February Speakers

On February 6th Liz Becher hosted a fun interactive football trivia game.

On February 13th we were joined by Bill Winney via Zoom. Bill talked about the capabilities of electric cars and their impact on our infrastructure.

On February 20th John Lawson spoke about water in the west. With over 38 years in water development, he sat as a Commissioner and Planning and Development of Water Projects for Reclamation’s Regional Office in Billings.  

The February 27th meeting was led by Mike Lougee. During this meeting, we learned why Rotary is important, and why to join.

• What's Coming - Future Projects
  • Skate Park Improvements
  • Bus Stops (2 structures in town)
  • Jimmy's House
  • Carter Canyon Fire Aid
  • City Park Improvements
  • Mills Park Shelter
  • Small project grants throughout town
  • Various Improvements & Updates at Rotary Park at the Falls
  • Crossroads Adventure Park Improvements & Overhaul
     
• Service - More than you think!
  • Exchange Students
  • Lunch Program
  • Highway Cleanup
  • Food Packing
  • Committee, Board, Leadership
  • Student of the Month
  • Polio Fundraising
  • Rotary Park Service
  • Scholarships
     
  • Duck Derby has raised funds that have gone towards:
    • The Bouldering Park
    • Coronavirus
    • Kids Against Hunger
    • Paul Harris Foundation Match
    • Rotary Park at the Falls
    • City Skate Park
    • Sue Jorgensen WY Book Program
    • RYLA
    • County-Wide College Scholarships
    • Exchange Student Support
    • Much, much more!
       
  • The Golf Tournament has raised funds that have gone towards:
    • Pure Water for the World
    • Polio
    • Education in Panama
    • Shelter Box
    • Malaria
    • More!

February Students of the Month

Congratulations to our February Students of the month, including:

• Bradyn Adels (Kelly Walsh High School) 
• Sinahi Alvarondo O’Brian (Midwest High School)

 

New Red and Blue Badge Members

There were no new Red Badge or Blue Badge Members in February. 

Classification Talks

The following members gave their classification talks this month:

• Shane Michaels (February 6)
• Carrie Donovan (February 20)
• Christian Jorgensen (February 27)

Shelter Box Update

ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray, on the ground in Ukraine, shares an update on our current relief efforts.

"I hate war. I hate the way it rips apart families, communities, and countries. I hate how it divides and displaces people, the fear and terror it inflicts on innocent civilians, and especially the harm it does to children.

One year ago today, families in Ukraine woke up to war. Within days, the invasion of Ukraine would set off the fastest-growing displacement crisis since World War II, forcing more than 13 million people from their homes. ShelterBox deployed a team to the region at the beginning of the war, and we have been responding to meet urgent needs ever since. With a nation in the midst of war and thousands of lives, homes, and livelihoods lost, nearly half the population in Ukraine needs humanitarian assistance.　

Over the last week, I deployed with a ShelterBox Response Team to Kyiv, Ukraine, conducting humanitarian distributions to help displaced families survive the freezing and unforgiving winter. We have been working alongside our local community-based partners to deliver wood stoves, high thermal blankets, thermal sleeping bags, solar lights, winter clothing, and water carriers – all essential to communities struggling through rolling power outages with little or no electricity, heat, or running water.

Amid the ongoing challenges in Ukraine, there is the added terror of air-raid alerts going off each day, which can mean hours spent in bomb shelters.

During our deployment, I had the chance to visit the towns where the war broke out north of Kyiv, from Hostomel, Bucha, to Moshun. I have seen first-hand the devastation these communities endured a year ago. Many are still struggling to survive, let alone rebuild their homes one year later. I also worked in Berezan, northeast of Kyiv – a city now home to families who fled the Russian-occupied areas in the east, including the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. There I met a displaced family, Oleg and Ludmila, and their 18-year-old daughter Margaret. Originally from Sievierodonetsk, a city in occupied Luhansk Oblast, they had only 15 minutes to flee, leaving their home, extended family, and friends behind. They lived in a basement shelter with 60 others, equipped with only one heater for months. And when the harsh winter came, they were freezing. The family was recently able to rent a small apartment and they were one of the families we served this week. Oleg and Ludmila shared that all the aid they received from ShelterBox, particularly the wood stove, will make their lives much easier this winter. When I asked about their hope for the future, they didn’t hesitate to offer, "peace and to go home."

Over the last year, ShelterBox has delivered emergency aid to 37,000 people affected by the war. From our shelter kits and toolsets to repair damaged homes and allow people to shelter in place, mattresses, solar lights, hygiene kits, blankets, and clothing, to small cash stipends to access food and medicine, ShelterBox has worked to meet the challenging and changing needs in Ukraine. The programs we began deploying this week will reach at least another 30,000. Our work is certainly not done, and we remain committed to helping provide these lifesaving interventions.

The ShelterBox relief efforts in Ukraine have only been possible because of you. Thank you for your generosity and support of these emergency programs."

There was a one-hour briefing on Tuesday, February 28th, where Shelter Box shared the impact of your support over the last year. They also provided a brief update on the current work in response to the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which have killed more than 46,000 and displaced millions.  

Rotary Foundation