Meeting Recap for December 5, 2011
Want to know a Rotarian who can walk-the-walk? Our own Seifu Ibssa. What did Seifu do? Oh, not much, just took some of the club’s Community World Service dollars and built a water well in the village of Acheber, Ethiopia, which now provides 100 school children and 250 villagers with a source of clean water that they’d not had before he showed up on the scene. See what our World Community Service donation dollars can do when we have people like Seifu hanging around?
Kudos to two fellow Rotarians who proved that “facts tell, stories sell” at this week’s meeting. The first was Meeting Sponsor of the day, Diana Borroel, who spent her $300-and-3 (dollars and minutes, that is), telling us the story of how the loss of her husband at an early age, with a young son in tow but not a dime of life insurance to help, led her to a career of ensuring that other families didn’t suffer a similar fate. Diana now partners with the Principal Financial Group to enhance the financial security of others. Kudo #2 goes to John (brother can you spare a) Buck, who took a simple Blood Drive announcement, and turned it into an epic story of love, intrigue, violence, and blood donation (I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me). Well done, you two. By the way, a quick update before leaving this paragraph: We’re currently leading those Point West ne’er-do-wells 125 pints to 107 in this term’s blood drive contest – so this yuletide season, instead of pepper-spraying other shoppers like everyone else, why not head on down to the nearest BloodSource location and help us increase our lead.
Want another easy-as-can-be way to contribute to the great Sacramento Rotary Club cause? Here are two: 1) Buy two or three (dozen) unwrapped toys, and bring them to either of the next two meetings in support our annual Toy Drive. Don’t have time for even that? Just send in some cashola to the Rotary Office and others will buy the toys for you (the “Steve Committee” [made up of fellow Rotarians, all, of course, named…Bruce] raised several hundred bucks at this week’s meeting by simply collecting $20’s from the gathered throng for said purpose); and 2) Get involved with Jim Culleton and help pass out 970 dictionaries to economically disadvantaged 3rd graders this year (contact Jim for details). For you newer Rotarians, this is one of the most rewarding projects you can work on, and it’s E-Z.
Dick Noonan is not dead. Just thought I’d let you know. Actually, there was some confusion on that subject, because a John Noonan who also volunteered tirelessly at the train museum did pass on recently. We’re glad to report that our Noonan continues to breathe in-and-out nicely, although his wallet is now $150 lighter, courtesy of his contribution in honor of his similarly-named friend.
Oh, and our own Kelly Moran and Bob (interest credited) Daly ran in the California International Marathon this weekend. Kelly showed up at this week’s meeting, Bobby-D did not, Kelly wins.
Kelly advised that he would have liked a day of rest after the CIM, but duty called – specifically, his duty as Treasurer of the Sacramento Rotary Foundation (it being the Foundation Day and all). Our Foundation does so many good deeds that it would be a bit tedious to name them all here – just get your hands on the 2010-11 annual report that is now available, and you’ll be proud of all that our club does for communities here and around the world.
I would be remiss, however (I mean, I already give news reporting a bad enough name), to not at least note here that the Foundation was started in 1971 -- current Rotarians Mead Kibbey, George (Count) Basye, together with John Collentine & George Gibson were original Trustees, by the way --with exactly $1,593 of seed money. Forty years later, the Foundation now has $2.7 million of assets – and that’s after donating $4 million along the way over the past four decades. Very few organizations in town can boast of that sustained performance. Be proud, and send the Foundation some money. See you next week! JBW