Chris Rivera, Chairman of the Council of State Biosciences Associations

With Washington outstanding in many endeavors, Chris Rivera, Chairman of the Council of State Biosciences Associations, gave us a view into yet another. His organization has given rise to more than 200 companies in the biosciences field. Life sciences, aka human health care, is a burgeoning enterprise, with Washington already its global leader.

His address, plus video, provided a kaleidoscope of industries, products, and procedures already in place in the state, or in the process of development, i.e.,Perkins-Cole…defibrillation…bone marrow transplant…Immunex…Amgen…Hutchinson/UW/WSU…Abbott…Lilly…Global Health Fund…Phillips…Arthritis Foundation…Samsung, NEA, and many more.

Beginning in 2009, the mission of the biotechnology industry is to save lives and secondarily to create jobs and improve the economy. Some impressive numbers were given regarding the funding of the industry and the number of employees in all aspects of biotechnology. Aid to CEOs in building businesses is accorded. To this end, capital is raised by investments including the venture capital of “angels”. There are some 100 start-ups per year. Pro bono mentors guide new entrepreneurs.

Comment: A happy marriage of aiding the sick and the economy simultaneously—and not a bad field in which to build careers.

Joe Gruber, Exec Director, University District Food Bank

Last week’s program was an occasion to make one feel good all over. A $15,003 check was presented to Joe Gruber, Executive Director of the University District Food Bank. It is our charity of choice, benefiting from Debuts and Discoveries. The bulk of the proceeds is destined for Packs for Kids, ensuring good weekend nutrition for school children in need of it.

Packs for Kids was begun at Eckstein Middle School where it was estimated that one in five children had to struggle with hunger, impairing, among other things, their capacity to study. It expanded to other schools.

A healthy diet is the norm in these packs, to wit, fresh fruit, a healthy drink, and items of that variety. Packs are taken home on Friday. An average pack, whose container is reusable, costs $4.25. Work is afoot to bring it down to $3.50.Last year $30,000 was budgeted. Now the cost is $42,000.

Our support last year was seed money for the current year. As this relatively new program expands, more awareness and thus more funds are in the offing. There seems to be plenty of support. Eight schools are now in the program, meaning that the number of packs increases each year. Sandpoint elementary is soon to be included.

Sunrise Rotary is the foundation of support. Packs for siblings is now included. It stands to reason that, if a child requires this type of support, siblings are in the same situation. There are not just a few homeless students. Others are being sought and made recipients. Joe recalled a few anecdotes in which such help has made heartwarming differences.

Comment: Afterwards, someone told him, “Bless you for what you do.”

His answer was that he feels privileged to do it.

Need more be said?

Volunteer Opportunities

Saturday, June 13 from 11am-4pm We will be hosting a food drive for the at the Sand Point Metropolitan Market. We will be working in hour shifts for this event. Betsy will be passing around a sign-up sheet as we get closer to the event.

Saturday, August 15 We will be participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Capitol Hill. The event goes from 10am to 10pm–we will be walking in one hour shifts during this time. If you’d like to participate, you can sign up here under the team “Uni Sun Rotarians”.

International Service Scholarship Banquet and Auction this Saturday

Saturday, May 9th, 6pm to 9pm

International Service Scholarship Banquet and Auction and Fireworks and Unlimited Booze. Come see and support the future of our Rotary club at UW Rotaract’s annual auction and banquet. Are there actually going to be fireworks? Maybe! But really, you should come for the booze, bartended by our very own Dan Newman. For only $25, you get a dinner from Cedar’s, entertainment from this generation’s brightest and best, and your chance to hire them before anyone else does! May 9th, 6pm to 9pm.

Please see the banquet flyer.

Purchase tickets: http://goo.gl/forms/DyzB8Uz9Cu

We Support TINFA, will you?

GiveBig 2015 | the countdown begins

TINFA is excited to participate in GiveBig 2015 for the second year in a row! From midnight to midnight on GiveBig day – Tuesday May 5^th , a percentage of your donation to TINFA will be matched by the Seattle Foundation and GiveBig sponsors. At TINFA, we work with schools in underserved areas of Mexico and Guatemala and use technology in innovative ways to support teachers and students in the classroom. We take a collaborative approach to working with the schools, and facilitate virtual exchanges (via Skype) with schools in the Northwest. Watch this video to see how your donation will make a real difference.
Know more about TINFA from TINFA on Vimeo.

Last year, we were excited to raise $3,000 during GiveBig. This year, we believe we can double that and have a goal of $6,000, Please get ready to help us achieve our goal and increase the amount of education support we can deliver to our partner schools. Your support will go a long way in helping to make a difference in the lives of students in the schools we support. As you get ready, we’d appreciate a like on Facebook.

Thanks for your support!

Emma

Emma Le Du Co-founder and Director Cell | 206.612.8361 Web | tinfa.org Skype | emmaledu

Trivialis et Jovialis #3 From Dr Hal

No one believes seniors. . .everyone thinks they are senile.

An elderly couple was celebrating its 60th anniversary. They’d been childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood. Holding hands, they walked back to their old school. It was not locked. They visited the old desk they had shared where Jerry had carved “I love you, Sally.”

On their way back home, a truck spilled out a bag of money which landed at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure what to do there, she counted the money — fifty thousand dollars!

Jerry said, “We’ve got to give it back.”
Sally said, “Finders keepers.”

She put the money into the back of the attic.

The next day, two policemen, who were canvassing the neighborhood, knocked on their door. “Pardon us, but did either of you find a bag yesterday? they asked. Sally said, “No.” Jerry said, “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.” Sally said, “Don’t believe him; he’s getting senile.” The constables turned to Jerry and began to question him. One said, “Tell us the story from the beginning.” Jerry said, “Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday….” The first police officer turned to his partner and said, “We’re outta here!”

An Amish girl and her mother were visiting a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and back together again.

The girl asked, “What is this, mother?” The mother, never having seen an elevator responded, “I have never seen anything like this in my life. I don’t know what it is.”

While the girl and her mother watched with amazement, an old man in a wheelchair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the man rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the girl and her mother watched the small numbers above the walls light up sequentially. They continued to watch until the last number was reached, and they watched some more as the numbers began to light in reverse order. The walls opened up again and a hunky young man stepped out.

The mother, not taking her eyes off the young man, said quietly to her daughter, “Go get your father.”

New District 5030 Conference Video

Jeff Mushen selected photos and Kyle Bergquist made them into this video for the Rotary District 5030 Conference. It will play silently during meeting intermissions along with videos from other clubs.

Volunteer Opportunities

Saturday, June 13 from 11am-4pm We will be hosting a food drive for the University Food Bank at the Sand Point Metropolitan Market. We will be working in hour shifts for this event. Betsy will be passing around a sign-up sheet as we get closer to the event.

Saturday, August 15 We will be participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Capitol Hill. The event goes from 10am to 10pm–we will be walking in one hour shifts during this time. If you’d like to participate, you can sign up here under the team “Uni Sun Rotarians”.

Interested? Contact Betsy Conklin, clubservice@usrotary.org

City Council Member Kshama Sawant visits

20150409_083357 — Councilmember Sawant after a great program with President Mike and Rotaract members Mariah Kimpton (L) and Devon Hay. 4/9/2015

Kshama Sawant, she of volubility and endless energy, became a city councilwoman as a dark horse candidate. Much of her support came from numerous random meetings with working and needy people. She thus became virtually evangelistic about their needs, the burdens upon them, and the widening disparity between the affluent and the rest of the population. In that regard, she takes only $40,000 of the $117,000 annual city council salary and allocates the rest to her solidarity fund. Her concerns entail several matters. One is that of the homeless. A bill to allow encampments on city property was narrowly defeated. She has mounted a crusade to reverse this ruling.

Another is the minimum wage. She contends (and who can deny?) that the $15/hour wage prices anyone out of decent Seattle housing. She contends that the hard-won $15 wage shall help, rather than inhibit, business. With purchasing power on the increase, people can support business by becoming more frequent customers. Affordable housing is diminishing. Corporations buy up affordable housing in order to raze the land for luxury apartments. She named the prices of both rents and homes, stating the fact that they are far out of reach for the working class and the poor.

She advocates a year-round female shelter. This would fill a need for victims of domestic abuse who would otherwise have to return home for financial reasons. Sawant also points to a regressive WA tax system, which offers corporate rewards but little or nothing for others. She offers quite a bit more of her observations and items needing action, including unfair city subsidies for large developers, the ecological consequences of Arctic drilling, the threats to labor unions, and hate crime.

Comment: A dynamic councilmember, with verve regarding several simultaneous issues. The fact that she enjoys considerable support suggests belief in her diagnoses and plans for remedies,

Debuts and Discoveries: A Success

Thanks again to all that supported this year’s Debuts & Discoveries Tasting Event. When all is said and done, we believe that the net fundraising total should be about $15,000 to support the University District Packs for Kids program. Well done, all!

We welcome your ideas on what worked well and what could be improved from this year’s event. Please send your suggestions to Nancy & Ed (nancybolin@windermere.com and edbronsdon@outdoorsforall.org ). We’ve already compiled some ideas and we will be looking for ways to further involve you and other club members to step up to make next year’s event a fun and successful one, too.