To me, it means supporting meaningful service projects, both here at home and around the world, through the dollars I contribute to the Rotary Foundation. In other words, doing good in the world!
But I must share, that when I was a young Rotarian, I had no idea what The Rotary Foundation stood for. I guess you could say, “my heart wasn’t in it.” I had no idea of the magnitude of good that was being done with the dollars contributed to our foundation.
Today, I’m much older and wiser, and I have seen the results firsthand.
As an example, you may recall the district-wide grant funded in part by the Rotary Foundation back in February of 2019 and coordinated by the Rotary Club of Nevada City 49er Breakfast and over 30 clubs from around our District. The project was led by Dr. Barry Turner, along with then District Governor Tina Spencer-Mulhern. A team of over 24 Rotarians, (I was among them) from clubs all over our district, went to Ensenada Mexico to install operating room lights, mechanical equipment, and build a computer room all at a Cleft Palate Surgery Center. These Rotarians also assisted with checking-in patients who hoped to have their surgery that weekend. Young patients needing cleft palate surgery… some who had traveled many miles…. were hopeful that they would make the list that weekend. Of the multitude of parents in line with their babies or young children, only a scant 25 or so would be lucky enough to be accepted for surgery that weekend. The others would need to come back another day. It was a heartfelt experience, and one I will never forget.
It was this experience that opened my eyes to the importance of supporting our Rotary Foundation. Every dollar we contribute supports projects just like this one.
Remember this story this Rotary Foundation month and give what you can.
“To reach a port, we must set sail.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Check Out The Downlaod: a District 5190 Podcast
Tune in, on your time, to get all the district news.
Episodes are archived on the District website. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite listening app (Spotify, Google Play, Apple Podcasts), or check out each episode when it's posted to all the District social media platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook).
You'll hear all kinds of great things on the show and experience the District in a whole new way.
LATEST EPISODE: interview with Ernie Strobel about EA+.
If you don't know how to subscribe to a podcast, email Shauna Ganes and she will help you! E: shauna@dmorris.com
Happy listening!
P.S. Have an idea for an episode, or would like to be on the show? Ad space is also available to promote your business or club fundraiser. Proceeds go to cover production costs and any overages will be donated to Polio Plus. Contact Shauna Ganes at shauna@dmorris.com and let her know.
A simple five-gallon bucket. The kind you buy for a few bucks at your local hardware store. It’s so common you never pay any attention to it. But, in the hands of Rotary it can change lives - and for families in the Baja region of Mexico and yours too.
Heard about our District 5190-sponsored project in Baja, Mexico coming soon? It’s called the Healthy Water Project. This project takes the ordinary to extraordinary!
There are several crowd funding campaigns for victims of the Dixie, Caldor, River, and Tamarack fires. Please click here for a full listing of all funding resources you can donate to. All contributions are greatly appreciated.
If you have any questions, please contact Doug McDonald: 530-632-6536 or dougmcdonald49@gmail.com.
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Connect with District 5190 on Social Media
Want to stay up to date on all the happenings? Follow the District on social media. The District has profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Be sure to follow/like on the platforms you follow, so you'll get all the District updates in your feed. The District Public Image Committee will be featuring no only District news, but also outstanding Rotarians and community partners; successful fundraisers; tips on best practices, membership retention/attraction ideas; and more.
Our goal is to make the information coming from the District timely, relevant and valuable to every member of District 5190.
If you have content you'd like shared, click here for the submission form.
ShelterBox is sending a response team to the Caribbean region, after a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that struck Haiti on Saturday.
We are seeking support from Rotary clubs and districts to help in our efforts here.
Buildings have been flattened. Hospitals already under strain from COVID-19 are overwhelmed. Now with Haiti in the path of Tropical Storm Grace, survivors of the earthquake could be hit by strong winds, driving rain, flooding, and mudslides. Many will be facing these conditions with their homes already destroyed. Rescue efforts could be severely affected.
The ShelterBox team will work with fellow humanitarians to assess damage reports, understand from communities what they need, and work on the challenging logistics of delivering aid to areas where buildings have been reduced to rubble.
Your generous donations are hugely appreciated.
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Nominations for
2024-25 District Governor
are Now Open!
Have a future DG in your club? Yourself perhaps?
Present your nominee idea to your Club President who may propose that club member to our Nominating Committee. Only one nomination accepted per club and applications must be received by November 5, 2021.
For further information and the nomination form click here or contact PDG John Sullivan at jasd5190@gmail.com.
Interviews for District Governor 2024-25 will be held on November 20, 2021.
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RYE Update
The Rotary Youth Exchange year 2022-2023 is underway and it’s time for District 5190 clubs to show up and commit to one of the best youth program Rotary provides. Let’s be very concise on what is needed; click here for what is required for a successful RYE program.
For more information, please contact:
• Outbound Coordinator: Guy Lease g.lease44@gmail.com or (530) 307-9765
• Inbound Coordinator and Host Family Coordinator: Betty Bennett bettyebennett@yahoo.com or
(530) 863-6271
• RYE Executive Secretary: Chesa Keane ryeexecsec@rye5190.org or (775) 691-2700
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Golf for Kids
Fellowship and giving back was the theme of the recent Golf for Kids, a fellowship of golfers from both the Penn Valley Rotary Club and the Penn Valley Lions Club, each raising funds from donors to support youth programs. “Six golfers from the Rotary Club and 6 from the Lions Club solicit donations from their friends and business associates, and have a great day of golf,” says Gene Vander Plaats, the Penn Valley Rotarian who organizes this event. “We usually raise around $4,000 which underwrites our Rotary youth leadership program for eighth graders and sponsors Rotary Youth Leadership camp for 2 High School students.” This year, Gene along with Mike Dobbins, Mark Fleming, DeeDee Vierra, Bruce Feldman and Danville Rotarian Steve McKae participated on the Rotarian side.
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In Need of a Program for your Next Meeting?
If you are looking for a club meeting program for an upcoming meeting, please look at these 3 options:
Vitalant, the blood supply group, has representatives that can present information about the importance of giving blood and who you will help by going so. Click here for more info.
How You Can Help Market Your Club, I have created this presentation to help your club work together to grow your presence in the community as well as grow your membership. Click here for more info.
Healthy Conversations, I developed this timely program that discusses how different members of the community can come together through conversations. This program has been well received by the clubs that I have presented it to. Click here for more info.
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News from Grass Valley
The Rotary Club of Grass Valley South held their Annual Glow Golf Ball Drop on Friday, 10/1/2021. One of our members, Shannon Buehler, our Community Service Chair, sold the winning ticket and the winner was .....Tammy Gregory, Residential Property Manager with Paul Law Property Management. Congratulations to Tammy!
Thank you to everyone in our community and beyond who supported our major fundraiser. Your generosity allows us to make a difference in our community, our schools and beyond. We could not have done it without you!
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Empowering Girls
Equality is a fundamental human right that’s necessary for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. Still girls and women worldwide face inequities in areas including health care and education, and they experience violence and poverty at higher rates than men.
Empowering girls means supporting them to ensure that their basic needs are met while working to transform the structures and institutions that reinforce and perpetuate gender discrimination and inequality . It includes helping girls develop self-confidence, so they make their voices heard.
We are encouraging clubs to engage in one or more projects that address the inequities affecting girls.
Empowering girls aligns with Rotary’s Areas of Focus and the goals of our Action Plan. We can increase our impact through projects that protect, empower, and create equity for girls. These projects could focus on:
Supporting access to health care and nutrition
Ensuring access to water and sanitation
Preventing exploitation, neglect, and physical and emotional violence
Supplying menstrual health and hygiene resources
Providing access to basic education, skills training, and technology
Preventing or raising awareness about child labor and child marriage
Offer opportunities for girls to elevate their voices and articulate their views.
Clubs that need help designing projects to empower girls can contact:
Ramona Delmas, Empowering Girls Ambassador, District 5190
WHAT CAN ROTARY CLUBS DO: Identify and mentor candidates. Many candidates are often self-selected as this group is highly motivated, intelligent and successful. Most often they research the Global Grant Scholarship program on-line and then contact a Rotary Club in their area of residence, work or study. Clubs can also promote the scholarship and invite applications by recruiting and inviting previous outbound Rotary Youth Exchange students, RYLA and Interact students and previous club college scholarship recipients. Rotaract members are also prime candidates for the Global Scholarships. The Key is to respond with basic information and begin to qualify the candidates and guide the application process to the District Scholarship Committee.
Global Grant Scholarships provide up to $32,000 to offset the cost of graduate study for no less than one and no more than four years of study in a foreign country. The scholar’s area of study, professional goals and previous work or volunteer experience, must strongly align with one of Rotary International’s Seven Areas of Focus”:
Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
Disease Prevention and Treatment
Water and Sanitation
Maternal and Child Health
Basic Education and Literacy
Economic and Community Development
Supporting the Environment
The ideal candidate will “demonstrate a long-term commitment to measurable, sustainable change” and have concrete ideas for advancing in his or her chosen field. Further, the ideal candidate will possess excellent leadership skills and potential for further growing in leadership and will be familiar with Rotary projects and meetings. The candidate will have excelled in academics and/or a vocation. The candidate will present himself professionally and show a commitment to community service. The candidate will also have realistic well-defined goals, follow The Four-Way Test and be conscientious about meeting deadlines. A Global Grant Scholar cannot be a Rotarian, spouse or a lineal descendant of a Rotarian or a person employed by a Rotary club, District or Rotary international.
Applications are due to the District by March 1, 2022
For more information contact Ramona Delmas Global Scholarships, Chair
Like many in our district, Area 6 was impacted by fire over the course of the summer and still on-going into late October. While this slowed down our clubs a bit, it did not stop them! Area 6 is comprised of the Rotary Clubs of Cameron Park, Georgetown, Placerville, and Pollock Pines-Camino.
The Rotary Club of Cameron Park came back to in-person meetings starting with the District Governor’s visit in July. In order to accommodate those unable to be out and about, the club holds three in-person meetings a month and one via Zoom. The Zoom meeting also allows non-local members and speakers to join from around the globe. The club has continued to do their major repair and distribution of bicycles throughout northern California with the assistance of inmate volunteers at Folsom Prison who repair the bikes. Cameron Park also will distribute over 400 dictionaries/gazettes to 3rd graders in seven local elementary schools in December, as well as 400 books for K-6 students, victims of the Caldor fire. The club will also continue to give out over $20,000 in academic scholarships to local high school students, as well as over $15,000 in vocational grants and scholarship through the Cameron Park Rotary Community Foundation. Cameron Park has an ongoing international project that is temporarily on hold due to a COVID outbreak in the small town they serve in Nicaragua. The club completed an $11,000 sports complex and field in late 2020, and have already begun the planning for a water distribution system and installation of wells in several locations in the town.
Click here to read the full update of all the action in Area 6.
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AREA 5 UPDATE
Area 5 is off to a great start this Rotary year. All of our 4 clubs are meeting in person, and still offering meetings via zoom. Their fundraisers are taking place and some clubs are on the move.
In September the Rotary Club of Auburn held their annual “Spirit of the Community” BBQ. Typically, this is a sit-down event, but this year the club decided to use a “drive-thru” format, which proved to be successful. The turnout was excellent, they netted over $30k. Their funds will support various charities, such as The Boy’s and Girls’ Club of Auburn, Acres of Hope, and their Student Scholarship programs.
Check out the full update and all the fabulous photos here.
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As noted in my initial comments back in February, Rotary’s tomorrow depends on what we Rotarians do today. A poignant message from past RI President Arch Klumph, who had the inspiring vision back in 1916-17 to create a ‘Rotary Endowment Fund’ to do good in the world.
It was February when I first announced District 5190’s ‘Million Dollar Bequest Society Campaign’. A collective effort by many on our District’s Foundation Team to raise One Million Dollars in both new and enhanced Bequest Society pledges.
I must admit, kicking off a campaign in the middle of a Global Pandemic may not have been the best idea we’d ever had, especially if we really intended to actually meet our goal of raising $1M.
We quickly learned that you never underestimate the passion, motivation and resolve of a Rotarian who’s fully committed to help make dreams real for so many others!
I’m happy to report that with the help of both new and existing Bequest Society members, our campaign raised $2,035,700 in new ‘recognized’ gifts & pledges to our Rotary Foundation’s Endowment Fund!
In reality, what really matters to each of us are those countless beneficiaries whose lives will be changed for generations to come because of your past, present and future support of OUR Foundation’s Endowment Fund.
On October 15th, many of the generous donors who participated in this successful campaign celebrated in person over dinner in Carson City where PRIP K.R. ‘Ravi’ Ravindran, the immediate past chair of the Foundation Trustees was our featured keynote speaker.
Our Rotary Foundation’s Bequest Society allows Rotarians from around the world the
unique opportunity to continue doing good in the world well beyond our lifetime. By making a simple pledge today (via your estate plans) of a future gift of $10,000 or more to our Foundation’s Endowment Fund, you become an active member of the Bequest Society, whereby you can custom design your own legacy of hope for generations to come. Additionally, as a new member, the Trustees of our Foundation are pleased to share their gratitude by recognizing your future gift today at the appropriate recognition level.
For more information on becoming a member of The Rotary Foundation’s Bequest Society or making a named or outright legacy gift to our Rotary Foundation, please feel free to reach out to me for more information.
Finally, I can’t thank you enough for your ongoing commitment to Rotary and especially for your continued support of Your Foundation, My Foundation, Our Foundation, truly Our Legacy of Hope!
Respectively submitted by PDG Steve Lewis, District 5190 Endowment / Major Gifts Chair
