Spotlight -6-10-14, Vol. 76, No. 22

Brighton Rotary Spotlight

Mark Marker, President

June 10 27, 2014, Vol. 76, No. 22

Guests:           Rich Millis, wk2; Steve Matter, Howell Rotary; Fred Bonine, DDS, Oral Surgeon; Patrick Bourke, Mike’s son; Jim Metz, Attorney with Lee Gough; Rick Moses, George’s son;

Announcements:

Adrienne Knack announced that her 2.5-year-old daughter Lily was very excited to learn that she will become a big sister later this year!  Congratulations to the Knack family!

How has Rotary changed lives this past week?  Stan Schafer thanked all who helped at Gleaners Food Bank this past Saturday, including Michele Bouhana, Mike Hatty & Jeanne McMillan.  Tom Janego thanked the realtors for the birthday party bags they created for area customers of the Gleaners Food Bank.  Ron Hagan thanked Brighton Ford for their support of the Kiwanis Foundation’s fundraiser for Mott Children’s Hospital.  Rachele Evers thanked Jeannie McMillan for website help.

Madeline Jones sent a thank you note to the Club members who provided financial support for her to attend a Stanford Summer Program.

Jane and Mike McManus returned from the Rotary International Conference in Sydney, Austrailia, and presented a flag from the Rotary Club of Wanaka, New Zealand and spoke about how 181 Rotarians and 200 flags stood on a special bridge in the Sydney Harbor and the bridge operators donated $200,000 to polio.  The Australian government also committed $100 million for polio prevention.  The shirts sported by Jane and Mike were sold by the LivingStone Rotary Club of Zambia who recruit girls to learn to sew and have alternatives besides poverty or sex slaves.

Nancy B. Johnson reminded members that the Pennies for Polio bucket will be counted next week, so please help us make a good contribution to eradicating polio!  Nancy offered several books about baseball and fly fishing that can be purchased for the polio project.

Today is the last day to purchase March of Dimes raffle tickets from Bill Anderson. A $40 ticket or 2 for $60 tickets get you entered into the drawing for a Chevrolet Corvette, while a $20 ticket or 3 for $40 tickets get you into a drawing for a F-150 truck.

Presidents’ Night is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24^th  at 6pm, and will be held at Mt. Brighton.  Invitations have been emailed—please RSVP to MarkMarker. Tom Zizka reported that the 50/50 raffle that night will NOT be part of our progressive 50/50.  $20 will bring a handful of tickets for a chance to win the evening’s pot. Note that there will not be a lunch meeting on June 24^th so that all can attend Presidents’ Night.

Howell Rotarian Steve Matter distributed flyers about the June 27^th golf outing fundraiser at Chemung Hills and the Countryside Vet Dog Park the Howell Rotary is building.  More information can be obtained at 517-546-0693 or at teach34@comcast.net.

Beth Walker asked Rotarians to post flyers about our Complete ACT Prep class offered by Kaplan at the Brighton Community Center this summer to benefit area students and our scholarship funds.  Registration deadline is June 30^th!

Come join fellow Ratarians at "Ernie" A play about the Baseball Legend written by Mitch Albom on Thursday, August 7th at the City Theatre.  Cost is $50 per person and includes the bus ride to and from the play.  Meet at 6pm at the Spencer Road Park & Ride, watch the 8pm play, and board the return bus at 10pm.  RSVP to Tom Archer at 810-229-5212 or Tom@ArcherHuntley.com.  Checks payable to Livingston Sunrise Rotary Foundation.

Upcoming Events:

06/17/14    12:15pm          Judge Carol Sue Reader will present the lunch program.

06/24/14                            President’s Night at Mt. Brighton– NO LUNCH MEETING

06/30/14                            Registration Deadline for the Complete ACT Prep class by Kaplan.

08/20/14                            Livingston County Day of Caring

Program:

Program Host Terry Gill and George Moses introduced Todd (TJ) Duckett, former #42 of the Michigan State Spartan football team and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. TJ Duckett caught the game winning touchdown (26-24) when MSU played UM in 2001 as the clock stopped on the last play.  Born and raised in Kalamazoo, he was drafted in the NFL first round by the Atlanta Falcons and played football until the age of 29 years when he was released by the Seattle Seahawks.  Feeling lost and confused about next steps, Todd began focusing on people who have changed the world and how he can affect others.  He founded the New World Flood, a philanthropic organization after realizing that one person’s passion can fulfill a purpose and improve the lives of others.  His organization focuses on four buckets:  1) Supplying motivational speakers; 2) Training people how to volunteer, 3) Providing disaster relief, and 4) Providing international assistance. Recent projects include distributing 11,000 turkeys in the East Lansing and Kalamazoo area, 2,000 backpacks at the Lansing Center, and encouraging Lunch with a Purpose to help people volunteer during lunchtimes one day per week.  His closing thought:  we are given one life, one opportunity:  How are you going to use it?

Progressive 50/50 Drawing:  Dennis Whitney, and George Moses were unsuccessful in locating the Ace of Spades, but Brian Donovan served as Jim Barnas’s proxy and earned the cash!!!!!