Rotary Volunteers Needed for Blood Drive

Seattle 4 is helping Bloodworks NW at Bloodwork’s two-day Pop-Up Site Blood Drive at the Seattle Aquarium on Tuesday February 16 and Wednesday February 17 and they could use our assistance.

The Pop-Up site is in the Aquarium’s Mezzanine Cafe and could be hard for some people to find. A way around this predicament is to recruit greeters and guides to provide needed direction. It seems like it’s a perfect opportunity for Rotary!

I have this picture in my mind of folks, in their best Rotary garb, complete with a Rotary Facemask, giving this needed guidance. I see Rotary brochures displayed on the table out front enticing donors to join a local Club. My vision also includes many Rotarians lending their arms at the Aquarium doing their part to to save up to three tives.

Our idea is to split the days up into at least one-hour segments (perhaps two to three people in each segment). This requires a lot of Rotary People Power as Tuesday’s drive is from 9 am to 4 pm and Wednesday’s is from 9 am to 5 pm.

Blood donors are required to register before their donation. Use of this link, https://dslnk.co/Rotary5030, helps Bloodworks track that the donor is a District 5030 Rotarian. I’m scheduled to donate at Noon on that Tuesday.

Please send Jaime Mendez (Seattle 4 Volunteer Coordinator) and me the names of the individuals who would like to be part of the greeter/guide team. It would be nice to include the name of their club, as well as the times and date they’d like to help out. We will put together a final volunteer schedule as soon as we know how many people we have to work with.

Thank you for your cooperation and for being a leader in Rotary District 5030!

Alan Merry

Past District Governor

Rotary District 5030

University Sunrise Rotary Collects Food for the University District Food Bank

The University Sunrise Rotary Club collected 910 pounds of food plus cash for the University Food Bank in a food drive last weekend. It was great to see (at least a portion of faces) many our members out doing service for the community (January 23, 2021).

Thanks to our members that participated included Dave Arndt, Steve Barton, Hal Beals, Ed Bronsdon, Lincoln Ferris, Scott Jamieson, Dave Mushen, Pam Mushen, Teri St. Onge, Ben Porter, Tom Ranken, Felicity Wang, Paul Weibel. Special thanks to Isaac McNally for leading, organizing, and participating!

Teri St. Onge, Paul Weibel, and Isaac McNally

Program Summary: Denny Wilford, “The Fight Against Polio,” Jan. 21, 2021

By Steve Barton

On January 21, 2021, we were honored to host Denny Willford, a Polio survivor who has given much of his life in the eradication of polio and improving the lives of survivors. Two drops is all it takes to never have Polio and Denny has given hundreds two drop doses to children in multiple trips to Ethiopia and Uganda.

Unfortunately, it has not always been enough. Those who do come down with polio often become what is known as crawlers, unable to walk. This condition can partially be resolved through surgery, which requires extensive rehabilitation. On of the best restoration methods is hydrotherapy. Denny and his foundation built a hydrotherapy pool to assist in just that with great results. Once rehabilitated, these former unemployable crawlers can now support themselves and their families.

Denny hasn’t stopped there. He has formed the Willford Foundation which is supplying school desks for schools in Ethiopia. To quote him: $5,000 builds a lot of desks.

Through the efforts of many Denny’s volunteering their time to provide 2 drops, worldwide polio cases were down to a handful with the goal of a polio-free world well in sight. However, due to Covid and political discord, polio immunizations have stopped for the duration of the pandemic. This has set the goal of eradication of polio back many years.

Words to Live By: George Carlin

“The paradox of our time in history is that we’ve learned how to make a better living, but not a better life. We have more conveniences but less time, wider freeways but narrower viewpoints, more medicine but less wellness. We’ve been to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor or to help a stranger in need. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

So put down the phone and the remote, and look at the world around you. Spend time with your loved ones, because they won’t be around forever. Take the time to make a new friend, to say a kind word, to do something selfless. And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.”

– George Carlin

Program Summary: Club Meeting–Our Foundation

By Lee Raaen

The club’s program on January 14 was one close to our hearts, or wherever you carry your pocketbook. Ryan Hamilton, president of the University Sunrise Rotary Club Service Foundation brought us up to date on the organization.

In addition to our Rotary club, we have a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation. The foundation is separate from the club and qualifies for tax-exempt status. Every member of the Rotary club is a member of the foundation, but the two organizations are separate and have different officers and directors. It’s important to keep in mind that there are two Rotary foundations that deserve our support. Our club’s foundation and the worldwide Rotary International Foundation. We support both wholeheartedly and both have played central roles in funding our charitable and international service projects over the years.

The RI foundation has the advantage of having worldwide impact and extensive assets. The advantage of our club foundation is that we have total control, can act quickly, and can support projects with a LOT less paperwork.

The club foundation has adopted criteria to be used in evaluating projects. They are:

a) Is the proposal genuinely beneficial to someone in need or to an important cause?

b) Does it appear that the requestor will administer the funds responsibly and effectively?

c) Do we have sufficient funds for this request and for our own priorities for Foundation funds?

d) Does the proposal support our mission of helping children live, learn and laugh?

e) Is the proposal sponsored or recommended by a USRC member?

f) Is the request from a Rotary club we have partnered with in the past?

g) Is the request from a Rotary club that will be a good future partner?

Club foundation officers Hal Beals, Mike Madden and Nancy Bittner rounded out the program by giving members information on both organizations, the projects (both local and international) funded by our foundation, how to bring projects before the foundation’s board for support, and importantly, how to donate to them.

Our club’s foundation has assets of about $50,000. Much of this came from a bequest from Rev. Storm. Over the years major sources of funds is also been club auctions at the president’s dinner, proceeds from the Big Taste (a.k.a. Debuts and Discoveries) and individual contributions.

Past projects include the total range of charitable of our club. Currently the foundation has supported dictionary projects, projects at Mercy Housing, Outdoors For All, TINFA, the annual block party, etc. In addition, the foundation has supported other clubs’ service projects so those projects can qualify for higher district and international grants. Other clubs have done the same for us.

After this detailed report, President Hamilton called a foundation membership meeting to elect a new director. The foundation has three directors on staggered terms. Having selflessly served the foundation for his three-year term, Jim Horrigan is being put out to pasture. Past Pres. Steve Barton was nominated and unanimously elected by the membership to a three-year term on the foundation board. The meeting was adjourned.

District 5030 Symposium: Jeffrey Robinson, “Race Matters to Rotary”

The next “Race Matters to Rotary” event will be on Saturday, January 23^rd at 9:00 a.m. when Jeffrey Robinson will be the guest presenter. Jeff’s topic is “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America.” Jeff is ACLU Deputy Legal Director.

For over three decades, attorney and ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jeffery Robinson has devoted his career to racial justice. In recent years, he has travelled the country speaking hard truths about race in America. “Our history,” he tells audiences, “has been stolen from us.” Weaving heartbreak, humor, and passion, Robinson will take us through this history, describing how the legacy of slavery impacts every aspect of our society. Robinson’s words and his upcoming documentary “Who We Are” empowers audiences to change the future, leaving them with a sense of optimism about what America could look like if we have the courage to change. After Robinson’s formal remarks, there will be Q&A followed by small group discussions for
Rotarians to consider next steps.

Dr. Hal’s Corner: Stupid!!

Dr. Hal’s Corner: Frankincense??

Grant for Seattle Central College Food Pantry Approved

December 23, 2020

The University Sunrise Rotary Club has applied for a $750 urgent needs grant to help fund the Seattle Central College Food Pantry. This is a program that the College uses to help students in need deal with food needs. There is an uptick in need at the Food Pantry due to both the increased needs of students and the increased difficulty of supplying food during the pandemic.

The grant was part of Rotary District 5030 Urgent Needs program and it has been approved. The funds should be received by our Club’s Foundation shortly and allocated to the Food Pantry thereafter.