentials and college degrees, and
empower partners who are working with youth to support student success.
As SEI works to engage with their partners and collaborators, Mr. Deevers listed a few of their engagement activities. These engagements include the following:
all Summit County school districts, plus many non-public schools,
three closest higher education institutions,
60+ Out of School Time Partners,
130+ preschools,
government and nonprofit agencies,
local, state and national foundations and funders, and
business entities.
To accomplish SEI’s goals, Mr. Deevers described their methods. These include:
Convene caring adults from educational, nonprofit, government and business entities,
Use data to identify specific issues that require attention,
Mobilize their five strategy teams to execute specific goals and tactics that address the issues,
Measure progress and success,
Report their findings,
Scale successful strategies across the county, and
Repeat steps 1 – 6 as necessary until the goals are met.
SEI in collaboration with their various partners have developed some Leading Indicators of Success. These indicators can change as new needs or challenges are identified. Currently the following Educational Attainment Indicators are in place:
Kindergarten Readiness – Scoring on track in Language and Literacy on Ohio’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment,
Third Grade Reading – Scoring proficient or higher on Ohio’s 3rd Grade Next Generation Reading Test,
Eighth Grade Math - Scoring proficient or higher on Ohio’s 8th Grade Next Generation Math Test,
Ninth Grade Success – Completing 9th Grade with a 3.1 or higher GPA and 6.5 cumulative credits,
College and Career Readiness – Graduating with a 21 or higher composite score on the ACT (or equivalent),
College Enrollment – Enrolling in accredited post-secondary programs,
Post College Readiness – Encouraging individuals who have attended college but didn’t graduate, to see how they can go back to school to get their degree or other type of certification, etc.
SEI has a staff of nine. Most of their funding comes from the United Way of Summit and Medina Counties and various local Foundations. Since SEI is a Not-for-Profit organization they always welcome donations from individuals and corporations.
Rotarians interested in getting involved with the SEI initiatives can check out their website. Currently they have a Career Awareness Video Project. SEI is looking for volunteers to complete a brief video about their career to enable students to explore various career options, etc.
Individuals wishing to know more about Summit Education Initiative are encouraged to go to their website, which is seisummit.org.
Dr. Matthew Deevers Provided Insight about SEI Initiatives on Sept. 8th
Well, since we can't be social in person yet, how about a fun way to be active and social in tandem with your fellow Rotarians?
Here is a fun idea I came up with as your Social Chair to participate in the Summit County Metro Parks Fall Hiking Spree together but apart.
As Julie Brandle, our Assistant District Governor shared, The Rotary Foundation Trustees and Rotary International Board of Directors have both unanimously approved adding a new area of focus: supporting the environment. This seems like an opportune time to get out there and reconnect with our local environment, Maybe a project that supports this focus will come to mind as you are enjoying our park system.
This years theme for the Fall Hiking Spree is From Fields to Forest. This year, the Fall Hiking Spree celebrates the rich history of the properties they proudly manage for our enjoyment and their successful return to nature. Take a journey on this year’s spree and explore the former farms and fields that are now forests.
As you hit the trails, snap a picture on your trail of choice, pre hike, while on the hike or post hike and send to me, You can email me, text me or post to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #AkronRotaryHikes
Each week I'll collect the photos and post to our Rotary Club of Akron FB Page and our Akrotarian to see your fellow Rotarians out taking advantage of our amazing park system.
Please remember that if you choose to hike with fellow Rotarians while distancing, please keep your distance in your photo! I will not be featuring photos that don't follow social distancing guidelines.
Anyone who finishes the whole spree, and sends me a copy of their completed form will be entered into a drawing for a Fall Basket of goodies!
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Don Drumm as our guest speaker during our Tuesday, September 1st Club meeting. It was a very informative presentation on the history of Don Drumm including his studio and career. Click here or below on the video to view the presentation.
After studying medicine for two years at Hiram College Don decided he was more of a visual person and decided to pursue a career in art and transferred to Kent State University where he received a B.F.A. and an M.A. He subsequently worked as a designer for the Industrial Design firm “Smith, Scherr and McDermott” for two years. Early in his career he was an artist in residence at Bowling Green University.
In 1960 Drumm opened his own studio, as a full-time practicing Sculptor and designer/craftsman near the University of Akron. In 1971, together with his wife, Lisa Drumm, he expanded the studio to incorporate a one-room gallery. Since then the enterprise has grown extensively and now embraces eight buildings, providing gallery facilities for over 500 artists and studio space for three resident artists. In addition to the 500 active artists with work on display at his studios, he has a data base of over 2000 artists that individuals can access if they are looking for a particular item.
Don has been a pioneer in the use of cast aluminum (aluminum) as an artistic medium. In addition, he has been a pioneer in the use of contemporary building materials, and techniques for the creation of arts and crafts.
Don created a sculpture at Kent State University at the site of the May 4th Viet Nam protest between students and the National Guard.
During Don’s presentation he showed numerous pieces of art he has designed and exhibited. Several of those included sculptures at the Quaker Square Inn. In addition to the sculptures, Don has provided designs for residential customers. This technique involved the layering of different colors of cement. Drumm has worked on a wide range of public, commercial and private commissions in the USA and abroad.
Mr. Drumm explained there are three types of art: Abstract Art. Realism Art and Non-objective Art. Don has devoted most of his career in the area of Non-objective art which involves art that has no subject matter.
Don continues experimenting and constantly creating to this day. Drumm has won numerous awards along the way, including: Ohio Designer Crafts' “Lifetime Achievement Award”, “Outstanding Contributors of the Century”, to the Akron community by the Beacon Journal Publishing Company, first recipient of the Outstanding Visual Artist Award from the Akron Area Arts Alliance in 2000, and the first recipient of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) “Artist and Craftsman Excellence” award.
If you are interested in viewing some of Mr. Drumm and the other 500 artists creations, I encourage you to visit his studios at 457 Crouse Street, Akron, OH.
The recent Virtual Cocktail Party - Shaken Not Stirred was really fun! President Rob and his his wife Sharon kicked off by 'virtually' welcoming us to their home with a tour of his Steelers memorabilia, then his martini glass collection and all the ingredients for the festivities. Sharon bought him a bar towel that says "If you can't fix it with duct tape or a Martini, it ain't worth fixing".
He keeps the liquor and mixes in the freezer until ready to use and starts with a very chilled glass.
Dr. Rob began by showing us how to make a Vesper followed by the perfect Martini. He was a very good teacher, explaining each step, ingredient and proper measurements.
We all followed along making our drinks in the comfort of our own homes then enjoyed sipping them while 'virtually' socializing. We were pleased to welcome some guests: Ali Whitley (friend of Cyndi Kane), Stephen Hall (spouse of Susan Colville-Hall via phone), and Joe Mora (spouse of Tamara).
The video provides some of the fun we had including the pyrotechnics! Ideas were exchanged for another 'virtual' after hours so watch your email for the next event! View video by clicking here or below.
The name is McGregor, Rob McGregor...Shaken Not Stirred
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Ilene Shapiro as our guest speaker during our Tuesday, August 25th Club meeting. It was a very informative presentation discussing some of the initiatives the Summit County government is working on. View the presentation below or click here.
County Executive Shapiro has an accomplished career resume both in the private and government sectors of our community. County Executive Ilene Shapiro became the fifth Summit County Executive in August of 2016. As Executive, Ilene manages a budget of nearly a half billion dollars and nine departments including: Administrative Services, Communications, Community and Economic Development, Finance and Budget, Human Resources, Job and Family Services, Law, Insurance and Risk Management, Sanitary Sewer Services and the Medical Examiner. In addition to these 9 departments, Ms. Shapiro collaborates closely with 31 Summit County municipalities. Summit County is the fourth largest county in Ohio.
Ilene Shapiro served on Summit County Council for ten years, three of those as Council President. Ilene served on various committees during her tenure on Council, including serving as the Chair of Planning and Economic Development Committee for seven years.
Executive Shapiro is an accomplished business leader with a history of successful business ventures for high growth, established, turn-around and start-up organizations and led Shapiro Consulting, which specialized in the areas of Sales, Marketing, Business Planning, Workforce and Economic Development.
Executive Shapiro began her presentation on leadership from her experience with this quote, “Leadership is heart share and mind share. One doesn’t have to have a title to be a leader. Leadership is ‘moving the community forward’. Leaders grow up with what they have learned. Leaders are defined, not by what they do, but by the things they have touched.”
Executive Shapiro discussed several of the initiatives she has been involved with during her tenure as County Executive.
Recently the county formed a collaboration committee to work together in forming a shared dispatching department. Currently seven communities are participating with this initiative. Other communities have expressed interest when their existing contract come up for renewal. To date over seven million dollars have been saved with this centralized dispatch system.
Some other accomplishments included Summit County being the first county in Ohio to offer parental leave for both spouses. Summit County as the second Ohio county to develop a female veteran’s homeless shelter. In 2017 Executive Shapiro “had had it” and decided to take additional action regarding the Opioid Epidemic. On behalf of Summit County residents her office filed lawsuit against the drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Over 2,000 lawsuits were filed, but the judge selected only Summit and Cuyahoga Counties. The lawsuit was settled for approximately $107 million dollars. These dollars will be allocated over 4 different opioid initiatives.
In addition to these initiatives, her office has been extremely busy dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and allocating CARES ACT dollars with small business grants, rental and mortgage assistance and other categories specifically outlined by the federal government but distributed and administered by the County.
When Ms. Shapiro is not performing her duties as County Executive, she serves as a board member for the Akron Community Foundation, the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF), the County Executives of America, the Summit County Land Reutilization Corporation, United Way of Summit County, Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS), and the Greater Akron Chamber. She also serves on the Summit and Medina Workforce Area Council of Governments and is a member of the Greater Akron Area ATHENA PowerLink governing body. She is an alumnus of both Leadership America and Leadership Akron. She is a past President of the Women’s Network and is a founder of the Women’s Endowment Fund of the Akron Community Foundation.
In recognition of her distinguished work, Shapiro was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration Women’s Business Advocate for the State of Ohio and the Judith A. Resnick Woman of the Year Award for Inspiration. In 2007, she was recognized with a Women of Professional Excellence Award from Women's Network Inc. And in September 2008, Shapiro was honored as the 2008 Northeast Ohio Athena Award Recipient sponsored by ATHENA International and Inside Business Magazine. In 2011, the Akron Urban League awarded Ilene the distinction of being named as a Pioneer at their annual Pioneer and Protégé’s recognition event. In 2015, she received the Harold Stubbs Award for Government. In 2019, Executive Shapiro was named a Crain’s Cleveland Business Woman of Note.
The Club truly appreciated Executive Shapiro taking time to meet with us virtually and update us on what some of the initiatives Summit County is working on to ensure Summit County is a great place to live and work.
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Mark Gerberich, President and CEO of the International Soap Box Derby to our August 18th meeting to update us on the status of the International Soap Box Derby during this trying time of COVID-19 as well as a general overview of the Soap Box Derby.
Mr. Gerberich leads a team of 10 full time and six part-time employees, pre-COVID-19 with a budget of $1.9 million and operates more than 250 events yearly.
Mr. Gerberich has worked in the sports field for 35 years after attaining his undergraduate degree from St. John’s University in NY and his master’s degree from the University of Akron in sport management.
Since 2010, Mr. Gerberich has been teaching two sport management classes at the University of Akron, where he enjoys the opportunity to assist students in making the transition from being a student to joining the work force upon graduation.
Mark expressed his appreciation to all the individuals and organizations that have been so collaborative in ensuring the success of the Soap Box Derby.
The All-American Soap Box Derby® is a youth gravity racing program which has run nationally since 1934.
Children between the ages of 7-20 are eligible to race in the program. Kids, along with a parent, mentor, etc. build a car using a specially designed kit purchased from the International Soap Box Derby (ISBD).
Races are held each year in officially sanctioned Soap Box Derby® race locations throughout the United States and a few foreign countries. The racing season culminates at the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship Race, held each July at the world-famous Derby Downs Track in Akron.
There are two ways a child can qualify for the First Energy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship Race. The first is to enter a local race and win. The child will qualify for the World Championship Race and compete against other Local Champions.
Local race programs are sponsored by a variety of civic clubs, service organizations and businesses. These groups establish their local Derby administrative and promotional organizations to conduct the program. Local race organizations are responsible for a license fee to the ISBD.
There are 12 Regional Divisions plus the International Division.
The Soap Box Derby attempts to provide the following to their participants:
Youth Education and Leadership Development, Family Engagement and Enrichment,
Honesty, Integrity and Perseverance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Teamwork and Collaboration, Mentoring, Volunteerism and Commitment to the Community.
The Akron Soap Box Derby has three main programs. They are the All-American Soap Box Derby (AASBD) Race Program, their Education Program and their Derby Down Special Events Program.
The Special Events program includes such events as Inclusion Day, Senior Day, Veterans Appreciation Day and Corporate Derby Challenge. Two of the newest programs within the Education Section is their STEM program and their Robotics program. When asked what happens to old cars that kids might have raced but are sitting in basements or garages now, Mr. Gerberich answered that the Soap Box Derby would gladly take old cars to provide an opportunity to other children to have the experience of the Derby Downs who couldn’t otherwise afford to purchase a car.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Teresa R. LeGrair, President and CEO of the Akron Urban League during our Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Club meeting. It was a very engaging presentation with multiple follow-up questions about the organization, its challenges, and successes. To view the video of her presentation click here or view it below.
Ms. LeGrair is no stranger to the Akron community. She previously served the Akron Community Foundation and the President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve. Ms. LeGrair has served the Akron community in many capacities over the course of her career. Prior to joining the Akron Urban League and the Boys & Girls Clubs, she served as Vice President of Programs and Member Services for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and Executive Director, Human Resources at the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Prior to working for the past 25 years in the non-profit arena, she spent 16 years with Aetna Health Plans in various and progressive roles of responsibility.
Her current board and committee involvement include, Greater Akron Chamber Board of Directors and Opportunity & Inclusion Committee, Fund for Our Economic Future Board of Directors, ATHENA Akron Fierce Advocate member, and member of the Summa Cancer Institute Leadership Advisory Council and the Summa Healing Arts Leadership Advisory Council.
She has been the recipient of the Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Drum Majors Roll Call Award, Akron Black Women’s Leadership Caucus Award, Akron Urban League’s Woman of Power Award, finalist for the ATHENA International Leadership Award and 2020 Summit County Historical Society Woman of the Year for Integrity.
Ms. LeGrair provided the Club with some historical information about the Urban League. The National Urban League was founded in 1910. The Akron Urban League was established in 1925. Discussions about forming the Akron Urban League began in 1918. For additional information on the history of the Akron Urban League, I encourage you to visit their website www.akronurbanleague.org. For many years the organization was located on East Market Street. Currently the organization is located at 440 Vernon Odom Blvd.
The mission of the Akron Urban League is to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Summit County, particularly African Americans, by advocating and facilitating programs that are economically and educationally transformational, impacting their lives and the lives of future generations.
Annually, the Akron Urban League serves nearly 13,000 individuals through job placement assistance, business education, computer training, GED preparation, emergency food distribution, scholarships, and other services to those in need. Ms. LeGrair discussed several of their programs and are highlighted below.
Education Initiative
With a team of highly skilled and qualified educators, coaches and counselors, The Akron Urban League has developed programming that aligns with the Akron Public School’s curriculum preparing students to take the necessary steps to become contributing citizens. Many of the participants are returning students who look forward to being a part of their urban community summer camp. Young people who are referred or come on their own to the Urban League seeking employment know they will gain job skills and work experience in the Youth Employment Program. Both parents and students want to be a part of our STEAM Academy, where children are exposed to a new way of learning.
Students who enter the Urban Youth Academy can count on learning, having fun and growing to the next level towards adulthood. From the summer camp, to the Youth Employment Program, to the afterschool STEAM Academy, individuals from ages 5 to 24 are engaged mentally, emotionally and physically in activities that close the education gaps during the summer months, groom them for long-term employment, and generate higher levels of interest in science and math.
Work force development
The Akron Urban League believes that combining job readiness and emotional intelligence training (life coping and critical thinking skills + exercising good judgment training) will address the turnover challenges and improve job retention and satisfaction. Their goal, therefore is to develop a curriculum that is individually-directed to assist individuals seeking employment to become not only employment ready, but emotionally able to address the stress of work/life balance and improve the quality of life for themselves and families.
The Urban League staff expect that individuals completing the program will be employed and retain employment for no less than 3 years. They expect individuals will meet, if not exceed the expectations of their employment role with no work-related relational incidences and will be positioned for future promotional opportunities.
WORKFORCE ENTREPRENEURSHIP EMPOWERMENT CENTER
The Akron Minority Business Development Center (MBAC) is supported by the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) Minority Business Development Division (MBDD) who all support the growth and sustainability of small, minority-owned, and disadvantaged businesses in the State of Ohio.
The MBAC works with entrepreneurs, and emerging business enterprises to help them achieve, scale, and market success. The overarching goal is to help small, minority-owned, and disadvantaged businesses contribute to job creation and economic growth in Ohio.
Supporting businesses means providing them with resources that include technical and professional assistance, access to capital, surety bonding, and connection to business opportunities. The Division leverages these resources to support the achievement of the state's 15% Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) set-aside goal, which is overseen by the Department of Administrative Services.
The programs presented above are just a few of the programs and services offered by the Urban League. For additional information about the Akron Urban League, you can visit their website at www.akronurbanleague.org.
Fellow Rotarians, it's that time again! Help Akron Rotary Camp earn $ to send kids to Camp! Save your ACME receipts from August 6 to December 26 to earn some Community Cash Back on ACME Fresh Market Store Brands. Receipts can be mailed or dropped off to Akron Rotary Camp, 4460 Rex Lake Drive, Akron, Ohio 44319. As always, thank you for your support!
Thank you to all of our Rotarians who volunteered at The Akron Urban League to assist with the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for those in need in our community.
The Shoebox project has been a long standing international project supported by the Akron Rotary Club. Our portion of the 650 boxes in total across Rotary Clubs is 30 boxes. 30 children will receive a box full of supplies and fun items they can enjoy. The project will need $2000 of support; whether that is in donations of items needed or a financial donation of approximately $66 per box. If you wish to make a financial donation to support the cause (and we will purchase the items) please click this link and indicate "SHOEBOX PROJECT in the "gift designation" box.
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Margo Sommerville as our guest speaker during our Tuesday, August 4th Club meeting. It was a very informative presentation discussing some of the initiatives the City Administration and Council are working on. A recording of the presentation is posted below but if your website or email client prohibits you from seeing you may click here to view.
Margo Sommerville is president of Akron City Council, chairs the Committee on Committees and is an ex-officio member of all standing Council Committees. Ms. Sommerville was appointed to be the Ward 3 representative in 2013 and elected to that position in 2014. Ms. Sommerville decided to run for Council President in 2018 to act as a “bridge between a divided Council.
Council representative Sommerville hosts Ward 3 meetings on the second Thursday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m. at Odom Boulevard Branch Library, 600 Vernon Odom Boulevard.
When not involved in Council business, Sommerville is vice president and funeral director of Sommerville Funeral Services. She attended Firestone High School. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Lincoln University and a Master's in Public Administration/Urban Studies from The University of Akron.
There are several initiatives that Akron City Council has recently acted upon or are in the early stages of researching or implementing. In June, the Council voted to ban police choke holds as well as additional measures to protect police officers and citizens. In June, the Akron City Council declared racism as a public health crisis.
Recently a committee of the Council has begun reviewing the city charter. Several of the items being reviewed are as follows: Updating the “rule of 3”. This review has to do with the hiring practice of interviewing the “top 3” candidates. The proposed change is to increase the number considered for interviewing up to 10. This expansion would allow for a broader and more diverse selection process. Another HR area being reviewed involves “preferential points for hiring and promotions.” In addition to some of the existing reasons for awarding preferential points (residency, veteran status, etc.) consideration would be given for good job performance evaluations and other considerations.
Another area that is being reviewed is the competitive bidding process. In many ways the existing process penalizes small businesses and minority businesses. The change would allow the Mayor’s office to do more purchasing, allowing the expansion of potential vendors that may be excellent businesses but do not have the staff to compete with larger corporations with more staff to handle the complicated administrative bidding processes.
The Council is also looking at releasing all body camera footage to the public when there are cases of deadly use of force situations to ensure transparency.
A final initiative is the “Reimagining Public Safety.” With all the national discussions on defunding police departments and other actions looking at police departments, this initiative will involve several subcommittees that will be meeting between September and November with results being provided in December as to possible recommendations. Each subcommittee will have a representative from the police department to be sure the police perspective is not overlooked.
For the fastest response to concerns about everything from potholes to tree trimming to snow or ice removal, call 311 within the City of Akron or 330.375.2311 from any other phone.
Ms. Sommerville allowed us to record her presentation. If you wish to view it you may do so below or if your website/email client prohibits the video from appearing you may click here.
Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris
After setting up his law practice in Chicago, Harris gathered several business associates to discuss the idea of forming an organization for local professionals. He envisioned a place where professionals of diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.
On 23 February 1905, Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey gathered at Loehr’s office in Room 711 of the Unity Building in downtown Chicago. This was the first Rotary club meeting.
“I was sure that there must be many other young men who had come from farms and small villages to establish themselves in Chicago ... Why not bring them together? If others were longing for fellowship as I was, something would come of it.”
In February 1907, Harris was elected the third president of the Rotary Club of Chicago, a position he held until the fall of 1908. Toward the end of his club presidency, Harris worked to expand Rotary beyond Chicago. Some club members resisted, not wanting to take on the additional financial burden. But Harris persisted and by 1910 Rotary had expanded to several other major U.S. cities.
Harris died on 27 January 1947 in Chicago at age 78 after a prolonged illness. His death prompted an outpouring of contributions from around the world and his name continues to evoke the passion and support of Rotarians and friends of Rotary.
Paul Harris Fellows: Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
The honor was established in 1957 to show appreciation for contributions that support our Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant.
Paul Harris Society: The Paul Harris Society recognizes Rotary members and friends of The Rotary Foundation who elect to contribute $1,000 or more each year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or approved global grants.
The purpose of the Paul Harris Society is to honor and thank individuals for their generous, ongoing support of The Rotary Foundation.
Our Akron Rotary club honors new members of the Paul Harris Society by presenting them with a certificate and chevron at a club luncheon. Due to Covid-19 our weekly Rotary luncheons were transformed into Zoom meetings and we have not been able to celebrate our members’ donations to the International Rotary Foundation.
August 5th and 6th Akron Rotary club VP Lynda Farkas with the help of PDG Jack Harig diligently delivered new Paul Harris Fellow pins and yummy Rotary cookies to the following Akron club donors.
If you have questions and/or would like to become a member of the Paul Harris Society, please contact VP Lynda Farkas, 330.819.3739 , lfarkas2@neo.rr.com
With the cancellation of all Rotary International Student Exchanges, our foundation has funds that will go unused for these programs. These funds have now been designated for emergency funds to assist Rotary clubs in other countries with unexpected expenses as a result of COVID. Rotary clubs around the world are struggling as members are losing jobs and the need for Rotary services is greater in their communities. What better way to support fellow Rotarians during this time than to support these struggling clubs. Thank you Claudine Schooley, Brian Chima, and Susan Colville-Hall for the idea. Over 1/3 of our club supports work internationally. The Board approved a $500 grant each to three clubs in Honduras, Columbia and Equador. With these funds we can help ease the burden of fellow Rotarians in Central and South Americas.
“Our foundation board recognizes there are people struggling around the globe as a result of COVID,” remarked James Redmond, Foundation Board President and Rotary Club of Akron Member. “To be able to send some love from Akron is a remarkable idea, and we were all too happy to do it.”
There are still limited funds that remain. Akron Rotarians - If you have an International club in need you would like to recommend, please contact Julie Brandle, Rotary Club of Akron Past President and Foundation Board Communications Chair at 330.858.6672 or jbrandle@metisconstruction.com.
Foundation Board Officers and Members
James Redmond, President
Katy Miller, Vice President
Mark Krohn, Treasurer
Sally Christman, Secretary
Julie Brandle, Communication/Public Relations
Steve Buie, Governance/Liaison to Club Board
Marcia Holcomb, Nomination/Roster
Rima Muakkassa, Ph.D, Scholarships
Jeff Sitz, Finance
Brian Steere, Fundraising/Development
Akron Rotary Foundation Makes a Difference in Central and South Americas
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of listening to Kemp Boyd, Executive Director discuss the mission of Love Akron during our Tuesday, July 28th Club meeting. It was a very engaging presentation with multiple follow-up questions about the organization, its challenges, successes, etc.
The mission of The Love Akron Network is to call Christian leaders of the greater Akron area to pray, unite and collaborate in ministry for the advancement of spiritual and social transformation in our communities.
Love Akron challenges Christian leaders of the local church, para-church ministries, marketplace, and nonprofit sectors of Summit County to... ...unite as a prayer network for the purpose of leading communities and congregations in prayer strategies as one church. ...tear down the walls that divide the colors, cultures, and congregations and to build bridges of understanding for the purpose of creating strategies that promote unity and harmony. ...invest their collective resources for the purpose of the whole church taking the whole Gospel to the whole county.
Love Akron was established in 1995 by Pastor Mark Ford, Pastor Knute Larson & Rev. Dr. Ron Fowler. The first event was a prayer meeting, hoping it would grow into a city-wide prayer movement, and has since been successful. With the retirement of its founding leader in April 2019, Love Akron hired Executive Director Kemp Boyd.
Mr. Boyd is committed to empowering others to make Greater Akron thrive. What this means is Love Akron wants to listen together and learn together, so that we can lead together as a city and not as separate organizations. As Mr. Boyd stated, “Better together collaborating with community change agents resulting in collaborative impacts.”
Love Akron, through the guidance of Kemp Boyd and his staff, attempts to help the community celebrate our differences not just acting when there is a tragedy. What unites us, not divides us.
Love Akron attempts to bring awareness to what resources are available in Akron already, and then bringing together a team of players to address a concern.
Love Akron has 3 Initiatives for 2021. One of those will be to address the challenge of 850 children being served by Children Services Board and only 170 foster home beds available.
Mr. Boyd commented that “race” is just one component that makes up “diversity.” Race doesn’t need to get lost in “diversity.” When we try to lump all types of diversity into one category, we often dilute each one of them and accomplish very little.
For additional information on Love Akron you can visit their website at http://www.loveakron.org
Kemp Boyd of Love Akron Helps Make a Collective Impact
John was our speaker on Tuesday, July 21st and enlightened our members about Royal Family KIDS (RFK) which aims to intervene in the lives of children in foster care. RFK transforms communities by interrupting cycles of neglect, abuse and abandonment of children in the foster care system. They provide an array of programs, all directed toward changing the trajectory of young lives which usually include a combination of academic failure, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, sex trafficking, homelessness, and incarceration.
In 1985, an assistant pastor named Wayne Tesch and his wife, Diane, saw a need to provide hope to local foster children in Costa Mesa, California. They created a week-long summer camp held in the mountains, the “cathedral of the outdoors,” in order to create moments that matter for foster children ages 6-12.
When John Schwider started a summer camp for foster children in Chicago Southland in 1994, he found his niche. His whole focus became developing healthy supporting relationships for foster children. He transitioned from volunteer to a full-time position as Field Representative with Royal Family KIDS in 2005. Although he works nationwide, his concentration is in the Great Lakes Region which includes Ohio.
Royal Family KIDS mobilizes churches to begin summer camps for foster children. Currently there are 239 camps nationally and internationally. There are 10 camps in Ohio but are limited in their activities currently because of COVID-19. The organization expanded to include mentoring clubs, Teen Reach Adventure Camps (TRAC) and the teen mentoring component, TRAC Life. Through these four passages the church can be the one organization in a foster child’s life that can maintain consistent relationships from age six to eighteen.
When children age out of foster care at age 18, RFK still maintains contact with many of their “kids” via their Facebook page. Over the 30 years of RFK’s existence 106,000 children have been served. Last year RFK served 9,00 children. Serving these children were 14,000 volunteers. The week at camp is magical. The sponsoring church pick up the children via coach buses. Children arriving at camp are greeted with a poster board welcoming each-and-every child. Each day there is a choice of activities that campers can choose from. At the end of their week of camp, the students plant a silver maple tree. Before planting the tree, each camper writes a note about a traumatic event in their life. The note is buried in the hole as the tree is planted, as a way of “letting go” of that traumatic event and moving on with their life. The camp ratio is 30 kids and 50 volunteers. The closest camp for Summit County is in Canton. This camp has been in operation for 20 years.
We are pleased to announce that this year’s Cornhole Tournament, presented by Buckeye Corrugated, Inc., is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2020 on the grounds of the Akron Rotary Camp. Last year’s event raised $16,160 to benefit sending kids to Rotary Camp!
Joining me on this year’s committee are Rotarians – Andrew Grover, Doug Hausknecht, Jim Redmond and Julie Ann Sweet-Buntin. Our committee along with Rotary Camp has put together a plan for the health and safety of all attendees and players.
Back by popular demand will be the Menches Bros. Food Truck, topped off with ice-cream for dessert, and beverages from our friends at the House of LaRose to help keep you cool.
Your help is needed to support for this great event for our Camp. You can help with participating to play, recruiting teams, securing raffle prizes and/or sponsorships.Click here for the Cornhole Tournament flyer to help promote and invite your colleagues, family and neighbors for some friendly rivalry. You can also share this link to register, sponsor or donate online: bit.ly/rotarycornhole2020
Don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions skolligian@neolaw.biz or (330) 253-2227. Thank you in advance for helping us to make this the most successful tournament yet to support Rotary Camp!
Scott Kolligian Co-Founder, Charity Cornhole Tournament
President Rob inducted Richard Fry at our July 21st meeting. Rich was sponsored by PDG John Reyes.
Rich is an attorney at Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC, specializing in the area of Taxation. He recently became Office Partner in Charge at the Akron office.
He is a native of Northeast Ohio and currently lives in Stow. He is a graduate of Kent State University and the University of Akron.
Rich is active in a number of community groups, including Boys and Girls Club of America, Stewart’s Caring Place and various bar associations and legal associations. He has a long history of interest and involvement in community service especially involving youth.
Rich has recently been selected to be part of this year’s Leadership Akron class.
Richard Fry is our Newest Rotarian!!
Terrence Dalton
2020-07-21 04:00:00Z
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JOHN REYES,RICH FRY,TERRY DALTON,akron rotary,rob mcgregor
Truly Reaching You was formed in Akron, OH in 1999 by Perry Clark, who after being released from prison in 1997 realized the need for a healthy environment to not return to his old ways. TRY became a formal 501(c)3 in 2006 and has steadily grown since.
Mr. Clark shared his amazing story of resilience with our club and how he found a way to help other men who have been "inside".
Truly Reaching You is committed to helping men, reentering the community from incarceration and/or addiction, transition into healthy lifestyles, renewed attitudes, and positive relationships through Christian principles.
Truly Reaching You works in collaboration with the Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Board of Summit County, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Adult Parole Authority, various Judges, and the National Association of Recovery Residences.
He said that everyone entering the program goes through an thorough interview process and men 18 and older are who they serve.
In addition, they are committed to self sustainability - hence grant funds are used only for covering housing and housing needs - the grant funds do not get used for staff or payroll needs.
He said "the greatest blessing in my life was that my dad taught me a strong work ethic". It's his mission to instill this ethic in the men who come through Truly Reaching You.
They have a Work for Hire program to help the men served by Truly Reaching You develop the work history and skill sets needed to find -- and keep -- jobs that will support themselves or their families, and ultimately enable them to make a successful transition.
They offer Lawncare & Landscaping, Commercial Cleaning, Housing Rehab & Construction, and Hauling & Manual Labor.
Simultaneously, the program provides the entire community - business owners, local government, nonprofit organizations, churches, and residential home owners - with high-quality, competitively priced services and provides TRY with a growing source of income to support its reentry work.
Immediate needs of the organization are a cargo van and mini van.
The 2019-2020 District Governor, John Reyes, presented clubs and individuals with awards earned during his year. Our Club and many of its members were honored to receive recognition at the event. The awards our members received are listed below.
This event was held virtually due to this unprecedented time in our lives.
President Rob inducted Carol Marturano-Becker at our July 7th meeting. Carol was sponsored by John Margida.
She is the the President of IMPACT Learning, which she founded in 1997. Her company is focused on providing practical and comprehensive resources for today's leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs. She provides strategic planning initiatives for her clients which have included: Fortune 500 companies, midsize and small companies, nonprofits, community organizations, education institutions and entrepreneurs.
Carol was selected to help our Club develop a strategic plan in the 2018-19 rotary year. Her leadership and collaboration was instrumental in the development of our current strategic plan.
She is currently a member of: The International Coach Federation, Society of Human Resource Management and the Association of Training and Development and a volunteer with Scouting BSA and several other local community organizations.
She and her husband Dale Becker have two adult children. She enjoys reading, gardening, boating, skiing, golf, sporting events spectator, learning, spending time with family.
This was our first meeting of the new Rotary Year. Our 2020-2021 President, Dr. Robert S. McGregor, was officially installed, and he in-turn installed his officers. It was a pleasure to hear from Rob about his vision, themes and goals for the upcoming year. In addition to continuing to embrace and implement the strategic plan, he plans to have the Bylaws committee revise/update the club bylaws. He is planning routine monthly meetings for the council of chairs and will also be forming a new Risk Management Assessment committee.
Anne Jorgensen became our newest member on June 30, 2020. She was sponsored by Rotarian Doug Hausknecht.
She was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Programming and Leadership in September 2019.
She directs Student-Athlete Programming and the Cline Leadership Academy. Jorgensen is responsible for guiding the career direction for 20 teams and 530 student-athletes. She recruits for all sports.
Named the Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Academic Services in January 2007, Jorgensen coordinated all academic advising for Akron's 450 student-athletes and coordinates eligibility with compliance. Working with all 18 Zip sports, she conducts recruitment visits and meets with each coaching staff for academic reviews.
Prior to joining the Athletics Department, Jorgensen spent six years as the director of undergraduate programs and assistant to the dean in UA's College of Business. A member of the UA staff since 1997, Jorgensen was the senior assistant director of admissions and coordinator of transfer admissions for three years, helping to recruit for all sports.
Jorgensen spent six years at a part-time faculty member in UA's School of Music.
Jorgensen earned a double bachelor's degree in music/piano pedagogy and music education from Michigan State in 1974. She completed a certificate in early childhood education from Midwestern State University in 1985. Jorgensen earned a master's degree in music from Morehead State in 1976.
A native of Michigan, Jorgensen resides in Twin Lakes. Her husband Robert Jorgensen, professor emeritus and director of bands emeritus at The University of Akron, passed away on July 4, 2015, directing a band. The couple has a daughter, Laura, who is the assistant athletics director and director of athletics ticket operations at the University of Oregon.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
As some of you may know, our Rotary club is a community partner with North High School. We have had several events throughout the year where members of the club went and donated their time and expertise to help students. We also had been working on a professional skills-like event in late March that was unfortunately cancelled due to the virus. Nevertheless, we made a great impact at the school and are more ready than ever to support NHS this upcoming year.
We received a message from Janice Weaver, the Academy Coach from North High School, sharing the following:
First, I want to say THANK YOU for supporting North High School's Academies in the 19-20 academic year. As I'm sure you can imagine, this year was a unique one. We had our first graduating class to experience the full academy model, and even though it ended on an unexpected note, it is clear that they benefited from your support as a partner.
In total, The Rotary Club of Akron invested 41 hours over 10 engagements equaling $4,100 in time and talent! In addition, any planning time on your end also counts towards your total investment, and is currently not reflected in the figures above.
I will be meeting with Janice virtually to plan for this fall. We are very excited about our history and continued support of North High School. If anyone has any suggestions for programs they would like to see, please contact me at josephmariomicale@gmail.com. Great job Rotary!
We were pleased to hear from Mike Solosky, Donor Relations Coordinator at Haven of Rest Ministries on June 16th. Mike share some staggering statistics about both, the Residents (those who stay on average of a year) and the Clients/guests who seek overnight shelter, food and clothing. Haven of Rest Ministries supplies approximately 1,400 men, women and children and meals. Even more are hungry and struggling. Haven of Rest Ministries plays a vital role in our community by addressing this growing need and helping to break the cycle of homelessness so that people can live brighter, hope-filled lives.
Haven of Rest provides a variety of services to the homeless, the new poor, battered women and children, rape victims, alcoholics, drug addicts, evictees, parolees, runaways, transients, indigents, and those with minimal mental and physical disabilities. Diversified services, offered to these individuals and families without charge, provide pathways for a new way of life and self-sufficiency. This past year, the mission provided 269.608 meals and 59,800 nights of lodging.
For 77 years, Haven of Rest Ministries has never received government funding. It's funding is private and corporate donors only.
Cash donations are always welcome but they are also in need canned goods for their meals. The larger cans are best if possible!
They will be hosting a canned food drive (see below or click here for the 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.
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.
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
Thursday, June 11, 2020 the Akron Rotary Club, Akron Rotary Foundation delivered the "Coin Boxes" and a Foundation check to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank. We were so happy to hand-off the beloved coin boxes, in the amount of $127.00, to Mr. Joe May, Manager of the State and Federal Communications Food Banks (non-profit organization located in Akron). Mr. Jim Redmond presented a matching check of $125.00 to Natalie Peacock, Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank specialist.
The Harvest for Hunger Campaign, vital to the Foodbank's hunger relief efforts, was a kick-off breakfast back in February and the Akron Rotary Club was represented by 10 "Lady" Rotarians. Coin boxes were carried out and became a featured centerpiece at Akron Rotary Club lunches until the beginning of March — COVID-19 hit! We did our best to keep the campaign alive as we zoomed our luncheon meetings collecting Happy coins and drive by donations.
Many thanks for all who donated and helped on a service project by the Akron Rotary Club for a total of $252.00 supporting the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, feeding people and fighting hunger. They couldn't do it with ALL of us supporting their case.
Photo L-R: Joe May, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility for State and Federal Food Banks, Lynda Farkas, Jim Redmond representing Akron Rotary Club Foundation, Natalie Peacock, Corporate Relationship specialist ACRFB
Want to do something fun? The Community Project Committee from the Rotary Club of Akron has a project for you, “Beautification Watch Award Canvassing”. This program is sponsored by “Keep Akron Beautiful”.
Beautification Watch Awards are the way of saying “thank you” to the homes and businesses that take pride in taking care of their property in the City of Akron. The Rotary Club of Akron has been involved with this for the last 8 years.
Please see the information below to sign up directly with Keep Akron Beautiful.
We're looking for volunteers to be canvassers for our Beautification Watch Awards (BWA).
BWA volunteers drive one of our pre-determined routes on their own time throughout the month of July and nominate homes + businesses for our Beautification Watch Award.
There are 45 routes that cover the entire City of Akron. Each route takes 2-4 hours to complete. Routes are only to be completed in the month of July and have to be turned in to KAB by Monday, August 3, 2020.
Beautification Watch Awards are our way of saying “thank you” to the homes and businesses that take pride in taking care of their property in the City of Akron.
If you would like to participate as a Beautification Watch Award Canvasser, click here to sign up.
We suggest participating in teams or groups to ensure everyone’s safety, as you will need to write down nominated addresses as you drive by them.
Booklets will be mailed to participants this year to avoid contact. This is an easy + safe way to volunteer with us! We appreciate you all so much.
During our virtual meeting, Jim Mullen, President & CEO of United Way of Summit County updated us on the United Way of Summit County's BOLD GOALS and how the United Way became the lead organization for the COVID-19 Emergency Response raising 1.7 million to date. Thank you for joining us today Jim Mullen!
You can view some of Jim's slides below (thanks Julie Brandle for the screen shots!).
This past weekend, June 6th and 7th, the Akron Rotary Club officially planted boots on the ground to help serve a very specific need for barbershop and salon owners in the greater Akron black community.
A team of seven Rotarians gathered at the Akron rotary camp on Saturday to put together supply care packages for 70 local businesses. The supplies ranged from Covid prevention supplies to cleaning supplies as well as some beauty products.
The following day 5 Rotarians and a few family members met in the afternoon outside of Dr. Leia Love's salon in West Akron to distribute the packages. There were lots of smiles and thankful hearts for our gracious gifts.
A big thanks to the club members and our Akron Rotary Foundation for its matching donation - we raised $6,300 for this project!
Well-done Akron Rotary Club for stepping up to meet a very present need by planting seeds of love.
A big thank you to fellow Rotarian Steve Warren for presenting to our club on June 2nd. Steve is an Emmy award winning producer and serves as Director of Operations for Fox Sports Ohio / SportsTime Ohio.
Steve introduced himself and gave a brief background of his career in sports television, beginning with his jobs as a freelance Producer and Director, transitioning to becoming the Manager of Broadcasting Operations for the Cleveland Indians and how the Indians created their own Regional Sports Network - SportsTime Ohio - and his role with STO before and after STO was purchased by Fox Sports.
Steve then spoke about how Fox Sports Ohio / SportsTime Ohio dealt with creating programming for 2 full time, 24/7 sports networks without any live sporting events to cover once the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all sports. The networks immediately began to fill time with re-runs of "classic" games. With those games needing to be edited for air and the prospect of not being able to work in the Fox facilities, Steve and his team began figuring out ways for the Fox editors to work from home, accessing the editing software, highlights and transmission facilities at their Cleveland and Cincinnati production facilities remotely from the editors' homes across the state.
The next task his team was challenged with was to figure out how to create new programming, integrating the announcers, players and coaches all from their homes. Steve explained how they found new software and how they modified the intended use of that streaming software to create 6 new weekly shows for the networks. Their success was eventually reported to the rest of the Fox Regional Sports Networks. Steve and his team were then tasked with training all 22 of the Fox RSNs in the use of the software so that the other RSNs could catch up with the creative output of Fox Sports Ohio / SportsTime Ohio.
Currently, Steve and his Operations team are working on "Return To Play" scenarios for when live sports eventually returns. With the prospects of all 5 of the teams that FSO/STO covers potentially returning to play at the same time, but no one knowing the exact plans of the various leagues, Steve described it as "trying to pack for a vacation but you don't know where you are going, when you are going or who is going with you." He covered some of the health and safety precautions his company is taking to keep employees safe when they return to their work environment which normally includes having 20 people jammed together in a television production truck. He also enlightened the Club on some of the new technologies that will be coming to the forefront as a result of working from home and rapid evolution in broadcasting technologies.
This year has been very much like a Charles Dickens novel. One could say it has been the best of times and the worst of times, simultaneously. The pandemic has caused us all to reach deep and come up with creative ways to transition, get better, and move forward with renewed vision. Your Akron Rotary Club is right on time the step up and help meet a deep need for barbers and salon owners in the black community of Akron.
At the beginning of the year our club formed a diversity/inclusion committee to look at ways to build bridges with black Akron and the international community. This Saturday, June 6th, a team of Rotarians and Rotaract students are gathering at The Rotary camp in portage lakes to put together care packages of needed supplies for salons and barber shops to be able to get back to business with confidence. Supplies will be distributed on Sunday afternoon.
What's really wonderful is that this need was only shared with the club one time and $6,300 was raised to help. What a wonderful way to start the journey of building relational Bridges within our wonderful community. Stay tuned, there's more to follow in the coming days, months, and years. We are Akron proud!
Akron Rotary Club is leading a new project with the Rotary Wheelchair Foundation to deliver a container of 280 wheelchairs to Ukraine. The Board of directors of Akron Rotary voted on January 15, 2020 to contribute raising money to the total amount of $21000, in partnership with District 4250 of California and the Wheelchair Foundation. The members of the Akron Rotary club were very generous, giving “one wheelchair at a time for $75 each”. The Wheelchair Foundation will match the total amount of dollars, will buy the wheelchairs in China, and will take care of the freight to Ukraine to our partner-in country, NGO God’s Hidden Treasures. Usually after the delivery of the wheelchair container, the Rotary clubs involved in the project send a team of Rotarian volunteers to participate in the distribution to the people in need of mobility. They also meet the Rotary clubs of Ukraine to continue to promote peace and friendship. With the uncertainty of the Coronavirus and the interruption of international travels it is difficult to schedule a date for such a trip. The project was being slowed down with the circumstances but it is now continuing and is extended to all the clubs of our District 6630 who want to participate to international projects and help people with disabilities.
This week the Akron club had the privilege to include a new partner, the Rotary club of Port-Summit who decided to contribute to the project. They are supporting the Wheelchair Foundation and are very familiar with the wonderful work of wheelchair distribution that the Foundation does around the world. Any club from District 6630 can invite Claudine Schooley, Rotarian from Akron Club, to be their guest speaker at one of their virtual club meeting to present the Ukraine project and see that even a pandemic cannot stop a good solid international project. There is a big need for wheelchairs in Ukraine, especially in orphanages and in the war zone where the conflict is raging more than ever with Russia.
We’re so grateful to all of our Akron Fellow Rotarians who donated their change in support of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank 29th annual Harvest for Hunger Campaign that will end the May 31, 2020.
The COVID-19 did not stop the “good deeds” of Rotary as we collected approximately $125.00 in donations for the ACRFB along with matching dollars from the Akron Rotary Foundation – thank you Jim Redmond – for a total of $250.00!
Did you know each $1 = 4 meals and every $20 you give can help provide 160 meals for families facing hardships? We maximized every coin donated!!!
Thank you again for joining in this great effort in supporting our Summit County community of feeding people and fighting hunger. We could not do it without your help and support.
The Akron Rotary Club continues to have a strong commitment to serving our wonderful community. Last year, the club's President, along with a group of club leaders spent many months developing a strategic plan for the next 5 years. Part of that plan was to be deliberate and to choose to become more diverse and inclusive. We recognize that our city is blessed with tremendous people resources throughout and we need the help and involvement of black Akron and the International community.
We also realize that in order to successfully represent our great City, we need to see and hear the needs of all Akron.
Recently, Robert DeJournett, director of diversity and inclusion, from the Akron chamber of commerce shared with our club during a virtual zoom meeting. He shared how our Club could take a much-needed step to help black small business owners who own barber shops and beauty salons throughout Akron.
The effects of the pandemic on these small businesses was overwhelming. Robert invited us to help meet a present need by purchasing much needed supplies for these shops to reopen in the first week of June.
Our Club responded by saying yes, count us in! We have raised $6,000 for the purchase of supplies to be distributed to area salons and barber shops.
Rotarians will be meeting to put together the supply packages and to make deliveries.
We're thankful for the opportunity to serve and to build relationships with our brothers and sisters in need.
Club dues invoices were sent out via email May 1, 2020. Need another copy of
your invoice? Just email us (click here) and include your name in the body of the email. Additionally, any dues payments received after June 30th will be assessed a $19.00 late fee. Thank you.
President Pat O'Neill did a very personal and special induction on May 26th. He inducted his younger brother, Luke O'Neill, into our club during a virtual meeting.
Luke was sponsored by Earl Hamlin.
Luke is a realtor with Keller Williams. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Luke has extensive knowledge and experience with the major markets and submarkets that make up Northeast Ohio. Not only does he have experience in helping buyers and sellers on the retail side, Luke actively invests in the Real Estate markets that he sells in and helps investors in those markets, too.
When Luke is not working or talking real estate, he loves spending time with his wife, Elyse and their two sons, and dog, Mali. With a zest for life and a passion for helping other, Luke said he "will make sure he gives 100% at everything he does."
As you prepare for the big night, we wanted to share some exciting details regarding the 2020 Akron Virtual Heart Ball that will be held on Friday, June 5, 2020 beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Here is what you can expect during our time together:
* Powerful stories from local survivors and a real-time Open Your Heart appeal
* Information about how the AHA is responding to and caring for our at-risk friends from COVID-19
* A LIVE AUCTION!
* Exclusive opportunity to hear about the impact of your dollars and how the American Heart Association is investing in cutting-edge research and treatments
You will also receive a reminder email 30 minutes before the start of the program. Please feel free to share this link to invite your family and friends to join you!
Some masked do-gooders were out last week leaving out, picking up, and dropping off fabric for mask making! Thank you Akron Rotarians for 10 donations with 6 drivers, totaling approximately 10 to 12 bags for www.gahss.org. Mahananda Luitel thanked all for the donations! If you come up with more at a later date reach out direct to their website. Thank you!!
June Ring
Julie Brandle, June Ring and Mahananda Luitel
Ginakaye Maddox & Tom Knauer
John Daily
Amador & Shannon Gonzalez
Cyndi Kane
Michael Wilson from the Akron Canton Foodbank and June Ring
I just wanted to send a note of thanks for donations from some of our Rotarians to Hope Walk at Home benefitting Stewart's Caring Place. We were so thrilled with the positive response from our supporters and ended up exceeding our goal! It truly takes a community to support the work of all the wonderful nonprofits and businesses in our area and I'm so thankful for your support.Our goal was $40,000. We had over 700 people participate including folks from California, Indiana, and Georgia and raised over $47,000. I've attached some photos from our Selfie Scavenger Hunt as we encouraged people to enjoy walking in their own neighborhood or favorite park! Here are some of the Rotarians who participated.
What a great Club meeting on May 12th. Joe Swiatkowski is the president of Hickory Harvest Foods and 2 subsidiary companies and gave us a wonderful virtual tour of his company. This company is truly a gem in our community!
The Swiatkowski family owns and operates food processing and manufacturing companies all in Akron, Ohio. Their breadth of products include nuts, dried fruits, organics, chocolate, and yogurts.
Thank you for the 'insiders view' of your operations and history!
Our speaker on May 5, 2020 was Robert DeJournett who spoke on Diversity and Inclusion. Below is his PowerPoint and two videos he shared during his presentation. We appreciate the time he took to share this information with our Club and look forward to continuing our support of the the Greater Akron Chamber's initiatives to advance economic opportunity through diversity and inclusion to accelerate the growth and success of Greater Akron's Companies.
INCLUSION SUMMIT: THE HISTORY OF INCLUSION IN AKRON Video is below. If your browser/email service does not support seeing this video - click here to view
GREATER AKRON INCLUSION SUMMIT: What are you going to do?
Video is below. If your browser/email service does not support seeing this video - click here to view
This past weekend, while observing the national debate over returning to work, it dawned on me that many people may be eventually returning to work to the realization that some of their co-workers have died. I know that our club has lost Rotarians (like my grandpa) in the past month and I know countless other members have been impacted.
Our governor Mike DeWine has began making preparation to reopen the state of Ohio and get us all back to work. Accordingly, I feel that it is appropriate to share the attached article, which is written by Dr. Alan Wolfelt. He is the most preeminent American writer on the topics of death, grief and healing.
I hope Dr. Wolfelt's words provide comfort and encouragement to everyone in our Rotary Club as well as get back to work. Can you please distribute to the larger Rotary Club?
Thanks!
Nathanael M. Billow
Executive Vice President & Treasurer
The Billow Co.
85 N. Miller Rd.
Fairlawn, OH 44333
(330) 867-4141
Condolences in the Time of COVID-19
Guidance for Conveying Your Love and Support
by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.
When someone dies—of COVID-19 or any cause—during this pandemic, their loved ones are being left to grieve in especially harrowing circumstances. They may not have been able to be by the dying person’s side in the hospital or long-term care facility. They may have been prevented from spending time with the body, which we know helps mourners say hello on the path to goodbye. And due to social distancing mandates, they have probably been unable to gather with friends and family to provide each other essential mutual support.
For these and other reasons, it’s a terrible time for loss. It’s a terrible time to be grieving.
If you would like to support a grieving person during this time, you might feel unsure about what to say or do. After all, many of the time-honored methods of demonstrating your care and concern—such as attending the funeral, or stopping by the family’s home to offer an embrace and your presence—aren’t options. Yet you can still be a light in this dark time. The five principles that follow will guide you.
Get in touch, and stay in touch.
To convey your love and support, video calls are the best substitute for face-to-face conversations. Voice calls come second. After that, emails, texting, and social media work too. And don’t forget the power of the handwritten note! Depending on how close you are to the family, I recommend reaching out to the grieving person at least once a week in the coming months—and even more often than that in the beginning.
Be an exemplary listener.
On video calls or the phone, try to listen most of the time. When you do talk, validate what the grieving person has said to you. In their isolation, they still need their experience witnessed and affirmed. They still need to feel heard and understood. By actively and attentively listening, you will be giving them this gift.
Say what’s on your heart.
Especially in challenging death circumstances, it can be difficult to know what to say to the grieving family. It’s always OK to say, “I’m so sorry,” “You’ve had to endure so much,” and “My heart is breaking for you.” Keep in mind that the word “condolence” comes from the Latin condolens, meaning “to suffer with another.”
Be genuine, but please refrain from advice-giving, judging, and sharing your own loss stories and religious viewpoints unless you are asked. What I’ve learned from my work as a grief counselor and educator for more than forty years is that what you say is often less important than how you say it. As long as you are genuine and focused on the grieving person’s experience and worldview, your empathy will come across.
Listen to and share memories.
In the early days after a death, grieving people are usually consumed by shock, attending to tasks related to the death, and integrating the reality of the circumstances of the death. But after some time has passed, they are often ready to start thinking about the life of the person who died. You can be someone who listens to the stories they want to tell and, if you have your own memories of the person who died, shares them with the grieving person. Remember that the love lives on, and the memories live on. You can support the grieving person by honoring this.
Consider the love languages.
In his landmark 1995 book The Five Love Languages, author Dr. Gary Chapman introduced us to the idea that human beings feel cared for by others in five primary ways:
• receiving gifts
• spending quality time together
• hearing words of affirmation
• being the beneficiary of acts of service
• experiencing physical touch
With the exception of physical touch, whose lack is indeed a great hardship right now, all of these remain ways you can support your grieving friend or family member in the weeks to come. For example, you can send a gift of flowers, food, or self-care items, such as books or a candle. You can still spend quality time together, online or on the phone. By mailing cards and sending texts, you can share words of affirmation. And you may be able carry out or arrange acts of service, such as dropping off a home-cooked meal, mowing the lawn, or running errands.
I hope you will use some of the ideas in this article to reach out to your grieving friend or family member—as well as healthcare workers, emergency services personnel, funeral home employees, and others you may know who are confronting overwhelming illness and death during the pandemic. Most of all, I hope you will keep in mind that it matters less what you specifically say or do and more that you simply make efforts to get and stay in touch. If you genuinely care and you find active ways to express your empathy, the grieving person will feel your support, even from a distance. Remember that the death of someone loved is a shattering experience. Lead with your heart and be gentle, loving and compassionate in all of your helping efforts.
About the author
Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., is an author, educator, and grief counselor. He serves as Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition and is on the faculty of the University of Colorado Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Wolfelt has written many bestselling books on coping with grief, including Grief One Day at a Time and First Aid for Broken Hearts. Visit www.centerforloss.com to learn more about grief and loss.
Exchange to me this next year holds so much importance to me as a person and practically as well. To start with the practical, I am a junior in high school planning to finish high school this year and graduate early. This past year I have had my lasts and said my goodbyes to the high school Friday football games, the after school Starbucks runs with my friends, the classmates I will not see next year, and I have worked countless hours saving to pay for my own exchange instead of going out to eat with friends or buying new things. For me this has been significant in my life as it ends a big portion of my life and signifies change and growth as a person to be moving towards this next stage of my life. For this next year, I was planning on having probably one of the best years of my life going on exchange. In a strictly practical sense, not going on exchange would mean that I would be at home for a year probably working and then going to college since this past year I did not apply to colleges. While this is not the worst thing that could happen in this upcoming year, it was not the way I had pictured or wished to be spending my time. For me emotionally, this exchange also has significance since around 8th grade I have longed to experience rich cultures and speak in another language. It wasn’t until this past year that I realized it was possible for me to go and I started this journey. As I became more involved with the exchange students here in the U.S. I have seen first hand how life changing it can be. Seeing the exchange students at the last overnighter was one of the happiest and saddest things to see as we sat around in a circle at night softly singing a song together and enjoying the limited time we had. I saw the deep connections each of them made with each other often feeling a little bit envious wondering why I wasn’t in their circle not realizing that what you must go through as a group is something unique to everyone who goes on exchange. This bond is something so unique and precious that can’t be made in any other setting than exchange. For me, being culturally aware and being able to understand and communicate in someone’s own language has always fascinated me and been one of my goals. Exchange for me would allow me to explore these avenues and continue my french learning in a new way. As I continue to get older, I find myself wishing to find my own identity and who I really am and what my values are in life. For me, exchange meant my first journey alone where I would be faced with challenges whether I liked it or not and I would have to be able to overcome these. I think being able to overcome these and really be myself without my parents would allow me to find out more of who I really am and discover new things I didn’t know about myself. Ever since I was little, I have had a passion and yearning for travelling as well as I have always been interested in trying new food when we go out to eat or watching foreign films. This passion for me goes beyond just wanting to travel and see cool places. For me I think it means understanding people better and connecting. It means opening up my own thoughts and challenging them and making me uncomfortable. This next year I hope to go on exchange and experience the challenges and uncomfortable moments and the new people to further expand myself as a person and those I meet. Exchange to me means so much more than just seeing a new place and I wish I could fully express myself and what it means to me, but I think it would be impossible in words. If there is one takeaway from this is that exchange means more to me a virus and more to me than having to wait a month to go.
I thought others might find this link to akronlife a good resource while we continue to follow stay-at-home orders. This is helpful for finding interesting virtual activities, and food/dining locations serving take out.
In addition, each week they also honor some of our locals for their dedication to our community. This week I extracted two articles from them to share with you - they have a special feature for Nurses Week called Cameos of Caring and also the Stronger Together article is where you can nominate people who work in all aspects of the health care system to say "thanks".
Medical professionals make the difference between life and death, especially in moments of crisis. With Nurses Week May 6 through 12, now is a time to salute those dedicated to public health. Caregivers, thank you for working the long nights and early mornings, for being a pillar in our community and for always showing up to help our neighbors. Here are The 330 nurses we highlighted as the most recent recipients of the Cameos of Caring awards.
Stronger Together
Know a health care hero?
While we stay safe at home, our vital health care workers continue to serve on the front lines. Doctors and nurses are treating and advocating for patients, pharmacists are filling ongoing requests and environmental service crews are sanitizing facilities. These are just some of the many that make up the heart of our health care system. These are our health care heroes.
A sign of the times, our Rotary exchange student Elin Na with Anita and Tom Gedelian at her side said good-bye at the airport with a selfie of their masked faces as Elin embarked on her long journey home to South Korea.
When I met Elin the day before her departure, she was all smiles but sad to leave until she saw the photo book of her Rotary Exchange Year with pictures of our Akron club members, exchange students from District 6630, events at Stow Munroe Falls High School, her primary host family Tom and Anita Gedelian, and her other hosts, the Nuñez and Lanzinger families. Tears formed and the urge to hug her host mom and me was hesitantly extinguished, a necessary action in this era of social distancing!!! Photos of fantastic memories for one exceptional young ambassador!!!! So much to be thankful for!!!! And, so you ask, “Why was she smiling?” Elin was holding a bag full of pins from her Rotary Club in Korea for me to distribute to members of the Rotary Club of Akron, something that will hopefully be done at our first non-distancing opportunity. A generous gesture, one that will help us remember this quiet, beautiful young lady and this stellar year marked only by this abrupt Covid-19 interruption. Hopefully, Elin’s adventures will bring her back to Akron someday. And, although there will be changes made to the Rotary Youth Exchange motto, “World peace, one handshake at time,” we pray that Rotary exchanges will start again in the not so distant future.
Dr. Rob McGregor was our presenter April 14th and provided us with an amazing, heartfelt presentation about Children's Hospital Response: Being Safe in Today's Environment.
He is the "Incident Commander" at the hospital and provided some inspirational quotes along with the important chart below to help us all think about who we want to be during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Rob also said, "Be courageous, Be the storm - socially distance and wash your hands. Keep connected and strive to move past fear to learning and growth! Virtual hugs and handshakes for now. We WILL grow and move past this! Be well my friends!"
Quote from Amy Triano - with the non profit Hold the Door Open says: "Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important than that fear."
Quote from Curt Cronin Navy seal friend reminds me of his favorite quote -"Fate whispers to the warrior "You are not strong enough to weather the storm...The warrior whispers back ; "I am the storm!"
We want to express our sincere appreciation to Dr. McGregor and each of the first responders for all they are doing to keep us healthy.
President Pat O'Neill inducted Philip Williams as a new member during our April 14th virtual meeting. Philip was sponsored by Dr. Rob McGregor. New to the Akron area, Philip now works as Director of New Business Development for United Way of Summit County. He describes himself as a data driven problem solver and likes to use Six Sigma ideologies and is willing to share those skills. With his prior employer, he volunteered and lead Junior Achievement Bowl-a-thons and volunteered for many events with the Cleveland Food Bank.
Zoé Mayeur, from Brussels, Belgium, spent the 2019-2020 exchange year with the Rotary Club of Akron. Because of the current Covid-19 pandemic, she left April 5 to return home to ride out the rest of this storm with her parents and older sister Fanny. In her own words, “The trip was not easy but I made it home. I am quarantining with my parents and my sister so I enjoy my time with them, we go on bike rides, we cook, we talk.” Like most people in the time of Covid-19, her parents are not working. Normally, Zoe’s mother serves as a Federal Ombudsman for the Belgium Parliament. Her father is a criminologist in charge of helping prisoners who are released find jobs and then he follows up on them in their work.
While in Akron, Zoé was enrolled in classes at Stow Munroe Falls High School. Eager to try something new, she started playing the clarinet in the marching band and participated in cross-country and track and field. She said she“likes playing on a team because of the team spirit.” Zoé especially enjoyed marching in the Brown’s Game in the fall when the SMFHS band played at halftime. She now understands Americans’ enthusiasm for football! Due to her curiosity and eagerness to discover new things, Zoé made friends in her classes, in the band, in the SMFHS Interact Club and in her sports. Consequently, she was able to take advantage of many opportunities to experience American culture, through Rotary, her school and her host family.
Her host parents, Jen and Richard Carroll, generously opened their doors and hearts to Zoé and treated her like one of their own children, of which they have two - Audrey and David. Audrey was our Outbound Exchange Student to Germany last year. Zoé spent a lot of valuable time with her new family and celebrated the ordinary things of American life. One of her favorite experiences was going to Puerto Rico during Winter Break with her family to enjoy the warmth of one of the U.S.’s Caribbean territories. And life was not too boring after the orderfor “shelter -in-place” was issued. The kids enjoyed playing games, watching movies and cooking.
District 6630 Exchange students have been using Zoom to connect for the last 3 weeks, thanks to Shelia Hedrick who connects us all. Before her departure, Zoé took time to demonstrate a no-cook dessert recipe made with Belgium cookies (biscuits) and whipped cream, it was so delicious looking!!! She “was happy to share one more thing about [her] before leaving.” Wish we could have tasted it!
Zoé has been a wonderful ambassador for Belgium and a delightful visitor to the U.S. Like Elin, she was so looking forward to the Eastern trip to visit Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. in March, and to meet other RYE students. A disappointed ambassador to say the least, Zoé took the cancellation in stride as well as news of no summer Western Trip to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Colorado and California, understanding that personal safety comes first. So Zoé, too, will miss so many of the spring cultural events such as Prom, our Rotary 6630 Conference, and graduation as well as summer prospects of fun in the sun.
Zoé’s “goal this year was to be immersed in a new culture with people who don’t necessarily think like [her] and learn from them and to share [her] Belgium culture with them. We can say that she more than accomplished this goal. And she is still eager to help us learn more about Belgium. We hope to connect with Zoé using Zoom one day soon to see her smiling face and listen to her charming voice again and learn more about Belgium culture. Her greeting to us: “I miss you and the rest so much... Stay safe!”
Elin Na (Hye Rim) from Yeoju (city), Gyeonggi-do (province), S. Korea has spent this year with the Rotary Club of Akron. Because of our Covid-19 pandemic, on April 16 she will be returning to her parents who are real estate agents, and her younger sister and younger brother. In case you are interested, Yeoju is located in the middle of the Korean Peninsula where many ginkgo trees grow and the temperature has extremes (very hot and very cold).
While in Akron, she attended Stow Munroe Falls High School where she enrolled in multiple classes and played the clarinet in the marching band and the concert band. She especially enjoyed marching in the Brown’s Game in the fall when the SMFHS band played at halftime. She now understands the NFL!!! Elin easily made friends and was able to take advantage of many opportunities to experience American culture, both through Rotary and her host family. One of her favorite experiences was going to Disney World and spending time with Jill Flagg Lanzinger’s family during Winter Break. Jill and her family had volunteered to host Elin in May and June.
Her host parents, Anita and Tom Gedelian, opened their doors and hearts to Elin. She spent time with their grandchildren and celebrated her birthday Korean style at Seoul Gardens with the whole Gedelian gang in January. She felt very comfortable at home with the Gedelians.
Elin had planned a trip with Anita to visit another Gedelian daughter and her family in Texas in April, but that trip has been cancelled.
Elin has also had the opportunity to spend time with the Nuñez family. She and son, Manny shared an interest in band and were great friends at school. Rachel and Jacinto have great welcoming expertise as they hosted Sotaro Yamasaki, our RYE student from Japan, for a good part of last year.
Elin has been a wonderful ambassador for her country and a delightful visitor to the U.S. She was so looking forward to the Eastern trip to visit Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. in March, and to meet all the other RYE students but that trip was canceled a week before departure. And now the summer Western Trip to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Colorado and California has been canceled. No luck for Elin!! We are sorry Elin will miss so many of the spring cultural events such as Prom, our Rotary 6630 Conference, and graduation as well as summer prospects of fun in the sun. But a decision to return is always best when personal safety is the focus. It is certain that we will miss her delightful smile and her eagerness to help us learn more about and appreciate Korean culture. Here’s a photo of Elin as we hiked the Bike Trail at Brust Park along the Cuyahoga River in Munroe Falls last week while maintaining good social distancing!
Join us for our ZOOM meeting on April 7 at noon when Dan Flowers (click for bio) will be talking with us about the Akron Canton Foodbank and their response to COVID-19.
IF YOU SEW (or know someone who does) ... YOU CAN HELP!!!
This mask consists of 2 layers of HALYARD ON H600 medical fabric. (Typically used to cover sterilized surgical instruments.) It has a 16 Gauge copper or brass wire sewn in at the top and fabric ties reinforced with regular acrylic yarn.
The medical grade fabric is provided by the hospital and comes in varying sizes.
Pull the two layers apart. If you pull gently-the fused areas will come apart just fine. If it creates holes-then you will need to cut the fused part (or the holes!) off.
Stack both layers when cutting. Cut and you have the 2 pieces needed. A cutting mat, ruler and rotary cutter makes cutting a breeze! A 36” wide cutting mat and 36” ruler and works great!
DO NOT press the medical grade fabric - it will melt!
Community Support Services' Homeless Outreach indicated that they could give away about 20-30 bag lunches each day.... So, if you're interested in making lunches - they don't have refrigeration space, so it would be better if the sandwiches were peanut butter and jelly rather than lunch meat - it could include a sandwich, granola bar or cookies, an apple or banana, and a bottle of water.... Those could be dropped off at the main office (call Michael Gaffney, and I'll meet you in the parking lot), or if you'd like to, you can take them to Homeless outreach - 111 E. Voris Street.
I am sure many of you are not surprised; camp is unusually quiet these days! Due to the COVID-19 outbreak we have cancelled programs from mid-March through the end of April. We will continue to follow the guidelines from Governor DeWine and his team as when to consider reopening. Our camp team is planning out different scenarios as to what camp will look like this summer. Our goal is to begin providing meaningful programs to our campers and families as quickly and safely as possible. Today, we are still planning on moving forward with summer camp as scheduled; we are hiring counselors and planning programs.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to the camp team. We appreciate your support and love for our campers. We look forward to seeing you at camp this summer for a Thursday Cookout and other events.
If there is anything that you need, please do not hesitate to contact me.
During this extremely difficult time, the value of our relationships is more important than ever. While we may rely on phone calls, text messages and video conferences, our relationships will get us through this.
One of my favorite authors is Jon Gordon and he shares frequent blog posts to his email followers and yesterday’s email shared the following:
"I know what's going on is scary. I know the images on the television wreak havoc on our minds and souls. I know fear is at an all-time high. But I also know that a fear-filled life isn't living. This is why, now more than ever, I want to encourage you to choose faith...I want to encourage you to keep faith and hope alive in your most difficult moments. Focus on the task at hand each day. Strive to be productive and creative. Something great will come out of this for you. I truly believe that."
There are Rotarians in our Club that need faith and hope more than ever.
Beginning Tuesday, April 7th at 12:00 p.m., we will be hosting our weekly meetings via Zoom conference.
I would encourage you to participate and to share this invitation with anyone looking for encouragement, prayers or emotional support because that is exactly what we will be providing each Tuesday at noon, for the foreseeable future.
Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Tuesday:
Apr 7, 2020 12:00 PM
Apr 14, 2020 12:00 PM
Apr 21, 2020 12:00 PM
Apr 28, 2020 12:00 PM
How to join us:
1. JOIN BY COMPUTER
To join Zoom Meeting on your computer - click on this link https://zoom.us/j/989441809 and follow the directions.
Use this Meeting ID when/if prompted to enter: 989 441 809
PLEASE be sure you test your audio when prompted to do so. If you do not have audio capability on your computer you can call you in on the phone for the audio feed (see below call in information) but please use only one form of audio connection - either your computer or phone - otherwise there will be feedback).
2. JOIN BY PHONE
--You can join by phone to listen and participate- even if you do not log in on the computer you will be able to hear and participate by phone.
--This is also useful for anyone who does not have computer based audio capability on their computer.
--Note: If using your computer audio do NOT use the phone audio or there will be feedback.
Dial one of these numbers:
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
Then you will be asked to enter Meeting ID which is: 989 441 809 - you will then be prompted to press the # key
Hi All - here is a message from Dan Reynolds, our Director of Endless Possibilities and sneak peak of the Bud Rogers Adventure Park. We can’t wait for you to see it this summer! #onlyabilities
Messages concerning the impact of COVID-19 on our District, Clubs and RI have been posted on www.RotaryDistrict6630.org, along with our District and Club Facebook pages.
View Messages on COVID-19 from Governor Reyes (click on date):
In addition to the District 4-Way Speech Contest and meetings, the following activities have been canceled for the District and Rotary International:
2020 DISTRICT CONFERENCE, DLA & GOVERNORS DINNER
Our District has the unfortunate necessity to cancel all activities for the District Conference, DLA and Past District Governors Dinner that had been scheduled at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls on April 23,24 and 25 2020.
As you all know COVID-19 has virtually shut down public life.
It is the primary goal of Rotary to prevent disease and suffering. It is also our goal to protect the well-being of our members, families and friends. At this time that must be our only goal. Your Executive Committee understands the tremendous effort that has already been undertaken to plan the conference and its component events and we extend our thanks and appreciation for that effort to all involved.
Pursuant to the instructions from Rotary International and our own by-laws the necessary business of the District and Presidents Elect will be done through remote means. Pat Myers and the LEAD Committee are looking at further training opportunities for P.E.’s.
Thank you for your help and support.
John Reyes Rotary District 6630 Governor 2019-2020 Tel: 330.258.6469 Email: jreyes@bdblaw.com
Congratulations to the Akron Rotary Club/Akron Rotary Camp for the generous $5,000.00 donation from the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship Tournament, July 2019.
A friend of Akron Rotary member, Lynda Farkas, Karen Keasling, member of the Messiah Lutheran Church, longtime volunteer of the tournament and Tournament Board member immediately thought of the Camp as her choice of charities to receive the donation.
During the February 27th “Thaw” we celebrated the news with the help of Rotarians; Dan Reynolds, Mella Castner, Jan Ryan, Lynda Farkas and Karen Keasling.
Our thanks are extended to Karen for thinking of the Akron Rotary Camp.
Due to the generosity of our 1,000 volunteers, $825,000 went to Northeast Ohio non-profits!
Due to the success of the 2019 Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS additional funds became available for charitable proceeds. Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation recently announced that ten past grant recipients were selected to receive a one-time discretionary grant. We commend these groups on the work they are doing to improve the lives of residents of our community and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to help fund their mission.
The selected charities include; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina and Stark Counties, City of Akron Fire Department’s REACH Program, Elves and More of Northeast Ohio, Embrace Clinic and Care Center, Embracing Futures, Faithful Servants Care Center, First Tee of Canton, Open M, Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs ($5,000.00), and Summit Choral Society.
Your health and safety is important to us. As we continue to learn more about the threat of the Coronavirus, our board has voted to suspend all meetings and events until April 28th.
I've asked Dr. Rob McGregor to provide his insights and he shared the following; "For most of you, if you get this illness, you should recover fine with supportive care like fever meds and fluids. Don’t panic and use good judgment. Call your doctor should you have symptoms and stay away from hospitals unless directed to go by your provider. Stay safe and away from crowds."
My contact information is below and please feel free to contact me at any time.
Wayne Homes is at it again supporting the rotary camp! This year’s Portage Lakes Polar Bear Club Jump benefitted the Akron Rotary Camp and Ronald McDonald House of Akron. This year we had 8 jumpers and one chicken and we raised $785 as a team!!
Akron Rotarians supporting Harvest for Hunger! — attending Harvest for Hunger Campaign Kick-Off Breakfast with Mella Hawk Castner, Julie Brandle, Nichole Major, Lynda C. Farkas and Christina Horak at John S Knight Center.
Are you warm-hearted and willing to freeze your body to raise money for kids with special needs? Join us on February 29 for the 17th annual Polar Bear Jump benefiting Akron Rotary Camp.
Too cold to jump? No worries, - the Chili Chicken will jump for you! Every donation counts!
Join the fun on: Saturday, February 29, 2020 Portage Lakes State Park at the Swim Beach 5031 Manchester Road Akron, OH 44319
Raise $500+ and become a VIPB (Very Important Polar Bear)
Your donation will allow us to continue to offer assistance to families in need. No child is ever turned away for their inability to pay. In 2019, we provided over $170,000 in financial assistance.
Special thanks to the Portage Lakes Polar Bear Jump for helping us to create a world where there are only abilities! Hope to see you on February 29.
In the spirit of Camping,
Dan Reynolds Director of Endless Possibilities Akron Rotary Camp
Make a Splash for Akron Rotary Camp on February 29, 2020!
At our February 5, 2020 meeting, we inducted Pat Weimer into our Akron Rotary Club.
Pat is a partner at Tenacity, Inc. and is excited to support the Akron community through service efforts. He was sponsored by Connor Jarvis.
He travels extensively, but plans to be an active and involved member! Please introduce yourself to Pat at a future meeting and watch for more about him in our New Member quarterly announcement.
Photo L-R: President Pat O'Neill, Pat Weimer, Connor Jarvis
Happy New Year! It's hard for me to believe that we're halfway through our Rotary year and in six short months, we'll be inducting Dr. Rob McGregor as the next President of the Rotary Club of Akron. As I look ahead to 2020, I'm extremely optimistic and excited about the opportunities that we have in front of us.
On February 1st, I hope to see every Rotarian bring their friends and family out to Hale Farm and Village for the 30th Annual Chili Open present by Wayne Homes. The Chili Open committee has been working extremely hard to make this a extraordinary year for the Chili Open. With a goal of $300,000, we need each and every one of you to help us achieve this milestone.
Additionally, we will be identifying key service projects for our Club to get involved with and will be working to identify a big impact cause for our Club and Foundation to support through the money made available from the Akron Rotary Foundation.
Thank you to each and every one of your for your contributions to our Club and I wish you a prosperous 2020.
Santa is Coming to Rotary Camp! Join us on Sunday, December 15th, 2019, 3pm-5pm for our annual Holiday Party at Akron Rotary Camp. Our Holiday Party is fun for all to enjoy with some sing-a-long songs, holiday crafts and cookies.
Santa will be stopping by with a bag full of gifts for our campers. Please consider supporting this event by buying a gift for our campers from our Wish List on Amazon,just visitbit.ly/campholiday Gifts will be shipped directly to camp.
RSVP to Tina Gardner at tinag@akronymca.org, (330) 644-4512 x 32054 by Wednesday, December 11, 2019 if you will be attending.
Support Akron Rotary Camp while shopping on Amazon!
Start shopping at smile.amazon.comand link your account to support Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Rotary Camp.
On Friday, December 13th, our Rotary Club will be ringing the bell from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm for the Salvation Army at ACME #10 on 2226 State Road in Cuyahoga Falls. We will need two Rotarians (and friends) to volunteer for each hour we are covering that day.
This is a fun and popular service project for the Club that fills up quickly. Creativity is encouraged, as we have had singers, musicians, children and grandchildren participation in the past.
After you sign-up, you will receive an email confirming your participation and additional information will be forthcoming regarding what to expect and how to plan for your participation. Questions? Contact Mark Seward at markdseward@gmail.com or on 330-414-2075. Thank you for volunteering!
Come join us, Santa Claus and over 150 special needs children for the Rotary Club of Akron’s Annual Christmas Party at SUPER Learning Center! An Hour of Your Day Will Create a Lifetime of Christmas Memories!
What: SUPER Learning Center Christmas Party
When: Thursday December 19th, 2018 from 9:15 AM to about 3:30 PM
Where: SUPER Learning Center is located at: 1584 Wilson Ave, Lakemore, OH 44250
Description: Come join us, Santa Claus and over 150 special needs children for the Rotary Club of Akron’s Annual Christmas Party at SUPER Learning Center! An Hour of Your Day Will Create a Lifetime of Christmas Memories!
Thank you,
-Matt Slonsky National Social Security Advisor® Certificate Holder
Assistant to Bill Manby CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, AEP®, National Social Security Advisor® Certificate Holder Manby Financial Strategies, Inc. Creating Financial Independence, Inc. 1611-A Akron-Peninsula Rd. Akron, OH 44313 (330) 475 - 8575 (Phone) (330) 475 - 8571 (Fax)
On behalf of District Governor John and Immediate Past District Governor Beverly you are invited to attend the upcoming Foundation Gala “Holidays Around the World” on Thursday, December 5th at 5:30 p.m. at Windows on The River.
Dress in your favorite International Holiday Attire or that “special” Ugly Holiday Sweater
It promises to be an evening of great fun, food and plain old-fashioned holiday cheer – definitely an opportunity to celebrate all of the hard work of ALL of our clubs and share our cultures with our Rotary Youth Exchange students. AND it is also a perfect time to do “a little shopping” thanks to the generosity of so many Rotarians and their friends who have provided an incredible array of items to choose from in both our Silent and Live Auction and the Decadent Dessert Dash. And, if you can’t attend, find someone who can to bid for you – below is just a sample with a more detailed list coming later in the month!
Please join us to help honor those who made significant contributions in 2018-2019 to The Rotary Foundation during PDG Beverly's year and all of our humanitarian efforts each of us are involved in to help those less fortunate.
Join us at "Holidays Around the World" Foundation Gala presented by Rotary District 6630
Outstanding Professional Fundraiser, Mella Castner was honored at the AFPNO awards November 1st. Many Rotarians were present to show their support.
Nominated by AFPNEO member Vondea Sheaffer, The Village of St. Edward.
Cleveland Clinic Akron General Women's Board (Rotarian Rima Muakkassa, President)
Recipient of a Special Recognition Award from AFPNEO for their outstanding contributions and dedication to our community.
Pam Kiltau
Special evening for the 2019 Athena Leadership Awards Dinner and celebrating all the inspirational finalists and award winners representing women leaders in our community!
Congratulations to all the award winners and finalists and a special special shout out to our fellow Rotarian and Rotary Camp board President Pamela Kiltau for being a Leadership Award Finalist.
The event recognizes exemplary women leaders for their professional achievement, community involvement, and for actively assisting women in reaching their full leadership potential.This year’s Leadership Award recipients will join more than 60 local women leaders who have been honored as recipients or finalists of this important award.
Photo L-R: Mella Castner. Pam Kiltau, Dr. Rob McGregor
Julie Brandle - Metis Construction
Contributed photo
Metis Construction Services has swelled to 57 employees since its founding in 2009. The company's fortunes really took off when it worked on the Acorn Alley II development, seen here, in Kent.
As featured in Crains Cleveland: Born from recession, Metis Construction Services keeps on steady growth track. Read the story here
Roger Read
Fellow Rotarian philanthropist and community leader Roger Read will be the 16th recipient of the H. Peter Burg Economic Development Leadership Award.
The Greater Akron Chamber announced Read will be honored on March 18 at the chamber’s 113th annual meeting at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron.
The chamber award was created in memory of the late H. Peter Burg, former chairman and chief executive of FirstEnergy Corp. The award recognizes a leader who embraces economic and community development in the Akron area.
Happy 30th Birthday to Akron Rotary’s Chili Open Golf Classic! In celebration of 30 years, the committee has set the Chili Open goal at $300,000! Last year, we raised $287,391 we feel confident that with the support of our Rotary Club and community that we will reach our 2020 goal.
We are extremely thankful to our Chili Open Presenting Sponsor Wayne Homes for their continued support. Plus the Chili Open wouldn’t be complete without Chili. Thank you to Whitey’s Premium Chili as the official Chili Sponsor!
Funding from the Chili Open helps ensure that no camper is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Sponsorships and Camperships make up 75% of our event goal. Rotarians are needed to help support with sponsorships, view the updated sponsorship benefits packet here. Please consider increasing your sponsorship, renewing your sponsorship or becoming a first time sponsor. We are also looking for new prospective sponsors, so please let our Sponsorship chairs Christina Horak or Jeff Sheeks know if you have someone you would like to reach out to. Your support makes the Chili Open an annual success for our Club.
We also ask every Rotarian to purchase or sell a minimum of ten raffle tickets at $20 each. There are great chance to win the following prizes:
1st prize is a 2020 Chevrolet Sonic LS, or $10,000 cash prize – Thank you The VanDevere Bunch!
2nd prize is a 55” 4k Smart LED TV, courtesy of the S Group, Inc. – Thank you Rotarian Jeff Sheeks!
3rd prize is a behind-the-scenes media package at a 2020 Cleveland Indians Game – Thank you Rotarian Steve Warren!
Each ticket also includes $20 in discounts – which is the cost of the ticket:
$10 off oil change at The VanDevere Bunch
Purchase two entrees and receive $10 off your bill at BRAVO, Summit Mall
Raffle tickets were distributed to Rotarians who attended Tuesday’s Club luncheon. If you did not attend, you will receive your ticket in the next few days by mail.
Still wondering what the Chili Open is about?
This is a short video for you to share with prospective sponsors and donors to help promote the Chili Open and help secure sponsorships (or click here to watch it on YouTube). Thank you to Rotarian, Mario Micale and Narrative Digital Design for creating the video!
For 96 years, Akron Rotary Camp has been the main project of our Rotary Club. Every Rotarian is needed to help us raise $300,000 for Rotary Camp continue with their mission of “Creating a world where there are only abilities!” Thank you for teeing off with us and we look forward to seeing you on February 1, 2020 at Hale Farm and Village for the 30th Akron Rotary’s Chili Open Golf Classic.
Again, thank you for helping us to celebrate 30 years of greatness!
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, Chili Open 2020
These Akron Rotarians dedicated their Saturday morning to exchange ideas with other Rotarians from District 6600, 6630 and 6650. With over 140 attendees present there were several breakout sessions with discussion of best practices for engaging members, managing membership leads and much, much more. Membership is critical to Rotary's Success and we look forward to continuing to strengthen and build upon the membership in the Akron Club which has served our community for over 105 years!
Akron Rotarians: L-R: George Rooney; President Pat O'Neill, Lynda Farkas; Doug Hausknecht; PDG Cheryl Warren; Membership Chair Tom Knauer; President Elect Dr. Rob McGregor; District Governor John Reyes; Assistant Governor Julie Brandle.
Fellow Rotarian philanthropist and community leader Roger Read will be the 16th recipient of the H. Peter Burg Economic Development Leadership Award.
The Greater Akron Chamber announced Read will be honored on March 18 at the chamber’s 113th annual meeting at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron.
The chamber award was created in memory of the late H. Peter Burg, former chairman and chief executive of FirstEnergy Corp. The award recognizes a leader who embraces economic and community development in the Akron area.
On Tuesday, October 22nd, Past District 6630 Governor, Steve Zabor shared his experience participating in a Polio National Immunization Day (NID) in India and why our continued efforts to eradicate this disease are so important.
The presentation of Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) Recognition is The Rotary Foundations’ way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programs. It is named for our founder, Paul Harris, a Chicago Lawyer who began Rotary International with three business associates in 1905.
Rotary Foundation Club Co-Chair, Lynda Farkas. presented JIm Durr with his first Paul Harris Fellowship - he received his certificate and pin.
An email enters my inbox in August: it said: "I picked up a vintage roster of your club, I am a Rotarian. I would like to send you pictures of every page. It’s a cool history of your club .... any interest?"
I asked a couple questions and immediately introduced him to our Club Historian, PDG Jack Harig.
Jack took it from there - and he did a tremendous job coordinating to bring this document home. You can view the document by clicking on the image to the left.
It turns out that Mr. John Waterman, who sent the email, found this treasure. He is a Rotarian and collector of Rotary memorabilia. He lost his entire collection, including 3 original signatures of Paul Harris, along with his home, in the "Camp Fire" that took their town of Paradise last year. He had been a member of Paradise Rotary until the fire then joined Roseville Rotary.
Mr. Waterman spotted this 1916 Roster for sale on the WEB and purchased it. He then contacted us, the result being we now have this historical treasure in our hands. Thank you to Mr. Waterman and to Jack for all they did to coordinate and ultimately obtain and scan the document - their long hours are much appreciated and will keep our history alive. You can view the document by clicking on the image to the left.
We were honored to have Grace Wakulchik, President and CEO of Akron Children's Hospital present at our September 17th meeting. Grace was generous to share her PowerPoint presentation "Women Leaders" with us. It can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.
We’re excited to announce that we’re going to be rolling out a new Ambassador program in the upcoming weeks. A Rotary Ambassador is someone who can make guests and newer members feel welcome, answer questions and get people connected quickly. This is a very informal position that you can decided to do on a week by week basis when you arrive to the meeting. There is no need to sign up each week and if all the tables have an ambassador that week then there is no need to do anything. Should there be a table or two that doesn't have an ambassador that's okay too. You will wear a red lanyard they will signify "you're a person who can answer my question". Again, our goal with this position is to quickly engage our guests/newer members and let them know of areas they can be involved that align with their passions and connect them with the people who can answer their questions.
Let me know if I can answer any questions for you.
A few meetings ago, I asked John Daily when his next swim meet was. He told me Saturday, August 24. Since he swims throughout the country, I held my breath, and was pleasantly surprised that it was being held locally, in Avon. I told John I’d be there. Fortunately, I heard no objection.
The next meeting, John gave me a copy of the meet details. He told me I didn’t have to come, but I don’t listen very well.
So on the 24th, Eileen and I drove to the Avon Aquatic Facility. It was a brisk morning, with a few sprinkles. One might think that, having a fancy name like Aquatic Facility, the pool would be in nice, warm surroundings. But, alas, it was outdoors. Not so bad for me, at least in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, but just think about the wet, nearly-naked swimmers!
And there were a lot of swimmers. This was a popular Ohio Masters Swimming event. John had entered 3 events - 50 meter freestyle; 100 meter freestyle; and, despite John’s hip surgery a few years ago, he bravely entered the 50 meter breaststroke.
John and I went over to the meet sheet, and he located his name in the 3 events, and duly took notes of his heat numbers and lane numbers. To my surprise, the heats were not grouped by age group. Rather, they appeared random, and John was swimming with swimmers much younger. I noted a 38.
Based on John’s age on December 31 of this year, John was entered in the 93+ group. He’s actually merely 92, but has a birthday coming up. John felt that was to his advantage, since he otherwise would have been in a more crowded group of 89+! The age differential didn’t matter, though, because the swimmers were not racing against each other; rather, they raced for time in their respective age groups.
John warmed up a bit in one of the 2 free lanes while other events progressed. Now wet, it didn’t take long for the weather to take hold a bit, and John bundled up as he awaited his first event. The 50 freestyle was called, and John made his way to his lane. The starting block is probably 2 to 2-1/2 feet high, and I marveled as John climbed a step stool up onto the block, and then stood, seemingly forever, awaiting the start. The swimmers were called to their marks, the starting signal sounded, and John dove in with the others.
We have all probably noticed that John moves around relatively slowly these days; but all bets were off when he hit the water. I was amazed watching him slice through the water with a very smooth stroke. I snapped a pic as John approached the finish.
We then visited with John as he awaited his other events. The other 2 proceeded as the first, and I took a few more pics, including of one of the 3 medals John earned that day.
John thanked us for being there. He may not have realized that I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. John is such a humble human being, with immense determination, and such an inspiration for all.
I am so proud, and want to be like John, but I get tired trying to keep up. Thank you, John, for being my fellow Rotarian.
Presentations of Paul Harris Fellows (PHF) is The Rotary Foundations’ way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programs. It is named for our founder, Paul Harris, a Chicago Lawyer who began Rotary International with three business associates in 1905.
Our club is very honored to recognize our members for their contributions to The Rotary Foundation.
Most recently, on August 13th, our District 6630 Foundation Chair, Jim Lechko, was on hand to present the Paul Harris certificates and pins to the following members. Jim expressed appreciation to all who have donated to The Rotary Foundation throughout the years.
Welcome to Michael Shearer who is the newest member of the Rotary Club of Akron. Michael transferred to us from the Kent Club and has been a Rotarian since 2002.
Photo L-R: Club President Patrick O'Neill, Michael Shearer and Membership Chair Tom Knauer
Watch for our New Member eNews that will share more about all new members who join us in July and August!
Audrey Carroll who spent 2018-2019 in Germany proudly holds her certificate of completion signed by District Governor Johns Reyes. Audrey returns to Stow-Munroe Falls High School to complete her senior year. She will speak to her sponsoring club, Rotary Club of Akron, August 20.
The Annual Charity Cornhole Tournament, presented by Buckeye Corrugated, Inc. was held on July 27th on the beautiful grounds of Akron Rotary Camp. This year marked the 10th anniversary for the Tourney and a record year for teams. The day was a great success and are very excited to announce that we raised over $16,000 to help provide financial assistance for kids to attend camp.
Participants and volunteers enjoyed lunch from the Menche’s Bros Food Truck, beverages from the House of LaRose and snacks from the Peanut Shoppe. Thanks to all who support the tourney with teams, raffle tickets, donations, auction items, and to all who volunteered. Special thanks to Scott and Jaime Kolligian for their continued support and commitment over the years to help make this event grow.
Congratulations to all the winners:
Ringers – 1st place: Jeff Beattie and Drew Thomas (TNC2)
Ringers – 2nd place: Zac Hagy and John Whitehead (Corn in the USA)
Recreational – 1st place: Kenmore’s Finest
Recreational – 2nd place: Alan Umerley and Dave DiReggerio (Airbaggers)
The Akron Rotary club filled 30 shoeboxes that will be shipped to the children of the dump in Nicaragua, in time for Christmas. Our boxes will be combined with boxes from other clubs in our District. For the past several years the district has spearheaded this effort to relieve the day-to-day struggle that leaves the children reduced to fighting cows and dogs for food they can scavenge from the local garbage dump.
We are grateful to all the members who made donations to make this project a success. Ben Heckerman & Emily Patterson played an integral role with the organization of shopping and packing. We also had some members of the North High Interact Club attend as well; thanks to Tam Chau, SaHa Da Be, Nitash Dahal, & Prabin Magar. They were excellent additions to our team.
Or Club will be hosting On The Table Greater Akron on October 3rd at 11:45 am. Note: our normally scheduled meeting for October 1 will not be held.
Everyone is welcome to join us for the conversation. The cost is $13.00 per person and includes lunch. Location: Portage Country Club.
On the TableGreater Akron is a one-of-a-kind initiative where thousands of diverse residents from all walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds gather to share a meal and discuss meaningful ideas to strengthen our community. It’s an opportunity to shape our region into a strong, vibrant, safe and dynamic place to live and work. This project is part of On the Table, a national civic engagement initiative supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and initially developed by The Chicago Community Trust.
Anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Summit or Medina counties is invited to host or participate in a mealtime conversation with their family, friends, neighbors or colleagues. Conversations are held in person at locations such as a library, church, neighborhood restaurant, office break room or around your own kitchen table.
We know that big ideas can spring from small conversations and that people invest in what they help create. When we come together face-to-face to find common ground on community issues and challenges that matter to people, powerful things can happen.
October 3rd - Join us for On The Table Greater Akron
We can't brag enough about our Akron Rotary Wavemakers! Not only did they place second at the Dragons on the Lake Dragon Boat Festival, but they also had the 2nd best time in the history of the race! Paddles Up! Special thank you to our Captain Robert McGregor on this achievement! And all for such a great cause! Thank you to all who participated in this tremendous event.
Akron member, John Reyes, took his oath as our 2019-2020 District 6630 Governor on Saturday, July 20th. He was sworn in by Rotary International Director Stephanie Urchick who was graciously in attendance to participate in our celebration. Joining DG John was his wife Linda along with over 100 Rotarians from throughout the District. Special thanks to our Rotary Camp Staff, Mella, Dan and Amanda, and this year's DG Home Club Representative Julie Brandle - they handled all the details for the day! We look forward to a great year under DG John's guidance.
DG John and his wife Linda
DG Reyes with Club President Pat O'Neill
The Governor's Banner will now be on display for the 2019-2020 Rotary Year at our Akron Club. DG Reyes is the 8th Club member to serve in this capacity.
Our Rotary Youth Exchange Student, Sotaro, leaves with many souvenirs and good memories of his exchange year with the Rotary Club of Akron. Photo: Sotaro with Susan Colville-Hall, Youth Exchange Committee Member.
Congratulations our new President Pat O'Neill for being inducted as our 2019-2020 Club President. He is shown with L-R: his father Patrick O'Neill, great aunt Patricia Graves, and his wife Sarah O'Neill.
Also we proudly recognized returning and new board members who were sworn in by President Pat. We were honored to be joined by our current District Governor and several past District Governors and past Club presidents.
Board members L-R: Terry Dalton, Dr. Rob McGregor, Steve Buie, Nicole Major, Michael Gladysz, Wanda Whipkey, Tom Knauer, June Ring, Dave miller, Karen Hrdlicka, Blake Babcock, Brian Chima and Connor Jarvis.
L-R: President Pat, 2019-2020 District Governor John Reyes, Past District Governors Jack Harig, Cheryl Warren (all from the Akron Club and Jack Young (Conneaut Club).
Akron Past President's L-R: DG John Reyes, Lance Chima, PDG Cheryl Warren, Pam Kiltau (President, Rotary Camp Board), John Margida, Sandy Naragon, Julie Brandle, Shon Christy, Doug Hausknecht, President Pat O'Neill and PDG Jack Harig.
It was our distinct pleasure to name long time club members, Mary Anthony Weaver and John Mogen as Honorary Rotarians - they both lifetimes of service to our club and community!
Special thanks to President O'Neill, Past President Steve Shechter, Past Foundation Board President Marilyn Buckey, Past District Governor Jack Harig, and Past President Tom Fox for all your kind words you offered about our honorees, and also to Mrs. Mogen for joining us.
Hanging with the kids at Rotary Camp on a beautiful sunny ☀️ evening! We are truly blessed 😎👍🌞
You do not have to serve -- you can just come out and be our guest at one of the meals! Please join us anytime!!
Last week we had our Interact Students with us along with several Rotarians - Thank you!
Interact Class: North High Teacher/Interact Counselor, Paula Peyak is surrounded by Rishma Tamang, Yasoda Khadka, Ashika Rai, Gay Doh Soe, Sodhan Biswa, Monisha Rai, Puja Rai.
Rotarians/guests: Susan Wilson, Lynda Farkas, Cheryl Warren, Doug Hausknecht, Marilyn Smythe, Stu Perry, Dan Reynolds and Mella Castner.
Summer Camp Dinners are a great opportunity for Rotarians to see Rotary Camp in action, meet the campers and counselors, and serve alongside other Rotarians.
Volunteers are needed to help set-up for dinner, serve, and help clean up afterwards. The Staff at Rotary will be extremely grateful if you can help with any of the following dates.
The Hope Foundation manages 18 properties for adults with developmental disabilities across the state of Ohio. Our task was to scrape and paint a large garage that supports two of their homes in Stow. We were fortunate to have a beautiful clear day to complete our work. The following Rotarians participated:
At his last meeting as Rotary Club of Akron President, John Margida had the pleasure of giving $3,750 grants from the Akron Rotary Foundation, to each of the following:
Julie Johnson, Boys and Girls Club of Western Reserve
Caroline Alitzer, Great Trail Council
Edwin Hubbard and Larry Chadwick, Akron Urban League
Zac Kohl, The Well Community Development Center.
Congratulations to all of these wonderful organizations for their good work in our community.
Zoe will be attending Stow-Munroe Falls High School. We have a host family for Zoe for Fall 2019. Please help us find a 2nd host family for her December-March and a 3rd host family for mid -March – June. Contact Emily Patterson, Rotary Youth Exchange Officer, at epatter3@kent.edu
Hyerim will be attending Stow-Munroe Falls High School. We have a host family for Hyerim for Fall 2019. Please help us find a 2nd host family for her December-March and a 3rd host family for mid -March – June. Contact Emily Patterson, Rotary Youth Exchange Officer, at epatter3@kent.edu
GET TO KNOW OUR INCOMING EXCHANGE STUDENTS
Zoe Mayeur- Belgium:
Zoe Mayeur, 17 years old, lives in Brussels, Belgium with her parents and older sister Fanny, 21.
She likes kin-ball, a game that comes from Canada and dances 4 hours a week. She likes playing on a team because of the team spirit. She is also a girl scout and enjoys participating in projects. In school, she is majoring in science and math and belongs to an entrepreneurship group that is working on a project. In addition, she likes to travel and has traveled a great deal, USA, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Spain, Vietnam and Morocco.
She is very curious and eager to discover new things. Her family has always had cats. She is not as familiar with dogs, but is willing to get used to them.
Her goal this year is to be immersed in a new culture with people who don’t necessarily think like her and learn from them and to share her Belgium culture with them. As for her parents, Zoe’s mother works as a Federal Ombudsman for the Belgium Parliament. Her father is a criminologist in charge of helping prisoners who are released find jobs and then he follows up on them in their work.
Na Hye Rim (Hyerim)- South Korea
Na Hye Rim (or Hyerim), 17 years old, lives in Yeoju (city), Gyeonggi-do (province), Korea with her parents who are real estate agents, and her younger sister and younger brother. Yeoju is located in the middle of the Korean Peninsula where many ginkgo trees grow and the temperature has extremes (very hot and very cold).
She likes to play the piano in her free time. She is practicing the Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. She likes watching movies and dramas, listening to songs and singing. She often sings with her family. She also plays the clarinet and likes to run. She likes to talk to people, is energetic and practices listening to others. Her birthday is in January.
She is the president of her Interact Club, talks to community leaders to see what they will talk about in the club and works on building friendships within the club community.
She is also current class president.
Hyerim wants to major in English or Spanish so she can use these languages in the future as a tour guide or flight attendant.
She says she wants to be an exchange student because she wants to know the culture of the U.S.A. and to learn to accept it compared the culture in S. Korea, and to share that learning with people from her country. She wants to broaden her “mindset and experience various cultures” while living abroad.
Meet our Akron Rotary Youth Exchange Students 2019-2020
The presentation of Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) Recognition is The Rotary Foundations’ way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programs. It is named for our founder, Paul Harris, a Chicago Lawyer who began Rotary International with three business associates in 1905.
Rotary Foundation Club Chair, Bill Manby, Sr. presented Nathanael Billow with his first Paul Harris Fellowship - he received his certificate and pin. We all appreciate the dedication and commitment Nathanael has had to Rotary. Thank you for all you do!!
Photo L-R: Nathanael Billow, Bill Manby Sr, Club President Pat O'Neill.
Akron Rotary Camp and the Akron Area YMCA continue to grow because of the dedication and commitment of our many volunteers. We are very pleased to congratulate Danny Durst and Alaina Collins, daughter of Dan and Sandy Collins, as they were recognized as Akron Rotary Camp’s 2018 Volunteers of the Year at the recent Akron Area YMCA’s Annual Dinner and Recognition event.
Danny received his award for all his help with the Chili Open and past two Regattas. For the last six years, Danny has been keeping track and processing all data for raffle tickets sold during the annual Chili Open.
Danny has also served on the boards of West Hill Neighborhood Organization, Actors-N-Theatre in Cuyahoga Falls, and Ohio Community Theatre Association. He has volunteered with Actors' Summit and the Big Love Network on their City Repair wing. Annually, he assists with the set-up and tear down for Global Ties Akron International Thanksgiving Dinner.
Alaina is a senior at Hoban High School, and volunteered at Akron Rotary Camp last summer. She fell in love with the campers and staff, and completed over 150 hours of volunteering.
Alaina’s passion for working with children and adults with special needs began at 10 years old when she began assisting the coaches for American Elite Idols, a special needs competitive cheer team. She volunteered with the Idols for 7 years. Her passion for the special needs community grew even stronger at Akron Rotary Camp.
Alaina plans on studying abroad in the fall and starting at the college of Charleston in the spring of 2020.
Thank you, Danny and Alaina, for giving so much of yourself to the special needs community!
“Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” – Harry S. Truman
History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in military service for the United States.
Many cities have laid claim to have begun Memorial Day, though President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo N.Y. as the birthplace of Memorial Day in May 1966.
While there is some dispute as to the origin of the day, the first was observed on May 30, 1868, under proclamation by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. The first official observation involved placing flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
By 1890, it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honouring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honouring Americans who died fighting in any war).
Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30 up to 1971 when the National Holiday Act of 1971, designated the last Monday in May to be Memorial Day.
Since the late 1950’s, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.
Red poppy flowers are also often placed on crosses near the graves of fallen war heroes. The tradition of the poppy comes from the poem, 'In Flanders Field', written in May 1915 by by John McCrae after the Second Battle of Ypres. The poppy, which bloomed in battlefields during the first world war in Belgium and France, has become a symbol of remembrance and is a key element of the Remembrance Day observations in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Since 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Since 2001, the 'National Moment of Remembrance Act' has defined 3pm local time on Memorial Day as the National Moment of Remembrance.
May is Rotary International's Youth Service Month! During this special month, Rotarians and young members of the Rotary family, including Interactors, Rotaractors, and RYLA and Rotary Youth Exchange participants, are encouraged to develop meaningful connections that last throughout the year.
Many of our Rotarians are involved in activities/organizations beyond our Rotary Club/Camp and Foundation. Members are welcome to email their events/activities to our newsletter editor (click here) accordingly to be publicized in our newsletter - be sure to include in the subject line Rotary Club of Akron: Newsletter Submission.
FCA Akron (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) invites you to our Inaugural Game Time Dinner, May 13, 2019, 6:30 to 8:30 PM, at St. George Antiochian Church in Fairlawn. Due to generous sponsors, this dinner will be FREE to all in attendance. We will be sharing about FCA’s outreach to middle school, high school, and college students and coaches in the Summit/Medina/Portage area. Our featured speaker is Tom Ryan, The Ohio State University Wrestling Coach. For more information or to register, contact Akron Rotarian Tristan Griffin at tgriffin@fca.org or 817-944-0499.
Save the Date for The United Way Day of Action on Friday, June 21st (9:00 am – 3:00 pm).
Our volunteer registration will officially open once we have the specifics for the day . . .but our Club has committed to providing 25 volunteers. United Way has given the agencies (requesting help) to submit their projects by May 1st. Hopefully, soon thereafter, we’ll find out who United Way has matched us up with and where we’ll be working and what we’ll be doing - Volunteer sign up will then be opened. More information to come as soon as possible!
Thank you to Sara Eddy, Jim Redmond, Thane Billow, Dave Miller, Tamara Mora and Colleen Iacianci for dedicating volunteer hours to support the Akron Art Museum Art & Ale event on March 9th!.
Thank you to all of the students from North High School for joining us at the Club luncheon. It was a wonderful experience for our Rotarians and guests to hear from the students, and we thoroughly enjoyed the music and dance. We are blessed to have such talented and giving students in the North High Interact Club. View the photos - click here.
Your help is needed! Volunteers are required for the OPEN M FOOD GIVEAWAY on February 20th from 2pm-5pm.
Click on Sign Up to view available slots and book yourself directly online.You can sign up directly on the Rotary Club of Akron website by clicking here. We appreciate your participation and look forward to making this a great event together!
Thank you for helping us raise over $283,000 to benefit Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
February 2, 2019 was a beautiful winter’s day at Hale Farm and Village with over 550 golfers and volunteers attending the 29th annual Chili Open Golf Classic, presented by Wayne Homes.
The day was a huge success and with your help, we raised over $283,000 benefiting Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. Annually, the net proceeds from the Chili Open will provide financial support to families in need. We are committed to never letting a family's personal financial resources prevent a camper from attending Rotary Camp. Last year, Akron Rotary Camp provided over $240,000 in direct financial assistance and served 1,900 children through their summer camp and year round respite programs, where campers can enjoy many traditional activities including swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, sports and games, team building and more.
We are extremely grateful to all Rotarians, sponsors, donors and volunteers who have helped make a difference in the lives of our campers through this year’s Chili Open! Because of your generosity and support, we will be able to provide meaningful opportunities to the campers and their families regardless of their ability to pay. Congratulations also to all the winners of the Raffle Prizes and Closest-to-the-Pin contest. We sure hope you enjoy your prizes.
A big thank you to all the committee members for all your efforts and support to make this a very successful event. Your hard work and commitment surely means a lot to us.
Save the date for the 30th Anniversary of Akron Rotary’s Chili Open Golf Classicthat will be held on February 1, 2020. It is going to be big celebration.
Hope to see you there!
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, 2019 Chili Open Golf Classic
On Feb 2nd and 3rd Akron Rotary Camp was the scene of an invasion of curious and interesting young people who are becoming citizens of the world. From District 6630 there were eight Inbound students (including our own Ana from Spain and Sotaro from Japan) and eight probable Outbound students including Patrick Culliton (host brother of Sotaro). And the wonderful addition of Drew Vargo (N. Royalton) who spent last year in France gave us the maximum learning potential for intercultural sensitivity training and learning. Serious cultural content juxtaposed with Brian Chima’s charming games made for a wonderful experience at the camp.
Kudos to Emily Patterson, Brian Chima and Susan Colville-Hall for heading up the training and to Doug Hausknecht, Joe and Tamara Mora for a sumptuous breakfast Sunday morning. Bob Heydorn, District RYE Chair, and Pat Kelley, District Outbound Chair were responsible for the weekend.
Thank you for your support in making this year's Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
We still need to reach our goal and we can't do it without your help!!
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, 2019 Chili Open Golf Classic
9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Hale Farm and Village 2686 Oak Hill Rd, Bath, OH 44210
As you know, our Club is in the process of developing a new Strategic Plan. Fundamental to our process is that we are inclusive and transparent. In this spirit, I want to make sure that all Akron Rotarians have the opportunity to provide insight and ideas on this very important matter. Our Club has had a very positive impact on our local community and beyond. We want to continue our legacy, as well as to ensure our relevancy and impact well into the future.
On February 5th, after our regular meeting and held in the Portage Room, our Facilitator, Carol Marturano-Becker will holding a focus group for members of our club who are available and interested. The session is expected to last about an hour. No need to RSVP. If you are available, just plan to stay after the meeting.
Carol will be interested in learning what we have done well so that we can continue to leverage our strengths. She will also be interested in hearing your ideas on ways to ensure we provide value for our club, for our members and for the community.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
We need all hands on deck as we are very close to reaching our goal.
Our club members have been asked to sell a minimum of $200 in raffle tickets. The goal for ticket sales is $65,000. Many have had great success in selling tickets by sending an email solicitation to your family, friends and business colleagues asking for their help in purchasing tickets. Thank you in advance to those of you who have sold tickets and those that are still selling. Please bring your sold raffle tickets to the next Rotary Club luncheon. If you are in need of more tickets to sell, we will have them on hand as well.
The Silent Auction will feature a "Wheelbarrow of Good Cheer!" Help us fill the wheelbarrow with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits and mixers.
Also, we are still in need of donated items to be used for the door prize raffle. Please bring any donation to the Club luncheon. If you need someone to pick up any items, please call or email and we would be happy to make those arrangements.
Thank you for your support in making this year's Chili Open a continued success for our Club to benefit the campers who attend Akron Rotary Camp! Together, we are "Creating a world where there are only abilities!"
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, 2019 Chili Open Golf Classic
On Saturday, January 19th, 15 Interact students from North High joined Rotarians Ben Heckerman and Vincent Munnerlyn, in helping to renovate a home for an immigrant family. The kids accomplished a ton by removing trash, old furniture, carpeting, and tile floors. They were able to entirely fill a large dumpster. There was so much excitement among them that they can hardly wait to be involved in painting the home in the next 6 weeks.
Ben and Vincent were a huge help in making use of their general contracting skills and providing leadership for the day. The best part of it all was that these hearty souls were able to accomplish their work just before the blizzard hit.
Legacies of Success is a local non-profit that specializes in buying fore-closed homes and restoring them. They then identify an immigrant family that is getting rooted in Akron and help them through education and training to purchase their first home. It is a wonderful work that Legacies of Success is doing for the North Hill section of Akron!
CREW Greater Akron - Commercial Real Estate Women, an affiliate of the international CREW Network, is dedicated to providing informative programs and seminars, creating meaningful business relationships and opportunities, facilitating local and national networking, supporting community development and fostering professional development and career advancement of its members. Membership in CREW is comprised of industry professionals who work in the Commercial Real Estate space, including construction, brokers, lenders, and architects just to name a few.
Each year CREW holds a holiday luncheon in conjunction with BOMA - Building and Office Management Association. Members of CREW nominate non-profits in which they are involved. The slate of nominees is then presented to the membership for a vote. Julie Brandle, CREW President (Rotary Immediate Past President) nominated our Rotary Camp. The Camp won the nomination and received the proceeds of the luncheon, totaling over $5,700. This year's luncheon, was held this past December with both Dan Reynolds and Mella Castner attending on behalf of the Camp. Dan gave a wonderful presentation to tell the Camp story.
CREW members will be invited this summer to attend one of our Camp Cookouts to see how their group's donation benefits our Camp. Thank you CREW Greater Akron!
Pictured at check presentation: L to R - Amy Palmer, SJL Management, CREW Holiday Luncheon Chairperson - Mella Castner, Rotary Camp - Julie Brandle, Metis Construction CREW President.
Excitement is building – the Chili Open is just 17 days away… CLICK to watch this great videofrom our Co-Chairs – Dr. Rob McGregor & Wanda Whipkey
❄⛳❄⛳ Just a few more weeks to go! Purchase your raffle tickets here: http://chiliopen.net
GIVEAWAY! 🏌🏾♂️ Stay tuned until the end to find out how you can win. ❄️ Join us on February 2nd at the Chili Open! Register your foursome and purchase raffle tickets here: www.chiliopen.net.
The Chili Open kick-off will be held on Friday, January 18th at 5:30pm at Whitey’s Booze N’ Burgers.
Everyone is invited to join us --- happy hour will include special drinks from our friends at the House of LaRose. Come out and show your support to Whitey’s, the official “Chili” sponsor of the Chili Open.
Whitey’s Booze N’ Burgers located at 3600 Brecksville Road, Richfield, OH 44286.
We can’t believe that the Chili Open is only 22 days away and we are excited to share that we are in reach of our goal of $275,000!
The thermometer has climbed to over $202,000, and we are extremely grateful for everyone’s support.
The Chili Open kick-off will be held on Friday, January 18th at 5:30pm at Whitey’s Booze N’ Burgers. Please join us, as happy hour will include special drinks from our friends at the House of LaRose. Come out and show your support to Whitey’s, the official “Chili” sponsor of the Chili Open.
Whitey’s Booze N’ Burgers located at 3600 Brecksville Road, Richfield, OH 44286.
Please remember to sell your raffle tickets and help us spread the word about the Chili Open.
Visiting other clubs is a great way to help out - team up like Mella and Cheryl who sold some at the Green Club and the members then took more tickets to sell for us as well!!
Lots of tee-times are still available for golfers brave enough to endure a cold day of golf in the snow. For raffle tickets, or to register for golf, and/or clubhouse passes, please visit chiliopen.net.
Remember, Friday, January 18th at 5:30pm at Whitey’s Booze N’ Burgers located at 3600 Brecksville Road, Richfield, OH 44286.
Thank you again for all the hard work and support to help us make this another successful event!
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, Chili Open 2019
Below is a sample email template for your use in soliciting the purchase of raffle tickets for this year's Chili Open. Feel free to throw me under the bus as you spam your family and friends, but whatever you do: PLEASE MAKE THE ASK. Let's come together as a club and do this not only for the kids, but also for our beloved Rotary family member, Dave Miller, who would surely be losing sleep over raffle ticket sales on a regular basis at this point in the Chili Open promotional season.
---
Hello, all!
I trust that you are having a wonderful start to 2019!
As many of you know, I am actively involved with the Rotary Club of Akron. One of our prominent focuses as an organization is supporting special needs youth and their families. I am excited to announce that we will be hosting the 29th Annual Chili Open Golf Classic (click link for last year’s promotional video) on Saturday, February 2nd at Hale Farm & Village in Bath, OH. The Chili Open is, as I call it, one of the dog days of winter highlights in Northeast Ohio. Each year, hundreds and hundreds of individuals join us for our largest annually recurring event with the sole purpose of raising funds to support the operating budget of the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
Since its inception in 1924, the Akron Rotary Camp has provided a place where children with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities can enjoy programs that develop their self-confidence, independence, and social skills, while also enabling them to participate in new leisure activities that encourage children to experience the natural world while becoming more physically active. If you would like to see just how impactful this camp is for those who attend, I invite you to watch this videoto hear directly from the campers. Aside from summer overnight and day-camp experiences, the camp provides respite weekends for children and their families as well as weekend retreats for special needs adults.
Though the “season of giving” is now behind us, the camp's need has not ended. My purpose in reaching out is to ask for your consideration to come alongside my family in supporting this year’s Chili Open and, in doing so, provide much needed support to one of the most amazing places for children and their families that I have ever seen. No, it is not Disney, but the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs is certainly a different kind of “Magic Kingdom.” Watch the video, visit the camp, and I assure you that you will realize why it is a worthy contender with Walt’s World as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Our fundraising goal for the 29th Chili Open is $275,000 and the generous hearts of supporters like you will help magnify the camp's impact.
One of the simplest ways to support the cause is through the purchase of raffle tickets – and they are some of the best that I have ever seen! At $20 apiece, they pay for themselves with a free entrée of up to $15 provided by Bravo at Summit Mall and $10 off of an oil change at any VanDevere location included with each ticket. For those non-local folks, the prizes still make the purchase well worth it (winners need not be present):
2019 Chevrolet Sonic LS or an $11,000 cash payout
55” 4K Smart LED TV
Fox Sports Ohio / SportsTime Ohio Behind-the-Scenes Media Package at a 2019 Cleveland Indians game
*Buy five (5) Chili Open raffle tickets (for a total of $100.00) and you will be automatically entered into the Chili Open SNOWMANIA drawing for a chance of winning $50,000 (see details on the site).
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the Akron Rotary Camp, please reach out to me directly or contact Amanda Warner, Director of Volunteer Opportunities & Special Events at the Camp (amandaw@akronymca.org).
Thank you, and we hope to see you out there on February 2nd!
P.S. For additional information and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the Chili Open Website.
[Following a series of referee whistles to position the swimmers]
"Take your mark"
[Then the starting signal, and they're off!]
That's competitive swimming, something that is near and dear to John Daily’s heart.
John Daily is a most interesting man, and has lived a most interesting life. I recently had the pleasure of meeting with John for some hours at his home. My purpose was to gather some information regarding his swimming prowess; but, in doing so, I learned so much more. For sure, among John’s accomplishments are those in the area of swimming, but there is much, much more, so I’ll first provide a brief sketch of John’s life.
Shortly after John’s birth in Cleveland in December 1927, his family moved to Detroit. The Great Depression soon followed, and, to survive, the family moved to Colorado Springs CO, to Richmond CA, back to Colorado Springs, on to Columbus (where John spent his younger school years through part of grade 3), and finally back to Detroit, where John spent the rest of grade 3 through 12.
Upon graduating from high school in January 1946, on the heels of WW II, John enlisted in the Army, where he served 1-1/2 years and was discharged in 1947 as a PFC. John then attended Michigan State College (now Michigan State University), studying Park Management and Municipal Forestry, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry. Along the way, John enrolled in ROTC for his junior and senior years, which seems prescient, as South Korea was invaded in 1950. Upon graduation in 1951, John also received his Army officer commission as a 2d Lt, and served for another 2 years in the Korean War before being discharged as a 1st Lt in 1953.
Our North Hill Interact students and Rotarians had a great time visiting the Salvation Army Hydroponic Farm - Fort Romig.
Dubbed Fort Romig, the facility is at at 2205 Romig Road.
Fort Romig is a learning center for children in the group's Learning Zone, ages 18 months to 12 years old, who attend preschool, after-school and summer programs.
They now have a 5,300 square foot hydroponic growing operation designed in collaboration with Crop King of Lodi, Ohio, and the Ohio State Agricultural Extension Office.
They produce over 20,000 pounds of tomatoes and 19,000 heads of lettuce each year. Proceeds are divided in thirds between a scholarship program for kids, the Salvation Army's Community Table mobile feeding program and Fort Romig programming.
The 2019 Chili Open silent auction will feature a Wheelbarrow of Good Cheer!
Please help us fill the wheelbarrow with any donation of unopened bottles of spirits and mixers, bar glassware, cocktail napkins, etc.
Please bring your donation to a Tuesday Rotary Club luncheon. This will be a very desirable item to bid on during the auction, and the winning bidder gets to take home their new wheel barrel along with all of its contents.
Thank you in advance for your donations to help make the Chili Open a continued success to benefit Akron Rotary Camp!
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, Chili Open 2019
Our District 6630 Rotary Youth Exchange students had an assignment to work in pairs to capture the best image of “Winter in Ohio - Local natural wonder.” The photos were taken at The Akron Rotary Camp. Our students have shown so much creativity!!
by Ada Bícego (Brazil) and Jacob Weitman (Outbound)
by Patitta Kitcharoenchai (Thailand) and Gwendolyn Estep (Outbound)
by Lea Lafond (France) and Natalie Sadkova (Czech Republic.)
by Ana Crespan Fontenla (Spain) and Austin Brewster (Outbound)
by Jacob Scharnweber (Germany) and Eduardo Nunes Machado Flore (Brazil)
by Sotaro Yamaski (Japan) and Patrick Culliton (host brother of Sotaro)
Since July 1st 2018, community assessment is mandatory for any global grant application with Rotary International. Leading a community assessment in the country where Rotary Club project is being developed is not always an easy task but it is a guarantee that relationships will be built between the involved Rotary clubs and their partners in country. It is my hope that telling you the story of the Ukraine community assessment from our Akron Rotary club, will help any club to fathom the great benefits of such a task. The first step for our Akron club was to gather enough volunteers, interested in our project of developing a new type of pediatric wheelchair and in exploring transportation in Ukraine for wheelchair users. We started a new committee composed of 5 professionals in marketing and surveys, willing to work together to start investigating the sustainability of our project. How not to be impressed with the high level of proficiency of this new team: two retired professors from the University of Akron in entrepreneurship and languages specialists, one director of marketing study company and a student in anthropology with MPH in epidemiology? All of them have a heart for people with disabilities and the desire to extend their high level of skills to Rotary international projects. My first experience was to build relationship with them and to know them better. Following the general guide lines from Rotary international, we decided to start working on the questionnaire that would be used in Ukraine. First, we needed to collect data and statistics concerning people with disabilities in Ukraine, then to determine who will fill up the questionnaire. Accessing statistics in Ukraine from the government was not simple. It was not like "you just ask". You need to find the people who care enough to navigate for you the country administration and bureaucratic system to obtain information. We live in a world full of statistics and surveys (good and bad), and some categories of population, like hidden people with disabilities, are more difficult to contact then other. How do you engage with those who tell you "we don't have people with disabilities in our country!"? You have to keep in mind that you are dealing with a different culture than yours. Some of our questions could not be answered.
Our breakfast crew from the Rotary Club of Akron prepares vittals for the District 6630 Rotary Exchange Students Overnight Training weekend. 8 Inbounders, 4 Outbounders and 2 Rebounders and the RYE training team were present. Wow! What a gourmet delight! Thank you, Emily Patterson, Jacinto Núñez, Laura Fink and Doug Hausknecht. How nice to wake up to enjoy eating in the U.S.
Sotaro Yamaski and Patrick Culliton (Sotaro’s new host brother work on a cultural grid activity.
Jacob Weitman signs Ana Crespan Fontenla’s flag as RYE students share in internationalizing this event.
Ana team and Sotaro’s team compete in tower building contest using spaghetti and marshmallows in which each team member was assigned a different cultural role to assume during the project. The end goal was to build the tallest, sturdiest tower while behaving under cultural norms that might be foreign to the student.
Currently, we have raised over $106,000, but still has a long way to go to reach our bold goal of $275,000.
Because of the Chili Open, no child is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Since its inception, the event has raised over $3,250,000 to support families and children in attending Camp.
If you are considering a sponsorship, or know of someone that might be interested in helping a great cause, please reach out to our corporate sponsor co-chairs, Pat O’Neill or Jeff Sheeks, or Campership duo (co-chairs) Nathanael Billow or Andrew Grover. The ad deadline for the Chili Open Insert is set for January 4, 2019 and is approaching quickly.
Thank you for helping to “Create a world where there are only abilities!”
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, Chili Open 2019
#ForTheKids
Photo L-R: Wanda Whipkey, Chili Open Co-Chair; Katie Logsdon, Wayne Homes Presenting Sponsor; Dr. Rob McGregor, Chili Open Co-Chair
9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Hale Farm and Village 2686 Oak Hill Rd, Bath, OH 44210
Our RYE outbound exchange student is Audrey Carroll and she’s in Potsdam, Germany. Below are her answers to my interview of her, and some photos of her and her host family.
----From Audrey Caroll----
Hello Rotary Club of Akron!
So far my time in Germany has been great!
Language Level: My German has improved tremendously since I came here. Although I am not fluent I am able to understand a lot and can have conversations. I guess I would rate it a 5 out of 10.
What I like:
I like a lot of the things about Germany. For one there is a lot of history in my town Potsdam and in Berlin which I go to a lot in the weekends. I have gone and visited old buildings and historical sights here. I also really love that there is so much to do. There is shopping in Berlin and sight-seeing and tons of nice restaurants and places to go. Also, the public transportation here is great. You can go practically anywhere in Potsdam or Berlin with only public transportation. I take the tram a lot through town and the train to Berlin. The Rotary club here has weekly German lessons for me and the other exchange students in the Potsdam clubs. It is nice being able to see the other exchange students and we have all become great friends. We hang out a lot and explore the city.
What I dislike:
There are a few things I dislike about Germany. For one I dislike having to ride my bike everywhere. I have to ride it to school every day, to my German lessons and to the store. I am always getting tired and sweaty in the day. I also dislike the food here. For every meal we eat bread (and always the same bread). For breakfast we eat it with jam, for lunch with cheese, and for dinner with all. And dinners here are not like in America. Sometimes we don’t eat dinner because it isn’t viewed as an important meal. It has taken some getting used to.
My favorite food:
My favorite food here is probably the pizza. It is not a typical German food but the European pizza is very thin and much less greasy. My host family tends to get pizza on the weekends and I love it.
In summary:
Overall my time has been great and I am very glad to have been sent here by the Rotary. Thank you, Akron Rotary Club, for all of your help!
Name listing on the sponsorship banner in the clubhouse on event day,
One Golf Foursome.
Please reach out to our fun Campership duo (co-chairs) Nathanael Billow or Andrew Grover, if you would like to provide or help solicit a Campership. Help them reach their big bold goal of securing 100 Camperships!
Because of the Chili Open, no child is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Since its inception, the event has raised over $3,250,000 to support families and children in attending Camp. Our Rotary Club rocks it every year in helping to “Create a world where there are only abilities!” for our campers.
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, Chili Open 2019
Camperships are Teeing-Off for the 2019 Akron Rotary Chili Open Golf Classic
On Friday evening, October 26th, we had 41 students from the North High School Interact club come out to camp for an evening of fun, food, skits, and games. We were joined by our visiting International students, Anna from Spain, and Sataro from Japan. The kids had a great time and they were blown away by the beauty of the camp and the kindness and graciousness of the staff. In spite of the rain they were able to make smores inside with a cozy fire in the Great Room.
It was no tricks, but just treats, this past weekend at Rotary Camp. Our campers had a great time trick-or-treating from cabin-to-cabin, and had a fun time playing games in the Rec Hall.
Thank you for all the candy and treat donations, and to all the volunteers that made it a delightful experience for our campers. The students from Super Learning did a great job decorating the dining hall with ghosts, bats and jack-o-lanterns.
Wishing you all a boo-tiful Halloween with lots of treats!
We will be ringing the bell to support The Salvation Army again this year at ACME #10, located at 2226 State Road in Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44223. This is the same location we were at last year.
Time/Location: Noon at Portage Country Club 240 N. Portage Path, Akron, OH
Please note: This year, The Akron Rotary Foundation will send a separate 2018 ballot and will host a separate 2018 Annual Meeting. Details will be provided from The Akron Rotary Foundation at a future date.
You are invited to an open discussion about starting an Inter-Country Committee -- ICC USA-Ukraine -- in our Club and District 6630. If you are concerned with Peace in the world and international projects please come at Portage Country Club at 11:00 am on Tuesday, October 30, before our regular club meeting.
Another year has come and gone, it’s that time again! Let’s pack the Rotary Club luncheon on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 for a fun filled Chili Open Tee-Off. Celebrate with us as we launch Akron Rotary’s 29th Annual Chili Open Golf Classic to benefit Akron Rotary Camp. Please join in the fun by wearing your favorite golf or Chili Open attire – there will be prizes!
Come meet our committee leaders and learn how you can get involved to help make this event a continued success for both our Club and Rotary Camp. The Chili Open will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Hale Farm and Village. Because of the Chili Open, no child is ever turned away from Akron Rotary Camp due to inability to pay. Since its inception, the event has raised over $3,250,000 to support families and children in attending Camp.
We look forward to seeing you at the Tee-Off!
Dr. Rob McGregor and Wanda Whipkey Co-Chairs, Chili Open 2019
Ben Heckerman, Laura Fink, Vincent Munnerlyn, Sara Eddy, Steve Buie and our North High Interact Students prepared the October 20th meal at Ronald McDonald House.
Fellow Rotarians, I offered to help raise funds so that soon-to-be Rotarian Emily Patterson is able to join Rotarian Claudine Schooley on a trip to the Ukraine. In order for international grants to be considered, a community assessment needs to be done. Many of you heard about this project when Claudine spoke a few weeks ago. I'll be contributing to help her, so has her Uncle. If you're inclined and able, please let her know if you can also help cover her costs! See Emily's ask below:
My name is Emily Patterson. I wear many different hats at this point in my life: I am a masters of public health student at Kent State University, I am the Volunteer Coordinator at SouthernCare Hospice in Cuyahoga Falls, I work in a laboratory at Kent State researching antibiotic resistance, and a soon to be Rotarian.
I am currently working with the Rotary Club of Akron and God's Hidden Treasures on a pediatric wheelchair and transportation project. Today, wheelchairs are not well suited for life in Ukraine. We are looking to work with engineering students at The University of Akron to adapt a wheelchair to the specific needs of the disabled children and their caregivers in Ukraine. Secondly, we are looking to donate an equipped van to both transport children and adults with disabilities and to take the wheelchairs and necessary medical equipment to people in need.
In order for the project to happen, we need to complete community assessments in Ukraine. I am looking to go to Ukraine this November with Claudine Schooley (Akron Rotarian) and Nita Hanson (President of God's Hidden Treasures) to talk with the families to better understand the needs of the community. Without this key element, we might misunderstand the needs and provide a wheelchair that does not help the current problem. The funds I am trying to raise will pay for my roundtrip plane tickets and lodging in Ukraine. Any extra money will be donated directly to the project.
Make check payable to either Emily Patterson or the Akron Rotary Foundation (please indicate Emily Patterson in the memo field). Funds paid to the foundation will be used to directly reimburse Emily's expenses.
to promote mutual understanding, friendship and peace in the world
Last month of March 2018 I had the privilege to attend the Rotary Concert for Peace “Resonance” in the beautiful city of Liège, in Belgium. I was very impressed by the quality of the Ukrainian and Russian artists and the warm welcome from our Rotarian friends of Belgium.
The musicians just selected for the fifth edition of the Resonance – ICC Peace Concerts are:
Burtsev Nikita – barytone – Ukraine
Liashko Vitalii - clarinet - Ukraine
Nesterenko Zinovia – violin - Russia
Tsotsonava Lolita – piano - Russia
More information (pictures, program …) will soon be available on the website: www.resonance-icc.org
I was invited to bring a delegation of American Rotarians and non-Rotarians to one of the concert, which will be in:
Liège : 23/2 – University (as usual)
Landen : 24/2 – Location to be confirmed
Antwerpen : 26/2 – Amuse (deconsecrated church - Kamenstraat à Antwerpen, about 350 seats)
Bruxelles : 28/2 – Hôtel de Ville or Sablon (location to be confirmed)
I hope you will consider being part of the delegation who will attend the 2019 concert. Everybody is welcome!
My Rotarian friend Marcel Tikin from Liège, is preparing a “real treat” for the foreign delegations: Friday, February 22 in the evening, the RC of Liège will give an “avant-première presentation” (performance) of the Opera of Verdi “Aida” by the “troupe de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie”. Marcel explained: “For all the friends coming from far away, we are preparing a package including the Opera night, a visit of the city of Liège during the day on Saturday, February 23, with the concert "RESONANCE" the same night. Also Rotary working meetings will be organized with the sections of ICC/CIP between France and Belgium. It will be the opportunity also to meet delegations from Ukraine and Russia, during this international weekend”.
Friends, this is a great way to promote PEACE in the world, through Art and Music! Travel plans are: departure from Cleveland Thursday, February 21, 2019 and return Monday, February 25, with the possibility to extend the trip for a few days. If you are interested, please contact Claudine Schooley, Rotary Club of Akron, at cdschooley@outlook.com
The mission of an ICC Inter-Country Committee is to connect people in facilitating the creation, development and progress of an effective and sustainable international network of bilateral relations and activities to catch all opportunities in a tuned effort to promote a climate for maintaining Peace and improving Understanding, worldwide.
Inter-Country Committees have been part of our Rotary World since 1950. They represent a further strategy to accomplish Rotary’s objectives. This strategy looks ahead in paving the way for stronger, positive, effective relations among different cultures, engaging diversities and overcoming barriers.
Claudine Schooley, member of Akron Rotary club, invites you to attend a first ICC/International meeting to discuss the opportunity to start an ICC USA-Ukraine in our Akron club with the support of our District 6630. If you are concerned with peace in the world, and want our club of Akron to participate in more international projects, please join the discussion at 11:00 am on Tuesday, October 30, before our regular club meeting, at the Portage Country Club.
We're getting ready for the 6th annual World Polio Day event in Philadelphia, PA, USA. We will be streaming live from the College of Physicians at 18:30 Philadelphia time (UTC -4), and aim to bring together more than 100,000 viewers around the world. Watch the video above, featuring global health experts and celebrities sharing our progress on the road to polio eradication. www.endpolio.org
Where are we in the fight to end polio? What bold steps are we taking to get there? Find out during a live event on World Polio Day.
No child should have to suffer from this vaccine-preventable disease. Help us make an impact on World Polio Day.
Smallpox is the only human disease ever eradicated. Let’s make polio the second. Join the fight on World Polio Day.
How can you triple your impact? Thanks to a 2-to-1 match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, every donation made to Rotary to end polio will be tripled. Donate today. endpolio.org/donate
We’re closer than ever to eradicating polio but we’re not done yet. We still need funds to continue immunizations and surveillance efforts. Your gift will get us closer to the finish line.
With the support of donors, sponsors, and participants at the Sporting Clays Classic, The Ronald McDonald House of Akron raised over $30,000! Thank you Rotarians who were out this past weekend supporting the RMH and thank you Ben for organizing a Club team!
The pros who assisted the team are the gentlemen on the far left and right. Rotarians Ben Heckerman, Lynda Farkas and Steve Warren made up our Club team!
The Rotary Club of Akron and the University of Akron Department of Bio-medical Engineering collaborate to solve a problem and provide a solution to the need of many children and adults with access ability difficulties in the Ukraine. They are designing a type of wheelchair/ stroller that adapts to the small elevators and final steps (stairways) of apartment buildings. An enthusiastic group led by UAs Jim Keszenheimer and 5th engineering students and Rotary’s Claudine Schooley met today to review the project. Nita Hanson made the trip from the Ukraine to explain the specific needs of the project. I’m thrilled to be involved with this awesome project.
Everywhere you travel in the world you can find Rotarians. Remember there are 35,000+ clubs in the world. If you are in a city where you don't know anybody, consider attending a Rotary club meeting and you will make new friends. If you think about, you will find out that it is a great way to promote peace in the world: making friends in every country you visit. As a Rotarian, I am very concerned in the different ways you can build peace. Sharing with other Rotarians is the first step toward peace.
During my recent trip to France, I found a Rotary Club in the center of Toulouse (named the "pink city" because of the color of the brick buildings). They have in fact more than seven rotary clubs in the city. The "Toulouse Cent" Rotary club I visited has thirty members and they meet on the Fridays at noon, in a restaurant on the "boulevard Leclerc". The particularity of the club is that they are all professionals with their own business (doctors, dentists, lawyers, pilots,...), they are in couple (man and wife are both Rotarian) and they are all in their forties. This means I would not qualify to become a member of this club. They were all happy to meet me, and learning that I married an American that I met in Toulouse, made a great impression on them!
They explained to me that their club was created when the Rotary celebrated its 100 years, in 2005. That's the reason why they called the club "Toulouse Cent", in French "cent" means one hundred. They chose the violet to put on their banner as it is the flower of the city of Toulouse. We exchanged banners from our respective clubs. It is very interesting to visit other clubs and see the differences between them. But one thing is certain: Rotarians are good people who work all for the good of humanity. And this make me proud to be a Rotarian!
The North High Interact kids are amazing! They are humble and hungry to learn. They had a blast painting their teachers’ lounge. For many of these kids it was the first time they had ever done any painting and remarkably they were able to keep the paint off of themselves. 😊 They simply want to serve and improve the quality of their lives, their families, and their community. View all North High Interact photos by clicking here.
Bob Heydorn, Rotary District 6630 Youth Exchange Chairman, gave a warm welcome to the 2018-19 Inbound and Rebound foreign exchange students for their two-day orientation hosted by the Akron Rotary Camp. "Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace one young person at a time," said Bob. "Students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens." The students, from high schools across Northeast Ohio, began their year of adventure and personal growth, in which they would be exploring diversity of cultures and forming new friendships, with an afternoon pontoon boat tour of the beautiful portage lakes.
The students our Akron Club is sponsoring are: Ana Crespan from Spain and Sotaro Yamasaki from Japan. Both students visited the Club on August 28th and exchanged Club flags with President John Margida and Club YE Chair Brian Chima.
PHOTO (L to R, from Back to Front)
Mason Hagmann, to Denmark - Bob Heydorn, District RYE Chair - Pat Kelley, District Outbound Chair - Eduardo Flore, Brazil - Drew Vargo, to France - Sotaro Yamasaki, Japan - Jacob Scharnweber, Germany - Ada Bicego, Brazil - Elizabeth Whetstone, to Brazil - Natalie Sadkova, Czech - Ana Crespan, Spain - Austin Brewster, Kent Roosevelt HS - Lea Lafond, France - Patti Kitcharoenchai, Thailand
Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) is a Rotary Internationalstudent foreign exchange scholarship program for students in secondary school. Since 1929, Rotary International has sent highly qualified young people around the globe to experience new cultures and be youth ambassadors of their local communities. Currently, about 8,000 students are sponsored by Rotary clubs every year. Rotary is a fully accredited member of CSIET - Council of Standards for International Student Exchange: http://www.csiet.org.
On August 9th, Project Chair, Wanda Whipkey, along with committee members Lynda Farkas and Ben Heckerman participated in the Shoebox Project for the Children of the Dump in Nicaragua. The club was able to use this project as a way to collaborate with the Interact Students from North School and upcoming seniors, Neema and Nul (pictured to the left) helped with shopping and the packing of shoeboxes.
With the generous donations from our club, the committee was able to successfully fill 30 boxes. Shopping was done at a local Walmart and a very special thank you goes to the Messiah Lutheran Church for the use of their community kitchen for the packing of the boxes. After the boxes were filled, Stew and Cherie Buchanan delivered them to the project collection area in Lakewood.
If you are unfamiliar with the project, every year clubs from all of over the United States prepare shoeboxes for children in Chinandega, Nicaragua who live in poverty stricken conditions in the area surrounding a dump site. The shoeboxes are filled with necessities including toiletries, clothing, school supplies and age appropriate games or toys. The shoeboxes are shipped to Nicaragua and Rotarians travel along to help personally deliver them to the children.
The shoeboxes serve as an incentive to the children to remain in school. In order to receive one of the gift shoeboxes, the child must be attending school on a regular basis and earning satisfactory grades. The goal is to break the cycle of poverty by providing food, education and programs to encourage good health. The ultimate goal is to relocate the children from the dump to a life of dignity.
This is an extremely impactful project and our club looks forward to continuing to be involved for years to come.
What a great week we had! On August 28 we proudly presented Perfect Attendance Awards.
At the top of the leader board with Perfect Attendance is John Daily with 52 amazing years (shown in photo)followed by Stew Buchanan with 29 years and Ginny Wojno with 27 years. What a great example each of you are who achieved this award - thank you for being engaged! Want to know how you too can achieve this? Contact our Attendance Chair, Brian Kosarko (click here to email him).
John Daily - 52 years
Stew Buchanan - 29 years
Virginia Wojno -27 years
Ed Wagner - 12 years
Cheryl Warren - 5 years
Julie Brandle - 3 years
Mella Castner - 3 years
Brian Kosarko - 3 years
David Miller - 2 years
Terry Dalton - 1 year
John Margida - 1 year
Steve Buie - 1 year
Wanda Whipkey - 1 year
We enjoyed hearing from Larry Lohman, the President of the RC of Kent and his fellow club member, Will Underwood. They spoke about the international water project endeavor they are working on to bring clean water to a small village in El Salvador. Larry and Will talked about the many miles that people must walk to and from their homes in order to obtain water. When people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families. Rotary International, our District and the Kent Club have provided some matching funds for the project, but Larry and Will must raise the final dollars needed to launch the project - approximately $1,500.00. Rotarians like Larry, Will, their volunteer team of Rotarians and the families in the village of El Salvador, will all contribute their time and talents to bring sustainable clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to the village.
As a reminder, there will notbe a meeting on September 4th.We hope you and your families have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day holiday. Our next regular weekly meeting will be September 11, 2018 when we will be hosting a Club Assembly. A Club Assembly is where our members come together to get updated on Club matters and exchange ideas. We also will be welcoming new members into the Club that day. Looking forward to seeing you all on September 11th!
It was a fun time at the Ronald McDonald House on Saturday, July 21st. The students from North High School had a blast. It is so much easier to prepare dinner now and this new facility is beautiful. Way to go Akron!
What a wonderful venue through which we can serve and spread our love to the community.
Julie Brandle served with distinction as Club President from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. Brandle received many accolades for her year as President during a Mexican themed Roast in held in her honor. Throughout her year, Julie was a wonderful leader and always remained upbeat, focused and determined to make a difference in the lives of others in our community. Thank you Past President Julie - we all enjoyed serving with you!
Immediate Past President Brandle
Julie with her Past President's plaque and party organizer, Jeff Sitz.
Congratulations and best wishes to our newly inducted Club President, John Margida. President John will serve from July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019. The International Rotary Theme for his year is Be the Inspiration.
Being Inducted Into Office by Past President Brandle
The 2018-19 Board Induction - President John's first official duty!
His first presentation as President
President John rings the Club bell for the first time as President
President John was honored that many of his Leadership Akron classmates were able to attend his induction ceremony.
As co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, Pat Quinn helped give the global ALS community a voice. Three years later the disease robbed him of his own ability to speak. This is the incredible story of how Pat got his voice back through Project Revoice. With breakthroughs in voice technology, it’s now possible to synthesize and fully recreate the unique essence of any voice and build a complete digital voice clone. Project Revoice is a non-profit initiative working to bring this technology to ALS/MND communities, with the ultimate goal to ensure that no one living with this disease will ever have to suffer being robbed of their voice. Want to learn more? http://www.projectrevoice.org Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is also known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND). It’s a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When these motor neurons die, the brain’s ability to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may lose the ability to move, speak and finally to breathe. For more information visit http://www.alsa.orghttps://www.facebook.com/alsassociation/
Rotary Club of Akron Co-hosted Rise Against Hunger Event with The University of Akron
Contact: Douglas Hausknecht, Rotary Club of Akron 330.780.7925 hauskne@uakron.edu
On the evening of Wednesday April 25 over 250 volunteers representing the Rotary Club of Akron and The University of Akron (UA) gathered in the ballroom of the Jean Hower Taber Student Union. By the end of the evening some 42,000 meals had been packaged and boxed for Rise Against Hunger.
Have you ever wondered why some Akron Rotarians have gold name badges?
Posted by the Akron Rotary Planned Giving Committee
Perhaps you thought they are a great fashion accessory or that they improve cell phone reception. While these may be true, the real reason is to symbolize commitment to the perpetuation of the good works of Akron Rotary.
The more Rotary experiences you have, the more committed you will be to this idea; the good work of our Akron Club, Camp and Foundation and the Rotary International Foundation must continue in perpetuity. What we accomplish today is owing largely to the vision and generosity of those who went before us.
There will always be children with special needs. There must always be people and resources to improve their lives. They are called Rotarians.
The North High School Interact Club with 4 of our Rotarians - Laura Fink, Zach Prosser, Vincent Munnerlyn, and me, had a project of making chocolate covered pretzels for the entire North High faculty and staff. Everyone had a fabulous time pulling this off and the teachers loved it. They were really blessed. The club is gaining some significant traction and the kids are enjoying the journey.
Akron Rotary Camp and the Akron Area YMCA continue to grow because of the dedication and commitment of our many volunteers. We are very pleased to congratulate Scott Stutler and Alyssa Whitehead that were recognized as Akron Rotary Camp’s 2017 Volunteers of the Year at the recent Akron Area YMCA’s Annual Dinner and Recognition event.
Scott received the award for his longtime commitment to the Akron Rotary Chili Open Golf Classic. For the past 23 years, he has served in multiple leadership volunteer positions. During his tenure as chair, he secured Wayne Homes as the Presenting sponsor and Whitey’s Chili as the Official Chili sponsor. Today, both continue as major sponsors.
He is referred to as the “Superintendent” of the Chili Open golf courses. He oversees and assists with setting up and tearing down of the golf courses. Not an easy task as the Chili Open is winter golf, held in February. The weather is usually freezing temperatures along with snow.
Scott, as VP of Stutler Leasing, generously donates the annual storage fees for the Chili Open trailer along with providing the tractor to transport it to and from the event location.
Alyssa has been volunteering at Akron Rotary Camp since 2016 during our Respite and Summer Camp programs. Her favorite thing is assisting campers with arts and crafts projects. Allyssa really takes time to make a personal connection with every camper she interacts with. She also enjoys camp cookouts during the summer camp season.
She also volunteers at Akron Children’s Hospital, Victory Gallop and is an avid Girl Scout. Her Girl Scout Gold Award is to build a mobile hydroponic garden for Rotary Camp to provide campers the opportunity to learn about gardening during Nature activities. They will begin with planting lettuce to be harvested to serve on the salad bar during Camp’s lunch and dinner meals in the dining hall.
Thank you Scott and Allyssa for your tireless service above self in helping Rotary Camp to “Create a world where there are only abilities!”
Akron North High School looks forward to our induction to the District Conference of Clubs later in April. Also, we are proud to announce our first Rotary 4 Way Speech Contest winner, Ro Zi Mar. She resettled in North Hill from Thailand, specifically the Mae La refugee camp, with her family ten years ago. After Ro Zi’s first place win at The North High School contest, she won the first round at districts and then secured an honorable mention in the finals. We would like to extend our warmest congratulations, and look forward to what Ro Zi will bring to the competition next year! In addition to the speech contest, North’s Rotary Interact has been busy putting together care bags for our students in need. With the help of the Akron Rotary and the HPAC club at North, we were able to make and distribute over 100 care packages to our underprivileged students.
Many different tasks are needed so if you have limitations reaching or bending, we will assign you to a task to meet your needs.
Club Social Night Rotary After Hours
Tuesday, June 12th at Nuevo in Akron 5 pm - 7 pm
A casual drop in event to socialize with your fellow Rotarians. No need to register or pay ahead - just stop in for a beverage and some laughs. Feel free to bring a spouse, friend or prospective new member.
Social Chair: Katy Miller
United Way Day of Action Friday, June 22nd To signup email Mark Seward mark@sewardwealthmgt.com
The First Annual Rotary Club of Akron Family Picnic Saturday, June 23rd -- Noon - 4 pm Akron Rotary Camp
Bring a dish to share and the club will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, beverages, and condiments. More details coming soon!!
Remembrance Day and Rise Against Hunger On April 25th, volunteers joined together at The University of Akron to honors those who passed and make the future brighter for those in need. Thank you to everyone who helped!
On April 4th, Akron Rotary and North High School held a service project day.
Four Rotarians -Wanda Whipkey, John Palmer, Vincent Munnerlyn, and me, worked with 10-12 North High students to put together personal grooming kits for 115 needy students.
It was a blast.
The kids were very helpful and our assembly line approach moved everything along to a successful conclusion.
Dentist John Palmer
Vincent Munnerlyn - While packing deodorant he reminded everyone "Now make sure you use your deodorant!” 😊
Rotary exchange students (including Isa Nuñoz from the Akron Club and others from District 6630) participated in a session at the Ohio Foreign Language Association Annual Meeting in Cleveland where more than 500 world language teachers gathered from all over Ohio. The subject of the session was to inform teachers about the value and benefits of the Rotary study abroad scholarship so they can spread the word to would-be candidates. A year abroad is a life-changing event! Rotary offers study abroad scholarships valued at about $25,000 each to students between the ages of 15 and18 ½. For more information, go to www.ohioerie.org
There are two events happening together at UA on April 25th:
UA Remembrance Day (6-7 pm Memorial Service) and the Rise Against Hunger Service Project (7:30 pm - 10 pm).
Our Club is participating in both and we are in need of volunteers for the service project. You do not need to register if you are only attending the Memorial Service.
Donations and Volunteers are needed for Rise Against Hunger.
Just sign up for the whole time slot (6:00-10:00) but you need not be there the entire time. It just gives an idea of who is coming.
We are encouraging wearing t-shirts (Rotary) and expect to again have name tags to identify “I am serving in memory of_________.” Volunteers can put any name on those they choose.
TIMES / LOCATION:
Remembrance Day is a chance to serve to honor the memory of lost friends and family.
At 6:00pm, we’ll have a 30-45 minute ceremony to recognize losses and scroll names (see Akron Rotarian list below). Then we’ll switch over to the meal packing.
Parking will be available.
We plan to remember these Rotarians/Friends of Akron Rotary who have passed since January 2017:
Wayne Brennessel (former Akron Rotarian)
Ardell Daily (John)
Eileen Field (Frank)
John Holcomb (Marcia)
Janice Logsdon (Wayne Homes)
Stuart Terrass (Mary Weaver)
If there are others I may not know about - please contact me immediately. We do not want to overlook anyone.
As the weather begins to warm up and the sun is starting to peak through the grey skies we are dreaming of warm summer days. Our 95th Summer Camp season is around the corner, and we please need your help. Rotary Camp will be hiring between 70-80 seasonal staff and is looking for energetic, responsible and passionate individuals who will put the welfare of our campers first.
We would really like to connect to as many universities and/or colleges. Please let us know if you have any contacts with professor/educators and would be able to introduce J.D. Detsch, our Program Director. He would like to speak to as many students as possible to tell them about all the benefits of working at Rotary Camp. (Classes do not need to be in the special education field.)
Working at camp is a very rewarding experience. Watch this short video to hear first-hand from our counselors. Feel free share it with your colleagues, friends and family. For additional information or to reach J.D., please contact 330.644.4512 x 3204 or jeremyd@akronymca.org.
We are seeking Rotary volunteers (and spouse's/partners/children/friends, etc.) to help up get the Camp freshened up for Spring on May 12, 2018. Sign up online now by clicking here! Many different tasks are needed so if you have limitations reaching or bending, we will assign you to a task to meet your needs.
We are in need of supplies also ... if you can please bring with you or drop off:
buckets, rags, dusters (long and short) and step-stools.
Thank you
Amanda
Volunteers Needed for (indoor) Camp Cleanup Day on May 12th
On January 20th, Steve & Sharon Buie and their son Andrew, joined Connor and Courtney Jarvis to prepare a sumptuous meal for families of patients at the Ronald
McDonald House of Akron.
We had a lot of fun and laughs as we collaborated on preparing a delicious meal of meatloaf, red skin potatoes with dill and butter, and green beans. Dessert consisted of cookies and various flavors of ice cream. The time flew by and we had a blast.
Our next date to prepare a Rotary meal for the Ronald McDonald House of Akron is Saturday April 21st. Come on out, you will have fun serving.
To get involved and help with the next meal, contact Steve Buie at a weekly meeting or via EMAIL (click to email).
Thank you for making a difference in the lives of others!
The Buie & Jarvis Families
Connor & Courtney Jarvis
Sharon & Courtney put the finishing touches on the meal.
Akron Rotary’s 28th Annual Chili Open Honors Akron Rotarian, Sandy Naragon with Ambassador of Service Award
Congratulations to our own, Sandy Naragon that will be honored on February 3, 2018 at Akron Rotary’s 28th Annual Chili Open Golf Classic as the 2018 Chili Open’s Ambassador of Service. The Chili Open Ambassador of Service award was established in 1991 in recognition of a community leader who has gone above and beyond in support of the Rotary Club of Akron, Akron Rotary Camp and the Akron Community. In addition, they have made significant efforts to improve and established relationships between community leaders and the Akron Rotary Camp.
Sandy’s civic involvement centers around building neighborhoods, serving the elderly and disabled, fighting homelessness and encouraging diversity!
She has been a Rotarian since 1999 and served as the Rotary Club of Akron’s President in 2015-16. She is a member of Rotary International’s Paul Harris Society. Sandy is honored to be a member of Akron Rotary’s Centennial Society. Over her 18 years as a Rotarian, she has been active in Rotary’s many community and international service projects. She currently serves as the Chair of the Grants and Four Way Speech Test Committees. She coordinates Rotary Cares outreach.
Beginning in 2000, she served 14 years as a Director for the Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children including serving as President in 2004. Sandy served during the critical planning phase of the capital campaign. She remains committed to camp, most recently by participating in its strategic planning sessions. In 2018, she will return to the Board of Directors.
In addition to Rotary, Sandy’s volunteerism includes Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio. She is a Past President of the organization and currently serves as a member of its Cuyahoga County Advisory Council. Rebuilding Together provides repairs to keep the elderly and disabled in homes that are warm, safe and dry.
Sandy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business & Organizational Communication at the University of Akron. Her other professional development accomplishments include being a graduate of Leadership Akron’s Class 20 and earning the prestigious REALTORS Certified Executive designation. This past December, she completed Rotary’s Leadership 6630 program.
As the CEO of the Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS, Sandy leads a staff of 10 to serve over 5,500 REALTORS in Summit and Cuyahoga County. She serves on the Executive Committee for Ohio REALTORS and on the Research Committee of the National Association of REALTORS.
Sandy and her husband Jeff will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in February 2018. She loves spending time with stepdaughter Stacie and son-in-law Matt, along with grandchildren Matthew, Jordan, Courtney and Cindy. Four years ago, she fell in love with German Shepherds Zeus and Zena.
Thank you Sandy, for all you do for Akron Rotary Camp, Akron Rotary Club and the Akron community!
December 2 and 3 our Akron Rotary Exchange student, Isa Toro Nunez attended the District 6630 RYE Overnight at Akron Rotary Camp. Great culture-learning activities, service tasks and plenty of fun. Her host sister Audrey Carroll is a candidate for the Outbound experience next year.
Activities included:
Flags of the nation at the nearby pink chair.
Marshmallow & spaghetti straw tower building (each person with different “personalities” given. Very funny!)
Dance party with special needs campers.
Special thanks to Brian Chima for being his usual FUN self!
Julie Brandle, President of Rotary Club of Akron, OH stopped by the founders office of Akron Snow Angels with a surprise gift This gift will help them #SpreadTheWarmth to many more people in our community!!! Thank you to all the members who help make these donations to our community possible.
The Akron Rotary Foundation (ARF) was established in 1992 to acquire, grow, manage and distribute the funds needed to support the Rotary Camp and the many projects and activities undertaken by the Rotary Club of Akron. It is one of the three major components of our Akron Rotary organization.
Several weeks ago ARF President Jim Redmond, and Treasurer Dan Riemenschneider gave a 25th Anniversary Presentation to the Rotary Club of Akron membership to describe the Foundation’s function and purpose. It included:
Akron Rotary has officially launched a Rotary Interact club with North High School. There were 16 students in attendance for the kick-off and they are very excited about the opportunities for themselves, their school, and their community & city. The club’s launching perfectly coincides with the Rotary Interact District gathering which will be taking place at Cuyahoga Falls High school on Saturday, November 4th. A team of students from North is looking to attend with over a hundred other students from all over Northeast Ohio. Once we have the details in place you will be hearing how you can help make a difference. The club meets every other Wednesday from 3:30 -4:00 at the high school.
On Saturday, November 4th, 190 students from all over Northeastern Ohio met at Cuyahoga Falls High School for the Rotary Interact District meeting. It was a joy filled gathering of our next generation of leaders hungry to experience more inspiration and encouragement on how to grow their leadership and serve their communities and touch lives throughout the world. Our Akron Rotary Club was represented by 9 students from North High School. Eight of the students were from Nepal and one gentleman was from Thailand. It was the perfect opportunity for these new students to experience Interact and how impactful their club can be for their school, neighborhoods, and city. There was so much energy in the room that is was almost infectious.
Rotary Club of Akron will support the United Way Read to Me Day program again this year. This is the seventh year that our Club has participated in this very worthwhile project.
We need 17 volunteers who will read to the children at Sam Salem Elementary School on November 2nd.CLICK HERE FOR THE SIGN UP DETAILS for each of the classes needing a volunteer. Teachers can be contacted by email, and several have suggested books as reading material for the volunteer.
Readers need to bring the reading material with them and should arrive 10 minutes before their scheduled time, to sign in at the office. A library or bookstore can be very helpful in selecting an appropriate book. If you do purchase a book or bring one from home, donating it to the class is always appreciated. This enables the teacher to finish it later with the class.
Rotarian's always find this to be a very rewarding experience. If you can participate please email me (click here) ASAP, specifying the classroom, your preferred start time, and if possible an alternative room and time choice.
Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We will keep you up-to-date on our progress.
On Saturday, October 21st, the Women of Rotary are stepping up and out to prepare an evening meal for the families of loved ones who are receiving much needed medical care at our Akron Childrens Hospital. The team under the leadership of Lynda Farkas consists of Lynda, Mella Castner, Sandy Naragon, and Jan Ryan.
Word has it they are keeping their special recipe a secret. 😊 With strong confidence they believe their meal will be one for the record books and a challenge to top for other Rotarians who are looking to exercise their culinary skills.
Future dates for preparing meals are Jan 20th, April 21st, July 21st, and October 20th, 2018. Come one and come all for the opportunity to bless families in need and to have a delightful experience with other Rotary family members. If you are interested in serving please reach out to Steve Buie by phone – 330-701-2970 or via email sbuie@learningrx.net
Stouffer Realty’s 3rd Annual Charity Golf Outing and Dinner drew 150 participants and raised more than $8000 to benefit the Akron Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children. The event was held at Fox Meadow Country Club in Medina, and also marked the 20th anniversary of the founding of Stouffer Realty.
“We are grateful for our partnership with Akron Rotary Camp because they do so much good for the children of Northeast Ohio,” said Realtor Mark Young, who organizes the event. “Four years ago, Stouffer Realty helped sponsor the Chili Open to benefit the camp; today, we are proud to be sponsoring our own fundraiser and raising more dollars every year.”
The mission of the Akron Rotary Camp is to provide a traditional camping experience for children and adults with disabilities, while emphasizing socialization, independence, and entertainment. The Camp sits on six acres at Rex Lake, one of the Portage Lakes. The acreage was purchased by the Rotary Club of Akron in 1925 and the camp at Rex Lake has been fully operational since 1926.
I hope you can join us to help with Akron Club / Salvation Army "Ring The Bell" Day on Friday December 8, 2017 at the Acme #10 on State Road in Cuyahoga Falls.
Below, Nathanael congratulates his grandfather, Charles W. for being recognized as an Honorary Rotarian.
The Billow Rotary Dynasty in Akron began with Captain George Billow, who served in the Civil War, and founded the first funeral home in Akron. Captain George wasn’t an Akron Rotarian, because there was no Akron Rotary Club during his prime. But Captain George had three sons who became Akron Rotarians.
The eldest son, George W. Billow, was a Charter Member of the Akron Club in 1914, and served as its President in 1916-17. The second son, Charles F. Billow, was an Honorary Member of the Club. And the third son, Edwin Billow, was also a member.
But of those three 1st generation members, it was Charles F. Billow whose progeny has resulted in this amazing 5-generation Rotary family. Charles F. Billow’s son, Arthur F. Billow, was an active member of the Akron club, and the thread continued when Arthur’s son, Charles W. (Chuck) Billow, joined the Akron Club in 1952. Chuck loved the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, and enjoyed driving kids to the Camp. Chuck was known to take his family on vacations in the United States and Europe, crafting those vacation itineraries around attending other Rotary clubs to keep his perfect attendance intact. Chuck continued as an active member of the Akron Club for over 65 years, when he was recognized and inducted as an Honorary Member on August 22, 2017. The Akron Club expects that Honorary Membership to continue for many years.
Through Chuck’s example, the Rotary string has continued. Chuck’s son, Charles M. (Chip) Billow, was a member of the Akron Club for several years before he moved to Tallmadge, where he is still a Rotarian. And Chip’s son, Nathanael, representing the 5th generation, was inducted into the Akron Club on August 1, 2017.
All of these Billow family members have been active in the family business – the Billow Company – that operates the Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory, a premier Akron business since 1915.
For over 100 years and spanning 5 generations - from the very formation of the Akron Rotary Club in 1914 to the present time – the Billow Rotary Dynasty has reigned in Akron.
The Meal Deal is offered annually to any member who would like to prepay for their Rotary lunches at a 20% discount.
Forty seven lunches at $13/luncheon less 20% is only $488.80. *Note: Due to holidays no meetings are scheduled for September 5, December 26, and May 29.
You can sign up for the Meal Deal at any Rotary lunch by July 25th (just tell Dawn) or email dawnh@akronymca.org.
Please submit your payment by July 31, 2017.
Existing Meal Deal Participants:
If you are currently signed up for the Meal Deal and are continuing it the total lunches are 48 (includes July 11th) and the total cost is $499.20.
Prepaid Meal Plan:
If you are not interested in the full year plan at discount you may want to opt for the Prepaid Meal Plan. All you have to do is send your payment for the number of meals you wish to pay for at $13.00 per meal.
You can start the prepaid meal plan anytime throughout the year.
Thank you Chili Open for Making Camp Affordable for our Families!
This past week at our camp cookout we celebrated the success of the Chili Open as several Chili Open sponsors and Rotarians joined us. We are grateful for everyone’s support and hard work to make it a continued success. Annually, the net proceeds from the Chili Open makes attending camp affordable for all of our families. We are committed to never letting a family’s personal financial resources prevent a camper from attending camp. No child is ever turned away for an inability to pay! Save the date for the 28th Annual Chili Open, February 3, 2018 at Hale Farm and Village, co-chaired by John Margida and Wanda Whipkey.
If you haven’t made it out to Camp yet for a cookout – there is only two more weeks left (July 20th and July 27th.) Come see what camp is all about and meet some of our staff. They are the most hardworking individuals you will ever meet, as their energy and enthusiasm are endless. Please RSVP to either Mella (mellac@akronymca.org), or Amanda (amandaw@akronymca.org). Dinner will be served at 6:00 pm in the Pavilion.
Update: Tuesday's meeting will be held at The Duck Club, 300 St. Main St., Akron, Ohio 44308 (it's in Canal Park). The cost of the lunch will be $20, payable at the door as usual.
Our speaker will be Joel Testa, who'll talk about Testa Companies and his vision for Akron.
See you Tuesday,
Chaz Billington
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME!!!
We are going to TAKE YOU OUT TO THE AKRON RUBBERDUCKS BASEBALL GAME! IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE TIME WITH FELLOW ROTARIANS AND HANG OUT TOGETHER.
Congratulations to Past Club President (1975-1976), Stu Parry receives 2017 Hunsicker Family Service to Youth Award. The following news articles feature Stu for this prestigious award.
West Side Leader recognizes Scott Kolligan and his wife Jaime as the Akron Area YMCA/Akron Rotary Camp 2016 volunteer of the year -click to view online article
Akron Rotary Club has a new service opportunity with the Ronald McDonald House in downtown Akron. Once a quarter we will be preparing an evening meal for all of the visiting families that are here to get their children much needed medical care. We will be working from 2-5 on one Saturday a quarter. Each meal we will need a team of 5-6 people to be involved with meal prep and kitchen clean-up. If you have a special recipe you’re looking to razzle and dazzle some folks with, please contact Steve Buie for further details. Our first day of service is Saturday, May 20th and we already have a team in place to serve. This is a wonderful opportunity to involve your spouse, significant other, and or kids.
We were very pleased to listen to Sky present at a recent Club meeting. She told us about her family, home country and tremendous adventures as an Exchange Student.
Thank you for sharing with us Sky! We all enjoyed learning more about you and your exciting time with us.
Rotary members and guests had a great time Thurs., 4/13th at Edgar’s Restaurant. Mark Auburn, Brian Chima, Nanci Dodgson, Greg Genega, Jack Harig, Karen Meek, Vincent Munnerlyn and his wife Theresa, Sandy Naragon, Graham Reinke, June Ring, George Rooney, Steve Shechter, Dan Sveda, Pam Kiltau, Kathryn Michael, Karen Taylor and Hugh Alpeter enjoyed the evening together. Great food, drinks were enjoyed. Hugh, Social Chairman commented,” it was a great night overlooking the Good Park Golf Course. After Hours Events are designed for members to enjoy fellowship, get to know each other in a casual atmosphere without having to rush at our normal meetings to have lunch, hear the speaker and rush off to work. Everyone enjoys these events. “. Anyone who would like to join the Social Committee to help with future events, please contact Hugh.
Fun at the Rotary After Hours Event at Edgars Restaurant
Time and change brings us experience and wisdom. Sometimes there are other changes, too.
Is it time for you to update your photo and other info in the online directory?
Of course, if your profile has no picture at all, you really should upload one or send one - Here is how to change your profile and to upload your photo:
1. login at www.akronrotary.org
2. go to member area (next to the login button)
3. Under My ClubRunner select either
"Edit My Profile" and then update all the information including your photo or
"Upload My Photo" to just upload your picture.
My ClubRunner
Edit My Profile
Change My Password
Upload My Photo
5. You can also opt to send a jpg photo (include your name!) to Cheryl Warren cawarren@neo.rr.com . She has been known to upload pictures for those of us who are not quite as adept at such tasks as we might like to be.
Shy Chen, our Rotary exchange student, and her team Starstruck for American Elite place 1st at the Best of Midwest competition April 9 in Cleveland. So proud of this visiting international young person. She has learned a typically American skill to take back to Taiwan and made many new friends. Thank you Wanda Whipkey for making this possible.
When I was asked to write something about working at Camp, I didn’t know where to start. Do I start when I first arrived in the USA nearly 15 years ago to work at a Summer Camp for children with special needs and didn’t know what to expect? Do I start when I realized that I didn’t feel that I was making a difference, but that Camp and the children that we served have made a difference in my life? Or, do I share how today, with the support from Rotarians and community members; together we “Create a world where there are only abilities?”
Akron Rotary Camp is a very special place. It’s a place where no one is judged. It’s a place where we celebrate each other and makes us grateful for what we have. As a counselor, I learned how to give my all, all – the - time. I learned how to step out of my comfort zone, and I learned how to accept what can and cannot be. It is also the place that taught me to think on my feet and to step in leadership roles that I never thought I could do, and how to be part of a team. I also the place where I made lifelong friends, and like then, we still share our greatest successes with each other and celebrate each other’s’ lives accomplishments.
Camp days are long, very long, - but when a camper gives you a big hug on Friday before they leave and tell you they had the best week, it made it so worth it. I remember Missy McDonald that was always smiling, although she had Downs. Nothing could get her down! I remember Jessica and Zack that started coming to camp when they were 6 years old. They still come to camp as it is their camp where their friends are, and where they feel save. They learned how to be independent and do things that they never thought they could. I remember Enrique that thanked me for saving his life when he fell out of a canoe and helped him to get back in. And Christy, that takes on the role of ‘Counselor-in-training’ to make sure her new cabin friends feel welcome. As I’m reminiscing about Jordan, Rachel, Maverick, and so many others and the experiences they had at camp, I realize, once again how fortunate I am. How the next chapter in my life started on this 6 acre camp in Akron, Ohio, and how I need to thank God for all I have, and can do.
These days I don’t work as much with the campers as in my days of being a counselor, but together with our Camp team, I work to make camp better. I work with volunteers and volunteer groups to lend that extra pair of hands, or get camp clean, organized or painted so they can feel welcome. I also work on events to make sure we can take on the next project or provide the financial assistance that’s needed. To past and present Rotarians I want to say Thank You! Thank you for your commitment and support to the Akron Rotary Camp for Special Needs where we continue to “Create a world where there are only abilities!”
PS: Please join us for our Thursday night Cookouts this summer and maybe you will meet a Rachel, Maverick, or Christy to start your camp story too.
Amanda Warner Akron Rotary Camp Director of Volunteers and Special Events
Our RYE student, Sky (Yi-Chieh CHEN) is doing well and is very happy with her experience in northeast Ohio. She has a good relationship with all family members, and has been enjoying especially having older sisters in the Laber family of Stow. Sky acknowledges that she needs to work more at school and cannot miss without an excuse. She acquired several absences to date because of Florida trip in December and Rotary meetings she has attended. Sky will attend Rotary the last week of March during her spring vacation.
Marcia Holcomb completed the 2nd month report for the host family, a procedure required by the U.S. Department of State to insure that all Rotary exchange students are in good hands. Marcia’s report was positive, although the family would like more notice in meetings and gatherings sponsored by Akron or the district.
Because Sky arrived in the middle of September and missed orientation at Rotary Camp, Sky participated in her 1st Akron Rotary Camp Overnight with district RYE students Feb. 18-19 (pictured). She had a fantastic time with interactive games, cultural exercises and just hanging out with other exchange students. One of her favorite activities.
Sky met her 3rd host family, the Carrolls, Jennifer and Richard, children David (17) and Audrey (15). They are a lovely professional family: Jen is an ob-gyn physician and Richard is a retired professor of pharmaceuticals. We expect to see Sky move around the 10th of April.
What an opportunity. Sky’s was able to participate in the Rotary sponsored Eastern Trip March 10-March 19. She and about 80 RYE students from all over the U. S. traveled by bus to Washington, D. C., New York and Boston during the 2017 March blizzard!! Sky maintained that she had FUN, but was extremely cold. She was very proud of her photos of the capital and Times Square. We owe a great deal to Host Mom, Laurel Laber, for arranging Sky’s transportation to the Eastern Trip meeting place in Columbus and return to Stow. While it appeared a logistical nightmare, our committee decided that Laurel Laber may have a future career as a travel agent.
Save the date: April 9. Sky’s American Elite (cheerleading) team performance is that evening. Sky has adopted a totally American phenomenon and she loves it, both the interaction with her teammates and the physical challenges. Sky will also present information about her country of Taiwan to the Rotary Club of Akron in April or May.
If you have more pictures, please send them in jpg formats (not in the body of the email) to Cheryl Warren (click to email her). They will be added to our archived photo directory on the website. If you names of those in the photo(s) include it with your email please.
Promote your product or service to Akron Rotarians! Each week, IT sponsorships are available for $50. Sponsors get their name and logo (or name if no logo submitted) on screen as part of the loop of announcements. Sponsorship dollars are offsetting the cost of projector and screen used by speakers and to promote upcoming Rotary activities and programs.
Are you willing to help get the weekly sponsor PowerPoint going on the projector? Knowledge of PowerPoint is helpful in case last minute updates are necessary. Email me if you’re interested.
February 4, 2017 was quite a chilly day, but that didn’t stop over 500 attendees from joining together for the 27th annual Chili Open Golf Classic, presented by Wayne Homes. The grounds of Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio were transformed into five unique golf courses with 9 holes each that ranged from 65-125yards. Participants also had a chance to take a shot at the hole-in-one and closets-to-the-pin to win some great prizes!
The day was a huge success and together we raised over $239,000 benefiting the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. Funds from the event will help more than 1,800 children to attend summer camp and year round respite programs which will help them build independence, social skills, and memories that last a lifetime. Last year, Akron Rotary Camp provided over $180,000 in direct financial assistance to campers and families in need.
We are grateful to each and every one that contributed in some way. Thank you to all Rotarians that supported the cause by purchasing raffle tickets, sponsorships, camperships, donated prizes or volunteered their time. We appreciate the continued support. Thank you also to our two co-chairs, Julie Brandle and Rick Rockich for steering this event as well as other committee members for all your efforts and support.
Mark your calendars to join us for Akron Rotary’s 28th annual Chili Open Golf Classic on February 3, 2018!
Very interesting experience in the Chinendaga area of Nicaragua where Cheryl and Stew Buchanan and Brandon McFadden (our grandson) helped in giving shoe boxes to the children of the dump and other children in some of the neighboring schools.
It is fun to see the smiles on the faces of these children when they receive their shoe box of various items like a tooth brush, ball cap, school supplies and much more. Seeing where they go to school, how far they have to walk, where they live, etc. is a real eye opener.
Rotary has had a focus on education for these children in the area and they now have classes through high school. Some of these children who were part of the families in the dump area have now finished college because of Rotary's help.
Rotary has helped to provide equipment, etc. for a trade school for some of the children from the area where we visited.
We also visited the dump where families still survive by salvaging what they can from the trash. We also visited a home started by Rotary, for expectant mothers who come from many miles away to stay until they are ready to deliver. Prior to this home, these women slept on park benches or whatever across the street from the hospital until delivery time.
Much more to tell and lots of pictures about our fantastic trip from January 4th, 2017 through January 11th, 2017. CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
We would like to thank the SUPER Learning Center for allowing us to bring Christmas cheer to 150 very special children on December 15, 2016.
The event started with Santa arriving on a firetruck, sirens ablaze. You, however, cannot hear the sirens over the sounds of the children screaming with joy, their faces pushed up against the window, to see Santa Claus. The school has transformed their library into a winter-wonderland, complete with a throne clearly meant for no other but the jolliest of them all. Shortly after Santa settles in, he is greeted by his elves (teacher’s aides), who also provide specific information about each child through an earpiece receiver.
Annually, the Rotary International President Elect announces the theme for the year in which he will serve as RI President. This announcement always takes place at the January training assembly for the incoming class of District Governors. To learn more about our incoming RI President you can click here.
Join us on February 4, 2017 for the 2017 Chili Open, at Hale Farm and Village benefiting the Akron Rotary Camp. (Watch Chili Open Video Here)
Since its inception, the Chili Open has raised over $2.7 million to provide support to families with children with special needs. At Rotary Camp, campers are provided the opportunity to experience traditional camping activities, develop relationships, learn life skills, and create memories that last a lifetime. Currently, Rotary Camp annually serves almost 2,000 children and adults along with their families with a wide range of developmental and physical disabilities and mental health disorders through our day, overnight, and year-round respite camp programs.
Our goal for the 27th annual Chili Open is $250,000 and in order for us to have another successful event to support the Camp WE NEED YOUR HELP. If you or your company would like to provide a Sponsorship, please contact the Akron Rotary Camp Office (330) 644-4512.
There are also many other ways to get involved:
Purchase a CAMPERSHIP for only $500. It will provide one week of camp for a child with special needs.
Purchase ADVERTISING in the Chili Open Tabloid Newspaper that is distributed to over 135,000 households throughout Summit County.
Purchase RAFFLE TICKETS or ask friends, family, and co-workers to buy tickets at only $20 per ticket. Every one stands a chance to win one of four great prizes, that includes a 2017 Chevrolet Sonic LS, a LG 55” 4k Smart TV, a Fox Sports Ohio Behind-the-Scene Media Package to a 2017 Cleveland Indians Game, or 2 tickets to the 2017 Bridgestone Invitational Golf Tournament. 6 tickets for $100 will give you an entry into Snowmania for a chance to win $50,000.
Sign up to VOLUNTEER. We have lots of volunteer opportunities available.
Please visit Chiliopen.net for more information about the Chili Open, to purchase a sponsorship, register to golf, purchase a Clubhouse pass, or to purchase a raffle ticket. Thank you for helping us achieve the mission of Rotary Camp “Creating a world where there are only abilities!”
With Gratitude, in the spirit of camping,
Julie Brandle and Rick Rockich
Co-Chairs, 2017 Chili Open
Members: Brian Chima, Susan Colville-Hall, Marcia Holcomb, Wanda Whipkey, Doug Hausknecht, Brian Kosarko, Jack Harig, Keryl Whetstone, Barry Hollis, Stew Buchanan, Cathryn O’Malley, Leslie Tierney.
Brian Chima reported on the November RYE meeting. He developed the sheet on likes and dislikes for Sky and made announcements so that other Rotarians and families will take advantage of the opportunity to interact with her while inviting her to do something. Brian will continue to make these announcements on a regular basis and will also help set up these up with Sky and the Rotarian at hand.
Rotary Veterans who served in reserve, national guard, and active duty were honored at our Club meeting on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
Jack Harig began with talking about Armistice Day Nov 11, 1918 11th hour, 11th day 11th month.
In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words:
"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"
On June 4, 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the “recurring anniversary of [November 11, 1918] should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations” and that the president should issue an annual proclamation calling for the observance of Armistice Day American effort during World War II (1941-1945) saw the greatest mobilization of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force in the nation’s history (more than 16 million people); some 5.7 million more served in the Korean War (1950 to 1953). In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans’ service organizations, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans.” President Dwight D. Eisenhowersigned the legislation on June 1, 1954. From then on, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all.
As a nation we smile and say in passing, “Thanks for your Service”
What does that mean?
To the Combat Veteran
To the wounded, physically and mentally
To those who served in support units or a peace time army
To families and loved ones who remain behind, follow along, worry, and pray
Can we offer more?
King David, who commanded armies and trusted in the Lord during times of battle, wrote these words in
O LORD, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, "God will never rescue him!" But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
Thank you to our Rotarians who are veterans and all the veterans who have served our country.
At the Veterans Day outdoor ceremonies, President Matthew Wilson told the story of our Korean War Memorial, located on the east lawn of Bierce Library, facing Olin Hall. It was dedicated 15 years ago today.
UA alumnus Thomas Blair, a successful local businessman, was a Marine and an infantryman during the Korean War. He worked with artist Carl Floyd to design the memorial, and paid its $160,000 cost.
The monument features a semi-circle of five columns, each adorned with the symbol of one of the branches of the United States Armed Forces. A low, white
dome rises out of the ground, representing the Earth as it extends up from the 38th Parallel North — the border between North and South Korea when hostilities began in 1950.
On top of the dome is a large metal rectangle, inscribed with:
the story of that war
a map of the region
the number of U.S. servicemen and women who were killed, wounded and missing there, as well as corresponding numbers for United Nations troops.
The metal block is dark and rusted from rain and snow. That rust has flowed onto the white dome and the ground — just as Blair envisioned. The block represents the machinery of warfare, and the rust represents how war stains the world.
Blair died not long after the memorial was finished, but his hope for future generations remains clear.
The block bears the words, "The location of this memorial on The University of Akron campus has been selected to preserve the importance of this event for those who did not live through it."
If you look for Blair’s name on the memorial, you won’t find it. He didn’t intend it to be a memorial to himself, but an educational tool. Maybe that helps explain why this university is a bit different when it comes to veterans.
The sacrifice of our service men and women is not a distant concept, or a historical footnote to us. That sacrifice is very real because veterans are part of who we are as a university.
Veterans of the Civil War helped to found this institution. Veterans from the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan conflicts sit in our classrooms and stadiums. Veterans are what our ROTC students will become, when their service is complete.
Douglas Hausknecht, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marketing and International Business
This year, volunteers from our club will participate by reading to children at Findley Elementary School. We need 17 Rotarians who will select a time and donate 30 minutes to read to the kids. You can pick one of your favorite children's books or choose from a list of resources provided by the teachers. A book store or the Public Library can also help with the selection of reading material. We will email volunteers all of the necessary information prior to your scheduled visit.
Thank you for helping support our kids! The school is located at 65 East Tallmadge Ave. and you can sign up online or by contacting:
The October Board of Directors Meeting for the Akron Rotary is bustling with committee reports, community activities, new fundraising goals for the Chili Open and upcoming meeting where Paul Harris awards will be given to members and offsite field trips are just a few of the hot topics keeping this club moving forward.
Akron Service Projects committee is on the move. A subcommittee has been formed to reach out to the board of Image Academy.The plan is to invite their members to attend and join Rotary.Students there need volunteer opportunities, too.Bell ringing sign up is open.Operation Orange at the Akron Food Bank was attended by 7 Rotarians who sorted food for 2 hours.It was fun and we will do it again next year.
The music was blaring! There were people everywhere! Fruit was flying! Were we at a Friday night house party? No! Akron Rotary was at Operation Orange! On Friday, September 9th, Akron Rotarians joined 1500 other volunteers at the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank’s Annual Operation Orange. It’s a 24-hour event aimed to raise awareness and to keep up with the growing demand for emergency food.
Volunteering that beautiful Friday afternoon were Rotarians Lynda Farkas, Don Gordon, Katy Miller, Sam Lupica, Sandy Naragon, George Rooney, Jan Ryan, Sherrie Sanchez, Sherry Valentine, and Ed Wagner. Many others may have been volunteering through their employers or other civic organizations.
In total, 248,440 lbs of fresh produce were sorted, weighed and bagged—ready to get into the hands and mouths of those who need it!
The Akron Rotary Club will be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army on Friday, December 9th from 9:00 am-9:00 pm at ACME #1 (1835 W. Market Street). We will need two volunteers to cover each hour that day. This is a great opportunity for your children or grandchildren to experience the joy of individuals in the community giving to help our community. It is also a chance to showcase your ability to play a musical instrument, demonstrate your singing talents, or just hang out with other Rotarians and friends for a good cause. There will be an opportunity to sign-up in the near future. In the meantime, if you would like to volunteer, or have questions, please contact Mark Seward at markdseward@gmail.com or 330-414-2075. Thank you.
1. BECAUSE WE ARE ABOUT TO ERADICATE A DISEASE, AND YOU CAN BE A PART OF IT
We are 99.9 percent of the way toward ending polio. As of early June, there were only 16 cases of wild poliovirus in the world, and many think this could be the year we see the last naturally occurring case of polio.
As Rotary and our partners work to eradicate the poliovirus in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the remaining endemic countries, we also continue immunization campaigns in other high-risk countries to ensure that the disease remains gone for good. You can participate on the ground. Email polioplus@rotary.org to connect with Rotarians leading upcoming trips.
Also consider using your network to spread the word and make sure polio stays on the global agenda. Provide a link to endpolio.org in your email signature. Follow End Polio Now on Facebook and Twitter and share the story of polio eradication with your social networks. When your legislators speak at club meetings, make sure you bring up polio funding. “The fact we are grassroots enables us to have a tremendous amount of influence,” says International PolioPlus Chair Michael McGovern. Host a community event to celebrate World Polio Day on 24 October; register your event and download resources at endpolio.org.
Donate now and your contribution will be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Go towww.endpolio.org.
Click on the video and see how the Akron Rotary Camp creates a world for special needs children and adults where there are only abilities. The Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, in cooperation with the Akron Area YMCA, offers children and adults with disabilities, the opportunity to experience all the friendship, fun and excitement of camp.
This year's Board of Director's gathered for the first time on Tuesday, July 12th. Our New President addressed the team and announced that our club has experienced significant growth in the last five years. Now we need to help engage and mentor each member but this is not just a job for a mentor but truly each and every members responsibility.
The Board of Directors of the Akron Rotary Club met on June 147th. Below is a summary the action approved:
Effective July 1st, a $5 non-eating fee will be charged of Rotarians who attending weekly luncheons. Rationale: there are costs associated with Rotary activities and luncheons beyond the food price such as room setup, beverages, room fees, etc. Also, Portage Country Club is extremely flexible with our unpredictable attendance and meeting needs. That along with free, convenient parking was motivation to continue meeting there.
Effective July 1st, an IT Sponsorship of $50 per week will be available. Sponsors get name and logo (or name if no logo submitted) on screen as part of the loop of announcements. Rationale: we’re charged for the projector and screen whether we use it or not, we’ll put it to use promoting Rotary activities and offer the sponsorship to offset the cost.
To move forward with the Akron Public Schools Partnership to help purchase instructional reading kits and to provide Rotarians to present the materials, provide on-going help reading, and share the Rotary ideals. This project will replace the Dictionary Project. Rationale: APS identified a greater need and better impact for the reading kits. Funding is already in place.
President-elect Jeff Sitz is busy meeting with his leadership team preparing to lead the Club. Jeff will be installed and share his vision at the Rotary Club meeting scheduled for July 12th.
NOTE: Akron Rotary will NOT meet on July 5th as Portage Country Club is closed to observe Independence Day.
As promised, below are more ideas generated at the April 12th Table Talk session.
Fundraising – Blake Babcock, Leader
Strengths: Leadership: Mella Castner; Simple: The Four Way Test is an easy message to communicate to potential donors and members; Concrete: Rotary Camp is a physical asset to show people; Radical: There’s no other event like the Chili Open!
Priorities: Develop Planned Giving; Maximize Chili Open Sponsorships; Clarify the Foundation’s Role; Hold more events at Camp to build awareness; Engage college and high school students.
Potpourri – Bob Pacanovsky, Leader
Narrow the focus on club’s service projects
Be more than a “wallet” and be willing to say No from time to time
Have a conversation with the Akron Public Schools about helping them out in other ways? Possibly provide leaders and mentors for students?
Follow up with student scholarship recipients to provide any mentoring
Investigate awarding scholarships to local students study abroad.
Get more members engaged with Rotary Camp; give more Camp updates at lunch; remind Rotarians about Thursday and Sunday Camp visits
Programs – Amanda Barna, Leader
Hold joint meetings with other groups, i.e. Kiwanis, Kent Rotary during Akron/Kent football game. Have coaches or mayors speak. Meeting location could alternate same as home game.
More field trips, especially Rotary Camp.
Bring back favorite past speakers: Terry Bowden- UA football coach, ABJ reporter who talked about Akron demographics (Price?)
Speaker Ideas:
Akron Children’s Hospital; the DWTS event was mentioned
Akron General CEO
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan
Akron Public Schools - David James
Akron Snow Angels- Erin Victor
Akron Symphony Conductor/Detroit Conductor
Akron Police Chief James Nice
Bit Factory
Directors from ADM Board, DD Board, Children Services
Haven of Rest
Kyle Kutuchief
Leadership Akron - Mark Scheffler
LeBron James Family Foundation
New Goodyear CEO
Polar Bear Club
Summa CEO
Summit County Health Department
United Way- Jim Mullen
University of Akron
WAKR to give an update on what is happening in Akron, in Ohio and the region
Spotlight a Rotarian at each meeting allowing 3-5 minute presentations.
If it’s important to our community, Rotary should be engaged, i.e. heroin epidemic
Rotary International Foundation – Cathryn O’Malley, Leader
Educate Akron Rotarians about Rotary International (Quarterly)
What projects are there?
What’s our role in deciding on international projects?
Introduce new members to Paul Harris Fellowships – explain financial commitment and lottery.
Create new ways to give
Grow the International Committee
Where do Paul Harris Funds go?
Broaden fundraising beyond the Camp and Chili Open
Define local/district/international role in service projects and RI
Raise Akron Rotary’s service project awareness – focus on Internal speakers throughout the year.
Some of these terrific ideas are already becoming a reality! Moving forward, President-Elect Jeff Sitz will transition into 2016-17 and even more will take shape. Regardless of who’s leading Akron Rotary, the goal remains—create an amazing and personal fulfilling experience for Akron Rotarians!
Club & Member Awards Picnic - June 25, 2016, Noon - 3:30PM
All Rotarian's and your families are invited to have fun and celebrate as we present our 2015-16 Rotary Club and Individual Awards on June 25th. Co-chairs Pam Kiltau and Shon Christy will begin the festivities at Noon at The Akron Rotary Camp. We 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.
Please join us for a Thursday night cookout during Summer Camp. It’s a great way to meet the counselors and campers and to experience our camp program first hand.
Dinner will be served at 6pm in the Pavilion. Friends and Family are welcome too!
Dates are as follows - simply click on the date you want to attend and sign up online!! If you wish to attend multiple weeks please register for each date accordingly. RSVPs are needed please.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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!
The Akron Rotary Club Board of Directors met on April 12th. The following items were discussed and/or action taken:
President-Elect Jeff Sitz has started meeting with committee chairs to hear any goals planned for 2016-17. His purpose is to pledge his support for a successful Rotary year.
President Sandy Naragon reported that to date 47 Akron Rotarians have completed the survey. She encouraged all to go https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RotaryClubSurvey to complete it. Her goal is for at least a 50% response rate or 72 respondents.
Directors were encouraged to register to attend the District conference, ROCK ‘NTHE CHANGEplanned for April 22nd and 23rd. Akron Rotarians have been very instrumental in planning this year’s conference which includes some exciting program changes. If you can’t attend the full conference, come for lunch, dinner or a few sessions.
Three proposed Rotarians were approved including Scott Downey, Dan Gordon and Kimberly Hoch.
Directors also considered a proposal from Membership Chair Steve Shechter to amend the Bylaws to allow proposed members to be presented and considered by the Club Membership at time of proposal vs. after Board of Director approval. Directors took action to approve the Bylaws Amendment. Their rationale: The earlier in the process an objection to a proposed Rotarian is received, the quicker the Membership Committee and Directors are able to work for resolution. Currently, presentation to the membership is the last step in becoming a Rotarian. Click to view proposed amendment.
Rotary International Foundation Chair Bill Manby, Sr. reported that the goal for Paul Harris Fellows is 100—in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the RI Foundation. We’re currently at 60.
Scholarship Chair Terry Dalton reported that he is currently accepting and reviewing applications for scholarships to the 2016 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). RYLA is a five-day leadership conference for high school juniors who are aspiring young leaders.
The Rotary Club of Akron is doing amazing things! Our club is vibrant, fun and growing. What better time than now to become even better? As leaders we should never ignore an opportunity to improve. Your feedback on the Akron Rotary Survey will reinforce those areas where we’re strong, will help identify and change where needed and most importantly, gives you an opportunity to share new ideas!
Your conference committee selected this theme to represent the changes
we all have embraced to secure Rotary’s future as the
most vibrant and effective service organization in the world.
As leaders continue to join our clubs, Rotary will continue to thrive and the
service we provide will grow because of the committed work of each of you.
We will Join Leaders, Exchange Ideas,
Celebrate our Clubs, Members and Students!!
There will be a lot of fellowship, fun, laughter and
yes, probably a few tears will be shed as
we honor Rotarians who have given of their time
and utilized their talents and efforts
to make a difference in the lives of others to Be a Gift to the World.
The Board of Directors for the Rotary Club of Akron met on February 9th. President Sandy Naragon reported on the following items:
The Club is very close to qualifying to receive the President’s Citation from Rotary International for reaching is 2015-16 goals. One that needs work is having at least 50% of our Rotarians register for “My Rotary” at www.rotary.org.
If the Rotary Club of Akron wants to be involved in the Four Way Test Speech Contest, now is the time to solicit candidates. Scholarship Chair Terry Dalton reported that the best chance of getting participation from the schools would be to promote at the same time the scholarship information is sent to them. He believes we would be hard pressed to get this organized for the 2016 contest. Sandy Naragon offered to Chair this program in 2017. She will solicit committee members in the Fall.
A membership survey will be launched electronically to all Akron Rotarians. In addition, table focus groups will be held at an upcoming lunch.
Differences in the lunch counts have been remedied.
Directors accepted resignations from several Rotarians who are unable to continue membership due to job changes or who have not responded to outreach.
Highlights from committee reports are below:
Jeff Sitz and Julie Brandle were extremely proud to report that the Chili Open was once again a huge success. Initial numbers are coming in at $215,000. Wayne Homes has pledged to make sure the $225,000 goal is met. Directors congratulated Jeff, Julie, the committee and Camp Staff for their outstanding work.
Directors approved four new Rotarians presented by the Membership Committee Chair Steve Shechter: Ken Babby, James Durr, Helen Farmer, and Bill Lowry, Jr. These candidates will now be presented to the full club for consideration.
The Rotary Cares Committee shared that former Rotarian Gene Fiocca’s wife Ann passed away. Private services were held. The committee will send a sympathy card.
Bill Manby reported that the Rotary International Foundation Committee will be honoring eight new Paul Harris Fellows at the March 1st meeting. Rotarians interested learning more about the recognition or in joining the PHF Lottery should call or email Bill.
Also on March 1st, Jack Harig will share the exciting details of the Centennial Celebration of the Rotary International Foundation being held in October, 2016.
Finally, Directors discussed the need to find a chair and additional mentors to guide Akron’s new Rotarians. Having a functioning and effective mentoring program will lead to better retention and happier, more engaged Rotarians! President Naragon will be spearheading the search for leadership and mentors.
The temp is right and a little snow on the ground means it is crunch time for Chili Open. We still are really in need for volunteers for set up and tear down especially. Please go to Club Runner today and sign up for your shift. Remember “Service above self” Our club needs you!!!
Thanks,
Rob McGregor
Chili Open Volunteer Chair
Click on Sign Up to view available slots and book yourself directly online.
You can sign up directly on the Rotary Club of Akron website by clicking here. We appreciate your participation and look forward to making this a great event together!
Brian Chima reminded the Club members during Happy Dollars that our Rotary Youth Exchange student, Gabriel Mendes, will need some winter clothing: Hats, gloves, jacket, parka, sweaters, long-sleeve shirts, socks, boots, etc.
If you have some gently used clothing that could be donated, his size is:
children’s XL (18-20) or Men’s X-small or Men’s small. He is very small.
His shoe or boot size is men’s 9 1/2.
Bring items to lunch. Leave at desk with Dawn and then Susan Colville-Hall will pick them up.
Or call (330 714-3765 for Susan to pick up from you.
Items will be donated to Akron Snow Angels, a homeless mission helping those in need in Akron.
NOTE FROM AKRON SNOW ANGELS:
With the weather changing the needs do not. We will continue to collect items at Tuesday meetings. Last year we serviced more men than women and had few children. I'm not sure what this year will bring but I'm assuming it'll be the same. I'd say 100 men to 30 women a week and usually not many children.
Winter Boots
Warm thicker Socks
Underwear (boxer briefs & woman's briefs)
Waterproof / warm gloves
Scarves a man would wear
Winter Hats
Hand warmers
Long Underwear for male & female
Winter coats
Snow pants
Back Packs
Please refer any questions to Katy Miller.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
If you have a project you would like to share with the rest of Rotary, please contact Karen Meek at 330.873.1766 or Karen@memminiatures.com
Rotary's member benefits program gives Rotary and Rotaract club members access to discounts on a variety of products and services selected with their interests in mind.
Rotary Global Rewards offers discounts on vehicle rentals, hotels, dining, and entertainment. Products and services from companies around the world are being added every week. Check back often to see what’s new in Rotary Global Rewards.
Tell us how you've benefited from Rotary Global Rewards. Share your #rotarystory on social media or email us at rotaryglobalrewards@rotary.org.
HOW TO REDEEM OFFERS
Anyone can view the offers and discounts on Rotary Global Rewards. But onlyRotary and Rotaract club members who are signed in to their My Rotary accounts can redeem them. You can access and redeem rewards from your computer, smartphone, or tablet.
Rotaractors must be in our records to redeem or add offers on Rotary Global Rewards. If after signing in to your My Rotary account, you are unable to use Rotary Global Rewards, send your Rotaract club name and membership start date todata@rotary.org using your My Rotary sign-in email so we can update your membership in our database. Please allow 3-5 business days for the change to take effect.
These Chili Open meetings are serious business! Chair, Jeff Sitz leads the planning discussion for the big day, February 6th! Want to register for golf, be a sponsor, place an ad, or volunteer? Contact us today! Amandaw@akronymca.org
The Board of Directors for the Akron Rotary Club met on Tuesday, December 8th. Directors heard a presentation from representatives from Akron Public Schools regarding partnership opportunities. The idea of an in-depth collaboration seemed a natural progression to the Dictionary Project.
Rotarian Chaz Billington will head a committee that will work closely with the Akron Public School (APS) to determine the scope of the partnership. It is our hope that club funding and district funding will be used to kickoff this fantastic new service project for Akron Rotary.
Four new members were presented by Membership Chair Steve Shechter. All had strong applications and had great “intersations” (interview/conversation!) with committee members. All four were approved.
Chili Open Chair Jeff Sitz announced that Chili Open tickets have arrived! Rotarians are asked to be actively engaged in selling tickets between now and February 6th! As shared by Bill Manby at the luncheon—they also make great stocking stuffers!
Directors voted tocancel the Tuesday, December 29th Rotary Luncheon since so many had indicated they’d be unable to attend due to holiday travel or festivities.
Directors were reminded of upcoming December activities:
Christmas Party at SUPER Learning Center on December 17th. Santa arrives around 11:45 and festivities go until 3:15 pm. “Attending will change your life, declared Bill Manby, Sr. at our weekly luncheon! Don’t miss out on making a difference in a child’s life.
December 22nd Holiday Luncheon being held at Concordia at Sumner! It starts at 11:30 a.m. and promises to be a great event! Be sure to RSVP by December 15th!
The next meeting of the Rotary Club of Akron Board of Directors will be Tuesday, January 12th at 11:00 a.m. at Portage Country Club.
The Rotary Club of Akron’s Board of Directors met on October 13th. The following items were discussed:
Directors recommended that the Rotary Foundation consider approving $2900 in funding for the District’s Pediatric Cardio project in Haiti that is being coordinated with Akron Children’s Hospital. This is...
The Administration Committee reported that Akron Rotarians who have not paid their annual dues are now in delinquent status. Directors will make calls to retain their membership.
Susan Colville-Hall, Chair of the Rotary Youth Exchange Committee reported that Exchange Student Gabriel is having a wonderful time attending activities with his host family and Rotarians. Vice Chair Brian Chima has coordinated a wish-list of activities along with a schedule. Rotarians are urged to include him in their plans.
There are seven individuals in the membership process according to Membership Chair Steve Shechter. Five are scheduled for inductions during October. Another has been approved and is awaiting induction. The last is in the midst of being approved.
Service Projects Chair reported that Read to Me Day is slated for November 5th. Akron Rotarians are needed to fill slots from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm at Akron’s Crouse or Hatton Elementary Schools. You can volunteer online at www.AkronRotary.org or by reaching out to Graham Reinke or Kaley Foster.
Vice Chair of Rotary International Foundation Marcia Holcomb reported that the Paul Harris lottery winners for 2015, along with other new Paul Harris Fellows, would be honored at the October 13th luncheon. Rotarians earn Paul Harris Fellowships for their significant contribution ($1,000) to The Rotary International Foundation Annual fund.
It was consensus that the Presidents, President-elects and Treasurers of the Akron Rotary Club, Camp and Foundation should schedule a meeting with Development Director Mella Castner to create a process/protocol for considering funding requests.
The next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for November 10th.
The Akron Rotary Camp was originally started to help children suffering from Polio. We have made a promise to the children of the world to eradicate this disease - and we are so very close . . . you can help raise funds for this cause simply by eating at Bob EvansTHIS FRIDAY - October 23rd and presenting this coupon (CLICK HERE) at check out.
World Polio Day is on October 23, 2015 - locally you can help support our number one priority - the eradication of Polio world-wide simply by eating a meal at Bob Evans that day. Just present the coupon (click to download) when you check out and 15% will be donated on behalf of District 6630 to our Polio Plus Campaign --- in addition, the funds will continue to be matched 2-1 by The Gates Foundation!!
Here is a message about World Polio Day from RI President Ravindran and learn how you can watch the World Polio Event live this year:
Dear fellow Rotarians:
It is our pleasure to announce Rotary’s annual World Polio Day kickoff event on 23 October in New York City. We'll use this occasion to shine a light on Rotary’s leadership in the fight that has brought us This Close to ending polio.
The Livestream event, co-sponsored by UNICEF, will bring together our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, government officials, and global health leaders from nongovernmental organizations and will mobilize more than 30,000 supporters.
July and August brought great milestones in the polio eradication effort. For the first time in history, Nigeria -- then all of Africa -- marked one year with no new polio cases caused by the wild virus.
We are closer to making good on our promise to end polio forever, but there's still work to be done. As we protect the progress made in Africa, we focus even more sharply on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Our World Polio Day kickoff event is our opportunity to update participants around the world on our progress and next steps and inspire them to share their voices, donate, or advocate for eradication as we near the finish line.
We invite you to join us and watch the event live, starting at 18:30 New York time (UTC-4) or later -- a recording will be made available. We also ask you to raise awareness of our polio eradication effort in your own community and build a local audience for our World Polio Day event. Visit the End Polio Now website to download resources that can help you raise awareness and funds. Share this information with your Rotary clubs, districts, communities, and elected officials.
Thirty years ago, we told the world what Rotary believes: that we can achieve the eradication of polio. Our dream is becoming reality. For every child, on World Polio Day, let’s push ahead to the reality of a polio-free world.
Warm regards,
Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran and Rotary Foundation Chair Ray Klinginsmith
World Polio Day - October 23, 2015 - Eat at Bob Evans and Help Us Raise Money to End Polio
For additional information or if you have a project you would like to share with the rest of Rotary, please contact Graham Reinke at 330-618-4610 or cmandgar@yahoo.com.
Rotary Youth Exchange – Gabriel Mendes is here from Brazil and having a great time while enrolled in Stow-Munroe School. We want to share our culture and experiences with Gabriel while he’s here so please see Brian Chima for possible activities to share with Gabriel.
Mobile Meals – Deliveries take place one Saturday (usually the second) per month from 8:30-11:30 am. Please sign up on the website or during our Tuesday lunch meeting.
A volunteer is needed to coordinate the Mobile Meals/Rotary Program. Matt Johnson, who did such a fine job handling this, has moved out of the area. Anyone interested could contact me.
On November 15, 2015 join us at The Hilton Inn West in Fairlawn
to celebrate the successes of Clubs throughout our District for
their Foundation Donations during the 2014-15 Rotary Year.
Enjoy some food, beverages and an art auction (profits will go toward our Polio campaign or Annual Fund).
The Rotary Club of Akron’s Board of Directors met on Tuesday, September 15th and the following items were discussed:
President-Elect Jeff Sitz represented the Akron Rotary Club at a Rotary Cluster meeting. The Cluster includes Akron, Barberton, Fairlawn, Port Summit and Tallmadge clubs. We meet periodically to share club news and cross-promote activities.
Directors approved a resolution honoring late Rotarian Harry Stewart. It will be presented to his family.
Listening to the various accents as campers arrived at Rex Lake, it was evident that something different was up. We heard excellent levels of English and observed a couple of students who had some difficulty understanding explanations. Smiles and open minds set the tone for our newly arrived exchange students. The District 6630 conducted RYE Orientation at Akron Rotary Camp for this year’s Inbound students who hailed from various countries: Kaho Mochizuhi (Japan), Justine Altmeyer-Wagner (France), Jermán León (Chile), Antonella Ramos (Peru), Ben Reidel (Germany), Supahakrit Disthaphongphakdee (Thailand) and Gabriel Mendes (Brazil), who was unfortunately absent because of chickenpox. Participating clubs sent their youth exchange officers and counselors for training. District 6630 clubs hosting this year include Lakewood for Justine and Kaho, Chardon for Jermán, Mantua for Antonella, Medina for Ben, Garrettsville for Supahakrit (or Art) and Akron for Gabriel (going to school in Stow). What a wonderful group of young people!! Words we would use to describe our RYE students: friendly, caring, eager to get to know you, energetic, engaging, smart and fun-loving. Host families also participated the second day to better understand Rotary’s rules and regulations and to get to know the entire group of international students.
Today our speaker, Edward Thomas, shared a lot about the history of Rotary International, our district and how our Arch Klumph played a major role in how districts, district governors, and even our standard club by-laws.
To help the Rotary Club of Cleveland celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011, Dr. Thomas wrote a history of the club incorporating his original research and some materials left by the late Leon H. Swartout, the club’s long-time executive director. The 270-page book, entitled Reflections on a Century of Service: The History of the Rotary Club of Cleveland, 1911-2011, was published in 2012. In March of 2016, Dr. Thomas completed a 500-page history of Rotary District 6630, which is entitled The History of Rotary District 6630: The “Home” of Arch C. Klumph.
On Thursday, September 3rd, The Greater Akron Chamber held their 9th annual 30 for the Future Awards Banquet. 30 for the Future recognizes 30 young professionals (ages 25-39) who live and/or work in the Greater Akron Region, who are trendsetters in their industries, and who make an impact on the region through dynamic leadership and community service. This year 2 past award winners and Akron Rotarians Mark Krohn and Shon Christy served as award presenters. But the highlight of the night was the Rotary Club of Akron was called out 4 times during the awards ceremony for recipients which included Blake Babcock from Focal Point Social Media, Greg Genega from First Energy, Jonathan Phelps from ComDoc and Senator Frank LaRose. Rotarian Mark Krohn is pictured presenting and the award winners Blake, Greg, Jonathan, and Frank are pictured with Immediate past president Shon Christy.
Akron Rotarians Shine at the Greater Akron Chamber's 30 for the Future Awards Banquet
JOIN US on October 17th and become a champion to help strengthen your club!! .
We are offering a new, innovative approach that will provide take away, cutting-edge ideas on how to energize and bolster your club for growth, service and public interaction.
“One Rotary” refers to the synergistic relationships among Membership, Foundation and Public Image and how success in any one area benefits the other two.
For example, Doing Good in the World through Foundation funded programs enhances the public image of Rotary and makes it easier to attract new members.
All club members are welcome and encouraged to attend!
We have just wrapped up another amazing summer at Rotary camp. There were many successes and new experiences to be shared by both or campers and staff this summer. I don’t believe that any story sticks out more than this story about a camper who was in their final year of day camp. For years this camper was very afraid of the water, so much so that many times he did not even want to go on a pontoon boat ride. A couple years ago, with a lot of encouragement, he joined other campers on a pontoon boat ride, but was still very afraid to go swimming. All summer our staff worked him and on the last week of camp he swam all the way out to the floating dock. This was an accomplishment that many people thought could not be done. However our amazing staff wasn’t satisfied. The next day they tried again and swam with him all the way out to the floating trampoline! When the camper finally made it onto the trampoline he gave a huge fist pump and yelled, “I DID IT!” This camper conquered his fears with the help of our amazing staff, who truly believe that at camp we are, “Creating a world where there are only abilities.”
As we celebrate the accomplishments with our campers, we hope that you can join us for the Regatta, on September 26, 2015 an Evening of Jazz on Rex Lake. This celebrating and fundraiser will help us meet the challenge to serve even more in need allowing us to set sail into the future. Visit rotarycamp.org/regatta to purchase tickets, become a sponsor or make a donation.
The membership committee is focused on making the process more welcoming for new member prospects. We’ve added the pre-proposal one-on-one conversation with a committee member so that we will be better acquainted with the person we are voting on and, more importantly, so that Rotary will be less mysterious to the prospect. After approval, the new member is assigned a mentor and goes through the menu of service opportunities process.
All this is designed to get our new members off to a fulfilling start. We’ll know that we have succeeded hear them say “we” when they are talking but Rotary instead of “they.” It takes a little longer, but it seems to be working based on our early efforts.
Proposal forms are found on the website home page. Just click “Join Rotary” and then the “prospective member proposal form” link on the left side.
Speaking of new members, if you think you would like to join the membership committee, I’d love to hear from you at sshechter@dawsoncompanies.com . It’s fun.
When Beckett was born in 2010 we found our passion to support and advocate for people with disabilities especially those with Down syndrome. We found out about the Buddy Walk shortly before he was born and created our team Beckett's Buddies from his crib side in the hospital. We were stunned at the support and raised over $4,000 in our first year.
Each year we have been continually amazed at the generosity of the many people in our lives, especially our Rotary family. This year the Rotary club and many of the businesses represented within it supported Beckett's Buddies in a BIG way. Our amazing supporters helped us raise over $12,000 for The Upside of Downs which was a Northeast Ohio team record.
Special thanks to the Rotary Club of Akron, City Cleaners, Margida and Associates, Metis Construction, and Artists Inc. who generously supported us through sponsorships. Thanks to club members Joe Horak, Julie Brandle, Pat O'neill and their families for taking time out of their busy schedule to come and walk with us! We were overwhelmed with the kindness and generosity of so many wonderful people. I am proud to call you family!
The Rotary Club of Akron’s Board of Directors met on Tuesday, August 18th and the following items were discussed:
Immediate Past President Shon Christy announced that the Akron Rotary Club received the 2015 Summit for Kids Organization Award. The award was presented at their annual luncheon on August 14th. The award recognizes an organization that has made a significant contribution to children/youth in the areas of social services, education or humanitarian services.
Directors discussed processes for considering service projects, funding requests and Rotary events. All agreed the most important aspect of a process is engaging Akron Rotarians and helping them achieve their goals of service and camaraderie. Dan Reynolds reported that prior Club, Camp & Foundation leadership envisioned a joint committee tackling the issue of funding. Current leaders will be asked to convene a meeting. Jen Halcomb offered to share a form with Directors that will help coordinate events. Akron Rotary is growing in influence and reach! These processes will help us manage and communicate our great work!
Committee reports were given. John Margida, Chair of the renamed Club Communications & Public Image Committee shared the committee’s purpose. “To educate, promote and keep all Akron Rotarians informed of all goings on via social media, press releases, and club newsletters with the goal of pursuing the success of the Akron Rotary Club, Camp and members.”
Watch for enhanced communication as he rounds up information from committee chairs. The committee will serve as a central place for all Rotary communication! A new aspect of communication will also include press on, “How Akron Rotarians are Changing the World!” Email how you’re making a difference to
The Akron Rotary Club’s Board of Directors met on July 14th. It was the first meeting for the 2015-16 Leadership Team. We kicked it off with a huge congratulations to the Akron Rotary Wavemakers—our first-ever Dragon Boat Team! See Captain Rob McGregor’s article with complete details! Treasurer David Smith presented the year-end financial statement. The Club is fiscally sound and ended the year in the black. Directors approved the Annual Club Budget—which is intended to be a break even budget.
Committee Chairs gave updates and goals including Membership Chair Steve Shechter who reported that the committee is focusing on retaining and engaging new Rotarians. The goal is to create a very personal and amazing experience for each new member of Akron Rotary. Plans include an interactive orientation process and complete implementation of the mentoring program.
Rotary International Foundation Co-Chair Marcia Holcomb reported that the Club reached its goal of 100% participation in Every Rotarian Every Year. She announced that the winners of the Paul Harris Lottery will be recognized at an upcoming luncheon.
John Margida and the PR/Communication Committee are eager to develop processes for raising awareness of Akron Rotary activities to our Rotarians and the community. He encouraged all to be sure to share information about your activities and programs to ensure word gets out! Also the committee will be working to streamline and consolidate email communications to Rotarians. Utilizing the calendar feature of Club Runner was also mentioned as an important tool for planning and promotion.
The Chili Open Committee Chaired by Jeff Sitz and Vice Chaired by Julie Brandle has hit the ground running. The official kickoff for sponsors is being held at camp this week. Chaz Billington is busy booking speakers and programs for our weekly luncheons. Help him out by recommending good speakers you’ve heard or would like to hear! The new Social Committee Chaired by Jen Halcomb is brainstorming activities that are fun for the whole family! Perhaps a Rotary Picnic at Canal Park? Have an idea? Talk to Jen!
The next meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled for August 18th at 11:00 a.m.
Rotarians are not afraid to challenge status quo and make a difference in our communities. So how could we shy away from literally making waves for great cause?
Looking for a great way for your Rotary club to serve, build better friendships and improve teamwork while getting a new kind of workout? Explore the opportunity to sponsor a dragon boat for your local Dragon Boat Festival. All proceeds go to supporting breast cancer survivors. I had been introduced to the sport of Dragon Boat racing by a friend and co-worker when in Philadelphia. When one of our own, Susan Coville-Hall, introduced the concept of Rotarians volunteering to help at the race, I thought it was a great opportunity to build a team and compete. The club stalwarts were a bit skeptical at first but I think all 24 of us became converts when this abstract concept became a reality. The Akron Rotary WAVEMAKERS made their debut at the Portage Lakes Third Annual Dragon Boat festival on July 11, 2015.
Here is some brief back ground. Dragon boats are of Chinese origin. The boats are 45 feet long with ten rows for two paddlers per row and a Dragon's head out front. In the bow of the boat is a seat and a drum to keep pace and there are professional steerers standing on the back. Depending on the festival, the courses are 200 - 500 meters long. Races take between 1 -2 minutes and require strength but most importantly, synchronization.
The Akron Club was host to attendees for the District Governor Banner Exchange and Induction On July 18, 2015. Our 2015-16 District Governor Cheryl Warren is a member of the Rotary Club of Akron and the club will proudly display the Governors Banner during her term.
The Camp provided a perfect setting for this prestigious event. Cheryl requested it be kept it casual and the committee made sure that the guests enjoyed themselves with plenty of food, beverages, boat rides and tours of the camp. The committee had the tables covered in lovely decor to depict gifts in conjunction with the International Theme Be a Gift to the World. Fun gift boxes held world balloons which added a special touch in the grand hall for the induction/banner exchange.The flowers presented to Cheryl and the Immediate Past First Lady Judy Davanzo were gorgeous!
Cheryl’s husband, Steve and father, Carl were there to witness her induction and Akron Club President Sandy Naragon accepted the Governor's Banner from Medina Sunrise Past President Barb Evatz.
Harpist, Barbara Ann Fackler provided beautiful music and the delicious brunch was provided by The Culinary Chameleon / Mike & Adria Buzek.
Special thanks to the committee who helped make this day so very special: Pamela Kiltau – Chair; Karen Meek – Co-Chair; Sandy Naragon, Stew Buchanan, Jack Harig, Mella Castner, Dan Reynolds, Lori Krohn, Katy Miller, Leslie Tierney, Julie Brandle, J.D. Detsch.
This is what the Wayne homes Chili Open course looks like on a beautiful summer day. It’s hard to believe that in seven short months we’ll be playing golf in the snow and having chili dogs and beer for breakfast. It kinda gives a guy a warm feeling-- maybe nostalgic heartburn.
This summer we recognized Jack & Vivian Harig for their longstanding commitment to Akron Rotary Camp by naming cabin number 7 the Jack & Vivian Harig Cabin with a special recognition plaque. Jack & Vivian have been volunteering their time and resources for more than 20 years, and are never too busy to lend a helping hand. While Jack served on the Camp Board for 12 years, Vivian took ownership of our gardens and walkways. They were also the first ones to arrive for the spring and fall camp clean-up days and helped out were they could to make sure projects were completed. They still bring friends when they visit camp and share how much camp means to them. We are very grateful for all they did and still do for camp and we wish them health, happiness & contentment.
Photo Front - Dan Reynolds, Lorie Travaglino, Shon Christy, Bill Manby, Gary Knuth and Ham Amer
Photo Back - Jack & Vivian Harig and Ginny Wonjo
Jack & Vivian Harig Recognized by Akron Rotary Camp
There is no better place to experience the fun and excitement of Rotary than the Rotary International Convention. Thousands of Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, Youth Exchange students, alumni, and leaders from around the world connected at our 106th Rotary Convention in São Paulo to share ideas, learn innovative approaches to service, and make new friends. With a new Rotary year of friendship, service, and action about to begin, Rotary International President-elect K.R. Ravindran urges us to use our talents to Be a Gift to the World. Check out this year’s convention highlights and get inspired to do something amazing:
Listen to Dr. Geetha Jayaram, a former Rotaractor and recipient of the 2014-15 Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award, talk about empowering women and providing life-saving mental health services in India.
It has been a busy spring at Akron Rotary Camp to make sure everything is in tiptop shape before the campers arrive in June. Akron Rotary Club members spent a Saturday morning at camp and completed the summer staff office as well as stained all the deck railings around the recreational building and offices. ‘Rotarian-in-training’ Brielle Christy worked side-by-side with her dad, Rotary Club-President, Shon Christy and did an awesome job staining.'
Another group that volunteered their time was the Ite Project. They are a group of young adults who serve Jesus by working among his neediest and who seek to grow in spiritual journey. Our visitors and campers had a lot of fun together. Not only did they dance like ballerinas, made bouncy balls, but also worked together to help a camper who is in a wheelchair go down the slide at the playground. To them it was about serving, but to our campers it meant so much more – laughs were shared and memories were made
How long has the Rotary Club of Akron been talking about starting a mentoring program? “At least 30 years that I can account for, said Steve Shechter, who is among a group of Rotarians who have responded to Lance Chima’s call for volunteers to become mentors to newly inducted members.
“ I was at another club in my capacity of District Membership Chair to Be. When I mentioned the importance of mentoring, someone asked if we had a mentoring program in Akron. I had to admit that we didn’t, and that’s what prompted me to initiate one with the support of Membership Chairman Dan Riemenschneider and a few other Rotarians with varying years of Rotary experience including President Shon, Past-President George Rooney, Membership Chair Dan Riemenschneider, and rising star Brian Chima.
Shoeboxes for the Children of the Dump – Need to get the 50 shoeboxes ordered and in progress by June. In need of two people to put together the shoeboxes. This is headed by Stew Buchanan and Jack Young. They both traveled to Nicaragua the first week of December to deliver shoeboxes to children in need between the ages of 4-17. This is done in 7 days by 17 Rotary members across the US. The Shoeboxes will need to be assembled by August of 2015 for the trip in December. Stew said they had a wonderful time and were very well received by the children.
Salvation Army After School Program – There is one more week for the after school program, then the summer program will start which is on Mondays from 1-3 pm. This program is headed by Barbara Hunsicker, Julie Brandle, and Julie's daughter, Kimberly. It takes place at the Salvation Army on Maple St. in Akron every Monday afternoon from 4-5. One thing mentioned about this program is that they could use more men working with the children.
United Way Day of Action in June - Mark Seward will be heading this project. It will be taking place on June 19th this year. E-mails will be going out to sign up.
That question was posed to us at the Rotary District 6630 Conference of Clubs. Proudly, I answered a Rotarian! Attending the conference is one of my duties as an incoming Club President-elect. My love of learning and professional development moved me to be there. Motivating messages delivered strengthened my enthusiasm to serve!
Stew Buchanan was honored for his timeless commitment to ending Polio at the Rotary District 6630 Conference closing banquet by District Governor Mika Davanzo. Stew's dedication to annual events to raise money and awareness to support Rotarian efforts to eradicate this disease are commendable. We're 'this' close.
Amer Insurance, based in Fairlawn, just completed its United Way campaign. It was the highest total raised to date for the insurance agency! The company had 100% participation, for the third consecutive year. Thank you to Ham Amer and Amer Insurance employees for their continued support of United Way and the community!
Congratulations to our Rotary Club of Akron President Shon Christy! Shown here celebrating with his beautiful wife Brittany, Shon received the Young Philanthropist of the Year Award at today's United Way Annual Meeting. Thank you Shon Christy for all you do for not only Rotary, but our entire Greater Akron community!
Our Rotary Cluster will be sponsoring the Elms 5k this year! We are looking for both volunteers and runners!
For more info click this link http://www.theelms.org/5k-family-fun-run/
The Akron Rotary’s Board of Directors met on March 10th. President Shon Christy reported that he is gathering information to submit for the AZ Baker and President’s Citation awards to highlight the great works of Akron Rotary since July, 2014. He is also working with President-elect Sandy Naragon to plan a leadership retreat on May 9th. Grants Chair Sarah Buccigross attended the District Grant seminar qualifying the club to seek district grants during 2015-16. Directors reviewed the new Rotary logo and branding. The PR Committee will be debuting it in the coming weeks. Rotary Foundation Chair Bill Manby, Sr. reported that the committee is gearing up to recruit the next class of Paul Harris Fellows and lottery participants. Dan Reynolds has negotiated a new meal deal with Portage Country Club and Rotarians will be able to begin participating in April.
Kaley Foster, Chair of Service Projects, gave an overview of the current projects—Rotary volunteers, especially men role models, are needed to volunteer with the Salvation Army After-School Reading program on Mondays from 4-5 pm. Rotarians deliver meals for Mobile Meals typically the second Saturday of the month—great opportunity to engage children of all ages to service above self!
Posted by George Rooney and Jeffrey Sitz on Mar. 06, 2015
On February 7th, the Akron Rotary Club held its 25th annual Chili Open, and it proved to be the most successful year for the Special Children in our extended area. The Chili Open is the Akron Club’s major fundraiser to support the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, and the proceeds of the event go to the Akon Rotary Foundation to support the Special Children.
The Rotary Camp is located at Rex Lake, and operated by the YMCA in collaboration with Akron Rotary. In 2013, Akron Rotary completed a $3.5 million capital campaign to update the Rex Lake facilities.
Each summer at Rex Lake, there are overnight and day camp programs for children with special needs. Founded in 1924 as primarily a polio camp, the Rotary Camp has evolved to serve children with a wide variety of disabilities, both physical and developmental. There is also an affiliated day camp at Happy Day in Portage County, operated in collaboration with the Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities. At both Rex Lake and Happy Days, the counselor:camper ratio is 2:6, so each camper receives individualized attention.
This program will be facilitated by Promise Communities across the nation during the February 9th through the 13th. This initiative champions members of Sandy Hook Promise Communities to address the issue of social isolation and the social and emotional development of today's youth within their communities. How you may become involved:
Salvation Army After School Program – This program is headed by Barbara Hunsicker, Julie Brandle, and Julie's daughter, Kimberly. It takes place at the Salvation Army on Maple St. in Akron every Monday afternoon from 4-5. One thing mentioned about this program is that they could use more men working with the children.
Dictionary Project –This project is headed by Samantha Coldwell and Karen Meek. Beginning the week of January 12th and continuing throughout February, we will be handing out dictionaries to every 3rd grade student in the Akron Public School system, totaling 1,635 dictionaries. We are getting some volunteers from Rotaract, Torchbearers, and the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, but are also seeking Rotary club members to help pass out dictionaries. You can reach out to Samantha or Karen to sign up to help with this project
Bill Manby Sr. And Marcia Holcomb representing the Rotary International Foundation, recognized Dave Smith, Mark Krohn, Dominic Frisina and Jim Merklin as our new Paul Harris Fellows.
The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
It was established in 1957 to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships.
The first Paul Harris Fellows include 1937-38 RI Director Allison G. Brush and longtime RI Treasurer Rufus F. Chapin, both for donations made in 1946. Mrs. Adan Vargas was the first woman to receive the recognition, for a gift made in 1953. Mrs. Harry L. Jones was the second, and one of only five people recognized for contributions made in 1957.
Early Paul Harris Fellows received a certificate of recognition. In 1969, the Foundation unveiled the first Paul Harris Fellow medallion at the RI Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Japanese metal artist Fiju Tsuda created the piece under the direction of then-past Foundation Trustee Kyozo Yuasa. Today, Paul Harris Fellows receive a certificate and pin. They are also eligible to purchase a Paul Harris Fellow medallion.
Rotarians have a tradition of supporting the Foundation by honoring others. Ida LeTulle Taylor became a Paul Harris Fellow in 1978 when her husband, then-District Governor Vann Taylor, made a donation in her name in honor of their 34th wedding anniversary. The gift also made her the 25,000th Paul Harris Fellow.
At the International Assembly in 1979, then-RI President-elect James Bomar challenged each Rotary club to make one non-Rotarian a Paul Harris Fellow. The Rotary Club of Pikesville, Maryland, USA, responded by making a donation in the name of Mother Teresa in 1980. The entertainer Pearl Bailey also became a Paul Harris Fellow through a joint effort of the Rotary clubs in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Many other notable figures have been named as Paul Harris Fellows, including U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and Jonas Salk.
January 6th we gave a warm welcome to visiting Brazilian RYE student Victoria Marques (2010-2011) and her mother who braved the cold (temperatures plummeted to 8 degrees!) to have lunch with the Akron Rotarians. Accompanied by her American host family, Bill, Mary and Sam Simmons, she shared the unique value that Rotary exchanges provide for students and the families they befriend. 2nd photo is Victoria and Mrs. Marques with former counselor, Barry Hollis, and former YEO, Marcia Holcomb.
On behalf of the YPA-Young Professionals of Akron, Karlo Petrak, Step 2 presents Dan Reynolds a check for the Akron Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children.
Congratulations to our newest Paul Harris Fellows: Matt Slonsky, Terry Dalton, Dick Farkas, Hugh Alpeter, Ham Amer, Mike Soful, Cheryl Buchanan, Shon Christy and Sandy Naragon
Named after Rotary's founder, the Paul Harris Society recognizes Rotary members and friends of The Rotary Foundation who contribute $1,000 or more each year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or approved global grants. The purpose of the Paul Harris Society is to honor and thank individuals for their generosity of annual support to The Rotary Foundation.
WHAT YOUR GIFT SUPPORTS With your gift you’re promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies through grants that:
• Bring peace-building seminars to 200 teachers and 1,300 students in Uganda.
• Distribute insecticide-treated mosquito nets and medical services that help prevent malaria in Mali.
• Train teachers who are establishing an early childhood education center in South Africa.
• Provide water filters, toilet blocks, and hygiene training to prevent fluorosis in a community in India.
• Fund a scholarship for a medical professional to research treatment to minimize mortality rates among premature babies in Italy.
• Protect children around the world from polio.
Rotary Direct, Rotary's recurring giving program, makes it easy to join the Paul Harris society.
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION RISES ON EXPERT LIST OF TOP NONPROFITS
The Rotary Foundation has continued its steady growth, moving up 35 spots to 85th in The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual ranking of the top 400 nonprofit organizations in the United States. The ranking is based on monetary contributions from private sources and reflects the increasing generosity of those who support Rotary's mission.
According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Rotary Foundation received $239,576,000 in 2013, a 32.4 percent increase from the previous year.
"This clearly shows our members recognize the unparalleled value of giving to their Foundation," says John Hewko, Rotary's general secretary. "They know that by giving to the Foundation their dollars have a much greater impact. And friends of Rotary respect that the Foundation puts their gift to great use."
The Foundation recently earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the largest and most prestigious independent evaluator of nonprofits in the United States. In the 2013-14 Rotary year, 92 percent of the Foundation's expenditures were applied to programs, with only 6 percent spent on fundraising and 2 percent on administrative expenses. The Foundation funded $23.5 million in district grants and $47.3 million in global grants. These grants support local and international humanitarian projects as well as scholarships.
Together with its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has led the effort to eradicate polio, contributing more than $1.3 billion to the initiative since its outset. When an outbreak of polio threatened the Horn of Africa and the Middle East in 2013, Rotary provided emergency funds, including a $500,000 rapid-response grant for Somalia and a $500,000 grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) to cover operational costs in the Middle East. As a result, the outbreak in the Horn of Africa slowed, and Syria reported only one case of polio in the first half of 2014.
Rotary is also at the forefront of efforts to fight other diseases. According to WHO, indoor air pollution causes 4.3 million deaths per year worldwide. To combat it, members of the Rotary Club of Taos-Milagro, New Mexico, USA, mobilized Rotary clubs in several countries to support the Himalayan Stove Project, which has installed more than 3,000 clean-burning stoves in Nepal.
In Tamil Nadu, India, Rotary clubs partnered with clubs in Maryland, USA, to use a Foundation global grant to purchase a large van and outfit it with X-ray equipment to screen women for breast cancer in hard-to-reach communities. The "mammobus" has conducted more than 2,500 free breast cancer screenings and detected and treated early-stage cancer in six women. Rotary members in Malindi, Kenya, teamed up with members in Maryland and Idaho, USA, to work with the Genesis World Mission in creating a rainwater catchment system to provide clean drinking water, irrigate crops, and establish fish farms in Burangi, Kenya.
In Seattle, Washington, USA, Rotary members are diverting millions of pounds of fruit and vegetables from the waste stream and into the hands of those who need it through Rotary First Harvest, a program of District 5030.
The Sandy Hook Promise is one of the Rotary Club of Akron service projects. Project volunteers, Terry Dalton and Chris Manby will tackle developing awareness and support for “Promise Day” and possibly organizing a return visit for the group from Newtown Connecticut. The objective will be to have a similar discussion with local leaders in front of a larger audience such as Akron roundtable, and identify specific steps which could be taken to protect children from gun violence. Please share this promise to help support "Promise Day" on December 14th.
THE SANDY HOOK PROMISE
Our hearts are broken;
Our spirit is not.
And it is with this knowledge
that we are able to move forward
with purpose and strength.
This is a Promise
To truly honor the lives lost
by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation.
This is a Promise
To be open to all possibilities.
There is no agenda other than to make
our community and our nation a safer, better place.
This is a Promise
To have the conversations on ALL the issues
Conversations where listening is as important as speaking.
Conversations where even those with the most opposing views
can debate in good will.
This is a Promise
To turn the conversation into actions.
Things must change.
This is the time.
This is a Promise
We make to our precious children.
Because each child, every human life is filled with promise,
and though we continue to be filled with unbearable pain
we choose love, belief, and hope
instead of anger.
This is a Promise
To do everything in our power to be remembered
not as the town filled with grief and victims;
but as the place where
real change began.
The 100th Annual Meeting of The Rotary Club of Akron will be held December 30, 2014 at Noon at Portage Country Club.
The Annual Ballot for the election of officers is being sent out under separate cover - upon receipt please be sure to vote for your officers of choice and return the ballot by the deadline.
Rotarily Yours,
Shon Christy
Rotary Club of Akron ANNUAL MEETING Date Set for December 30, 2014.
The Akron Rotary Board met on October 14, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at Portage Country Club. The meeting was called to order by President, Shon Christy. Minutes and financial reports from September were accepted and approved unanimously by all Board Members. From a vacancy, the Board voted to make Jeff Sitz the new Vice President. The following slate of Officers and directors was approved for 2015 and will be put on the Ballot for the Club Members to vote accordingly :
Sandy Naragon: President
Jeff Sitz: President Elect
Julie Brandle: Vice President
Lorie Travaglino: Secretary
David Smith: Treasurer
Directors: Julie Brandle, Charles Billington, Mark Seward, and Chris Manby
Additionally, the board made motion and fully accepted the following for Club Membership as presented by Dan Riemenschneider - these prospective members will now be put forth to the Club Members for consideration:
Carol Haines
Steve Buie
Eric German
Scott Sarborough
Rev. Mark Pruitt
Several committees made reports including the Chili Open Committee who reported that corporate sponsors are currently being solicited. For radio advertisement, sponsorship needs to be in by December 20 and for print media by January 9.
The Public Relations Committee chaired by Julie Brandle, reported that there will be a PR/Marketing meeting at camp on October 22 at 9:00. Focus will be given to the Chili Open.
The Service Committee report chaired by Graham Reinke, reported on activities, including the After-School program at The Salvation Army, Dictionary project, Read to Me Day and much more. Help is needed for upcoming Salvation Army Red Kettle day and Read to Me Day.
Meeting adjourned at 11:50.
Submitted by Lorie Travaglino, Board Secretary
Rotary Club of Akron Directors in Action in October 2014
Time flies when you are having fun! Our club is certainly having a great time celebrating all of our successes this year. We recently held our annual camp cookout where we had a great showing for celebration and fellowship. Todaro's catered an amazing meal and the wine from the Nauti Vine was incredible as well. Our entertainment included music from Rhythm and Roos, a mixed honors group of University of Akron a cappella students. Ben Hunsicker, the director of the group is also a member of camp staff so this was an extra special treat for our event. To close the evening we heard from parents of one of our campers on how much the camp has meant to their family over the years. I appreciate all of the hard work from our camp staff and Hugh Alpeter who helped put the event together! What a great evening to celebrate a great camp year! Another recent cause to celebrate was that the club, camp, and foundation were very proud to be a sponsor of the Polksy Awards this month! Our very own Rennick Andreoli was recognized for all of his support to the greater Akron community and especially our Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do for Akron and our camp!
We continue to add new members to the club infusing excitement and energy into everything we do! The Rotary Club of Akron recently inducted Paul Catania (Oswald Companies), Steve Warren (Fox Sports Ohio / SportsTime Ohio), Brian Steere (Steere Enterprises). In addition to all of these amazing individuals we will be having several more inductions over the coming weeks! I think this is a perfect place for a shameless plug.....Our Chili Open Chairs Jeff Sitz and George Rooney are always looking for you great committee members for our 25th anniversary event coming up in February 7, 2015!
Our recent programs have included several judges such as Christine Croce, Amy Corrigall Jones, and Jerry Larson. We also learned more about the Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio from Lisa Followay. As October 31st draws near we hope that you will consider attending the Halloween Charity Ball at Tangier. This year the event will benefit the camp and is being put on by Samantha Coldwell.
Lastly I would like to thank our most recent Rotarian of the Month - Julie Brandle for all of her hard work on the clubs marketing and communication! You rock Julie!
Salvation Army After-School Program – The program is now underway for the current school year. Barbara Hunsicker, Julie Brandle, and Julie’s daughter Kimberly assist the elementary school students with their homework assignments and reading skills, every Monday afternoon.
Dictionary Project –We will distribute a dictionary to every grade three student in the Akron public school system again this year. This is the fourth year for such a project. Samantha Coldwell and Karen Meek will manage the project and will receive assistance from University of Akron organizations. Initial steps are underway to seek funding and reestablish contact with the various organizations and individuals who were involved previously. Sarah Buccigross has been very helpful with these beginning steps. Dictionary distribution is expected to take place during the early part of 2015. As plans progress the project team will be seeking volunteers ,from Rotary and Akron U., to assist with actual distribution of the dictionaries.
Sydney Heersink, a former Firestone High School student, connected via Skype to the Rotary Club of Akron September 16, 2014, to report on her Rotary Youth Exchange experience in France 2013-2014. She gave accolades to the club for supporting her and to two of her host families in France for their continued support and mentoring in a new culture. Examples of cultural faux pas and other cross-cultural adventures never kept Sydney from getting the most from her year abroad. She was transformed from the shy, quiet girl in the high school classroom to the outgoing, willing to speak to others in a foreign language that she beautifully mastered. Also challenging were the subjects she studied at the local “lycée.” After finding that the French are academically ahead of American students, Sydney was placed at a level comparable to a junior rather than senior. Several French friends helped her understand assignments so she could do her best work. One of the more difficult aspects of living abroad was making friends. It was difficult but not impossible. The host family and siblings are an essential key to the success of the international student’s integration into and comprehension of the new culture. If Sydney were given a 2nd chance to do the RYE program, she would jump immediately on board, saying that it was the opportunity of a lifetime and that her life is changed forever and for the good. She is extremely grateful to Akron Rotary.
Sydney Shares her Year in France With Akron Rotary
Pictured below are Shawn Lyden, left, Executive Vice President and Robert McGregor, MD is the Chief Medical Officer at Akron Children’s after their descent from the PNC Center Building.
These two members of Akron Children’s leadership team channeled Spiderman in September as they rappelled down 22 stories of the PNC Center in downtown Akron – all for a good cause.
Shawn Lyden, executive vice president, and Dr. Rob McGregor, chief medical officer, went “Over the Edge” for the Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities, an organization Akron Children’s has worked closely with in providing care for many patients over the years.
Lyden and Dr. McGregor were among 71 participants who accepted the challenge and helped raise an estimated $110,000 for Hattie Larlham.
“This was a new fundraising event for us,” said Phylliss Steiner, a spokesperson for Hattie Larlham. “We have done golf outings and galas, but this was about stepping out of our realm and taking a risk and that is something every single person we serve does every day.”
Lyden and Dr. McGregor both believe their first step will be the most difficult, but are excited about the positive energy surrounding the event and representing Akron Children’s at a worthy cause.
Volunteers are needed on the 2nd Saturday of each month through December 13, 2014, 8:30am to 11:00am, to help deliver meals for the less fortunate in our community.
Looking for 5 cars with 6-7 adults and/or a few children. Great opportunity for Rotarians to involve their family, co-workers and friends.
The Saturday’s we need volunteers for are as follows:
If interested, please send the attached form along with the date or dates you would like to volunteer, your contact information and a list of all the names who will be with you to:
Bill Manby, Jr. via one of these methods:
U.S. Mail: 1611-A Akron Peninsula Road, Akron, OH 44313
Email: kgarner@paradigmequity.com
Fax: 330-475-1695.
Please complete and return
at least a week in advance of the day
that you plan to volunteer.
You will meet at Mobile Meals – 1063 S. Broadway Street, Akron, OH 44313(Warehouse Side) at 8:30am.
If you have any questions, please call Bill’s office at 330-475-1690 and ask for Bill or Kim.
Please consider your time for this worthwhile cause.
The Rotary Club of Akron membership chair, Dan Riemenschneider (Bruner Cox), Welcomes our 6 new members, Jan Ryan (American Grretings), Tom House, Kaley Foster (Certified Payroll Services), John Margida (Margida & Associates), Brian Kosarko (Focused Technologies),Mella Castner (Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs) with President Shon Christy (Focal Point Social Media).
Dr. McGregor, Akron Children's Hospital Chief Medical Officer, is shown here with his sponsor Mary Weaver and Club President Shon Christy.— at Portage Country Club.
World Polio Day is 24 October. You can help make history in our global fight to end polio. Join others from around the world for a live-streamed global status update with Rotary’s global partners, celebrity ambassadors, like Ziggy Marley, and polio survivors including inspirational athlete Minda Dentler. Tune in at 18:30 Chicago time (find your local time) to learn about what Rotary has already accomplished, and what you can do to join our campaign. Here are some ways to mark World Polio Day, raise awareness in your community, and take us one step closer to ending this disease forever.
Host a viewing party for the live-streamed event with your friends, family, and community members. Share your pictures and videos using the hashtag #worldpolioday and watch the map light up as you add your voice.
Organize a fundraiser. Every dollar that Rotary commits to polio eradication will be matched with two dollars from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation!
Share our World Polio Day graphics on Facebook and Twitter to show the world we are “this close” to a polio-free world.
This young volunteer wrote about the time she spent at the Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children:
My name is Kimberly Brandle and I am a sophomore at Archbishop Hoban High School. My Mom is Julie Brandle, Rotary Club of Akron member. This summer I participated in our school's JAM (Justice Akron Ministry)program. JAM is a three day program for students to participate in a social justice service project to build their community and grow in their faith.
Upon arrival you do not know where you will be assigned, you just know you will be helping others. My Mom volunteered with me, when she received the assignment, she smiled, "We are going to Rotary Camp-perfect!"she said.
It was adult camp week and we were assigned to the female adult campers. We helped with campfire songs, getting from place to place, arts and crafts, lunchtime, nature/animal hour, and just anything they needed.
When I entered camp I never knew the strength of these campers or the strength within my own heart. To say I wasn't intimidated at first would be false. But once I started spending time with these great women I learned they were no different from you or me. I learned a lot more than that though, like how one of the ladies would do anything she could to paint and her courage to ask for help. The smile on her face when she accomplished what she set out to do taught me that I had strength to be able to help, but she had strength as well. It was truly inspirational. Seeing others succeed makes us all want to strive for greatness.
None of the people involved at the camp doubt another's greatness and that's why Rotary Camp was an awesome place to be. Not only awesome for campers and their families to have a safe place to go, but also for the volunteers as well. Volunteers have the opportunity to help others, and learn new perspectives without doubting themselves. You see, doubt is something we all have within us. But whether or not we let it take over our perspectives is a choice.
"The moment you doubt whether or not you can fly, you forever cease to be able to do it"...Peter Pan
Thank you to Rotary for making this camp available to the campers and to volunteers like me.
The Akron Club's Rotary International Youth Exchange (RYE) committee is hard at work doing a new strategic plan for hosting exchange students in the future.
Pictured are L-R: Mary Weaver, Brian Chima, Stew Buchanan, Jack Harig, Susan Colville-Hall, and Marcia Holcomb.
Fall is here! It is hard to believe that I am already writing my 3rd newsletter! School has started and the leaves are starting to change in the Akron area. Regardless of the time of year, you can always count on lots of activity in the club! Our centennial slogan is honoring the past and driving the future and we have certainly done that with our membership over the last few weeks. To honor our past we celebrated John Daly with 48 years of perfect attendance and Harry Stewart with 50 years of perfect attendance. We continue to drive the future through our growing membership! Please join me in welcoming our newest members: Dr. Robert McGregor (Akron Childrens Hospital), Jan Ryan (American Greetings), Tom House, Kaley Foster (Certified Payroll Services), John Margida (Margida & Associates), Brian Kosarko (Focused Technologies),Mella Castner (Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs). But wait…..Theres more! We have another substantial group of new members who will be inducted over the next few weeks to join them! It is a very exciting time to be a part of our club! With the influx of new members our committee has been busy creating an orientation program and we held our first one at camp on September 16th. Thank you to the committee for their hard work on putting that together! Speaking of camp, we are having our annual camp cookout on October 2nd at the camp at 6 pm. I hope that everyone can come out and celebrate another great year of camp!
We have had several great speakers from the Ronald McDonald House, South Street Ministries, as well as a great Skype call with our exchange student that spent the year in France Sydney! Service is also alive and well! A group of volunteers led by Sarah Buccigross spent time volunteering at the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank for Operation Orange! In addition to that Sarah assisted our club in securing a matching district grant to purchase $2000 in equipment for the food bank! Thanks to our membership for their continued support in making a difference in Akron on a daily basis! You continue to inspire me to be a better person!
On November 11that the Rotary Club of Akron’s regularly scheduled lunch meeting, District 6630 Governor Mike Davanzo will honor the club’s veterans.
Each year, the District Governor visits every club in the district. The primary purpose is to motivate and inspire members and offer district level support for achieving club goals. Prior to addressing the club, Govenor Davanzo will attend the Board of Directors meeting to hear committee reports and get a Club update from President Shon Christy.
The highlight of this year’s visit will include Governor Davanzo’s presentation of Rotary Armed Forces pins to those who’ve served. Those Veterans being recognized for their service at the luncheon include:
Rotarian
Branch Served
Years Served
Rank Upon Discharge
Charles Billows
Navy
2 years active
2 years reserves
Pharmacists Mate 3rd Class
Dan O’Connell
Army
2 active; 7 years reserves
Captain
Dan Sveda
Army
2 years
SP4
Fred Swartz
Army
National Guard
6
E-5
Frederick Boyd
Army
2 years
Corporal
Harry Stewart
Navy
Reservist
2 years
2 years
Yeoman 1st Class
Hugh Alpeter
Army Reserve
7 years
Captain
Jack Harig
Army
10
1st Lt.
Jerome Wagner
Army
3 years
John Daily
Army
3.5 years total
1.5 after WWII
2 Korean War
Private 1st Class -WWII
1st Lt – Korean War
John Saros
Army
2 years
1st Lt
Keith Shy
Air Force
National Guard
6 years
E-5 Staff Sgt.
Kevin McGee
Army
4 years (2008-current)
1st Lt.
Matt Johnson
National Guard
8 YEARS
E-4 Specialist
Mike Soful
Army
3 years
Sergeant
Richard Farkas
Navy
Air Force
29 years
Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Roger Read
Army
2
1st Lt.
Steve Shechter
Coast Guard
5 mo. Active; 5 years total
E4
Terry Dalton
Army
3 years
SPEC 5
If you are a veteran and haven’t yet confirmed your attendance at the lunch, please RSVP to Sandy Naragon at SNaragon@AkronClevelandREALORS.com or leave her a message at 330-940-1502!
Rotary Veterans to be Honored by District Governor
Julie Brandle, President and Co-Owner of Metis Construction was recently inducted as Secretary of the National Association of Women In Construction Akron Chapter Board. NAWIC is a national organization to enhance the success of women in the construction industry through networking, education, support and encouragement. Through service, education and scholarship awards NAWIC works to promote women in construction.
Salvation Army After-School Program – This program will kick off again this month. It consists of helping the elementary students with their homework assignments on Mondays throughout the school year. Barbara Hunsicker and Julie Brandle will lead the project. They will be looking for Rotarian volunteers to participate in this worthwhile effort. It is an opportunity to really make a difference.
Flash Drives for Crouse – Most Crouse Elementary students do not have access to a computer in their home. When they work on computer based assignments at the school their work must be stored on flash drives which are shared with other students. It is up to the teachers to keep records on the student data stored on each drive. Steve Shechter has just contributed several hundred flash drives to the school. This will enable teachers at the school to assign one drive per student, which eliminates a lot of headaches and provides a big assist to teachers and students.
Newtown Roundtable–Our club was contacted recently by Sandy Hook Promise, an organization from Newtown Connecticut (where the shooting tragedy took place). They requested help from Rotary in setting up a meeting this month with community leaders from the Akron area, and we agreed to do so. The meeting will take the form of a roundtable discussion centered on how to protect our children from gun violence, and steps being taken elsewhere to address this problem.
Dictionary Project –Planning for this project will commence this month under the leadership of Samantha Coldwell and a co-captain yet to be named. This will be the fourth year for the project which provides a dictionary for each grade three student in the Akron Public School system. As plans progress the project team will be seeking volunteers to assist with actual distribution of the dictionaries.
Service Projects Committee Update –September 8, 2014
30 For The Future awards young professionals whose stellar talents have impacted their industries and the Greater Akron region.
Congratulations to Akron Rotarians Samantha Coldwell and Jeff Sitz who were each recognized for their outstanding achievements!
Shon Christy won the Andrea R. Teodosio Rising Star Award. Way to go Mr. Christy!! Pictured are his wife Brittany and the youngest of their five children, Brindle.
Akron Rotarian's Recognized for Achievements!!
Although Akron’s Rotary Youth Exchange Program is not hosting an exchange student this year, it actively contributed to the orientation of the district’s 2013 - 2014 Exchange Student orientation, held at Akron Rotary Camp.
Bob Heydorn (Cuyahoga Falls Rotary), chair of Ohio-Erie Rotary Inbound students, organized the two-day event with the help of Tim Snell (Lodi Rotary), chair of the Ohio-Erie Youth Exchange Program, and Patrick Kelley (Hudson Rotary) chair of the Ohio-Erie Outbound Youth Exchange Program. The orientation focused on informational sessions for Youth Exchange Officers (YEOs), counselors for each of the students, and the host parents and families. Inbounders and Outbounders also learned more about cultural awareness with Susan Colville-Hall (Akron Rotary). In addition, there was ample opportunity for these young people to get to know each other thanks to J.D. (camp coordinator) and Brian Chima (Akron Rotary).. Following the orientation, the teenagers talked, went kayaking and swimming, engaged in activities, had a typical American cookout and sat around the campfire. Mary Weaver (Akron Rotary) served as chaperone in the girls dorm.
It's hard to believe that my first month as the president of the Akron Rotary Club is already behind me. Time flies when you are having fun! Over the last few weeks we have had engaging speakers, impactful events, new programs, and lots of visitors! As a club we have supported the End Polio Now Indians Game in Cleveland, the Corn Hole tournament to benefit our camp, and a weekend at Jacks house with our youth exchange students. Thank you to everyone who had a part in making those events happen! The membership committee has been hard at work and we are inducting 11 members this month! We are on pace to have one heck of a membership year. Please continue inviting individuals who are making an impact in Akron to our club meetings and events to show them what Rotary is all about. Bill Manby Jr. rolled out a new planned giving campaign to the club and has already secured many new gifts to help our cause for many years to come. As Summer is winding down I want to give a big shout out to Dan Reynolds and the camp staff for another wonderful year out at Rex Lake!
During the past month the following projects were taken to a successful conclusion:
Shoe Box Project for Nicaragua – 50 boxes of personal items for the impoverished children were prepared for shipment. Thanks to Samantha Coldwell and Ben Heckerman who headed up the project and thanks also to everyone who contributed money and the items needed to fill the boxes. The boxes will be shipped and distributed to children at Christmastime as a reward for their efforts to attend school and receive an education under very difficult circumstances.
Pedro Donnini was a Rotary Exchange Student hosted in Akron, Ohio in 2006-2007. In July, Rotarians gathered at the Camp to meet and greet Pedro and his classmate, Miguel Candido (Exchange Student in Spokane, WA 2006-2007).
(L-R) Pedro Donnini, Rotary Exchange Akron, OH 2006-07 and his host and Akron Rotarian, Doug Hausknecht, Ph.D., enjoyed catching up!
Thank you to the members of The Rotary Club of Port-Summit who donated $2000 to The Akron Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children. Past Rotary Club of Akron President Lance Chima and Past District Governor Stew Buchanan were honored to be at the Port Summit Club meeting today to accept the check.
Port - Summit Rotary serves the Ellet, Springfield, Lakemore, Mogadore, and Suffield communities. Club meetings are on Thursdays 11:30 AM at The Wildcat Cafe 3763 Mogadore Road Mogadore Ohio 44660.Current service projects include annual scholarship awards to graduating seniors from Field and Mogadore high schools, The 4 - Way Speech Contest, Bass Fishing Tournament fund raising event (proceeds to Rotary Kids Camp), Veterans Day recognition program, Dictionaries For Kids Program, Salvation Army Bell Ringing Support, Food Bank Friends Projects, Families In Need Support, Exchange Student Sponsorship Programs, Valor Home Support Projects, Wheelchair Purchase Programs, Community Beautification Projects, and numerous community one time need / continuing need donation, support, and service projects.
Honoring the past and driving the future, the theme for our centennial celebration and the coming Rotary year. This is an incredibly powerful statement for many reasons. The first 100 years of the Rotary Club of Akron have included participation from the top leaders in business, government, non-profit, and the arts with a common goal of changing the world and the Greater Akron region. As I sit and think about the strength of character and the heart to serve of those before me, I am reminded of the great responsibility we have as Rotarians to never stop and to drive the future. The stage has not only been set to drive the future, but to do it in a way that the Akron area has never seen before.
Our club has made an enormous impact on the Greater Akron area. Our camp has been helping children with special needs for 90 years! Not to mention the leadership of the men and women of our club to drive change. So where do we go from here? During my induction speech I talked about my vision and the 3 areas of focus for the coming year - Membership, Marketing, Service.
Membership is the lifeblood of our organization. To do more incredible things we need more hands and feet to drive the change.
Marketing not only keeps us at the top of the communities mind, but it also feeds interest in membership.
Last, but certainly not least, is service. Rotary is the largest service organization in the world and is the tie that binds us all together.
With such an amazing history of success and impact it would be very easy to take a step back and admire all of the incredible things the club has achieved, which is why I ended the induction speech with this quote.
“Do your duty and a little more and the future will take care of itself.” - Andrew Carnegie
I am asking each and every one of you to do just a “little” more than you did last year. This is the launching point for the next 100 years. Together, we set the tone for the century and its our actions that will determine the momentum! Thank you in advance for all of your time, talents, and treasure! I feel incredibly blessed to be able to serve with the finest people in Akron.
On Sunday, July 13, several Akron Rotarians attended the District Governor induction ceremony for Mike Davanzo. It was truly an honor to have two Past District Governors from Akron present: Jack Harig (PDG2003-2004) and his wife Vivian along with Stew Buchanan (PDG2010-11) and his wife Sherry.
Club President, Shon Christy and his wife Brittany were enjoying the festivities and watched as the official pins were also passed at the ceremony to fellow Akron Rotarians Cheryl Warren, District Governor Elect 2014-15 (accompanied by husband Steve and father Carl) and Dick Farkas, District Governor Nominee 2014-15.
Here's to a great 2014-15 Rotary Year!!
The Past District 6630 Governor's meeting was held in July also - this provides the current leadership team an amazing opportunity to gain knowledge and ideas from our past Governor's that will help our District provide continuity and success moving forward for our Clubs and members.
Mike Davanzo has assumed the volunteer post of Rotary International District Governor for the 2014-15 Rotary year. Mike is a member of the Rotary Club of Medina Sunrise and is one of 532 Rotarians worldwide serving as District Governor this year.
He and his wife Judy hosted a wonderful induction event at the A.I. Root Candle Company in Medina, Ohio. This was such as perfect setting with our Rotary International Theme this year being Light Up Rotary! Mike and Judy certainly did that as they greeted many fellow Rotarians along with their family, including Mike's mom who is 90 and Judy's mother who is soon to be 100! Homemade Italian desserts by the Davanzo family were absolutely delectable!!
Please welcome Mike as your leader of District 6630 - you can email him at mdavanzo@zoominternet.net
Mike Davanzo Inducted as District 6630 Governor for 2014-15
Thank you to Shon Christy and Susan Colville-Hall for their photos! Feel free to add your photos to this library or send them to Cheryl Warren for posting.
As many of you know I have recently joined Akron Rotary. As my first venture as part of this great organization I am co-chairing the “Shoebox Project”. Please take a moment to read below about how this project will aid children living in garbage dumps in Nicaragua. Click here for additional information.
If you feel as moved as I did reading about the deplorable conditions many Nicaraguan children are living in please take action and help in one of the ways listed below.
It is easy to donate online as little as $5- or get more involved, whatever works for you.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PROJECT FLYER
Please feel free to share this information with your friends, colleagues, family and extended network via e-mail, social media and word of mouth!
What a terrific year! It is so hard to believe I am on the home stretch as my year as president concludes. The time has flown by and as much as I have joked recently about counting down the days, I can honestly say that I will miss my role as president.
Looking back at the year, we have accomplished some really amazing things from the Dictionary Project and awarding dozens of scholarships to Operation Deployed for Good and record breaking figures from our Chili Open. And all of this great stuff happened while celebrating Akron Rotary’s 100th Birthday year!
I am grateful to everyone who worked so diligently to make this year a huge success. Our club is in great shape financially as well as spiritually, and I am confident that Shon will benefit from the same outstanding support that I received.
If you haven’t been out to camp, do so. Get involved. This summer, you can help kids move in on Sunday or enjoy dinner with them on Thursday. Let’s continue to roll up our sleeves, work together, and put smiles on the faces of hundreds of campers. Thank you everybody for such an outstanding year!
President Lance Chima presented Jack Harig and Cheryl Warren the Harry Bauman Award in gratefulness of their exemplary work and dedication to Akron Rotary for co-chairing our Akron Rotary Centennial Celebration in April 2014. Jack and Cheryl want to extend their apprection to Lance but also to the entire team of event volunteers - this award is really a team award - it is for all those members who contributed so very much time and talent to make this event special and successful.
The end of April found us inducting six young professionals and the end of May looks like we will induct another six to ten new Rotarians into our ranks.
I sure appreciate the efforts of Dan Riemenschneider and the membership committee and many thanks to all of you who are proposing such dynamic individuals.
One of Rotary’s Five Avenues of Service is Youth Service whereby we empower the youth of our community through scholarships.
This is most evident through the efforts of Terry Dalton and the scholarship committee as we awarded some 30+ scholarships this spring. It is always a wonderful experience for us to be introduced to some of Akron’s best and brightest students during our Tuesday programs.
Our club was recently awarded the A.Z. Baker Service Award for 2013-2014. This prestigious award is given to Rotary clubs in the district who reach out in total Service above Self. This was a tremendous team effort and I am most proud of our club and members. Keep up the terrific work!
Happy 100th Birthday! Once again, the Akron Rotarians shone brightly when a full house attended our Centennial Celebration at the Fairlawn Hilton on Saturday April 5. Our Centennial Committee co-chairs, Cheryl Warren and Jack Harig and their committee presented an outstanding program leaving lasting memories for all. It was an elegant evening, with delicious food, a dynamic program, and a great crowd. Thank you Cheryl, Jack, and everyone else, who made this such a wonderful event.
This club continues to do amazing things. Thank you Sarah Buccigross who led the charges to complete phase two of the third grade dictionary project. A huge thanks to Dan Riemenschneider and the membership committee as we will induct six new members on April 22. That will be followed by the District Conference April 25-27 at Quail Hollow.
I see the energy PE Shon Christy has as he prepares for his presidency. The club is in great shape, and I am confident we will continue to amaze this community and the world!
UA COE Professor Honored with Distinguished Career Award
Susan Colville-Hall, professor emeritus in the College of Education, University of Akron, was recently awarded the Distinguished Career Award from the Ohio Foreign Language Association (OFLA).
Colville-Hall was nominated by a colleague and the nomination was unanimously supported by the OFLA awards committee and board. She was recognized April 11 at their 2014 annual conference.
Her nomination, in part: “Dr. Colville-Hall has served the language teaching profession for more than forty years. Her expertise in teaching spans the secondary and tertiary spectrum: she was a high school French/Spanish teacher for 18 years; she taught university language courses; and her teaching career culminated with 45 years of experience and dedication preparing the next generation of language teachers at The University of Akron.”
“When I meet Dr. Colville-Hall’s students at the yearly OFLA conference, they always comment on how well she prepared them to plan engaging lessons, deliver meaningful content, and assess students’ real world language proficiency. Her work always extended beyond the classroom as she provided valuable service to the profession. She has demonstrated a distinguished career and I can’t think of a more deserving educator who has an exceptional cumulative career in teaching and service to the language profession.”
The Akron Rotary’s Board of Directors met on April 8th. President-elect Shon Christy reported that he is finalizing his goals, theme and leadership team for his term as President which begins July 1st. Expect the great things at Akron Rotary to continue as he debuts plans for 2014-15!
Upcoming service opportunities include Saturday morning deliveries for Mobile Meals coordinated by Bill Manby, Jr. and the Salvation Army Reading Program spearheaded by Barbara Hunsicker. United Way’s Day of Action is June 20th. Day of Action is a day of work and fun to aid local nonprofit health and human service agencies. Akron Rotary hopes to recruit 20-30 volunteers to participate in a variety of projects matching our skillset. Mark Seward is heading up this project.
Directors praised Louise Mazur who has researched, organized and coordinated Rotary activities in support of the Salvation Army education programs. These programs provide elementary school students with homework tutoring during the school year, and work to improve reading skills during their summer break.
All Directors were thrilled with the Centennial Celebration held April 5th. The sold-out crowd was guided through the evening’s festivities by Emcee Dave Lieberth. Akron Rotary’s story was told with such emotion, the audience was left wanting more! The positive impact of the evening is still being felt. Wanting to join us and make a difference, many are asking, “How do I become an Akron Rotarian?”
I'm a little early, but I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you as a club for your 100th year anniversary! I have seen the outstanding impact that you have as a club have on the community and I have experienced first hand your generosity in sponsoring me to spend this year abroad! As I progress further in to the year I know that you have given me something priceless and I am more grateful than words could describe.
Today I am celebrating seven months in France! Honestly, in leaving the states 213 days ago I was not sure if I would make it to the end. I left not knowing what was waiting for me, what I was leaving, and what I was capable of accomplishing.
Graham Reinke was presented the Avenues of Service Citation at a recent Rotary luncheon by President Lance Chima. This award honors a club member who participates in service activities in EACH of the five Avenues of Service: Club, Vocational, Community, International, and Youth. Since 1997, 18 Rotarians within our District 6630 have been received this extremely prestigious award from Rotary International.
Members of the Rotary community work hard to create positive change at home and around the world. And because of this, they are making clubs stronger, communities better, and peace possible. We thank you, Graham, for your dedication and valuable contributions!!
Shon attended the All Ohio Presidents Elect (AOP) training that took place March 14-15 in Columbus, Ohio. Shon had the opportunity to meet Presidents Elect from all over Ohio along with Gary Huang–Rotary International President-elect 2014-15, who was the keynote speaker and presented “The 2014-15 Theme - Light Up Rotary". Shon attended breakout sessions with our Cluster Clubs, District and Zone leaders. He also heard Jennifer Jones, RIDE, PDG 6400 who presented “Rotary’s New Public Image – Getting the Word Out about Rotary”. Ask Shon about presenter John T. CAPPS , PDG 7730- his topic was “Enthuuuuuuuuuusiasm for Membership and Winning Membership Secrets”!!
He was sworn in by Past Rotary International President, Wilf Wilkinson and received his RI Banner from District Governor Elect Mike Davanzo.
Between networking and attending sessions, there is not much down time for Presidents Elect - but Shon was spotted heading for gym around 10pm Friday night after dinner --- knowing him... he followed that with working for a few more hours or maybe even writing his plan for 2014-15!!
No wonder that before he left he was presented with the Harry Bauman award from President Lance Chima!.
This month has brought us more outstanding achievements as a club. There are so many people to thank for the tremendous work on another record-setting year with the Chili Open. And as club president, I was honored to present my awards for Pretty Darn Good Rotarians (A.K.A. Harry Bauman Awards) to Shon Christy, Jim Redmond, and George Rooney, for making the event so very successful. Congratulations and THANK YOU to everyone who volunteered!
I am pleased to announce our own Dick Farkas, was selected as the Rotary District 6630 District Governor Nominee Designate for the 2016/2017 Rotary Year. Way to go, Dick! Dick will follow fellow Akron Rotarian Cheryl Warren (DG 2015/16). This is the first time in our Club history (and perhaps the District as well) that two people from the same club will be District Governor back to back. We are very proud that the Rotary Club of Akron continually strives to develop great Rotary leaders!
I was also honored to present the chairman of our service projects committee, Graham Reinke, the RI Avenues of Service Citation signed by RI President Ron Burton. Well done, Graham! This is all further proof of the outstanding leadership developed in our club. Everyone makes this job so easy for me!
I am looking forward to spring and warmer temperatures. If nothing else, my term will be remembered as one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record. I was blessed to be able to spend the first week of March in Florida with my family. There is nothing like waking up to the little voices of four grandchildren every morning. I heard that P.E. Shon did an outstanding job leading the club in my absence, and I am confident the club will be in great hands under his leadership. Get ready for a BIG birthday celebration in April!
President Lance Chima recognized George Rooney and presented him with
The Harry Bauman Award for his Exemplary Work and Dedication to the Rotary Club of Akron Chili Open.
George served as co-chair of the 2014 event, promoted the Open at numerous clubs throughout the
District and worked diligently in setting up the course layouts the day prior to the event.
The Rotary Club of Akron honored Jack DeLeo, our 2014 Ambassador of Service. Jack serves on the board of the Rotary Camp and has been a wonderful advocate for our camp and our club. The recently retired president and CEO of Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, Inc., Jack gave a great speech at our club luncheon in front of a room full of Rotarians and his colleagues from HFA.
Amazing......this is the word that comes to mind when I reflect on the 2014 Chili Open that took place on February 1st, 2014! We had plenty of the snow on the ground from the harsh winter storm that we had during the prior week but the temperatures were just right for beer, chili, and of course golf! As the day progressed we welcomed a record number of participants to our course at Hale Farm and Village in Bath touting over 500 supporters!
Everyone that showed up had a blast whether they golfed or stayed in the clubhouse listening to music and eating Whitey's famous Chili or past from Bravo. As the day wound down we crowned the annual Akron Tractor & Equipment Chili Eating Contest winner which was a hard fought battle to say the least! We moved indoors for some special announcements including a special thank you to Wayne Homes for the title sponsorship and the announcement of our Ambassador of Service Jack DeLeo from Hitchcock Fleming & Associates. Immediately following the remarks we made 4 people very happy as we drew our raffle winners which included a car from Van Devere! When it was all said and done our AMAZING club had come together for a record breaking performance by raising $157,000 for the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs! What is even more amazing than that, is that we did it just months after completing a 3.5 million dollar capital campaign for the camp. The members of the Rotary Club of Akron are truly an AMAZING group and I want to take this opportunity to say how proud I am to be associated with each and everyone of you. Thank you for making everyone around you better!
It is hard to believe that the Chili Open is behind us already. With the preliminary figures in, it looks like we have experienced another record breaking year surpassing revenues and attendance figures. Congratulations and many thanks to Shon, Jim, George and the rest of the Chili Open Committee for an outstanding event.
Cheryl and Dick meticulously redrafted our club’s bylaws based on the recommended club bylaws provided by Rotary International. At our last board of directors meeting, the bylaws were presented by Cheryl and Dick and approved by the board. We will need a quorum of the club membership in order to move forward with these, so I urge you to read them and give us your support in voting for them, should you approve. A special thanks to Dick and Cheryl for your many hours of work.
I would also like to recognize Sarah Buccigross, who not only is doing a tremendous job with coordinating the Dictionary Project, she has agreed to step up and lead our club and chair the Grants Committee. We have great news to announce concerning our action participating in the International Peace Fellowship as well as Gift of Life, and I am confident that Sarah will help propel us forward to even more international program participation.
This has been one brutal winter, but it sure hasn’t dampened the spirits of Akron Rotarians, and for that, I am most grateful.
The Directors of the Rotary Club of Akron met on February 11th. Directors voted to amend the Club Bylaws that included Rotary International updates as well as a strategic succession plan. A member vote for acceptance of the Bylaws will be presented on February 25, 2014 at the regular Tuesday meeting.
It’s almost time to celebrate! Co-Chairs Jack Harig and Cheryl Warren reported on the Centennial Celebration. On April 5th Rotarians will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Akron. Participation opportunities are available in a variety of levels from $300 to $5,000. Contact Jim Redman at JRedmond@PRLKW.com or 330-864-1144 for details. Watch for your invitations. Tickets are $100 per person. Consider hosting a community leader or business connection to come revel in Rotary!
Service Above Self Opportunity! What better way to get involved in Rotary than as a project leader! The Battered Women’s Shelter needs help furnishing their new facility. The project leader will coordinate a collection for needed items. It is a simple, quick project! Email Service Projects Co-Chair Sarah Buccigross at sbuccigross@akronohio.gov if you’re interested. She’ll have more details soon!
Fellow Rotarian Suzanne Boyer transferred to the Akron Club last September and shortly after joining us, she and her husband Chris welcomed a new baby into the world on October 25th, 2013. Braxton Chase Boyer weighed in at 8 lbs 3 oz and 21.5 inches tall. Suzanne finds it hard to believe they will be celebrating 4 months "new" February 25th. She looks forward to seeing everyone again soon!
As you know, we have sponsored an outbound exchange student who is studying in France. While there Sydney has been maintaining a blog and writes to the Club members to keep us apprised of her experiences in France.
A very happy belated New Year to you all! I wish you all the very best for the upcoming year!
Just last week I celebrated the half way point of my exchange!! It is absolutely incredible to think about, as it seems like just yesterday I was getting on the plane.
Golfers and non-golfers had fun at the 2014 Akron Rotary Chili Open sponsored by Wayne Homes. It was snowy and wet to challenge the golfers and the delicious hot chili from Whitey's was waiting for them when they returned to the club house. Thank you to our sponsors, participants and our tremendous team of volunteers who make the magic happen to help support our Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children!
RI President-elect Gary C.K. Huang chose Light Up Rotary as his theme for 2014-15. Huang was inspired by the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucious who said: "It is better to light a single candle, than to sit and curse the darkness." "There are so many problems in the world, so many people who need help. Many people say, 'There's nothing I can do.' So they sit there doing nothing. Meanwhile everything stays dark," Huang told the 537 district governors and their spouses and partners who are attending the 2014 International Assembly in San Diego, California.
"The Rotary way is the Confucius way. The Rotary way is to light a candle. I light one, you light one, 1.2 million Rotarians light one. Together, we light up the world," said Huang, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Taipei in Taiwan.
After announcing his theme at the opening session of the five-day training meeting, Huang urged club members toLight Up Rotary in the coming year by hosting a Rotary Day in their community and including local Rotaract and Interact members in their service projects.
It was great to see so many Rotarians and friends yesterday at our holiday party. With huge thanks for hosts Mary Weaver and Rowena Wilkins from Concordia at Sumner, our program chair J.T. Teringo brought in the 35-piece steel drum band from the Steel Academy directed by Angel Lawrie that shook the rafters with Christmas carols and rock tunes.
A special thank you to Mark Seward for coordinating Akron Rotary’s ringing the bell for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive at Acme #1 in West Akron on December 7th. While the numbers are not finalized, I am confident that Akron Rotary made a huge impact in this year’s drive.
As 2013 comes to a close, we look forward to an even better new year with Shon and our Chili Open committee preparing to set new records and Cheryl and Jack leading the way for a 100th birthday celebration to knock your socks off! Here’s wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year!
President Lance
Has president Lance been naughty or nice this year?!
Season's greetings to all my friends in Rotary (and service) back home in Akron. It is a cold 55F Christmas Eve in the desert this evening and I'm burning a little midnight oil as most all of the Soldiers have abandoned their posts for the holidays. (that's a joke, but everyone in my tent did leave early).
I am writing home with great pleasure in order to update on you on "Operation Deployed for Good", the joint operation between the Rotary Club of Akron and the Soldiers of Ohio's 371st Sustainment Brigade to assist children with disabilities and orphans in Kyrgyzstan.
The Akron Rotary Club Board of Directors met on December 10th. Membership Chair Dan Riemenschneider reported there will soon be seven new Akron Rotarians. The committee is conducting outreach to members of the Akron Torchbearers. New members are guided into service via a newly revised Service Plan. Kudos and thanks to Mark Seward for coordinating the Salvation Army Bell Ringing service project. PR Chair Megan Moncrief is busy increasing Akron Rotary’s presence on Facebook and other social media sites. Co-Chair Shon Christy reported on the many ways the Chili Open committee is working to secure corporate sponsorships, camperships and ticket sales. Event advertising will include radio spots and billboards. Scholarship Chair Terry Dalton announced the newest round of scholarship applicants will be interviewed after the first of the year.
This is a note from Sydney, our exchange student who is studying in France. We hope you will enjoy reading (and translating) her message . . .
Bonjour Mme Hall!
J'ai reçu votre colis l'autre jour! Je présenterai l'écusson à une cérémonie, en décembre. Donc, merci encore!
Je vraiment adore la vie là. Tout est bien, j'Apprend quelque chose chaque jour. La chose que je préfère la plus en France est l'histoire. Tout les petit villages, (comme où j'habite) je trouve super mignon. Aussi, j'ai appris hier, que des gammes de montagnes pas loin de Chez moi, c'était le accueil de la résistance français en la second guerre mondial. Elles s'appelle les vercores.
President Lance Chima recognized Graham Reinke and Sarah Buccigross and presented them with
Harry Bauman Awards for their Exemplary Work and Dedication to the Rotary Club of Akron Dictionary Project.
Thank you both for your help to make this project a success!!
Please bear with me! You are going to see some new and exciting changes on our website at www.akronrotary.org! ClubRunner has launched a new version of their website platform and as a result our Home Page look has gotten the first phase of a face lift and I am working on revising the Bulletin -- there are some slight issues in this edition, but for the most part I think you will be able to read it!
The updated platform will provide us with more flexibility and design options. I am sure there will be a few hiccups as we progress so I ask that if you have any issues, please contact me immediately. We have added a new menu buttons for members (require you to login) to easily take you to the email system, your profile and the Club directory . . . if you don't know how to login, please let me know and I will help you.
For those of you who are editors on the site - the functionality should be seamless for you, but if you have any issues, please contact me. Thanks for your anticipated patience as we move into the next phase of our website.
You can help us defer a portion of the event’s expenses by choosing a “participation opportunity”.
Participation opportunities are available on several levels,
each of which offers a unique way to help celebrate the Rotary Club of Akron and its great history.
This landmark event on Saturday, April 5, 2014, 6:00PM
will be honoring the 100 years that the
Akron Rotary Club has been providing community service.
1914-2014
(Please note that online registration for individual tickets will also be available soon.)
The Rotary Club of Akron Centennial Celebration is Proudly Supported by The Akron Rotary Foundation
Participation Opportunities for Rotary Club of Akron Centennial
As the leaves fall and the weather gets colder we are getting more excited for our Chili Open that will take place at Hale Farm on February 1st! Our team has been hard at work over the past few months to ensure a record year! We are looking to raise $200,000 this year and to do that we will need a huge team effort! The raffle tickets are available and have already started to sell! There will be several ways to get these over the coming weeks.
Most of you have had the pleasure to see him speak to our group And everyone who has is impressed and encouraged with what he means to the next genration. Matthew is sure to be a future Rotarian and helping him accomplish his dreams will serve to help us meet ours.
Matthew is in the running for the most popular NASCAR K&N driver. The competition involves voting (up to once per day) for him. We are launching a large campaign to help him rise to the top of the votes.
Let's all pull together to show this community minded Northeast Ohio teenager our support!
A huge “shout out” this month goes to Doug Hausknecht for his collaborative efforts between our club, The University of Akron, and an amazing group of young men and ladies from the Akron Zips campus. What began as a scholarship interview last February between Doug and student Tyler Humphrey, has blossomed into a very cool Rotaract Club. On November 13 a glorious Inauguration Celebration Evening was conducted at camp. We were privileged to have DG Bob Johnson and AG Steve Smetana conducting the formalities of the ceremony, and learning about camp from J.D. Detsch. We were anticipating the 15 students who are the charter members of Akron Rotaract to be present. What blew us all away was the fact that twice as many students attended the evening at camp, because the group has already doubled in size. I encourage you to meet President Ty Humphrey and his fellow Rotaractors, as they are a classy group of kids, and we are blessed with the opportunity and responsibility to be mentors to them, and mold them to be great Rotarians in the future. As I reflect on Thanksgiving this year, I am most thankful for all the wonderful people in this great club.
Akron Rotary Exchange Student visited the Cleveland Museum of Art
Thanks to Cherie Shechter and Dean Mugler for inviting S. Korean exchange student Gu Hyoun Nam to join the honors College Humanities class trip to to the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Please consider inviting our exchange student in other activities throughout the community - please contact Susan Colville-Hall: colvillehall2@gmail.com.
(Left Photo) Gu Hyoun Nam assumes the pose of the Guardian Figure: Nio 1200s, Japan, Shiga prefecture, Kamakura period, 1972.158.1 Feet planted, hands raised, this Buddhist Guardian figure seems confident in its ability to protect against evil.
(Right Photo) Dean Mugler on tour with the students
An absolutely amazing milestone has been reached for the Rotary Club of Akron on September 28, 2013 at our Akron Rotary Camp Regatta. Coming off the tail-end of the great recession which began in 2008, the naysayers said it would not be prudent to embark on a $ 3.5 million capital campaign in 2010 to renovate the camp. But under the vision and wisdom of past club presidents Mark Krohn and Bill Manby, Jr., the leadership of Jack and Vivian Harig, Nick and Ruthie George, the sacrificial giving of time, talent, and treasures of Rennick and Dee Andreoli, and the efforts of the Akron Rotary Foundation, the camp has not only been renovated, but transformed into a magnificent facility, too beautiful for words to describe. Further proof of our club’s commitment to the community and how our 125+ members will accomplish anything we put our minds to. Camp Director Dan Reynolds and his staff are changing lives forever and if you haven’t visited the camp recently, get out there! There are so many people to thank, it is impossible to do so in this short article, so a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone of our Rotarians, family, and friends who through their sacrificial giving have made this all possible.
Honoring the Past – Driving the Future, the theme for The Rotary Club of Akron’s 100th Anniversary Celebration April 5, 2014 sums up our feelings on Saturday September 28th 2013 when 400 past, present, and future donors assembled at the Akron Rotary Camp Regatta. The event recognized the accomplishments of the Family of Akron Rotary as they pushed to close the funding gap and finalize a three year capital campaign. Your work has provided over $3.5 million to transform the Akron Rotary Camp from a camp to a campus for kids. It has changed from a place for kids to go and be kids to a place families can turn to as a resource center. A place where kids can be kids, families receive support, and lives changed forever.
Have you visited the new Rotary International website? It has recently received a wonderful new face-lift with a dynamic search engine. This new site means that some of our current Club and District website links may no longer be active as the entire platform for the Rotary International site changed. Our Club and District are working on revising these links, in the interim, if you are trying to access any links that are not yet updated please click here to email Cheryl Warren - she can help re-direct you to the new information at www.rotary.org and will also get the link fixed.
When you first go to the new site, you will be asked to register - even if you had done so on the old site, you must do so again on the new site in order to gain access to additional member-only resources and information. There are member areas for Learning & Reference, Exchange of Ideas, Ways to Take Action, Sign Up for Member News, and much more! Check it out today at www.Rotary.org!
Did you know that as a Rotarian you have the priviledge of being able to visit any Rotary Club in the World? Locally in our District, we have over 50 Clubs right here in NE Ohio! Let us know about your experience at our next Akron Rotary meeting. We are always looking for an opportunity to hear about what other Clubs are doing and the experience you had while visiting them. If you need list of International Clubs you can visit www.Rotary.org or for just the District 6630 Club list click here. Please note that our District Club list includes our College and High School Clubs (Rotaract and Interact Clubs) and are designated in the list with an (R) or (I) before the name.
Graham and the Service Committee have been doing some amazing things having wrapped up a successful Summer Reading Program, Meet and Greet at Camp, and Keep Akron Beautiful Awards Project. We will restart the Dictionary Project, Red Kettle Campaign, and Akron Operation Deployed for Good to assist orphanages in Kyrgyzstan. These are just a few of the many examples of Akron Rotarians in action.
I look forward to seeing everyone as we sail the course and finish strong. It will be “All hands on deck” for our Akron Rotary Camp Regatta Celebration and Fundraiser on Saturday September 28 at 6:00 PM. This has indeed been an epic journey.
Our Tuesday lunch meetings are vibrant, educational, and fun! Program chair J.T. Teringo continues to bring in interesting speakers. Our October lineup has the Akron Marathon Race Director, Akron Police Chief Nice, Jim Tressel, and DG Bob Johnson speaking. See you there!
I will be honest with you all, I don't know where to start, other than THANK YOU so very much for being such a major contributor to me being in France. I absolutely adore it here!
My arrival in France was fine, I slept for a large portion of the trip, but I have no complaints with Air France or my reception in Lyon! I was met at the airport by many Rotarians from my club and district, as well as a plethora of other exchange students! Lyon and Valence seem to be full of Rotary students! In my school alone, there are six Rotary Exchange students. So I am always assured of having someone around that understands my daily "happy moments" and "difficult moments" This also comes with a caution as it is easy for some of the exchange students to want to spend time only with other exchange students. I try to avoid this as much as possible, for the sole reason that it would be impossible for me to improve my French with others who don't speak French!
Earlier this year one of Akron Rotary’s own, 1ST Lt. Kevin McGee, was deployed to Kuwait with the Ohio Army National Guard’s 371st Sustainment Brigade. An element of the brigade is operating out of a U.S. Air Base in Manas, Kyrgyzstan. There are two orphanages near Manas that have major needs. Working through Kevin and an Air Force organization known as Manas Area Benefit Outreach Society, the Akron Rotary is partnering with the 371st Soldiers to provide much needed supplies to the two orphanages in an impoverished area near Manas, Kyrgyzstan.
Akron's Rotary Youth Exchange Program is active this 2013 - 2014 school year with Outbound student, Sydney Heersink (senior at Firestone High School) who has arrived in Valence, France, and Inbound student Gu Hyoun Nam from South Korea who is already attending classes at Firestone High School. Both were able to meet and attend an Akron Rotary meeting before Sydney's departure.
As we approach the end of August I am reflecting on completing my first two months as your president. The time is flying by, and I know that it is not just because I am getting older, but because of the amazing things we are doing in this club. To quote Coach Bowden of the Zips, “Hold on to your hats, it’s going to be fun”. And the fun is contagious in Akron Rotary.
What great club meeting on August 13th with the Deputy Mayor of Akron!! It is so reassuring to hear the great things this town and community are doing with collaborations between industry, the university. And the global leadership that Akron displays is impressive. Now I know why one of the guests on a recent national news broadcast stated that Northeast Ohio is the model to follow to avoid the Detroit financial failure. It makes me really proud to be a member of our local, global-thinking community and proud of the individuals who make this happen.
In that same vein of global thinking, our Rotary Youth Exchange student, Guhyoun NAM will be arriving tomorrow and hopefully will be with us next week at our Rotary meeting. I thought that I would save you some time, so I put together this FACT sheet to help us all become more knowledgeable about his country. For your benefit it is both attached and imbedded below.
You might want to be ready for a little quiz on South Korea next week. The information comes from the sites below:
The Rotary Club of Akron will be celebrating 100 years in existence in April 2014!
The Centennial Celebration committee has designed this new logo which will be in use for the Club throughout the 2013-2014 Rotary year.
The official Centennial Celebration will take place on April 5, 2014. However, we have a lot of work to do to prepare before April! 100 years worth of history to gather and a lot of communuications to send out!
If you are interested in helping, please contact Jack Harig or Cheryl Warren
or any of the committee chairs listed below...we will welcome your help!
Budget & Finance:Daniel Riemenschneider
Invitation/Save the Date/Design and Distribution: Shon Christy
Banquet Committee: Chairman: Marcia Holcomb
Program and Video Committee:Mark Krohn
Club History:John Daily
Past President, Past Member, Rotary Alumni: Dick Farkas
Camp Alumni Committee: No committee chair yet!
Community Events Involvement Committee: Bill Manby, Jr.
Publicity Committee: Shon Christy
Rotary International and District Liaison Committee: Stew Buchanan
On Friday, July 16th, 75 members of the Akron Rotary Club gathered to celebrate its outgoing President Bill Manby, Jr. and his successful 2012-2013 term.
Most fittingly, the event was hosted at the Akron Rotary Camp’s new Rennick and Dee Dee Andreoli Recreation Center as the kick-off event to open the new building. Friends, family and other supporters all gathered around to honor Bill and his team who accomplished many great things during the year, including adding over 20 new members, obtaining Rotary’s AZ Baker Award and receiving Rotary’s coveted Presidential Citation (one of only three given in our district, a very big deal).
When asked how he could possibly accomplish such wonderful things, Bill immediately replied,
I had a lot of help from some pretty famous friends (the tooth fairy, Colonel Sanders, and Sonny and Cher),
how could I fail?
Thanks to the wonderful camp staff, food by Ivan’s Deli and the outstanding behind the scene’s organizational skills of our own Steve Shechter, the event was the prefect night and a most well deserved end to a fantastic year. A very hearty congratulations to Bill and his team and well wishes to Lance Chima as he carries the torch for the 2013-2014 presidential year.
This could possibly be THE greatest year in the history of this Rotary Club and I am honored to be leading the way. Thanks to Bill Manby, Jr. who directed us so brilliantly this past year, and with the help of so many of you sacrificing your time, treasures, and talents, the club is in great shape. The Rotary International theme for this year is
“Engage Rotary-Change Lives” and that is exactly what continues to happen in this amazing club.
Consider some of the things we have accomplished and will experience this year:
Mike Davanzo of the Medina Sunrise Club will be serving as District Governor Elect (DGE) during Bob's year and will then step in as District Governor 2014-2015.
Akron Rotarian, Cheryl Warren began serving under Bob as District Governor Nominee (DGN)
and will follow Mike as District Governor for 2015-2016. Mike Davanzo made it official by giving Cheryl the DGN pin at a recent Akron Club meeting.
I can’t believe it’s really been a whole year! It has been a blast and I hope you have all had as much fun as I have!
I set some lofty goals for my term and I am proud to say nearly every one of them has been achieved and we also accomplished some things beyond expectations. Being awarded the 2012-2013 Presidential Citation from RI President Sakuji Tanaka is a very significant achievement! Our district has over 50 clubs and we were 1 of 3 TOTAL who received this distinction. The AZ Baker Award is another great accomplishment.
As you may remember, my theme for this year was “Get Engaged and Be Inspired!” Judging from the enthusiasm of many of our members and based on my own experience, we have achieved it! It was interesting to see a quote from the Rotary International Foundation President Elect that was on the cover of the club’s Paul Harris handout a few weeks ago. He said “The job doesn’t end when a new member joins. It’s not done until that new member is engaged in Rotary, inspired by Rotary, and uses the power of Rotary service to change lives.” I guess great minds think alike, or Akron is setting the pace for other clubs; I would like to think both are true.
This year has been particularly rewarding because of the great leadership team members surrounding me. Every committee accomplished its goals and every chair went above and beyond to drive that success. This momentum will continue as Lance comes in and implements his own strategies for the upcoming year. Please continue to support him as you did me, because this club is absolutely blowing up!
I am proud to have been able to serve this club and can’t wait to help us grow and accomplish even more in the upcoming years. Thank you….. Each and every one of you!
Lance, it is all yours and it is in great shape!
Humbly yours in Rotary service and with the most sincere thanks,
Many of you may not recognize this picture since it is not February and is not covered in snow with a golf course and 600 golfers!
This is the site our annual Wayne Homes / Akron Rotary Chili Open hosted at Hale Farm. But now spring has sprung and fellow Rotarian Steve Shechter was driving past and spotted an odd sighting .... this array of brightly colored round objects laying in the field...low and behold they are NOT natures flowers but golf balls that eluded our golfers on that snowy February day! Thanks to all who joined us and helped us raise money to support the Akron Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children.
University of Akron Zips basketball coach Keith Dambrot was the featured speaker for the Akron Rotary Club on June 11th. Dambrot, an Akron native, entertained a packed house that included Rotarians, U of A administration, alumni and donors to the program. Many folks brought their children for the up close and personal interaction. The coach addressed the current and future state of the Zips basketball program and mid-majors, in general. He believes we aren’t far away from seeing a mid-major win a national championship and “it might as well be the Zips!” He is also still very close to Lebron James and had very insightful comments and observations.
The Akron community is very fortunate to have a coach like Dambrot. His commitment to the area and strong desire to make Akron a destination of choice really resonated with a club full of members with a similar perspective.
The enjoyable lunch was capped with an unexpected surprise. Club President Bill Manby, Jr. was presented the “Peace Through Service 2012-13 Presidential Citation” from Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka. The Akron Rotary Club was 1 of 3 clubs in a district of over 50 clubs to earn this distinction. The club also received the AZ Baker award.
The Akron Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at noon at Portage Country Club. Guests are always welcome.
Pictured is Club President Bill Manby, Jr. with Coach Dambrot and Bill’s sons Greyson (age 9) and Ashton (age 12).
In case you missed the great article in the Akron Beacon Journal, below is a link. The progress at camp is amazing! If you haven't been to camp in the past few months you'll be in for a big surprise. It's really a different place.
Thank you for making camp such a beautiful place for our kids and families. I look forward to seeing you this summer!
On the evening of May 8th our friends from Graphic Enterprises, Brian Frank (President) and Denise Dennewitz (Marketing Director) battled it out for tips to benefit the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. The event was held in the private room at Legends in Green off of Massillon Road. On the bar there were 2 jars one with Denise’s face and Brian’s face on the other. The jars filled up quickly over the 2 short hours and the they were very close - who would be the winner? Only time would tell! Each bartender was hustling to increase their tip jar amounts for the camp all night!
The event was able to draw a great mix Rotarians, friends of the camp, and local business leaders to support a wonderful cause. J.D. Detsch from the camp staff showed a video produced by students at The University of Akron about the camp and thanked all of the supporters in attendance. When the final bell rang and the tips were counted, Brian and Denise were able to give the camp $570!! The winner was the camp!!
We are always humbled and thankful for the outpouring of support that we have seen for the camp. A special thank you goes out to Brian, Denise, and the entire team at Graphic Enterprises for their support of our amazing camp. It is through generosity like this that we are able to continue to support our mission and give our children amazing opportunities!
Thanks!
Shon M. Christy
Graphic Enterprises Sponsors Night Out To Help Support Our Camp
What an awesome start to spring we have had! The Recreation Hall is now a pile of rubble helping to highlight the NEW Resource Center and much needed green space. $570 was raised for our camp by Graphic Enterprise and they aren’t even Akron Rotarian’s … yet. We must have given out over 30 student scholarships, and this is just a few of the awesome things done in the last month!
In addition, our meetings continue to be packed. After-hours and outside events remain popular and interest in our club is at an all-time high! You should also be very proud of the strong financial position we are in and if you ever want to review the minutes from our board meetings, they are posted on the website.
We also had our first of many collaborative meetings with representatives from the club, foundation and camp boards. Our goal is to work together better so we can help grow and serve special needs individuals through our new and expanded facilities on Rex Lake. The challenge is a big one but, I’m positive this club has what it takes to deliver now, for the next 50 years and beyond.
Please remember our camp is one of the 3 beneficiaries of the “Team Donnie” Golf Outing on June 8th. This event will bring over $4,000 to our camp, so I want our club to support it as much as possible. It’s a great chance for us to spend some more time together and expose more people to the wonderful things we do. Everything we do and want to continue to do is dependent on this club growing and staying strong! Please keep doing your part.
Our Rotary After Hours and New Member Recruitment gathering at the Camp on May 15th was splendid!! What a gorgeous evening -- the sun was shining, the construction is looking great and we had many new people to get to know. Rennick Andreoli was busy leading tours and Bill Manby Jr., again thanked Graphic Enterprises for their support and presented their donation to camp director, Dan Reynolds.
From left to right: Mykkia Beasley, Buchtel CLC; Dae Shawn Cheatham, Garfield High School; Sable Cooper, Buchtel CLC; Brianna Dobies-Thomas, Ellet High School; Mary Hankton, Buchtel CLC; Danny Kramer, East CLC; Colt Lockhart, East CLC; Diamond Lovejoy, East CLC; Abigail Stopka, STEM High School
The students from left to right are: Juleeah Vang, East CLC: Alexis Bonner, Ellet; Susan Sedlacko, Firestone; David McHenry, Archbishop Hoban; Malik Scales, Garfield; Angela Weathers, Kenmore; Megan Klamert, Our Lady of the Elms; Alissa Peeples, St. Vincent-St Mary. Unable to attend, Sam Merrow, Akron Early College.
Hopefully spring has finally sprung and our weekly meetings can be followed with a round of golf soon. Since my year is quickly coming to an end, I was reviewing my goals the other day. Though they seemed lofty at the time, I was surprised how close we are and want to encourage each of you to help me meet them.
Further proof that this club continues to rock the socks off everyone by being so involved in so many activities, it has been decided to change the night of the Rotary After Hours//New Member Recruitment Night to Wednesday May 15, 2013. This is to encourage member participation at the Legends Sports Pub and Grille in Uniontown, sponsored by Graphic Enterprises on Wednesday May 8, as tips raised that evening will be donated to our camp.
On behalf of the membership committee and camp, I trust you understand our decision to move the Membership Recruitment Night to Wednesday May 15 and look forward to seeing you at both events!
Wednesday May 8-Legends Sports Pub and Grille in Uniontown and Wednesday May 15-Party at Rotary Camp featuring a New Member Recruitment Night, Rotary After Hours evening, Camp Tours, Snacks, and Drinks
Megan Moncrief became a member of the Rotary Club of Akron in March. Many of you may know Megan from her countless volunteer hours she has spent helping with the Chili Open on behalf of Wayne Homes where she serves as Marketing Manager. We are pleased to welcome Megan into our Akron Club family!
AIPNO (Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio-USA) plans and recruits Rotarians, spouses, volunteers with/without medical backgrounds to participate in a February medical mission trip and to donate funds to help cover costs of medicines, supplies, etc.
This trip was the 13th February trip made by this group. Each year the event is held in a different location in India. This year the trip was located in West Bengal, India (south of Delhi and north of Kolkata).
Our mission (Yatra or pilgrimage) was to provide medical care to 6 villages in India's West Bengal area. We flew into Kolkata then had a 4 ½ hr. bus ride through the countryside to Santiniketan Lodge where we inventoried medicines and prepared for clinic & camp #1.
March Madness is upon us!! For many of us this means basketball tournament season and our Club certainly has some dogs in the fight. I hope my newsletter next month is celebrating an IU National Championship, but if not me, maybe our OSU, MSU or Akron Alums have something to celebrate.
I was shocked the other day when I realized I'm less than 4 months away from passing the gavel to Lance. I've really enjoyed my time as your president and am SORT OF sad to see it come to an end. That being said, I couldn't be more excited about Lance succeeding me and look forward to everything he plans to bring to this wonderful organization.
I'm really enjoying the time a get to spend with each of you and am thankful for having the opportunity to get to know each of you better.
Our Club is really clicking, so make sure to do your part. I can assure you that you get out of it what you put into it.
So please consider delivering a dictionary, signing up for a committee for our 100th Anniversary Gala or bring a prospective member to our after hours or a meeting. this club is only as strong as its members and the more folks we have to part of this special group, the more we can accomplish together!
Have you seen our Home Page lately? Wondering what this big red box is all about?
We are simply trying to collect some new information on our members as a resource for helping you get involved and know a little more about each other.
Speak a foreign language? We want to know ...
Like to golf? We want to know ...
You get the idea! Just click on the button above -- the survey takes less than 2 minutes to complete. We appreciate your help with this so we can put the data to good use for our Club.
Please note...we do not share your information with third parties!
Terry Dalton, Chair of our Scholarship Committee (left), presented scholarships to Anthony Wallace (center) and Brent Miller (right).
Bruce Henning, Managing Partner at Hennes Paynter Communications, presented "What To Do When 60 Minutes Calls". Bruce specializes in Crisis Communication, Media Training, and Litigation Communications. www.crisiscommunications.com
New members were inducted Feb 12. 2012:
(L)Charles Solley, Director of Government Releations, Akron Children's Hospital
(R)Linda Conrad, Director, Stan Hywet
What an awesome start to the year - a record-breaking Chili Open, packed houses for meetings and new members coming on board almost on a weekly basis! You should also know that our club is in very sound financial position and projected to have a strong finish to our fiscal year. Feel free to reach out to me or any board member if you would like a summary. Each and every one of you is awesome and what makes this club so great that people want to be part of everything we do.
I have been humbled by what this group can accomplish and feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to be your president. Your new leadership teams are in place for next year and I can’t wait to see Lance continue our tradition. He has shared some of his visions and this club will be even better as a result.
If you haven’t been to a meeting lately, please try to join us. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. If you are there regularly, think about brining a friend to check us out!
Hopefully my next newsletter is written from a golf cart because spring is right around the corner.
On Tuesday, February 5, 2013 the Rotary Club of Akron honored Willoughby Supply Company President Al Romanini as its 2013 Ambassador of Service. This award is given to those who provide ongoing service to the greater community and exemplify the spirit of Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.” The award is given in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Akron’s Chili Open each year.
Romanini has been a supporter of the Akron Rotary Camp through support of the Wayne Homes Chili Open for many years. His effort has helped the Rotary Club of Akron provide financial assistance to families of children with special needs the opportunity to have typical camping experiences and to grow and learn in the outdoors at the Akron Rotary Camp.
After his first visit to camp three years ago, Romanini offered support to the capital campaign, pledging through Willoughby Supply, to donate all of the roofing materials for the new cabins, bathhouse and Great Hall. This significant contribution to the camp’s transformation is making a real difference for the campers.
This is Romanini’s first humanitarian award, and he is very proud to be honored by such a fantastic organization. When asked why he donates, he simply said, “It’s for kids, and more importantly children with special needs. Furthermore, not only do they help these children, but they also have a respite program for their parents. It’s an awesome place!”
Al Romanini and his wife Lisa live in Bainbridge with their children Allisa, Anthony, Abigail and Allison.
Annual winter golf outing creates summer camp opportunities for children with special needs
On Saturday, February 2, 2013, more than 500 hearty souls showed up at Hale Farm and Village to support the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. The Akron Rotary Club’s Chili Open, presented by Wayne Homes, is a one-of-a-kind winter golf experience. The historic grounds of Hale Farm and Village were transformed into four golf courses. Indoors, Whitey’s Chili was served and guests enjoyed the music provided by the Beach Boyz. The event raised more than $150,000, which will provide assistance for more than 400 campers to experience summer camp.
Your participation in the 2013 Wayne Homes Chili Open golf classic will help more than 1,600 children and adults with disabilities attend the Rotary camp next summer!
Mark Your Calendars: February 2, 2013!
One of the most unique challenges for either an extreme sports enthusiast or a hobbyist golfer is the arctic golf experience of the Wayne Homes Chili Open. On Saturday, February 2, 2013, nearly 1,000 polar bear golfers will converge on the scenic Hale Farm and Village in Bath. On that date, the grounds of this historic location will be transformed into seven golf courses with nine holes each. Hole distances will range from 65 to 125 yards. Golfers will be challenged to drive shots across tundra and putt balls laden with ice. Just as in any respectable outing, there will be awards for the closest-to-the pin and the hole-in-one. Tee Times: 8 am to 2 pm (tee times will be assigned based on first-come, first-served preferences)
CLICK TO BUY A RAFFLE TICKET (New this year: every raffle ticket you purchase can then be redeemed for a free entrée up to a $15.00 limit at
Summit Mall Bravo, with a purchase of a second entrée of equal or greater value)
Warming-up is Half the Fun! While this may not sound like and event for the faint-of-heart, it is perfect for anyone that enjoys a good time and likes to help a great cause. Included with the registration fee for each golfer is a pass to the Wayne Homes Chili Open warm-up party. Inside the banquet hall of Hale Farm and Village, all golfers will be treated to all-you-can-eat Whitey’s Chili. There will be plenty of space for playing cards and reminiscing about the best shots of the day on the frigid course. There will also be great raffle prizes.
Our club was excited to receive a Holiday Greeting card from one of our former exchange students, Johannes Naumann, from Germany! Johannes was an exemplary exchange student during his school year at Tallmadge High School who touched the hearts of many of us then and continues to stay in touch. Following is the message he sent:
Dear Rotary President, Mr. Manby, dear Akron Rotarians,
As a former exchange student in 2004-05, I wish you and all of your families a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2013! Two amazing trips to the Us/Canada in 2012 showed me again how much I love your country and how much I cherish my time as a High School student in the U.S.! Hope to make it to OHIO sometime soon, Johannes.
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” Abraham Lincoln
Johannes enclosed this photo of himself with his girlfriend, Luca, taken in San Francisco in August, 2012.
The first 2013 Board of Directors meeting for the Rotary Club of Akron was held January 8th. Treasurer Dave Smith reported that the club is in a good financial position. This is due to the growing membership and increased participation by Rotarians at our weekly luncheons!
The most exciting news shared by President Bill Manby, Jr., was that Mary Weaver will be participating in the AIPNO-Medical Mission to India. Akron Rotary will be contributing $2,000 toward the mission. This trip will enable Rotary volunteers and funds to complete 4,000 medical procedures.
Committee reports worth noting include the PR/Chili Open Committees. Chair Shon Christy shared the news about the electronic marketing and PR strategies being used to share Akron Rotary’s story. For example the website and Facebook will be used to raise awareness, sell raffle tickets and secure sponsors for the upcoming Wayne Homes Chili Open. As chair of Service Projects, Graham Reinke reported that Akron Rotary will be able to provide dictionaries to all the third graders in Akron Public Schools. This news thrilled President Manby as it is the first of his Presidential goals to be completed!
Improving literacy is a very important objective of Rotary. Up through grade three, children are learning to read. After grade three, children are reading to learn. If a child fails to gain competence in reading during the first three grades, the potential for a successful education outcome is greatly diminished.
Last year the Club’s first Dictionary Project was initiated, and dictionaries were provided to about ½ of the third grade students in the Akron Public School system. Much was learned from this initial effort. This year under the leadership of Sarah Buccigross, and thanks to the generosity of Akron Rotary Club members, the Akron Rotary Foundation, Kiwanis members, and the Akron Community Foundation, dictionaries will be provided to every third grader in the Akron Public School system. The distribution is planned for February. It will require volunteers from Rotary and Kiwanis, and will engage the assistance of ACES (an organization of faculty and students at the University of Akron’s College of Education) who will teach a lesson on the use of a dictionary. We are excited!!!!
Last summer, under the leadership of Louise Mazur, Rotary volunteers worked with The Salvation Army on a weekly program to improve the reading skills of elementary school students. When school restarted last fall, the volunteers shifted their focus to assisting the students with homework. The tutoring sessions take place most Monday afternoons at the S.A. Citadel.
Keep Akron Beautiful: We plan to support the Beautification Watch Awards Program again this year. Volunteers will be needed to drive specified routes and nominate residences, businesses and organizations for a 2013 award. It takes some time, but it is a lot fun. More on this later!
Last Rotary year our District received a Public Relations Grant from Rotary International. Several people from the Akron Club were involved in helping to secure this Grant and also work on the projects associated with the funds to meet the goals and objectives. Part of these monies were used to create three videos featuring Rotarians from our District talking about Rotary.
Thank you for your patience – we had so much great footage that we created three videos instead of just the original goal of one. In addition, we will be producing PSAs that will be sent to the regional TV stations.
The intent is for the videos to be used to develop awareness about our District and our Clubs, primarily with a goal of increasing membership, but they can also be used when soliciting project or event sponsors or when you are at any event representing Rotary. Each Club President has been sent a DVD containing all three videos, but you can view them now (below) or on our District website at www.RotaryDistrict6630.org.
Please make sure your speakers are turned up to hear the audio.
This year seems to be rapidly drawing to a close, but it does so with a flurry of activity. Our capital campaign is hoping to close its final phase soon, so check out a respite weekend and bring someone to camp to spread the word. The Chili Open planning is in full swing and raffle tickets make an excellent stocking stuffer or gift to valuable employees. Our memberships keep growing and it seems like we add a wonderful new member to our family almost every week. We’re sponsoring an outgoing exchange student and get to look forward to having our own incoming student next fall. The Paul Harris Fellow lottery keeps growing and growing and our contribution to the Rotary International Foundation is one of the best in the state. Read to me day, tutoring and our dictionary project have all been huge successes. Our holiday party, Salvation Army Bell ringing and Santa for the special kids at the SUPER Learning Center are happening this week. Oh, and not to mention our program speakers have been AWESOME and the energy and buzz in and about our club is at an all time high!
It’s the time of year to be thankful to everyone and everything in your life and I want to take the time to thank each of you for all you do to make my life more fulfilling. I hope each of you get to take time with your loved ones over the holidays and come back “next year” energized to keep up our momentum and reach even greater heights in 2013!
Graham Reinke and Bonnie Wonjo explain Rotary's commitment to literacy in an interview by Mark Uryki of WKSU following our Rotary meeting November 27th.
Akron Rotarians all respond the same when they express their love, admiration and friendship for their fellow Rotarian Frank Horn. The notice of Frank’s passing in the Akron Beacon Journal summed up his life as well as any of his friends could.
“God must have asked for a volunteer because Frank Horn, 53, went to join him in heaven on December 10, 2011. “Whether the Rotary, Jaycees, Habitat for Humanity, the Akron Zoo, Bridgestone World Golf Championship, Leadership Akron, St. Vincent Church and School, or any friend doing a project, Frank was there to lend a hand. He always had the desire, time, and energy to help others, despite the long hours he spent at work, first at his business of sixteen years, Frank Horn Architects, and later at the University of Akron as Director of Architectural Design & Construction. A graduate of Kent State University, Frank quickly adopted UA when he started working there. As a coach and lifelong soccer player, he was very proud of the part he played in the construction of the Zips' new football and soccer stadiums. Frank's legacy will not just be about things he designed, but will include the relationships he built with his love for others.
The Rotary Club of Akron has modeled the Frank Horn Service above Self award after a similar award offered by Rotary International.
Criteria
The nominee must have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service, in any form and at any level, with an emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others through Rotary. Service rendered by the nominee through Rotary must have been on a continuing basis. The award will not be given solely in recognition of one’s performance in an elected or appointed Rotary assignment. Personal financial contributions to The Rotary Foundation or any individual project are not relevant considerations for this award.
The Akron Rotary Club expanded the criteria for the local award to include individuals, organizations, and businesses who in their ongoing service to the greater community exemplify the spirit of Rotary’s motto of "Service above Self”.
The 1st awarding of the honor will go the Homebuilders Association Serving Summit & Portage County Ohio for their contribution of time and labor to construct two cabins at the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
One never-to-be-forgotten Rotary experience for my family and me was the year that we were counselors to a very special French exchange student. In the ensuing 18 years, Christelle Neron went from being an adorable and delightful teenager to being a beautiful and charming young French woman with a wonderful husband, two adorable children of her own and a career as an English teacher in France.
But there is more. Our son, Colin, became quite attached to Christelle when she was here (it would be hard not to). He visited her home and skied in the Alps with her while studying in France several years ago. While there, Christelle’s four year old daughter bonded with him. This blog post says it best. http://colinmorris.net/post/109427530.
Regrettably, severe weather prevented Christelle’s planned appearance at Rotary. Nevertheless, my family was thrilled to spend some quality time with her and her family, including parents and host parents, Michael and Lynn Saddleton.
Service above self is a pretty simple concept. Not so simple, sometimes, is discerning who is doing the serving and who is being served.
This is the kind of thing that makes me wonder why everyone isn’t a Rotarian.
Christelle giving her year end talk Christelle and Colin (1994) at Rotary in 1995
Pictured below “Mt. Rotary”! are: Doug Kohl, Pres and CEO Akron Area YMCA, Bernett Willaims, VP, Children’s Hospital Medical Center Akron, Dick Wright, Diane Wright, Mayor Sara Drew, Stow, daughter Lindsay Marek, camper, Joe Matava, Peninsula Architects, Mayor Al Bollas, New Franklin, Bonne Wojno, Development Director, Rotary Camp, Ruthie George, Campaign Co- Chair, Nick George, Campaign Co chair, Mike Wojno, president, Akron Rotary Camp, Phil Maynard, Jack Harig, Campaign Co-Chair, vivian Harig, Campaign Co Chair, Bill Bennett, Bennett Construction Management, Tom Fox, President Akron Rotary Foundation, Dee Andreoli, Rennick Andreoli, Bill Manby Jr., Akron Rotary President, Dan Reynolds, Executive Director, Akron Rotary Camp.
To view all the photos from the renovation CLICK HERE and then select view slideshow and you can scan through the photos!
Groundbreaking Ceremony for Final Phase of Rotary Camp Renovation
Big plans are in store for the Akron Rotary Camp this fall, as it plans to break ground on October 17th for the final installment of its $3.5 million campus renovation, according to Akron Rotary Camp President Mike Wojno. “The camp is thrilled to begin the ‘last leg’ of our transformational remodeling of our ‘Jewell on the lake,’” Wojno says. “The improvements to our camp will allow us to bring more blessing to a greater number of kids, while increasing the quality of their stay with us.”
Each summer for the last 88 years the Rotary Club of Akron has sponsored the Akron Rotary Camp, where children with special needs throughout Ohio have been invited to spend a week at camp.
I walked into camp this morning to some earth movers and lots of activity. The sidewalk to my office is now gone, so it’s a good thing Dan called and told me to wear boots!
Also, I am recovering from Josh walking into the office with a snake on his wrist. We have a group of kids here from Perry Local Schools and Josh is sharing our reptiles with them! You just never know what’s going to greet you when you come to camp.
Enjoy the photo.
Bonnie Lass Wojno
Rotary Club of Akron
One of our luncheon meetings featured Tracy Herstich, Critical Care Nurse from Akron Children’s Hospital who spoke about the good pediatric work being done in Haiti by Children's Hospital.
Also at the meeting, Jack Harig presented a check for $500 (donations were made by members of the Akron Board of Directors) for Gift of Life. The funds will be used toward the travel of the Children's Hospital team to Haiti. On hand to receive the donation was (left) Ken Fogle from the Chagrin Falls Rotary Club who is the NE Ohio President of Gift of Life, and (center) Jim Frame from the Rotary Club of Mantua. Mr. Frame introduced Gift of Life to Rotary District 6630 in 2004.
At our August 7, 2012 meeting Club President Bill Manby, Jr. presented his State of The Rotary Club of Akron address – here are excerpts from that presentation:
Rotary has always been more about doing than saying, so even though I pushed this presentation off for over a month, I think what’s been done is well worth the wait.
-4 new members -$100,000 check from Medical Mutual for camp -Despite not everyone doing it yet, many of you have updated your member bios on Clubrunner. If you haven’t, please take the time to do so soon.
I think that’s pretty good for a month and I would like to pass the gavel to Lance a little early!
In all seriousness, my main goal for the year is to keep building upon all the momentum we’ve created.
I’d like to continue to grow membership and hope to have a net increase of 10%. That probably means 20 new members as a handful will fall off for various reasons.
I want to maintain the clubs profitable situation we were in this past year. Times are tough and you should all be very proud of this.
I would like to close out our camp capital campaign this year and coordinate an international project. What this club does is amazing for the community. What Rotary International does is amazing for the entire planet, so I would like to have more speakers on international themes and projects and I’ve selected some speakers from the district and All Ohio that we can share throughout the year.
I would also like this Club to provide a dictionary to each 3rd grader in the Akron public schools.
The Board has decided to move our meeting location. Although it is impossible to make everyone happy, all of the member’s input was heard and we are taking action.
Much of our success can be attributed to our members spending more time together, getting to know each other better and working together. So I’m going to try to have more time to interact and bring back Mark’s “My, Life, My Passion.
Getting more members engaged helps all of this happen. Continuing our PR plan to raise community awareness of what all this club and its members do is critical and will attract more leaders from our area that can benefit from everything our membership has to offer. I hope each person who hasn’t had it occur yet, get’s as inspired as I have been once I became more engaged. To further encourage this, we are adding an Akron Rotarian of the Month program, and there will be a year-end drawing for 2013-2014 dues. The July recipient is Shon Christy: PR Chair and Chili Open Co-Chair.
The culmination of all of this leads me to my theme for the year:
“Get Engaged and Be Inspired.”
What led me to this theme can best be outlined by what made me a Rotarian.
July 5, 2012 (Akron, Ohio) – On Tuesday July 10, 2012 Akron Rotary Club President , Bill Manby Jr. introduced Doug Kuczynski , Vice President of Sales and Health Care Market Leader, Mutual Health Serviceswho presented a checkfrom the Medical Mutual Community Investment Fund of Akron Community Foundation toMike Wojno, President of the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs and Rennick Andreoli, Facilities Chairman for $100,000 to help with the building of the new Great Hall a recreation and resource center , the last piece of the camps facilities rebuilding and transformation. This is the largest corporate gift that the camp has received for its campaign.
Boy how a month flies by!! It seems like only a few days ago where we were all celebrating Independence Day and whining about the heat. Now here we are heading into August and getting ready for the kids to go back to school. It has been quite a month for our club, too!
Doug Kuczynski, vice president of sales and health care market leader of mutual health services at Medical Mutual of Ohio recently presented a check for $100,000 to Mike Wojno, president of Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs, and Rennick Andreoli to help with the building of the new Great Hall. I am excited about this recreation and resource center which is “the last piece of the camp’s facilities rebuilding and transformation project.” Just like Rotary International being “this close” to curing polio. I feel like we are “this close” to completing this project, but that last step is a big one and though this contribution was huge, more work is in front of us. Pictured L-R: Bill Manby Jr., President of The Rotary Club of Akron; Mike Wojno, President of the Board of The Rotary Camp; Doug Kuczynski, Vice President, Sales and Healthcare Market Leader, Medical Mutual; Rennick Andreoli, RDA Hotel Management; John Garofalo, Vice President Community Investment, Akron Community Foundation.
Chris Tipping Attorney/Partner Stark and Knoll proposed by Bill Manby, Jr.
George Rooney, Jr. Partner Roetzel and Andress proposed by Steve Shechter
Ferris Brown Executive Director Cascade Locks Parks Association proposed by Ginny Wojno
Lance Johnson Administrator/Business Development-Wickens Enterprises, Inc. proposed by Graham Reinke
I feel so fortunate to finally begin my term as this club's president. Having such an amazing group of people, accomplishing such amazing things and doing it so unselfishly is extremely inspiring. But before I elaborate on any of my plans for the upcoming year, I need to acknowledge what an unbelievable job Mark and his team did this year.
The energy around this club is infectious and all the momentum created makes it very easy for me to come in and just try not to screw things up. Every single committee exceeded expectations and the board did a fabulous job of staying on plan and this club made money for the first time in a long time. All this occurred while many other clubs struggled to stay afloat.
My participation in district meetings and PETS Ohio made me realize that you can't take this for granted. We really are an amazing club. Our members engagement is unique and I hope everyone becomes inspired to make this the best year ever!
Thank you to each and every member of this club for allowing me to take on this presidency.
Thanks again Mark for doing such a fantastic job and encouraging me to take on this endeavor. Also, thanks for being such a good sport. For those who missed the roast or this week's meeting, below is one more glorious look at the history of Mark Krohn!
Happy 4th of July. I hope you all have great plans for the weekend!
Akron welcomes new President Bill Manby, Jr and his Board of Directors for the July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013 Rotary year:
President: William Manby, Jr.
President Elect: Lance Chima
Vice President: Virginia Wojno-Forney
Treasurer: Dave Smith
Secretary: Sandy Naragon
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2013: Lance Chima
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2013: Susan Colville-Hall
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2013: Dan Reynolds
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2013: Ed Wagner
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2014: Mariya Bloom
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2014: William Manby
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2014: Graham Reinke
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2014: Cheryl Warren
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2015: Terrance Dalton
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2015: Jack Harig
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2015: Dan O'Connell
Akron Rotary Club Director 6/2015: Brad Jeffries
Akron Rotary Club Installs New Officers for 2012-2013
Please enjoy these photos of the fun and fellowship that was had by all at the Roast of Mark Krohn, Akron Rotary Club President 2011-2012. Mark was a true sport as people shared stories and told things others perhaps did not know about Mark and as you can see, there was much emotion as well -- we are truly blessed to have had his leadership and look forward to another strong year under Bill Manby, Jr's watch. (photos courtesy of Suzanne Manby)
Bill Manby, Jr. was getting lessons from Mark
on his "I'm thinking about it" look.
Jack Harig calls in from Branson with the Rolling RV Rotarians! Ray Somich of WELW interviews PDG Jack Harig of the Rotary Club of Akron about the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
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June in Ohio, what a great time of year. Everything is green, flowers are blooming everywhere you look, people are starting to gather outside again and everyone seems to smile a little more or a little bigger for no reason other than the sun is shining.
For Rotary, June is also a changing of the leadership of our club. I must admit I am sorry to see this year pass so quickly. When I look back over the last 335 days of my life, they have been some of the most rewarding and inspiring I have ever experienced and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
You people are simply amazing to me and for a person like me to be associated with people like you is a distinct honor and sincere pleasure. All you good people do is accomplish everything you put your mind, body and soul to doing, which is quite a talent to have.
Students were awarded Scholarships at our May 15, 2012 meeting. Congratulations!
The students L-R: Gifty Amadu, Kara Ball, Corbin Gates, Kmani Carr, Shaun Cole, Chantal Foster, Janeva Guinn, Kendell Harris, Fantash'a Jones, Malikah Price and Jasmine Works.
Absent from the picture is Jade Shropshire.
As most of you are aware the Rotary International Foundation Committee’s goal is to have each Rotarian become a Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) within the next 3 years. We instituted a lotto and to date we have 35+ members on the path to becoming first-time or multiple Paul Harris Fellows which translates into over $15,000 in commitments.
At yesterday’s club meeting we drew names and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our next 6 Paul Harris Fellows.
L-R: Paul Stoehr, Deputy Superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley National Park; Frances S. Buchholzer, Metro Parks commissioner; Keith D. Shy, director-secretary of Metro Parks, Serving Summit County; Roland H. Bauer, chair of the park district’s Board of Park Commissioners; and Judge Todd McKenney, Summit County Common Pleas, Probate Division.
I had the privilege and a special treat of attending the social meeting of the Rotary Club of Le Mans, France. I had come in France over spring break as a visiting
professor at the Université du Maine. To find out information about the club, I wrote Vincent Trémbenbert, the contact person on the club website and learned the club meets in the Concordia Hotel in the downtown Le Mans for lunch on Fridays and has a social event once a month. So, on Thursday, March 29, I was able to attend the “apéritif” after which the new president for 2012-2013, Donald Dupuy presented slides on the “BIG ROADS of France.”
At the beginning of 2011, an ad hoc committee was appointed by then president Janet Williams to begin what became to be known as the extreme make-over of Akron Rotary. A key element to those discussions had to do with the matter of the caliber of Rotarians. The current and previous membership committees and other club leaders have acknowledged for years the need to do a better job of engaging and mentoring new members. By implementing our Service Plan, whereby each proposed new member will consider areas of service to become involved in, we set the tone such that no one joins with the idea that we are just a Tuesday lunch club. Rather, they will gain an immediate application of the wide range of service opportunities available and join us with the idea that there is a sense of commitment to our fundamental ideal of "Service Above Self". The Service Plan has received the "green light" from the board and the completion of the spreadsheet will be part of the intake process. As part of the proposal process either someone from the membership committee or someone assigned by the membership committee will sit down with the proposed member to complete the grid. The main point is that the form be completed before induction. The membership committee is confident that with the inclusion of this process the proposed new Rotarian will begin their Rotary journey having been mentored by another Rotarian and with the idea that there is a service commitment tailored to their interest ability. Download Service Plan Download Membership Application Download Member Proposal Form
From the Membership Committee-The Rotary New Member Service Plan
I thought you all might enjoy a little music video from our campers from this past respite weekend! Enjoy!
During our Time Travel weekend, our campers stopped at Woodstock and filled in for CCR, Singing Suzie Q.
Note: We have no rights to this music and do not claim ownership for CCR, the song, or any associated material. Just some campers livin' it up!
Joshua Prairiedog Strelbicki
Akron Rotary Camp goes Woodstock during Time Travel Respite Weekend!
Well everyone, our club is really hitting its stride. I keep saying that all this Club does is achieve every goal it sets out to accomplish … and what amazes me is that every time I turn around, I see that statement in action over and over and over again. I truly hope you know how special you are, how much you accomplish and how much respect I have for each and every one of you!
I am keenly aware of how busy life is in 2012, how tough it can be to build fellowship and philanthropy into your daily schedule and how hard it is to say yes, and cannot thank each and every one of you enough for all of your fine work.
Happy New Year Everybody! The clock has turned and 2012 is here. How exciting.
Personally, this past holiday season was my favorite of all time. Oddly, my fond memories of the holidays have nothing to do with presents (although I received some nice ones)or lights (although I do love the lights), but are rather deeply rooted in all the time I was able to spend with family and friends, far more than ever before.
Join the Rotary Club of Akron for the 22nd Chili Open at Hale Farm and Village on February 4, 2012
One of the most unique challenges for either an extreme sports enthusiast or a hobbyist golfer is the arctic golf experience of the Wayne Homes Chili Open. On Saturday, February 4, 2012, nearly 1,000 polar bear golfers will converge on the scenic Hale Farm and Village in Bath. On that date, the grounds of this historic location will be transformed into seven golf courses with nine holes each. Hole distances will range from 65 to 125 yards. Golfers will be challenged to drive shots across tundra and putt balls laden with ice. Just as in any respectable outing, there will be awards for the closest-to-the pin and the hole-in-one.
Warming-up is Half the Fun!
While this may not sound like an event for the faint-of-heart, it is perfect for anyone that enjoys a good time and likes to help a great cause. Included with the registration fee for each golfer is a pass to the Wayne Homes Chili Open warm-up party. Inside the banquet hall of Hale Farm and Village, all golfers will be treated to all-you-can-eat Whitey’s Chili. There will be plenty of space for playing cards and reminiscing about the best shots of the day on the frigid course. There will also be great raffle prizes.
What to BringDress appropriately for the day's weather conditions. Bring as many clubs as you like, but most Chili Open Golfers prefer irons ranging from seven to wedge and a putter. Extra golf balls are a good idea—we recommend orange! Golf bags are optional.Great Fun for A Great Cause
Your participation in the 2012 Wayne Homes Chili Open golf classic will help more than 1,600 children and adults with disabilities attend the Rotary camp next summer! Every summer for more than 88 years, the Rotary Club of Akron has sponsored the Rotary camp. Children with special needs throughout Ohio have been invited to spend a week at camp, where they enjoy many traditional activities including swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, sports and games, team building and more in our convenient and accessible natural setting. When campers leave Rotary camp at the end of each session, they not only leave with lifelong memories and friends, but they often show more independence as well as a greater understanding of themselves and their abilities. For more information about the Akron Rotary Camp, please call the camp office at 330.644.4512.
If you are unable to attend you may support the camp through purchasing a raffle ticket or a campership to help send a child to camp at www.chiliopen.net .
SIGN UP NOW!!Akron Rotary Club Chili Open on Feb. 4, 2012
Jack Harig found this photo he wanted to share of Frank Horn taken following the demolition phase at the Camp several weeks ago. Some of our members are discussing a special remembrance to be placed at the camp in honor of Frank and his service not only as President of the Camp Board but to the kids he was so committed to. Our prayers are with his family.
If you would like to write an entry in memory of Frank click on Akron Rotary Blog.
My personal belief is that outside of our religious affiliations, people universally love this time of year, mainly because we love to celebrate, gather with people that we treasure and make people happy through giving. In a very special way, the things we love about the Holidays are also what makes Rotary so very special, which is why this last six months has been one of the most special times of my life.
Before becoming President of the club, I thought I knew everyone in the club, had a good sense of what people did, how much they contributed and what we accomplished as a group, but I did not. I only saw a very small part of the reach our club has, the incredible effort our people give, and how much we truly do. It has been an incredibly rewarding time for me to meet more of the people, see more of the effort and experience more of the impact.
November was Rotary Foundation Month. Bill Manby Sr., our club's International Foundation Committee Chairman, hosted a weekly program that helped us understand the many avenues from which to choose when donating time and money. Each Akron Rotarian is encouraged to work toward becoming a Paul Harris Fellow. By becoming a Paul Harris Fellow your gift will advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, support of education and the alleviation of poverty throughout the world. Projects such as, job training for land mine victims in Cambodia, hand-washing stations and hygiene training for students in Ecuador, milking cows for farmers in Russia and microcredit loans to women in Togo depend on the ongoing support of dedicated Rotarians.
Mike Johns, Sr. from Distrcit 6630, recognized new Paul Harris Fellows; Dick Wright, Rennick Andreoli, Graham Reineke and Harry Stewart. Gene Fiocca also recognized and presented John Econmou's daughter with a special photo in remembrance of John for his dedication and commitment to the Akron Club and Rotary International.
For more information on how you can become a Paul Harris Fellow please feel free to contact me at bill@manbyfinancialstrategies.com or call 330/475-8575.
Join us when you either buy some dictionaries and/or come help us get the books in the hands of the students.
Among the many good reasons to ensure our children learn to read are some statistics that show that two thirds of students who cannot read “proficiently” by the end of fourth grade may end up in jail or on welfare. Rotary clubs throughout the country have made a commitment to promote literacy by providing dictionaries to grade three students in their school districts. Our club in Akron is no different. This year for the first time, the Rotary Club of Akron has set an objective to provide a dictionary to each of the 2,200 grade three students in the Akron Public School system. We are fortunate to be partnered with ACES, an organization of faculty and education students from the University of Akron. They add great strength and commitment to the project. Our goal is to raise $4,500 to $5,000 for the project. $1,600 has been raised so far with another $500 pledged. We plan to start buying and distributing dictionaries very soon, using funds already received, as a means to drum up publicity and more money.
Won’t you join us? Get involved. Sponsor a dictionary at $2 each. Or find a corporate sponsor that wants to underwrite a whole school building for $500-$1,000. But we don’t just want your money. Come with us and help distribute these important literacy tools to the schools.
Get involved now, here in Akron! Make a difference now, here in Akron!
For more info or to make donation contact the Akron Dictionary Czar Graham Reinke at cmandgar@yahoo.com or call 330-867-0238.
Speaker, Eric A. Johnson, PhD presented University Park Alliance: The Master Plan on November 15,.2011 to a full house. The audience applauded the innovative urban growth plan that Johnson is overseeing. What an exciting time to be part of the Akron community!!
On November 1, 2011, The Rotary Club of Akron inducted another 10 new members into its ranks at a festive luncheon that included balloons, streamers, noise makers, cake and even a champagne toast.
Left to Right: Membership Chair, Lance Chima; New Members: Wazir Sain, Patricia Smith, James Castrigano, Louise Mazur, Shon Christy, Mary H. Wojno, Samuel J. Lupica, David Hall, Rowena M. Wilkins, Peter Kalgreen; Akron Club President, Mark Krohn.
A diverse group, the new inductees included business owners, bankers, lawyers, volunteers, and other community leaders. For two inductees, Rotary has trulybecome a family affair, with no less than three other family members who are also members of Rotary.With more than six months remaining in the year, the club has plans to add fifteen more new members by June, who if added, would exceed 30 for the year, a goal that few would have believed was possible when the year started.
The call went out for a few good men and it was answered by Frank Horn, Steve Shechter Bob Bowman, Dough Hausknecht and Jack Harig.
The mission: to lug the debris that used to be the roof of two cabins to the construction dumpsters. The seemingly daunting task was tamed by Rotary spouse Jeff Naragon’s generous loan of serious stuff-handling equipment.
Here’s a candid photo of Community Leader, Philanthropist and Snappy Dresser, Rennick Andreoli leading his band of merry volunteers.Why does he wear that mask? A quick look at his photo in the Rotary Directory may shed some light on the matter.
Rennick and his crew from the Hilton never cease to amaze.This is Akron Rotary at its best and dirtiest. Don’t worry if you missed it, there will be another opportunity as the vision continues to become reality.
November is without a doubt my favorite time of year. Halloween just ended, college football is really heating up (I cannot believe Clemson lost to Georgia Tech) and the holidays are upon us!
Having young children, Halloween is always a trip for me. I love watching children try to be someone else and live through the eyes of the character they choose to emulate. This year my oldest daughter Alex wanted to be the Scooby Doo character, Velma (she was the smart one). I could not figure out why Alex chose Velma with all of the options she had, including the most beautiful Disney princesses, until each and every time she would put on that costume, she acted older, smarter and like she had all the answers to all the questions (and especially the solutions to all of the mysteries).
Our speaker October 18th was Dr. Caruso - a dentist in Stow at Darrow Family Dental. He and his partner Dr. Pankuch participated in the Smiles for Life Foundation fund raiser, it's part of a national foundation- Smiles for Life-
From March through June, hundreds of dental practices throughout the U.S. and Canada professionally whiten teeth to raise money for seriously ill, disabled, and underprivileged children in their local communities and around the world. They are members of the Crown Council, an alliance of leading-edge dental teams that are passionately committed to promoting oral health, fighting oral cancer and serving their communities through charitable work.
Half the funds that they raise through teeth whitening, goes to a local charity that benefits children and this year they chose the Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children, because one of the staff's nephew's attended camp.
The camp received $2,100 for it's annual Partner's with Youth Campaign, which directly helps to provide financial assistance to campers. Our thanks to Dr. Caruso & Pankuch and all the staff at Darrow Family Practice!
Enjoy! this video from our last respite weekend. This was a Video Game Character Theme. We focused on playing and making games. We also had campers create a music video! The video will come later!
Fall is always an exciting time of year for our club as this is the time that we traditionally kick off our preparation for the Wayne Homes Chili Open. I know that everyone hates to think about snow, but whether it issecuring our site, confirming corporate partners, printing and selling raffle tickets, or just making certain we have beer, chili and entertainment for February, there is certainly much to do.
Can you feel the excitement around you growing? Can you feel the momentum our club is generating?Are you beginning to understand the awesome power of Rotary and the strength that a number of significant individuals can have when acting as a team?
I really hope so, because your Rotary Club is moving in all the right directions. Over the last month or so, we have inducted four new members. While that certainly is exciting, we are not anywhere near done with recruiting new members for this year as Lance Chima, our awesome membership chair, just completed our club’s first membership meet and greet, which he personally sponsored. Close to 40 people attended, most of which were non-Rotarians. That is right, I said, non-Rotarians! At one of our parties people not currently affiliated with our organization outnumbered those that were, and that is priceless. Way to go Lance! Thanks for stepping up to the plate.
Attached is a news release, youtube link and some coverage by the Washington Post related to a press conference that the Greenrbrier Resort held on Wednesday, August 24th concerning the Greenbrier Medical Institute, a $250 Million dollar healthcare development that will reshape how medical care is delivered globally. The initiative is being led by Jack Diamond and 2011-12 Akron Rotary President, Mark Krohn, both of whom are local attorneys and developers.
As you may already know, the Akron Rotary has its own Foundation. The Club’s foundation is administered by a separate board of trustees which helps decide where accumulated funds are to be distributed. We get these funds from generous donors like yourselves and fundraisers like the Chili Open and Poker Run. Monies left in wills for our benefit are also a substantial source of funds. However these monies need to be invested. That’s what this column is all about.
15-year-old aspiring NASCAR champion Matthew Tifft spoke before a packed house of Rotary members and guests August 16th at The Tangier in Akron, Ohio. The topic – speed.
Our Rotary Club of Akron exchange student, Haruka Yamazaki, arrived Sunday evening August 21st from Japan. She was greeted with a warm Rotary welcome at Cleveland Hopkins airport (She is pictured in the photo with her welcoming committee). Haruka will attend her first Rotary meeting Tuesday, August 30th and she looks forward to meeting the Akron Rotarians and interacting with them this year. She is enrolled at Green High School for the school year, and her first host family is our President Mark Krohn and his wife, Lori, and young daughters Alex and Nicole, who live near Green High School at 1416 Pine Wood Way. Mariya Bloom, Barry Hollis and Dan O’Connell are her Rotary co-counselors during her stay.Haruka is 16 years old, enjoys acting, and has an older sister and younger brother at home near Nagoya, Japan.Plan to enrich your life and her experience by contacting Haruka and invite her to spend some time with you and your family! You can contact her by email at spring1995@canvas.ocn.ne.jp or by telephone at (234)294-5047 or (330)690-7467.
Pictured L-R: Counselor Mariya Bloom, Host Parents Mark & Lori Krohn, Haruka Akron RYE coordinator Marcia Holcomb District 6630 RYE Inbound coordinator Jack Young.
Yours in Rotary, Marcia Holcomb, Akron Rotary Youth Exchange Officer
The Akron Club was pleased to be host to District 6630 Governor Stephen Zabor on August 9, 2011. Governor Zabor spoke about his theme for year Building Sustainable Communities. He reminded us "Rotary is a volunteer organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide to provide humanitarian service to help build goodwill and peace."
Hard to believe it is August already. Where did the Summer go? All I know is that it certainly has been a busy month at Rotary.Since my last newsletter, our capital campaign crossed the two million dollar barrier, we have inducted one new member, George Romanoski, former City of Akron Fire Chief, and approved two more: Robert Cooper, Principal at CB Richard Ellis in Akron, and Tom Baugh, Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Marketplace Events, our nation’s largest home tradeshow planner and promoter.
On Tuesday, July 19th, Dr. Jay Gershen, President of the Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine, visited the Rotary Club of Akron to discuss the region’s accomplished medical college and how Kent State, Akron, Youngstown State, Cleveland State and the State of Ohio are all collaborating to make a medical education available to anyone at any income level, accelerate and encourage world class research and commercialization of medical technology and dramatically improving care to rural and urban areas that are underserved. A truly unbeatable combination being forged by one of our region’s greatest assets. If you missed it, you missed a lot.
Please join us at our next meeting for the next installment of “My Life:My Passion” where three Rotarians will tell you some things about themselves, their work, family and philanthropy that you simply wont want to miss.
Mark E. Krohn
Dr. Jay Gershen Accelerates Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine Initiatives
On Tuesday, July 12, 2011, George Romanowski, former Deputy Mayor of Public Safety and Fire Chief for the City of Akron, was formally inducted into the Rotary Club of Akron with his wife Janice and his dear friend Tony O’Leary, Executive Director of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, present. George looks forward to continuing his lifelong commitment to serving others through his new affiliation with the club and its many service projects, including the Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs.
Akron Rotary’s President, Mark Krohn, stated “This is exactly what Rotary is all about, great people and community leaders coming together to make a difference in the lives of others.” Krohn further stated “ We are so very excited to have George as a member of our family as he brings a perspective, drive and talent that is unique and very special.” Krohn ended by saying “With people like George, there is just no end to what we can do.”
Rotary Club of Akron Recruits Another Great Community Leader for its Ranks.
Lamba Chi Alpha Fraternity representatives (pictured center and right), Jharell Watkins,Chapter President and Joshua Lumley, Chapter Vice President-External Affairs Philanthropy Chair presented a check for $2,000.00 to Camp Director Dan Reynolds for The Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children.
Virginia Wojno Forney wore a wig to show the many hairstyles of Janet during her term ... faces of Janet appeared everywhere in the room ... Steve Shechter wrote and sang a wonderful tune ... PDG Stew Buchanan was a great sport - ball caps were part of everyone's a ttire in his honor! Please click to enjoy photos from the event.
Rotarians Roast Past President Janet Williams and Past Governor Stew Buchanan
Click here to enjoy several photos from Rotary Camp "Camp Fire" event hosted by the Rennick Andreoli Family.with Catering by Chef Beau Schmidt from Beau's at The Hilton West, Akron, OH.
A night at the camp with friends and supporters of the Akron Rotary Camp For Children With Special Needs.
I want to begin my presidency with the words “thank you”.Words that are never said as much as they should be, but words I think about all the time in my experience with Rotary.
First, thank you for the honor of being your president.I, like you, have no idea how this happened.My wife is still shocked that this kind act was actually the result of some election and that you did not change your mind.When I come to lunch (and look at our roster) and see all the CEO’s, Executive Directors and leaders in our community, I am always blown away that you would let me touch any aspect of this club, let alone lead it.
In a ceremony in Akron’s Tangier Restaurant on Tuesday, June 28, Mark Krohn was installed as the new president of the 116 member Rotary Club of Akron. Krohn accepted the club gavel from outgoing president Janet Williams. Krohn will lead the club for a one year term and has set aggressive goals for the club to achieve in Rotary’s five avenues of service: club, vocational, community, international and new generations. Krohn said of the challenges that lay ahead, “The coming year will be an opportunity to build on the club’s long history of service while transforming the image of Rotary in the greater Akron region.
Currently only available for the iPhone, iPod and iPad sets, they will also be releasing the ClubRunner Mobile App for Blackberry and Android phones in the near future. Please note that the Stories and Members features are only available to clubs that are direct subscribers of ClubRunner (which the Akron Club is). The Club Locator is available to all.
The month of June has finally brought us summer weather and marks the final month of my Rotary presidential year.As much of a cliché as it sounds, the year really did go by fast.It has a bittersweet feeling, happy to pass the baton to Mark but also wishing for more time to lead some projects.We started to learn more about each other with less focus on outside speakers and more focus on ourselves.
Victoria (Akron Exchange Student) and Brenda (Strongsville Exchange Student) attended the 8th grade "Dare program" graduation party for Strongsville students. They were invited by Jay Dzurilla, Past District Governor for RD 6630 2006-2007.
Rotary Exchange Students Enjoy Strongsville DARE Program
Rotary donated funds in April to help support the Summit County Historical Society fence project. If you are in interested in this project, please contact Leianne, Executive Director of the Summit County Historical Society for more information: 330.535.1120.
The Summit County Historical Society Fence Project
Jack Harig was honored at the 2011 District 6630 Conference with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Jack and his wife Vivian truly have exemplified what Rotary is all about. They have done so much for all concerned at the local, District and International levels and are continuing to plan even more! Congratulations!
HARIG RECEIVES ROTARY DISTRICT 6630 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Young Leaders Society Announces Mark Krohn as Young Philanthropist of the Year
Mark Krohn
United Way of Summit County's Young Leaders Society is pleased to announce the 2011 Young Philanthropist of the Year Award winner. The award was created to recognize young philanthropists who have demonstrated a passionate desire to help others through financial support of United Way and service to area non-profits. Mark Krohn, the 2011 Young Philanthropist of the Year, embodies those ideals. Mark and his wife Lori are Tocqueville donors to United Way of SummitCounty, proving that 'they put their money where their heart is.'
Mark has also served as a Board member for United Disability Services, Habitat for Humanity, and the Akron Rotary Camp. But Mark isn't satisfied to just serve on a board; in all three instances he has taken on Executive Leadership roles, including a term as President of the Board for the Rotary Camp. Mark is a graduate of Leadership Akron (Class XIX), and a 2008 recipient of the Greater Akron Chamber's '30 For The Future' award. Mark is a partner in the law firm Brennan, Manna, Diamond, and he lives in Akron with his wife Lori and their daughters Alex and Nicole.
KROHN HONORED AS 2011 YOUNG PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR
If you missed the Rotary GSE Team from the Netherlands you missed a very interesting and enlightening presentation. The team presented a wonderful overview of their personal and professional lives in the Netherlands. They spoke passionately about their homeland, families and communities. It was a sincere honor to have them present at our Club meeting.
This is pretty amazing. One of our camp staff from last summer is committing to running 1,000 miles for Rotary Camp. Click here here to read the story.
It is Easter and we are greeted with plenty of rain.But we are promised May flowers!.These sure signs of Spring reflect some new things happening with our Rotary Club of Akron.This Thursday, April 27, we will be resuming our Rotary After Hours at a new venue, Beau’s in Fairlawn Hilton, sponsored by our own fun man, Steve Shecter.We hope all of you can join us for a fun after work get together to celebrate Rotary friendships.This is a great opportunity to bring prospective members and our past Rotarians.
We will also be celebrating our first Service Committee project, sponsoring a local boy scout and his project to build a new fence around one of Akron’s landmarks, the John Brown home.The Service Committee tallied up club member votes from a few weeks ago and identified some great potential projects for our club.This is a wonderful first step in making Akron aware of Rotary’s desire to help our local community.
Our PR committee has also been active with capturing photos of local high school scholarship recipients and the Netherlands GSE Team.The importance of sharing all Rotary does both locally and internationally is key to expanding our membership and helping all of us understand the power of Rotary.
Please continue to share the story of Rotary with your friends and colleagues and how they can make a difference by joining our team.The Capital Campaign continues to gain new supporters and the camp’s rebirth is well underway.
The results of the March 15th Project Brainstorming session were reviewed and discussed in order to select specific projects for investigation and possible implementation.The following action steps are proposed based upon this meeting and the results of the Brainstorming session:
“The Dictionary Program for Third Graders” will be researched and assessed as a potential project for completion possibly by June.A subcommittee would be set up to tackle this project.
Another subcommittee would need to be established for International Relief Projects.“Water Wells for Haiti” is to be considered in partnership with Chagrin Rotary and possibly others.Contact will be made with the Chagrin group to understand current plans and how Akron Rotary can participate.A program to provide shelter boxes for Japan and other disaster sites will also be considered.Rotarian Marvin Sharpless will be contacted to gain information on what the Red Cross is doing and how Akron Rotary might assist.Doug Hausknecht suggested organizing a “Relief Day” with three or four displays set up at a high visibility site such as a mall or ballpark to raise public awareness and funds for these projects.These displays could be developed in cooperation with other service organizations and should include a shelter box set up.
These activities would not rule out exploring other projects at a later time.
There was discussion and concern that funding requirements for these projects could be substantial and that Rotary members, their friends, and associates were already heavily committed to the support of the camp.It may be necessary to ask Rotarians to plan their year in terms of their contributions of time, effort, and funding.
The after-hours group needs to be kept up to date on what is happening with service projects and we will be contacting them shortly to seek their input and involvement.
I will explore with President Janet how we might respond favorably to Dylan Schulz’s request for help with his Eagle Scout project.
Did you know that Rotarians have almost eradicated Polio internationally? Did you know that Akron Rotary is composed mainly of local business and philanthropic leaders? Of course you do, but most people in our area do not, which is why Bill Manby, Jr., Kevin McGee and Mark Krohn attended the United Way’s Project Blueprint Agency Fair on Thursday, March 23, where seventeen of our area’s best and brightest young minds were interviewing area not-for-profits to find worthy places to lend their talents (and a hand).
Agencies like the Red Cross, Community Support Services and Summit DD were present (all of which we have members from or very close ties with) and Mark and Bill felt honored to be among such great groups of people. Mark and Bill spoke to almost half the graduating class about the awesome benefits of Rotary and plan on following up as to possible membership and volunteer involvement opportunities.A very special thanks to our membership committee for allowing our club to try something new. Based upon the feedback we received from all who attended and interviewed, this will not be the last stop on the tour.
The Campaign for renewing the camp’s facilities is moving along, we have raised over$1,500,000 toward our $3,500,000 goal. The bath house and the first two cabins are almost complete and will ber ready for the summer camping season. We invite you to join us and visit camp. Click here to view more photos. Bonnie Lass Wojno Dreamweaver Akron Rotary Camp 4460 Rex Lake Drive Akron, OH 44319 www.gotcamp.org
The Akron Affiliate of Sales & Marketing Executive International named Douglas R. Kohl, President & CEO, Akron Area YMCA as its 2011 Executive of the Year. The list of his accomplishments, service to the community and outstanding leadership is long and includes camping and outdoor education programs at our Rotary Camp for Special Needs Children. Congratulations Doug - thanks for all the wonderful things you continue to do to in the Akron community!
Vice President Bob Raskow, at left, and President Tom Fox (Photo courtesy of NAI Cummins) Akron Rotarian Tom Fox and his business partner, Bob Raskow recently purchased Commercial real estate company NAI Cummins. Fox has been with the firm since he graduated from college 30 years ago, while Raskow has 23 years with the company. Congratulations and best of luck in your new endeavor!
On Saturday, February 5th, Mother Nature finally cooperated and brought with her a record setting day for our latest Chili Open Classic.We enjoyed our largest turn out ever since relocating the event to Hale Farm and Village.In addition, more than $100,000 was raised to benefit Rotary Camp. It was also the first year a “shoot-out” was required for the nearest to the pin winner which added much excitement to an already thrilling day.
The day would not have been possible without the outstanding efforts of many Akron Rotarians and their friends, through donations of time, sponsoring of camper-ships and the purchasing of foursomes.I would also like to express my extreme gratitude to the generosity of all our corporate sponsors including:
Wayne Homes
Akron Children’s Hospital
Willoughby Supply
Omnova Solutions Foundation
Buckingham Doolittle and Burroughs
Record Publishing
Goodyear Tire and Rubber
Leader Publications
Crystal Clinic
WAKR, WONE & WQMX
SUMMA Foundation
Whitey’s Premium Chili
FirstMerit Foundation
Hitchcock, Fleming & Associates
Hale Farm & Village
County of Summit DD Board
House of LaRose
Continuing to be fortunate enough to have WayneHomes as a title sponsor is special not only for
the success of the event, but because of how much this cause means to those at WayneHomes. Through multiple conversations with several folks within the WayneHomes family, it is clear to me that this match happened for a reason and we are all blessed as a result.
Dave Logsdon of Wayne Homes, Akron Rotarian Scott Stutler and friends
I would like to recognize this year Ambassador of Service, Nick George and Best Friend of Camp, Rennick Andreoli and also give a special thanks to Summit Racing and their sponsorship of the putt-putt course.In these challenging economic times, special recognition should go to those who continue to commit resources and capital, to projects such as our camp and BarrettAcademy. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!
This year’s three raffle prize winners were Nick Luckosavich (Bridgestone Tournament package, donated by Bridgestone Invitational), Curt Oliver (Cleveland Indians package, donated by Sports Time Ohio) and Connie Truax who won the grand prize of $5,000.Connie has very graciously decided to donate half of her winnings back to the camp! Thank you, Connie!Congratulations to all of our winners and thanks for participating.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of participating or helping out with this event and have interest for 2012 or if you are a tried and veteran, please visit www.chiliopen.net.
In addition, we will try to keep our site, www.akronrotary.org, updated with all the various articles and coverage of the event.
21st Annual Wayne Homes Chili Open – Another Huge Success
Being an accountant, and in the midst of tax season, I tend to process time in quarters.It is hard to believe that March is here and there are only four months until I become past president.The year is going by fast and our club is showing some new enthusiasm as revamped club committees tackle goals to strengthen our club.We will start to hear updates from each committee and have the opportunity to get more involved.In case you have been out of touch for awhile, our committee chairs are: Club Administration, Dominic Frisina; Public Relations, Bill Manby Jr.; Membership, Lance Chima; Service Projects, Graham Reinke; Rotary Foundation, Bill Manby Sr.We all need to support these initiatives to insure our Rotary Club of Akron future.
Our speakers recently have been more geared towards Rotary, including our delightful exchange student Victoria, “Mr. Rotary” Stew Buchanan, and the GSE team that just recently headed to Amsterdam. It is exciting to hear about all of these travels and how broad, yet united, Rotary is.
Breaking away from the norm can be a refreshing change.As our club is well on its way with the Camp Capital Campaign, all members should take a moment to visit camp and experience the transitions.We are going to replace the March 22 lunch meeting with a dinner meeting at camp.Our meeting will be kept short and sweet so we may socialize a bit more and enjoy each others company at our beloved camp.More information will be forthcoming but please mark your calendars now.We are expecting a fun evening of fellowship.
Please remember to reach out to our members who have been absent and remind them they have friends who would love to see them.
Dick Farkas did a great job facilitating one of our recent luncheon meetings. His presentation was interactive and fun and gave us the opportunity to learn more about Rotary International. Attached is the quiz he used to help us increase our knowledge. CLICK HERE.
Happy New Year to all!I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends.I like to call New Years Day the reset button on the calendar.You can start over with new resolutions and get a re-do at the ones from last year that didn’t work out.Our Club has a new year’s resolution to revitalize and grow.The month of January has been dedicated to Akron Rotarian education and how we can all become involved to gain the best experience in Rotary.Dick Farkas will be our facilitator and his passion is contagious.This will be a three meeting event, starting with Rotary International education, moving to our new club vision, and ending with the cash flow of our club.This is the time for all of our Akron members to stand up and get more involved, or for many to become re-acquainted.This is an exciting time if we all get on board.We have some projects waiting in the wings (like our literacy program) that need strong membership support and action to become realized.
Before the end of the year, the Club had its first Phone A Thon to secure both old and new Chili Open sponsors.The feedback was great and a second event is planned soon.With the Chili Open only one month away, all of us should be reaching out to our contacts and promoting our biggest project.One new campership from each member equates to a huge benefit to our Camp.
We recently had an after hours night out at Whitey’s which was much fun.We hope to get even more out for our January after hours.This will be the perfect time to enjoy some great food at our chili sponsor’s venue.
Our capital campaign is proving strong and although the winter months are set in, the action doesn’t stop on construction.Please remember to share the camp video on our website.Plans are in the making to have an alternative meeting out at camp so we can all visit the progress.
The air is cold and the snow is fallen.We are now welcoming the winter season and getting ready for the Christmas holiday.December is a month full of activity for Rotary as well.There are many opportunities to get involved and introduce prospective members to our club.On Thursday evening, December 9, we have our first club cluster social event.This idea was generated at one of our cluster club presidents’ lunch meetings.We thought this would be a great way to meet our club neighbors and enjoy fellowship beyond our own club setting.The event will take place at the Fairlawn Country Club with a wonderful dinner and NASA speaker.Space is limited so all registrations need to be in by December 7.The following week brings two other Rotary events, in addition to our weekly lunch meeting.On Wednesday December 15 we have the annual Barrett Academy Christmas party.This is a long standing club tradition that is sure to touch your heart.The joy on the children’s faces, and the teachers, is overwhelming.On Thursday December 16 we will enjoy Rotary After Hours at Whitey’s.The fun will start at 6 pm.This is the perfect event to engage newer members and bring prospective members.With the Chili Open nearing so quickly, this night out shows our support to Whitey’s for their key involvement.A strong showing is expected.
On Tuesday December 21, we will be having our Christmas celebration at Sumner on Ridgewood.This is always a fun time, enjoying our friendships and some holiday entertainment.
Our club had two new members inducted this past month, Charles Baldwin and Andrea Victor.Please welcome our new members and share the joy of being an Akron Rotarian!
Warm greetings on this cold and snowy day. I thought that I would share a little sunshine with you. Attached is a photo taken at camp in November- the sun was shining then-. It is a picture of Rennick Andreoli of RDA Management and Phil Adkins of Bennett Construction. Rennick has generously offered his time, talent and treasure to build us a cabin, it will be called "The Hilton for Kids".
So check out thephoto below and smile, you helped make this new beginning for camp.
I just got back from a good run; the cool air was invigorating and helped push me along.As I ran I was thinking about how just a few days earlier the Camp celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony on a beautiful sunny afternoon.It was a great event, with the mayor of New Franklin issuing us a city proclamation.Although construction had already begun, it was a wonderful way to bring many involved with this heartfelt undertaking together and recognize how many improved seasons will evolve. A few weeks ago, Josh was our speaker and debuted a 3-minute video geared towards promotion of the capital campaign.We had some technical difficulties with sound, but that video is now available on our Club homepage.It would be impossible not to watch this and feel both pride in what our Club accomplishes with camp and then feel like we need to share this with everyone.
Our club will be reaching out to more children this week as we take part in Read To Me Day on November 3.We will be adopting VorisSchool in Akron and reading about Fall and Thanksgiving.This is our start to getting a literacy program started.I am very thankful to the volunteers that will share their time reading.
We are working on some changes to our after hours meetings and getting another fall social event planned.Keep your eyes open for these announcements and please continue to share your ideas on new things we can try out!
The Akron Rotary Camp began a $3.5 million capital campaign to revitalize its worn World War II-era facilities to benefit children and adults with disabilities. Rotary Camp's capital campaign has reached $1 million of its $3.5 million goal.
Life here is very exciting! Thanks to you, our camp is transforming. Demolition started today to make way for the new bath house and cabins will begin renovation next week. Stop by the camp and take a look or follow the camp construction progress on facebook
As of today we are at $1,100,000 in pledges. If you have not yet made your pledge, please do so, we would love to have 100% of the club participating. You may make a donation online at www.sailingthecourse.org.
We have had our typical transition to fall here in Ohio, from grey rainy days to sunny cooler days.The beginning of a new season always brings change, and we are embarking on some new initiatives with Rotary.We are putting our focus on membership and Dick Farkas is leading a task force to help align our visions, goals, and how we may overcome our obstacles.This task force is meant to be a guide to our membership committee.It is going to take much effort and commitment to drive this membership push.With increased membership, our club gains the opportunity to support out biggest events with more zest, start new projects and meet even more wonderful Rotarians.We recently had a lunch hour dedicated to membership, identifying what we felt Rotary does and should accomplish for our members.The interaction by all attending was inspiring, with no hesitation on sharing thoughts.The key questions raised were:Why is Membership Rotary's top priority?; Why would anyone join our Rotary Club?: Who should nominate prospects for membership in our club?: Why aren't we then recruiting prospects?: Why are people joining our club?: Why have members resigned from our club?If you were not at the meeting, please take time to read over Dick’s e-mail sent to all club members on 9/21.
Please click here to enjoy pictures that have been submitted from the 2013 Chili Open where over 500 guests enjoyed a wonderful day of winter golf, hot chili from Whitey's and pasta from Bravo. If you have more pictures, click here to email themand they will be added to the photo archive.
I am very excited to tell you about the Akron Rotary Club’s new literacy program with the Salvation Army of Akron.
The program will have Rotarians volunteer to conduct reading sessions with children who are enrolled in summer day care at the Salvation Army. The Rotarians would promote literacy by reading aloud to the children, by having them read aloud in their small group, and finally by conducting an activity to encourage the excitement and comprehension of the reading for that day. All reading materials will be provided to the Rotarians.
It was the roaring twenties and anyone could do anything, cars, trains, money, speakeasy’s & dirigibles were the fashion. The world was alive for everyone; that is everyone except kids who were affected with one of history’s most dreaded diseases, polio, a disease dating back to ancient Egypt. In the 1920s, the polio virus crippled nearly 200,000 children annually causing various degrees of paralysis. Parent’s fear kept many children out of school, sports, and social activities. Families kept their kids at home, no swimming, no public gatherings, everyone was afraid. Anyone could get it! Anyone could be crippled for life and even die.
Throughout the day, visitors to Lock 3 not only took in the sights of cool cars and bikes, they also enjoyed the sounds of some of the areas hottest bands. J.T. (minus Sweet Potato) warmed up the crowd with acoustic interpretations of classic tunes. The Mourning After pumped up the crowd with a more alternative sound, followed by Roxxy Morons own groove of funk and swing. Michael Stanley and the Midlife Chryslers closed out the day with their unique interpretation of everyones favorite tunes.
Have you been wondering how to go about engaging our newly arrived exchange student, Victoria Marques? Well, wonder no more. At my urging, she has prepared a short wish list of things she would like to do and see while she is here. As it currently stands, the list is:
On July 1, 2010 Stew Buchanan was inducted as Governor for District 6630 by Past District Governor John Bosco. As his first official duty, Governor Buchanan inducted Janet Williams as the 2010-2011 President. of the Akron Club. The evening also included a roast for outgoing President Dan O'Connell. Click HERE to view all photos.
I feel like a broken record with the comment “where did the time go”.We are all back from summer vacations, kids back in school and the start of a long Labor Day weekend greets us with our first fall like day. The Akron Rotary Club ended summer with a very hot poker run and hopefully we have another beautiful day for our CampCookout on September 14.
Check out the pictures from Doug Hausknecht (CLICK HERE) of over 250 Rotarians and friends who joined the fun at the 2nd annual District 6630 Christmas in July on July 9, 2010. This was the fundraiser for the Rotary International Foundation Polio Plus Challenge. This years' event was held as part of the Tall Ships Festival at the Port of Cleveland in conjunction with the 100th birthday of the Rotary Club of Cleveland.
Wow!One month down.Many of you may recall the song "Whoomp! There It Is" from 1993 by the group Tag Team.Well, we worked like a tag team passing the Rotary baton in July and before you know it, here is month end!It has been fun running the meetings and we have had some interesting speakers.To borrow DG Stew's catchphrase this year, "I'm excited", still.The month of August will get us moving in some new directions.You have to stay tuned and come to the meetings to keep up!
This is Torrey running the hurdles. She is the Valencia, Spain regional champion in the 100 hurdles and will move on to Barcelona, Spain for the district championships. She also received a write up in the newspaper - click here to read! Torrey is the runner in the front.
Today is July 4th and hard to believe I am sitting here writing my first article for the Rotary Club of Akron newsletter.We are already half way through 2010, but are just beginning of 2010-2011 Rotary year. We have a great ride ahead of us andI'm excited to help lead our club with all of my team members and welcome some great advice from past leaders.It is truly an honor to also have Stew Buchanan as our District Governor.
At the May Board of Directors meeting of the Akron Rotary Foundation, President Tom Fox reviewed the on-going issue of giving $200-$100 Rotary scholarship awards to the local Akron Public and private Akron high schools. A proposal submitted by the Rotary Club's Scholarship Chairman, Terry Dalton, was also reviewed.
July 1st is just around the corner, and the Rotary year is near its end. Really, it's an artificial end. We already know the new officers and trustees for next year and the transition is going to be smooth. On July 1st we are having a gala at the Womens City Club to welcome in the new president of Akron Rotary, Janet Williams and welcome in District Governor Stew Buchannan . This is truly an unusual event in most clubs. Akron Rotary is privileged to have had more than its share of governors in District 6630. Let's all make an effort to give them all the support we can during the year. I can say from experience how nice it is to hear from a Rotarian "I'll help with that job". Thanks you to all of you for doing all the jobs that needed to be done this past year. I feel that we have successfully made the transition for an administrative initiated Club to one of more active member participation.
We are excited to announce that our club will be hosting an exchange student through the Rotary Youth Exchange program next school year!Victoria Marques will be arriving from Sao Paulo, Brazil, in mid-August and will be with us until the end of the school year, attending Coventry High School.
For those of you who may have missed the email that was sent out ... here is an update that Jack Harig provided from the Council session he attended this month.
At their April meeting, The Rotary Foundation Trustees approved a Matching Grants World Fund budget of US$21.5 million for 2010-11. This amount represents an 82 percent increase over the previous year's budget of $11.8 million and, because funds for the 100 Future Vision pilot districts were budgeted separately, one of the largest World Fund budgets in Matching Grants history. The Trustees approved a Rotary Foundation Global Grants World Fund budget of $8 million for Future Vision pilot districts starting with the 2010-11 program year.
It is GSE time in the Rotary World. This is one of the many great programs sponsored by your Rotary Foundation. This year our District 6630 and District 3490 (Northern Taiwan–Taipei) are exchanging GSE teams. This programs involves teams (4–6 members) traveling between two mutually agreed upon districts.
Governor John Bosco made the announcement at the District Assembly that t
he nominating committee has selected James Lechko of the Rotary Club of Lakewood-Rocky River to be the District Governor for 2012-2013.
So this past weekend I went to BARCELONA!!!! I went with another American girl who lives here in Valencia with me and has become a very good and needed friend. We went to see the Sagrada Familia. Those of you who have not heard of the Sagrada Familia do these two things: 1. read this brief description I will give you, and 2. look it up on the internet because it will know more than me.
I can't believe the Rotary year ends July 1. Only a couple more months are left for the current officers. President-elect Janet Williams has taken charge of getting her team organized for next year and is excited and is listening to any and all ideas. Many nontraditional ideas came up during a membership meeting held on March 23rd.
We have some good news from Chile. The town of Talca is listed as one hard hit by the recent earthquake. A few years back we had an exchange student from Talca, Chile who attended Firestone.
I received word today from Jorge Fuentes that he is fine and his family members are fine as well. Jorge is one of our exchange students with whom I have been able to maintain some contact via Facebook.
One of the best parts of the exchange program is developing the long term relationships. I know others in the club maintain contact with students who lived with them or were advisees from the committee. Maybe we should include those updates in the newsletter (or at lunch)?
The Chili Open is over. If you recall we had a horrendous snowfall overnight and my thoughts on the way to Hale Farm were "will anybody show up?" The answer of course was –yes. The committee had prepared for this possibility and much of the ticket sales and registration took place before the day of the event. We lost some "walk ins", but overall we had a lot of fun and raised more money this year than last year! Many thanks go to all those who worked on the event, especially those who sold the raffle tickets, camperships, and manned the events and meetings leading up to Feb 6th.
After taking the stage to the tune of "California, Here I Come," RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith announced the 2010-11 RI theme, Building Communities -- Bridging Continents, during the opening plenary session of the 2010 International Assembly . Read Complete Story - Click Here.
Abby Zalenski will travel to Vietnam for the dedication of an elementary school on March 20, 2010 that she and other students in the region are helping to build through their efforts to raise $25,000.
Thanks to all those who stepped up to help out during my two week absence, especially Janet Williams, our Treasurer and President-elect. During that period, we had a very well attended after hours meeting, as well as an initiative started on shelter boxes for Haiti, and yeoman's work done on raising funds for the Chili Open . At the last couple of meetings, members bought camperships, either by themselves or chipped in with other Rotarians to purchase one. Thanks for doing that, and if you missed out and want to participate, call the Camp.
Click to see five pages of pictures from the Barrett School Christmas Party for the Special Needs Children that was hosted by our Club. Bill Manby and his committee did a great job ... the kids were thrilled to see Santa! It's because of all of YOU are why we are able to continue to provide this type of outreach within our community. Thank you!
I'll keep this short and sweet, because if you're like me this has been a busy time. Not only have we been traveling to Connecticut for Christmas, but we are preparing for two weeks in the Canary Islands (near northwestern Africa). I leave the Club in good hands. Janet Williams, our Treasurer and President-elect, will run a couple of the meetings while I'm gone and we may also have an after hours meeting during my absence. Bridget Garvin-Ambrusco will decide. We skipped one in December, because of all the other activities.
January is Rotary Awareness Month; I have a challenge for my fellow Rotarians.It will take just a little effort on your part, a little wee bit of your time; who knows, we may all be surprised with the new things we learn about Rotary Service and Rotary International's successes. The Challenge is in three parts:
A highly motivated and service-minded group of Akron Rotarians and friends **, including Dan Reimenschneider's football team, made the camp look great on Sat., November 7th. Hopefully, it still looks that way today.
What a busy fall it has been. Currently Rotary Camp is serving more campers than ever before during our monthly respite weekends. We also hosted our first Halloween Trick or Treat Open House. There were over 150 neighbors, campers, and volunteers at Rotary Camp for this ghoulish event. In fact, it sparked so much interest from our neighbors, we are hosting a Holiday Open House on December 19th. Please feel free to join us!
On Thursday, October 29, 2009, Jack and Vivian Harig became the first ever from District #6630 to receive the Arch Klumph Society Recognition.Arch Klump, the founder of the Rotary Foundation, was from The Rotary Club of Cleveland.
I have some exciting news concerning the Camp capital campaign. We have hired a campaign manager/fundraiser to coordinate the fundraising activities of the Camp. This includes not only the upcoming capital campaign, but Chili Open and grant writing activities.
During this joyous Holiday season, helping the less fortunate, particularly the youth and children with special needs, will certainly reflects the best nature of our giving spirit.
October was vocational service month for Rotary International. As most of you know Rotary clubs are supposed to keep some balance in vocations of their membership. This doesn't mean we can't allow another lawyer or CPA in the Club. On the contrary, it merely means we ought to be aware of the Club's need for diversity in vocation or avocation. Do we have a medical doctor? Do we have a funeral director, a rubber company executive, a car dealer? You get the point. Being aware of this need can help us pinpoint potential members who want to serve.
Torrey Hollis is a Rotary Youth Exchange Outbound Student sponsored by the Rotary Club of Akron for the 2009-10 school year.
She will spend her junior year of high school in Spain, going to school and living with host families there. She happens to be the niece of Akron Rotarian Barry Hollis, who is also her Rotary Youth Exchange counselor for the year. Torrey looks forward to hearing from Akron Rotarians during her exchange year--you can email her at:
torrey2011.93@gmail.com
. Keep reading to see the first update on Torrey. We will continue to provide updates throughout the year.
Marcia Holcomb, RYE Officer for the Rotary Club of Akron
Do you know that our ClubRunner site has a photo gallery? You can view photos from various Rotary activities and events. Here is how to find them and take a link to some of the Rotary Poker run pictures too:
I and three other Akron Rotary members, including our foundation committee chair, attended a Rotary International regional seminar at Hiram College on September 21st to learn more about the International Rotary Foundation. One of the designated funds discussed was the Polio Plus fund. By the way, most of you know that the Camp was started mostly for children with Polio. What you may not know is that the structure of the RI Foundation is such that they have a separate fund one can designate strictly for the final fight against polio.
The fourth annual Akron Rotary Poker Run was held Sunday, Aug 23rd, and it was our best yet! Pam Kiltau and Gary Knuth co- chaired the event, but about 25 other Rotarians and non-Rotarians helped with preparations before and on the day of the event.
As I write this, it's only been 3 weeks since the new Rotary year began. Already people have stepped forward to help. Maybe because I look like I'm working hard (looks are deceiving), but I've been given some new ideas on how to get fun things done.
These are not my words, but those of Rotary International's new president, John Kenny. Sounds great, but what does this mean to us in the Akron Rotary Club?
This is a copy of the Certificate DG Fran presented to our Club. The award recognizes our Club's efforts this year supporting the work of The Rotary Foundation.
This is a picture of the son of Steve and Cherie Shechter, Colin Morris, with their French exchange student from 1994-95, Christelle. Steve and Cherie said, . . .
The Akron Rotary Foundation provides funding to finance activities that benefit youth and children with special needs, particularly when they are not otherwise being met; as well as other projects sanctioned by the Rotary Club ofAkron. Some of the ongoing projects include:
Last October our District Governor Fran Bayless made her official visit to our club.In a meeting with the Board of Directors preceding the lunch meeting, the governor challenged the Rotary Club of Akron to raise the equivalent of $26.50 per member ...
The Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs will once again benefit from donations made during the YMCA's annual Partners with Youth giving campaign.
People and businesses that succeed are usually very goal oriented.They set goals, plan how to achieve them and then commit their time and energy to succeed.
In his book, Relationships 101, John Maxwell says, "You first have to touch people's hearts before you ask them for a hand. You can't move people to action unless you first move them with emotion. The heart comes before the head."
The Rotary Youth Committee chooses and recognizes the high school Students of the Year in the categories of Business Education, Trade and Industrial Studies, Home Economics, Marketing, and Agriculture. The best students in each field from the Akron Public Schools are chosen by their counselors and then the top two from eight candidates are selected after interviewing with Rotarians on the committee. Each student selected receives a $200 scholarship paid by the Rotary Foundation. Eight to ten students are selected each year.
Nathanael "Thane" Billow spoke to our Club on July 21, sharing valuable insights into the funeral profession and the evolving needs of families today. As a sixth-generation member of the Billow family and part of The Billow Funeral Homes & Crematory, Thane brings a lifetime of experience and a deep understanding of the industry.
Terry is the Founder & CEO of The Canary Project. The Canary Project exists to help individuals — and society — reclaim attention, intention, and connection in an era of digital overload. Through interactive challenges, experiences, and conversations, we empower people to build habits that strengthen human presence and a healthy relationship with technology.
On February 24th, the Akron Club welcomed our guest speaker, Leianne Heppner, President & CEO of The Summit County Historical Society.
As a Rotarian we have an essential role to help Luciana learn more about the Rotary Clubs of Akron/Stow, Stow/Akron and American life in general. With opportunities to meet a variety of individuals through multiple events, she will learn more about American life, culture and lifestyle. Making multiple acquaintances helps her dispel stereotypes of “Americans”. At the same time, sharing activities with Lu provides us the opportunity to clarify more about American culture and our own community as well as learn about Lu’s home environment as we ask her about life in Peru. Just a family meal at our home may be the easiest way to get to know her or we can invite her to a picnic, family reunion or sporting event. Those are always a sure thing because she is bundle of joy, fluent in English and interested in so many things and in meeting people. A visit to the local ice cream shop is always a big hit! Finding other students to introduce her to American school culture is so important as she does not have a host sibling in her current situation.
Are you ready to embark on a rewarding cultural journey without leaving your home or know of someone else who might be? The Rotary Club of Akron is seeking three dedicated host families to welcome a student from Peru at Stow-Monroe Falls High School during the 2025-26 school year. Each family will host the student for approximately 3-4 months, providing a unique opportunity to share your culture and learn about another. You must reside within the Stow-Monroe Falls School District.
Chief Harding spoke at our Club meeting on June 17th. 
The Honorable Emilia Sykes, U.S. Representative (OH-13) took time from your very busy schedule to spend time talking with Rotarians and guests on April 15th. 
President Nathanael Billow inducted Greg Skinner at our April 15, 2025 meeting. Greg was sponsored by Mella Caster.
Teresa Buck, founder of 
Mark your calendars for the first Akron Artwalk of 2025 on Thursday, March 13, and celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The theme is Creative Voices: Empowering Artists of All Abilities. The event will take place from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Supported in part by Summit DD to Empower People of All Abilities!
Congratulations to Marilyn Buckey, was honored at the 2025 Akron Rotary Club’s Chili Open Golf Classic as the recipient of the 2025 James Redmond Ambassador of Service Award. 
The Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau champions the impact the tourism industry has on our local economy and way of life. 
Sandy Naragon, Chair
Yours in service,
President Nathanael Billow received his Paul Harris+6 pin today. It was presented by President Elect Katy Miller. 
Rotary International strives to create and maintain a safe environment for all youth who participate in Rotary activities. To the best of their ability, Rotary members, their partners, and other volunteers must safeguard children and young people with whom they come into contact and protect them from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
previously worked as Dedicated Business Banking Group Director and Community President in Medina, Ohio. Ron has been with Huntington or previous banks since 1987, when he began his banking career as a Management Trainee with FirstMerit Bank.
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On September 24th, the University of Akron President, Robert (R.J.) Nemer, delivered a talk at the Club that highlighted his impressive background. A native of Akron, Nemer earned both a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (1990) and a law degree (1995) from UA. After working as an attorney, he founded a professional golf agency in 1998, which he grew into the world’s largest independently held sports agency. In 2015, Nemer sold the agency to William Morris Endeavor/IMG and took on the role of global leader for IMG Golf. His unique blend of private sector success and academic experience positions him to lead the university effectively.
Marissa Rufe
We extend our appreciation to Patrick S. Roberts, Ph.D., VP Marketing, Advancement and Partnerships at Stark State College for taking time to speak at our Club meeting on August 13th. 
July 9th the Akron Rotary Club kicked off the first meeting of the 2024-25 Rotary year. 2023-24 President Tom Knauer inducted 
Thank you all so much for the experience of a lifetime!
A Master Arborist is someone who has met certain educational and/or experience requirements and has passed an examination administered by a professional organization such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). 
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As the Rotary Club of Akron continues to grow our community partnerships, we must be mindful of our capacity to serve. Rotary’s worldwide motto is Service Above Self and Akron Rotary is no different. 
With great sadness I share with you the loss of our own Past Rotary International Director, Michael J. Johns, who passed away peacefully on Friday evening, February 23, Rotary’s 119th Anniversary and World Understanding and Peace Day. A fitting tribute to this Rotary Warrior’s memory.
Becky Liguori was recognized by The Rotary Club of Akron for her significant contributions to the organization. It's commendable that she has stepped up to assist with processing Rotary Scholarships and supporting the Akron Rotary Foundation with disbursements, despite not being a Rotarian herself. Recognition of individuals like Becky who generously offer their time and efforts to help advance the mission of organizations like Rotary is truly inspiring. 
Join Executive Director Heather Meeker at Summit Artspace for a deep dive into Akron's vibrant artist community, and a tour of its building in the heart of the Main-Market Historic District!
If you are interested in serving on the Service Projects Committee, please contact Cyndi Kane: 
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Kevin Gross at our Tuesday, October 10 Club Meeting discuss the Crown Point Ecology Center where he is the Executive Director.
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Ben Tegel to our Tuesday, September 26, 2023, Club luncheon meeting and appreciated their presentation on the Akron Cooperative Farms. 
Open M received grant funding from the Akron Rotary Foundation for its Feeding Kids Backpack Project. Our service project with Open M has started! Weekend meals will be packed for 100 low-income and food insecure students for Akron's Innes Middle School.
Who Needs Professional IT Services?
The Warriors Journey Home organization, during their 10th annual Coming Home Gala Celebration, will be recognizing Jack by presenting him with the "C. Gene Stalnaker Got Your Six Award" for his outreach to veterans through the Valor Court of Summit County and the Warrior Journey Home Circle at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Akron.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Patty Dowd Schmitz during our Tuesday, August 29
The Rotary Club of Akron welcomed Dr. Wes Fair and Ms. Jessica Purdy to our Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Club luncheon meeting and appreciated their presentation on the various programs offered by 
statewide arts education service organization, is a nationally recognized leader in arts education. Working at the local, state, and federal levels, the organization has achieved significant success in advocacy work, capacity building, collaboration, program expansion, teaching artists’ support and arts education data analysis. The arts are defined as: dance, drama/theater, music, visual, and media arts. 
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to John Fiume discuss the Akron Art Museum during our Tuesday, June 6th Club meeting. John has been serving Akron’s arts and culture scene for over 20 years. His past contributions have included serving on the boards of the Akron Art Museum, Weathervane Playhouse, ArtsNow, and Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. As of February 2022, Jon is serving as the John S. Knight Director & CEO of the Akron Art Museum. 
Mr. Padgett gave a brief overview of the history of the Firestone Country Club.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Jenn Kidd, Executive Director of The Nightlight Cinema during our May 9th Club luncheon meeting. Jenn oversees the programming and development of one of Akron's most exciting cultural institutions. 
Some of the recipients, shown seated from left to right: Abbigail Kerns, Summer Fouse, Erica Keller, and Hawa Sankareh. Standing from left to right: Lynda Farkas, Club President; Nathanael Billow, Keynote speaker; Yvonne Culver, Director APS College Access; Kaiden Bos; Sharda Rai; Dashaynae Sperling; Harvon Hamilton; RoZi Yar; and Dora Causey.
The Portage Lakes Purple Martin Association is an organization dedicated to helping the Purple Martins feed, breed, and interact with the environment to the best of their bird ability. The 501 c 3 Non=Profit organization is happy to have them in Portage Lakes. and do their best to make them feel welcome.
Fourteen of Holly's twenty-two years as a registered nurse have been spent providing hands-on care and leadership in hospice and palliative care. She has a baccalaureate degree in Nursing and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management.
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Suzie mobilizes positive partnerships and oversees the planning and implementation of programs and services to anticipate and address the needs of the neighborhood. Her work centers on the necessity of a thriving urban core and the importance of downtown as a key indicator of the health and success of the city and region. She works closely with government, corporate, education, non-profit, human services, and small business stakeholders to assist their efforts and benefit the holistic downtown experience. Suzie facilitates efforts to enhance and promote downtown as an economic driver, hub for arts and culture, partner in driving equity, champion of the city's identity, and place for all people.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to one of our own members during our Tuesday, February 21st luncheon meeting. Thane is a Funeral Director and also serves as the Executive Vice President & Treasurer of 
We had the privilege of hearing from a Rotary Camp Parent, April Sharp. Their son, Chace, is currently a camper at Rotary Camp, and has been attending Rotary Camp since 2019. Although Chace is non-verbal, he communicates with the staff and cabin mates through a communication device. He loves to come attend camp, see his friends and have fun. The Sharp family is incredibly grateful for the respite they receive while Chace is at camp. 
Thank you to all that supported and volunteered at the 33rd Annual Chili Open Golf Classic.
In December, our Akron Rotary Club returned to "ringing the bell" for the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign after a two-year hiatus due to COVID restrictions. 
We need your help with the following:
Mr. McGarrity has over 25 years of legal experience with Legal Aid. He began with the organization as a staff attorney in Canton, Ohio in 1997, focusing his practice on family law and consumer debt. In his time with Legal Aid, he has held various management positions, including nine years’ as Associate Director, where he oversaw all client services, outreach, and technology.
Saturday Volunteers will be able to park at Old Trail School and can take the YMCA shuttle bus to Hale Farm. 
The Rotary Club of Akron enjoyed listening to Andrew Thorn during our January 24, 2023, Club meeting. 
Fred Carter is currently serving as the President of the Port-Summit Rotary Club. He is also the owner of the Schooley Mitchell location serving Northeast Ohio. 
The observatory is a great place for ages 7 and older. All our programs are free and open to the public. To receive notices when the observatory is open, please join the free site 
The Rotary Club of Akron had the privilege of hearing Theron Brown speak at our Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Club meeting. 
The Chili Open is only 22 days away and we need your support to make this year’s event successful! Thank you to those who have supported with sponsorships, raffle tickets, auction and door prize items! To-date we have raised $190,070, towards our goal of $350,000!
During our Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Rotary Club meeting, members had the opportunity to listen to Janis Worley as she spoke about the twists and turns her career has taken her. Ms. Worley discussed the various opportunities she has had as “one door closed, and another door opened.” She shared how different jobs were ones she never intended to pursue but provided her with some great opportunities and adventures. 
Keep Akron Beautiful is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve Akron’s quality of life through beautification and responsible environmental management. KAB is a city and private sector funded agency, Jacqui is responsible for raising over $800,000 annually to operate the agency by extensive grant writing. Keep America Beautiful, Inc. awarded the agency second place recognition in 2014 for comprehensive program excellence of affiliates serving similar populations. Akron has been a President’s Circle Award recipient annually since 2003.
Jessica will become the CEO of Bounce beginning January 1, 2023.
You should have received an email from Karen Hrdlicka on November 3, 2022 with your copy of the ballot. The deadline to vote is quickly approaching - you have until November 28th to return your ballot.
The Rotary Club of Akron, during our Tuesday, November 1st meeting, had the opportunity to listen to Jim Davis as he presented the history and current developments with the Summit County Lank Bank (SCLB). 
storefronts have had on downtown Akron.
Scott T. Read is the Executive Director of the Cascade Locks Park Association (“CLPA”), part of the Summit Metro Parks stretching from Lock 10 to Lock 16. Since starting with the CLPA in October 2021, Scott has worked to activate the park space, bringing new thoughts, energy, and programming to one of Akron’s most historic districts. 
The Rotary Club of Akron had an engaging presentation by Dr. Albert Bragg, Executive Director of Alpha Phi Alpha Homes during our Tuesday, October 4, 2022, weekly meeting. 
Mission:
Over Jim’s tenure, United Way of Summit & Medina has expanded its footprint and programming. The merger of InfoLine and Medina County coupled with the implementation of programs such as the Financial Empowerment Centers and Family Resource Centers have been instrumental in the success and results of the Bold Goals.
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Paul Jarrett, Executive Director of the Akron Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Jarrett started with the Akron Symphony in 2012. Paul has worked throughout Northeast Ohio in both arts management and performance. Paul’s time with the Akron Symphony has focused on a culture of engagement in meaningful collaborations with dozens of local organizations, schools, and artists. Paul is a member of Leadership Akron Class 31, and a member of Akron Rotary.
Mr. Rice presented information on the history of the Ohio and Erie Canalway and provided updates as to current and longer-term plans for the Canalway.
What else does the Canalway Coalition do?
Alliance of Greater Akron, during our Tuesday, July 26 Club meeting. 
One of the first things Mr. Willis stated was "too often I have conversations with clients that find their lives upside down due to serious injuries, large medical bills and lost income from an accident to find out there is not enough insurance coverage or the wrong type of insurance coverage to cover their needs."
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Cynthia Snider — well known in the community as a fundraiser, media relations professional, and advocate for the arts at our Tuesday, May 19 Club meeting. Ms. Snider has been the Executive Director of Tuesday Musical Association since March 2020. She served as interim director since September 2019. 
The Rotary Club of Akron had the pleasure of listening to Council President Walters at our Tuesday, April 5, 2022, Club meeting. 
project. 
The mission of The Love Akron Network is Connect, Convene, and Collaborate with Change-Makers to make a Collective Impact. Their vision statement is “A Christian-based organization, an intersectional hub working to unify the colors, cultures, and congregations to see Greater Akron thrive.
He is the caterer at Bounce Innovation Hub and he owns 3 stray dog cafes, 2 Bobs Hamburg’s and food trucks and carts. Also, the Akron pickle and Akron cares home health care.
Mike Valerino
Prior to leading Ohio Excels, Gray had her own consulting practice specializing in public policy development, government relations, advocacy, strategic planning, and project management with an emphasis on public education. Her clients included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Achieve, Inc., Philanthropy Ohio, Battelle for Kids, Ohio Business Roundtable, Teach for America, Jobs for the Future and the Office of Governor Taft, among others.
Superintendent Fowler-Mack provided the Club some information about the school system as well as some of the goals and direction the APS system is going. With more than 4,100 teachers and staff, APS budget stands at more than $565 million. This number equates to $10,652 per student. There are 21,113 students enrolled. Of these 21,113 students 465.5% are Black, 31% are White, 9.3% are multi-race, 8.8% Asian/Pacific, and 4.3% Latino. The APS system has 48 school buildings and 4 administrative/support buildings.
Our club members have been asked to sell a minimum of $200 in raffle tickets. The goal for ticket sales is $60,000. Many have had great success in selling tickets by sending an email solicitation to your family, friends and business colleagues asking for their help in purchasing tickets. Thank you in advance to those of you who have sold tickets and those that are still selling. 
2021-2022 District 6630 Governor Larry Lohman began his presentation with a little history of his introduction to Rotary from his father and his involvement with Rotary service project from a little boy forward. As he stated during his presentation, Lohman has grown up in the service of Rotary and his community. He helped his father’s Rotary Club (Cambridge, Ohio) with service projects and fundraisers. The Cambridge Club has had three generations of Larry's family as members, including his great-grandfather, a founding member of the club. Larry also served with The Boy Scouts of America where he earned his Eagle Scout Award, his Church Youth Group, and as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society.
Tonya Davis is a marketing, PR, and community engagement specialist who has been swabbing cheeks with Be The Match for more than 10. 
Thank you to all who joined us in person and virtually for the tee-off to the 32
Smiley, Underwriting Sales Director of The Summit and a fellow Rotarian provided the Club with some general information on the radio station. 
Aimee Wade was inducted into the Rotary Club of Akron on July 20, 2021. She was sponsored by Julie Brandle who said "Aimee has a heart to do good for others."
from the University of Akron as a Doctor of Education. 
Steve began his presentation quoting from Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Specifically, Steve quoted the first three habits of “Dependence, Independence, and Interdependence.” In some ways we can look at these three habits as our path to maturation.
One of the ways this is accomplished is through their Adopt a Site program. The Adopt-A-Site program is a long-term volunteer project that helps beautify public lands in Akron. Volunteers commit to prepare, plant, and maintain a flower garden in their approved site for the entire season. KAB assists with the sites to ensure success. There are currently over 60 Adopt-A-Sites throughout Akron.
Mr. Millard’s work is focused on leading the chamber’s efforts to drive jobs and investment in the Greater Akron region, improve the region’s competitiveness and to advocate for the needs of the business community in the region with its elected and appointed officials.
Claudine Schooley
What are TASCforce’s Beliefs? 
Ryan McCauley was sponsored by Dan O'Connell.
Zachary (Zach) Prosser is not new to the Akron Rotary Club, he was a member of our Club previously but had to step away temporarily and is thrilled to be back. 
The total amount raised this year is $315,961! 
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Michael Gallucci was inducted on January 12, 2021. His sponsor is Dan Reynolds.
Chris has been employed with Playhouse Square for the past 18 years, the past 12 years as Sales Manager. Ali is an Akron native and graduate of Firestone High School. Ali’s work experience includes the Akron Civic Theater, The Public Theater in New York City (famous for some little shows called A Chorus Line and Hamilton), Broadway.com and Broadway Across America in New York City, and finally a return to Ohio to work with Playhouse Square. It was a very engaging presentation with multiple follow-up questions about the organization, its challenges, successes, etc.
She is a strong believer in giving back to her community and currently serves on the Akron Roundtable Board of Trustees, LeBron James Family Foundation - LAB Community Board and our Lady of the Elms Board of Trustees. Curry is a member of Leadership Akron - Class 24. 
Dr. Collins brought more than 22 years of senior-level experience to Walsh University as a distinguished higher education professional with leadership expertise in philanthropic endeavors, conceptualization and implementation of institutional strategic plans and a demonstrated understanding of a private university’s mission, student-centered culture and Catholic traditions.
eekly meetings and provides a recap of the speaker presentations so we can share them with others. "No" is simply not in his vocabulary!
of Florida, Board member of the Florida Institute of Governments, which she established, and Executive Director of the Foundation, Development and Government at Palm Beach Community College and for the Community College System of Florida.
Officer. As the Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Goodyear, Mr. Taylor led diversity and inclusion strategies for 64,000 employees across the 22 countries where Goodyear operates.
At our September 22nd meeting , we welcomed Hilary as the newest member of The Rotary Club of Akron. She is an attorney in BMD's Akron office. Her practice focus is civil litigation and construction law.
over $5million in capital improvements over the past eight years. In 2014 Dan’s leadership role expanded to provide leadership to the Camp Y-Noah team. Today, Dan’s current title is District Executive Director working with Rotary Camp and Camp Y-Noah and the branch day camps. 
SEI’s mission is to improve personal and regional prosperity through increased educational attainment. Education provides a clear path to future success, career opportunities and promotes vibrant and resilient communities. The SEI sees their role as providing support and enhance existing systems. Mr. Deevers commented that part of SEI’s mission is to ensure students have the degree and skills needed to have the life they desire and dream of. The proper education allows for greater pathways for the future.
In 1960 Drumm opened his own studio, as a full-time practicing Sculptor and designer/craftsman near the University of Akron. In 1971, together with his wife, Lisa Drumm, he expanded the studio to incorporate a one-room gallery. Since then the enterprise has grown extensively and now embraces eight buildings, providing gallery facilities for over 500 artists and studio space for three resident artists. In addition to the 500 active artists with work on display at his studios, he has a data base of over 2000 artists that individuals can access if they are looking for a particular item.
they have touched.”
Ms. LeGrair is no stranger to the Akron community. She previously served the Akron Community Foundation and the President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve. Ms. LeGrair has served the Akron community in many capacities over the course of her career. Prior to joining the Akron Urban League and the Boys & Girls Clubs, she served as Vice President of Programs and Member Services for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and Executive Director, Human Resources at the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Prior to working for the past 25 years in the non-profit arena, she spent 16 years with Aetna Health Plans in various and progressive roles of responsibility.
When not involved in Council business, Sommerville is vice president and funeral director of Sommerville Funeral Services. She attended Firestone High School. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Lincoln University and a Master's in Public Administration/Urban Studies from The University of Akron.
President Rob inducted Richard Fry at our July 21st meeting. Rich was sponsored by PDG John Reyes. 
She is the the President of IMPACT Learning, which she founded in 1997. Her company is focused on providing practical and comprehensive resources for today's leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs. She provides strategic planning initiatives for her clients which have included: Fortune 500 companies, midsize and small companies, nonprofits, community organizations, education institutions and entrepreneurs.
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. 
were very generous, giving “one wheelchair at a time for $75 each”. The Wheelchair Foundation will match the total amount of dollars, will buy the wheelchairs in China, and will take care of the freight to Ukraine to our partner-in country, NGO God’s Hidden Treasures. Usually after the delivery of the 
Exchange to me this next year holds so much importance to me as a person and practically as well. To start with the practical, I am a junior in high school planning to finish high school this year and graduate early. This past year I have had my lasts and said my goodbyes to the high school Friday football games, the after school Starbucks runs with my friends, the classmates I will not see next year, and I have worked countless hours saving to pay for my own exchange instead of going out to eat with friends or buying new things. For me this has been significant in my life as it ends a big portion of my life and signifies change and growth as a person to be moving towards this next stage of my life. For this next year, I was planning on having probably one of the best years of my life going on exchange. In a strictly practical sense, not going on exchange would mean that I would be at home for a year probably working and then going to college since this past year I did not apply to colleges. While this is not the worst thing that could happen in this upcoming year, it was not the way I had pictured or wished to be spending my time. For me emotionally, this exchange also has significance since around 8th grade I have longed to experience rich cultures and speak in another language. It wasn’t until this past year that I realized it was possible for me to go and I started this journey. As I became more involved with the exchange students here in the U.S. I have seen first hand how life changing it can be. Seeing the exchange students at the last overnighter was one of the happiest and saddest things to see as we sat around in a circle at night softly singing a song together and enjoying the limited time we had. I saw the deep connections each of them made with each other often feeling a little bit envious wondering why I wasn’t in their circle not realizing that what you must go through as a group is something unique to everyone who goes on exchange. This bond is something so unique and precious that can’t be made in any other setting than exchange. For me, being culturally aware and being able to understand and communicate in someone’s own language has always fascinated me and been one of my goals. Exchange for me would allow me to explore these avenues and continue my french learning in a new way. As I continue to get older, I find myself wishing to find my own identity and who I really am and what my values are in life. For me, exchange meant my first journey alone where I would be faced with challenges whether I liked it or not and I would have to be able to overcome these. I think being able to overcome these and really be myself without my parents would allow me to find out more of who I really am and discover new things I didn’t know about myself. Ever since I was little, I have had a passion and yearning for travelling as well as I have always been interested in trying new food when we go out to eat or watching foreign films. This passion for me goes beyond just wanting to travel and see cool places. For me I think it means understanding people better and connecting. It means opening up my own thoughts and challenging them and making me uncomfortable. This next year I hope to go on exchange and experience the challenges and uncomfortable moments and the new people to further expand myself as a person and those I 
Zoé Mayeur, from Brussels, Belgium, spent the 2019-2020 exchange year with the Rotary Club of Akron. Because of the current Covid-19 pandemic, she left April 5 to return home to ride out the rest of this storm with her parents and older sister Fanny. In her own words, “The trip was not easy but I made it home. I am quarantining with my parents and my sister so I enjoy my time with them, we go on bike rides, we cook, we talk.” Like most people in the time of Covid-19, her parents are not working. Normally, Zoe’s mother serves as a Federal Ombudsman for the Belgium Parliament. Her father is a criminologist in charge of helping prisoners who are released find jobs and then he follows up on them in their work. 
Akron Rotarians supporting Harvest for Hunger! — attending Harvest for Hunger Campaign Kick-Off Breakfast with Mella Hawk Castner, Julie Brandle, Nichole Major, Lynda C. Farkas and Christina Horak at John S Knight Center.
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Welcome to Michael Shearer who is the newest member of the Rotary Club of Akron. Michael transferred to us from the Kent Club and has been a Rotarian since 2002. 
Audrey Carroll who spent 2018-2019 in Germany proudly holds her certificate of completion signed by District Governor Johns Reyes. Audrey returns to Stow-Munroe Falls High School to complete her senior year. She will speak to her sponsoring club, Rotary Club of Akron, 
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Danny received his award for all his help with the Chili Open and past two Regattas. For the last six years, Danny has been keeping track and processing all data for raffle tickets sold during the annual Chili Open.
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Each year CREW holds a holiday luncheon in conjunction with BOMA - Building and Office Management Association. Members of CREW nominate non-profits in which they are involved. The slate of nominees is then presented to the membership for a vote. Julie Brandle, CREW President (Rotary Immediate Past President) nominated our Rotary Camp. The Camp won the nomination and received the proceeds of the luncheon, totaling over $5,700. This year's luncheon, was held this past December with both Dan Reynolds and Mella Castner attending on behalf of the Camp. Dan gave a wonderful presentation to tell the Camp story.
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The 2019 Chili Open silent auction will feature a 
My favorite food:
On Friday evening, October 26th, we had 41 students from the North High School Interact club come out to camp for an evening of fun, food, skits, and games. We were joined by our visiting International students, Anna from Spain, and Sataro from Japan. The kids had a great time and they were blown away by the beauty of the camp and the kindness and graciousness of the staff. In spite of the rain they were able to make smores inside with a cozy fire in the Great Room.
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O (L to R, from Back to Front)
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Rotary Club of Akron Co-hosted Rise Against Hunger Event with The University of Akron
Akron Rotary Camp and the Akron Area YMCA continue to grow because of the dedication and commitment of our many volunteers. We are very pleased to congratulate Scott Stutler and Alyssa Whitehead that were recognized as Akron Rotary Camp’s 2017 Volunteers of the Year at the recent Akron Area YMCA’s Annual Dinner and Recognition event.
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This past week at our camp cookout we celebrated the success of the Chili Open as several Chili Open sponsors and Rotarians joined us. We are grateful for everyone’s support and hard work to make it a continued success. Annually, the net proceeds from the Chili Open makes attending camp affordable for all of our families. We are committed to never letting a family’s personal financial resources prevent a camper from attending camp. No child is ever turned away for an inability to pay! Save the date for the 28th Annual Chili Open, February 3, 2018 at Hale Farm and Village, co-chaired by John 
My ClubRunner
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e kids. You can pick one of your favorite children's books or choose from a list of resources provided by the teachers. A book store or the Public Library can also help with the selection of reading material. We will email volunteers all of the necessary information prior to your scheduled visit.
This year's Board of Director's gathered for the first time on Tuesday, July 12th. Our New President addressed the team and announced that our club has experienced significant growth in the last five years. Now we need to help engage and mentor each member but this is not just a job for a mentor but truly each and every members responsibility. 
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other campers on a pontoon boat ride, but was still very afraid to go swimming. All summer our staff worked him and on the last week of camp he swam all the way out to the floating dock. This was an accomplishment that many people thought could not be done. However our amazing staff wasn’t satisfied. The next day they tried again and swam with him all the way out to the floating trampoline! When the camper finally made it onto the trampoline he gave a huge fist pump and yelled, “I DID IT!” This camper conquered his fears with the help of our amazing staff, who truly believe that at camp we are, “Creating a world where there are only abilities.”
When Beckett was born in 2010 we found our passion to support and advocate for people with disabilities especially those with Down syndrome. We found out about the Buddy Walk shortly before he was born and created our team Beckett's Buddies from his crib side in the hospital. We were stunned at the support and raised over $4,000 in our first year. 
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The Akron Club was host to attendees for the District Governor Banner Exchange and Induction On July 18, 2015. Our 2015-16 District Governor Cheryl Warren is a member of the Rotary Club of Akron and the club will proudly display the Governors Banner during her term.
“Guess what? I am on 
“The world needs more Rotaractors #Rotaract #Rotary #Interact.” — 
“Never underestimate the power of young minds! Your passion is contagious. #Interact #Rotaract #Rotary” — 
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Shoeboxes for the Children of the Dump
United Way Day of Action in June - Mark Seward will be heading this project. It will be taking place on June 19th this year. E-mails will be going out to sign up.
The Rotary Camp is located at Rex Lake, and operated by the YMCA in collaboration with Akron Rotary. In 2013, Akron Rotary completed a $3.5 million capital campaign to update the Rex Lake facilities.
Dictionary Project 
Stew Buchanan and Jack Young went to Nicaragua in December to deliver the Shoe Boxes!
My name is Kimberly Brandle and I am a sophomore at Archbishop Hoban High School. My Mom is Julie Brandle, Rotary Club of Akron member. This summer I participated in our school's JAM (Justice Akron Ministry)program. JAM is a three day program for students to participate in a social justice service project to build their community and grow in their faith.
Newtown Roundtable
Our club was recently awarded the 
Dear Akron Rotary; 
Everyone that showed up had a blast whether they golfed or stayed in the clubhouse listening to music and eating Whitey's famous Chili or past from Bravo. As the day wound down we crowned the annual Akron Tractor & Equipment Chili Eating Contest winner which was a hard fought battle to say the least! We moved indoors for some special announcements including a special thank you to Wayne Homes for the title sponsorship and the announcement of our Ambassador of Service Jack DeLeo from Hitchcock Fleming & Associates. Immediately following the remarks we made 4 people very happy as we drew our raffle winners which included a car from Van Devere! When it was all said and done our AMAZING club had come together for a record breaking performance by raising $157,000 for the Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs! What is even more amazing than that, is that we did it just months after completing a 3.5 million dollar capital campaign for the camp. The members of the Rotary Club of Akron are truly an AMAZING group and I want to take this opportunity to say how proud I am to be associated with each and everyone of you. Thank you for making everyone around you better!
Cheryl and Dick meticulously redrafted our club’s bylaws based on the recommended club bylaws provided by Rotary International. At our last board of directors meeting, the bylaws were presented by Cheryl and Dick and approved by the board. We will need a quorum of the club membership in order to move forward with these, so I urge you to read them and give us your support in voting for them, should you approve. A special thanks to Dick and Cheryl for your many hours of work.
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The Akron Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at noon at Portage Country Club. Guests are always welcome. 
This trip was the 13th February trip made by this group. Each year the event is held in a different location in India. This year the trip was located in West Bengal, India (south of Delhi and north of Kolkata).
Terry Dalton, Chair of our Scholarship Committee (left), presented scholarships to Anthony Wallace (center) and Brent Miller (right).
Last year the Club’s first Dictionary Project was initiated, and dictionaries were provided to about ½ of the third grade students in the Akron Public School system. Much was learned from this initial effort. This year under the leadership of Sarah Buccigross, and thanks to the generosity of Akron Rotary Club members, the Akron Rotary Foundation, Kiwanis members, and the Akron Community Foundation, dictionaries will be provided to every third grader in the Akron Public School system. The distribution is planned for February. It will require volunteers from Rotary and Kiwanis, and will engage the assistance of ACES (an organization of faculty and students at the University of Akron’s College of Education) who will teach a lesson on the use of a dictionary. We are excited!!!! 
on a weekly program to improve the reading skills of elementary school students. When school restarted last fall, the volunteers shifted their focus to assisting the students with homework. The tutoring sessions take place most Monday afternoons at the S.A. Citadel. 
Volunteers will be needed to drive specified routes and nominate residences, businesses and organizations for a 2013 award. It takes some time, but it is a lot fun. More on this later!
Happy New Year Everybody! The clock has turned and 2012 is here. How exciting. 
My personal belief is that outside of our religious affiliations, people universally love this time of year, mainly because we love to celebrate, gather with people that we treasure and make people happy through giving. In a very special way, the things we love about the Holidays are also what makes Rotary so very special, which is why this last six months has been one of the most special times of my life.
The Akron Club was pleased to be host to District 6630 Governor Stephen Zabor on August 9, 2011. Governor Zabor 
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Lamba Chi Alpha Fraternity representatives (pictured center and right), Jharell Watkins,Chapter President and Joshua Lumley, Chapter Vice President-External Affairs
President Janet Williams presented Dick Farkas with a plaque in recognition of his Leadership in Transformational Change. 
Agencies like the Red Cross, Community Support Services and Summit DD were present (all of which we have members from or very close ties with) and Mark and Bill felt honored to be among such great groups of people. Mark and Bill spoke to almost half the graduating class about the awesome benefits of Rotary and plan on following up as to possible membership and volunteer involvement opportunities.
Terrance Dalton presented the 2011 Family and Consumer Science Scholarship winners at a recent meeting. Shown with Terrance are:
Warm greetings on this cold and snowy day. I thought that I would share a little sunshine with you. Attached is a photo taken at camp in November- the sun was shining then-. It is a picture of Rennick Andreoli of RDA Management and Phil Adkins of Bennett Construction. Rennick has generously offered his time, talent and treasure to build us a cabin, it will be called "The Hilton for Kids".
Torrey is the runner in the front.
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