Spotlight 01-20-15, Vol. 77, No. 3

 
 PROGRAM/CLUB ASSEMBLY:
Pam McConeghy hosted Cynthia Smith Snyder and Andrea Asipopli who presented on CONAPAC and life in the Amazon rainforest.
 
GUESTS:    Cynthia Smith Snyder, James Thompson (Perth, Australia), Andrea Asipopli, and Vince Price.
 
MEET, GREET & LEARN: This week Jason Conrad-Huntley and Rich Perlberg presented. Rich Perlberg grew up in Standish, MI and is a third generation newspaper man.  He started working from at the bottom by scraping the ink off the presses when his father was a newspaper man.  Rich met his wife at a Chamber function, and for their first date he took her to the Pink Hotel.  He has two sons, James, 28 years old, who lives in Royal Oak, and Casey who is earning a double major at MSU. In retirement Rich is enjoying skiing and other outdoor activities.  Jason Conrad-Huntley grew up and still resides in Parshallville, Livingston County.  His father was an electrical engineer who was laid off in 50s.  His father started his own business, working out of the house.  Jason helped out in the business and also went to Baker College in Flint.  While in college he was an unpaid intern at Merrill Lynch.  He met Tom Archer while working at Merrill Lynch.  Jason and Tom Archer started Archer Huntley on January 1, 2001.  Jason is married to Heather (was a school teacher in Hartland for 12 years), and they have five children (4 girls, 1 boy).  His oldest daughter is 9 years old.  
 
Next week:  Dan Danosky and Beth Walker will present.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Birthdays –  Today is George Moses’ birthday.  Mark Cook tomorrow, Terry Gill on 1/24.
Wedding Anniversaries – None today
Rotary Anniversaries -  Kim Gemuend-Coates and David Plait celebrate 19 years with the Brighton Rotary.  Adrienne Knack has been in Brighton Rotary for four years.
 
Dash or Crash -  Brighton Ford and Old National Bank have committed to sponsorships of $5,000 each.  Leppek Landscaping is also a sponsor of the event. As of today we have 39 volunteers signed up for the Top of the Mountain Dash or Crash event.  Last week we had 22 volunteers.  Please go to www.topofthemountaindashorcrash.com to register as a volunteer or as a participant.
 
Walk for Warmth, Feb. 21st at the old Hartland High School on Highland Road – on 1:30pm today well will take a photo for Walk for Warmth.  See Frank Mancuso for forms to sign up to make a donation.  Last year 135 families and 336 individuals received help to pay their heat bills.  Sponsorship opportunities are available – See Frank Mancuso.  
 
Saturday, Jan. 17th  we volunteer3ed for the ACT practice tests.  Thanks to Jane McManus, Darlene McManus, Michele Bouhana, and David Hartsook.
 
The Humane Society of Livingston County will have its “Fur Ball” on Saturday, March 7, 2015 at Crystal Gardens.  Tickets are $85/person, $160/couple and $750/table of 10.  There will be musical entertainment and silent and live auctions. Sponsorships opportunities are still available. The special guest will be Fox 2 News Anchor Ron Savage.
 
Brighton District Library is serves as the historical archive for the Brighton Women’s Roll of Honor.  To nominate a woman to this Roll of Honor contact Nancy Johnson.  Currently there are 66 women in the Brighton Women’s Roll of Honor, seven of which are current or former members of the Brighton Rotary club. 
 
Upcoming Events:
01/27/15    5:00pm             Rotary’s/Kaplan’s Complete ACT Prep Class Starts
04/24-26/15                       District Conference at Motor City Casino
06/20/15                            Top of the Mountain Dash or Crash 5K run at Mt. Brighton
 
PROGRAM:  CLUB ASSEMBLY – Cynthia Smith Snyder from Peru introduced Andrea Asipoli who came from Peru to attend school as an exchange student at Fremont High School.  Cynthia showed a short video outlining the work CONAPAC is doing in Peru.  CONAPAC is a Peruvian non-profit organization whose mission is to promote conservation.  CONAPAC sponsors the Adopt-A-School, Clean Water, and Community Service programs.  They also sponsor a CONAPAC Library, which are jungle libraries that children use to qualify to become an exchange student.   In the Spring four Rotarians will be traveling to the Amazon rainforest to assist with the Adopt-A-School program. 
 
Cynthia introduced Andrea Asipopli who was raised in the Amazon rainforest and has dreams of becoming a doctor.  She was raised in a small village (300 people) where there is no electricity.  Her mother’s family belongs to the Aguaruna Indian tribe.  Andrea speaks Spanish, English and Aguaruna.  Her father works for an Amazon clinic.  She also had a ten year old sister at home. 
 
She graduated from her school last year.  Before graduation, she would good to school every day from 7:00 am  1:30 pm.  After school hours she would play soccer, volleyball, go swimming in the Amazon River  or go to the jungle library and read.  In 2013 she read over 600 books!!!!   When asked about the dangers of swimming in the Amazon River she said the piranhas and snakes are friendly.  As far as food is concerned she misses rice, as it is a staple at every meal in the rainforest.  Here in the United States she likes to eat pizza.    
 
50/50 Progressive Drawing:  LuAnn Loy, Anne Belser, and Jane McManus were unsuccessful in locating the Ace of Spades. 
 
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