The Rotary Club of Cary-Grove is beginning to meet "in person" at the Cary Park District and via ZOOM for it's regular meetings. The third meeting of the month is generally held at a rotating location. Our regularly scheduled meetings will be held Thursday mornings at 7:30 AM including ZOOM. "In person" meetings require social distancing protocols requiring masks. If you are interested in participating in one of our meetings, please contact Club President, Phil Stanko, at 847-639-5443 or email pstanko@ameritech.net. Please stay well as we navigate through these unchartered waters.
Visit Us On Thursday Mornings!
"Making Communities Better"
We meet In Person
Thursdays at 7:30 AM
Cary Park District
255 Briargate Road
P.O. Box 645
Cary, IL 60013
United States of America
P.O. Box 645
Cary, IL 60013
United States of America
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This year, Rotary’s International President Mark Maloney has asked Clubs to Unite People, Take Action and strive for achievements that support Rotary’s strategic priorities. 2019/20 District 6440 Governor Suzanne Gibson’s Vibrant Club Challenge is aligned with these priorities and recognizes the work and commitment that clubs throughout the District have invested in connecting the world and becoming people of action.
Each year, local rotary clubs set new goals and objectives that align with those of their District and Rotary International. Activities are varied and are concentrated on Rotary's Five Avenues of Service; Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International Service, and Youth Service. Yesterday, our President, Chuck Barrett, was notified that The Rotary Club of Cary-Grove has achieved this award.
Congratulations to Chuck for his leadership and direction of club activities during a difficult year as we and all rotary clubs dealt with the challenges presented by COVID-19.
Interact students Teagan Hayes, Abby Williams and Luke Eleftheriou were at our meeting this morning and gave an overview of their activities during Random Acts of Kindness day. Please watch the video that was put together showcasing their activities.
Our guest speaker today was Chris Freeman, Chapter President for the Cary Area Sleep In Heavenly Peace Chapter. Through the use of volunteers, SHP, a not-for-profit organization, constructs handcrafted beds for children and families that would not otherwise have one.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace was founded in 2012 and is the only charity providing hand-made bunk beds to children who don’t have beds of their own. Constructed entirely by volunteers and funded through contributions, Chris’ chapter provides those in need in the McHenry County Area. A bed cost $175 to construct, which includes the materials, mattress and bedding. Although his chapter is brand new, only recently being founded, he has already held a “build day” and has constructed and delivered ten beds. He is looking to have another build day in mid-March and is looking for volunteers who would like to invest their time and talent to make 20 new beds at that event. By his own confession, Chris is more of a “doer” than a media guy, but he has managed to put together a very fashionable FaceBook page @SHPBeds.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace was founded in 2012 and is the only charity providing hand-made bunk beds to children who don’t have beds of their own. Constructed entirely by volunteers and funded through contributions, Chris’ chapter provides those in need in the McHenry County Area. A bed cost $175 to construct, which includes the materials, mattress and bedding. Although his chapter is brand new, only recently being founded, he has already held a “build day” and has constructed and delivered ten beds. He is looking to have another build day in mid-March and is looking for volunteers who would like to invest their time and talent to make 20 new beds at that event. By his own confession, Chris is more of a “doer” than a media guy, but he has managed to put together a very fashionable FaceBook page @SHPBeds.
Today's program was presented by Jennifer Kolarczyk, Events and Marketing Manager for Home of the Sparrow. Jennifer updated the membership of some of the many programs supported by Home of the Sparrow for residents located in and around McHenry County. She also discussed a couple of fundraising events that will be taking place in the next couple of months. Their Hope Casino Night Benefit will be held on Friday, April 3rd at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake, and its Celebration of Women Luncheon is scheduled for Friday, May 8th at Boulder Ridge Country Club. Registration for both of these events is available on their website.
Bill Gates announced his continued support toward the eradication of polio and his partnership with Rotary. Click here to see a short video of that announcement.
Members of the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove present a check to the Cary-Grove Food Pantry, located at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Cary. Funds for the presentation were raised at the Club's "Steak Fry", which was held at Cary's "Main Street Fest" this past September. A special thanks to all those who attended that event, which made this donation possible.
Today's guest speaker was Carol Dolan from the Fox River Grove Memorial Library. Carol updated the club on the youth literacy events that are available at the library and thanked the membership for its long-term sponsorship of some of those programs. She discussed a few new programs that will be available to the public next year, and encouraged all members to volunteer for any that fit into their time and interest levels. Carol will be retiring next May, but will be passing our partnership baton to her replacement, whenever that person is identified. The club has had a long relationship with the Library and the Friends of the Fox River Grove Library, dating back to Pat Flanagan's year as president in 2006. We wish Carol well in her "Golden Years".
Rotary International will be celebrating its second annual World Polio Day event on October 24th. Through the generosity of club member, Dave Miller and Bernie, of Liberty Outdoor Advertising, the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove has installed an outdoor sign at the entrance of Lake Julian Trout Farm to bring public awareness to this occasion. The sign is located at Route 14 and Jandus Road and is visible to traffic headed in both directions.
To learn more about total eradicati0n of this crippling disease, visit Rotary International's website.
Several club members were present at the ribbon cutting ceremony for "Cary Lake at Rotary Park" last Tuesday. The membership is excited about this partnership with the village and looks forward to seeing the site developed over the next several years. Chuck has asked for volunteers to serve on a committee that will make recommendations and identify probable enhancements for the park.
Congratulations, Cindy! Maybe I should say Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove. It is with great excitement that we welcome our newest member, Cindy Finlon. Cindy is well known to the membership and has already contributed much to the organization. Welcome aboard!
It is with great pride that the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove announces the induction of two new members: Marisol Adamo, sponsored by Sue Maifield and Edwin Connelly, transferring Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Rolling Meadows, sponsored by Dave Miller. Both are welcome assets to our club.
Today's guest speakers were Jeffrey Maycan and Lori Feuerhelm from True Value Paint Manufacturing. Jeff is the Factory Director for their facility located here, in Cary. This 600,000 square foot building is the only paint manufacturing plant that True Value processes. The 135 employees working at this facility are responsible for producing and distributing paint to True Value's 4700 stores. Their efforts account for 4% of the company's total revenue, but 50% of its profit.
Depending on the type and color being produced, each batch of paint can have 7 to 20 different ingredients, all of which are warehoused on site. This makes it possible to provide over 1,000 Stock Keeping Units (SKU's) to meet the current demands of their customers and the ability to produce in excess of 50,000 gallons a day. In addition, as stated on True Value's Website, its EasyCare Ultra Premium Acrylic Latex paint has been certified as asthma and allergy friendly.
Thanks, Jeffrey and Lori for a very informative and interesting presentation. More information about True Value Paints can be found on their website at https://www.truevaluepaint.com
Our 2019-20 Installation Dinner was held at Lake Julian Trout Farm on Monday, June 17th. The event was catered by Coleman's in the Park and, as always, everything was yummy. Chuck Barrett (Frisch and Barrett Insurance) was installed as the club's new President by Assistant Governor Coordinator Terry Parke, as were the rest of the 2019 - 2020 board members. We were grateful to have several guests from the community present, which included this year's scholarship recipients and their families. A warm thanks goes to Dave and Andi Miller for hosting this event.
Bill Gates was the guest speaker at the Joint Rotary District Conference in Spokane Washington. Follow this link to his blog where he has the entire text of what he had to say.
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This mornings guest speaker was Larry Kanar from the Rotary Club of Northbrook. Larry updated the membership on the status of District 6440's Rotary Health Rays project in Guatemala. Each unit costs $75,000. Our district has raised more than $650,000 in funds pledged as of 10/10/17 to bring digital x-ray technology to Guatemala. The plan is to install 29 digital x-ray machines in areas throughout Guatemala. As of today, 11 have already been installed. In our district, over 50 clubs have already signed to support the project, and they are hoping for 100% participation. To learn more about this project, please visit the District's website.
Our guest speaker this morning was Dr. Margaret Stefani from Pediatric Associates of Barrington. Dr. Stefani spoke to the membership about the health benefits of teaching children at a very young age to wear a helmet when riding a bike. A bicyclist herself, she encourages parents to be the role model for their children by wearing helmets when they ride. She is so passionate about this that she has offered to pay her own children $1,000 if she is ever caught riding without one.
Nationally, there are over one thousand bicycle related deaths annually, and over 50 thousand people are hospitalized as a result of bike accidents, a cost to the health industry of over $2 billion. Children and teens account for 60% of these accidents. Head injuries are the most prominent result of these incidents and most of them can be prevented by wearing a helmet. In fact, statistics have shown that 70% of these injuries could be prevented by a properly fitted helmet. Yet, just 40-48% of children admit to wearing them.
To help combat this, Dr. Stefani has teamed with the local Police Departments of Cary, Fox River Grove and Crystal Lake to help promote the idea of safe bicycling. Children seen riding their bikes while wearing a helmet are stopped by the Police Officers and presented a gift certificate from sponsoring local companies. While still relatively new, the program is gaining awareness. According to Police Chief Finlon, when kids see a patrol officer approaching, they point to their helmets. Can't get much better than that. Thank you, Dr. Stefani for your concern and passion surrounding this important issue.
We are grateful to Past District Governor, Don Brewer, for being on-hand this morning to proudly present the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove with three separate awards. The first most notable award was for being 1st in the District for Foundation Giving. Out of approximately 72 clubs in our District, being No. 1 is a significant accomplishment. The second award was The Rotary Citation (formerly the Presidential Citation). This award was given to the club for meeting specific goals outlined by the District at the beginning of the year. The third award was for our "End Polio Now" contribution which was in excess of $1,500. We may be a small club, but our leadership is experienced and committed. Congratulations to all our Members, our Board and President, Pat Finlon, for all their hard work. We are very proud of our members and our leadership.
At today's meeting, Erik Morimoto, Director of Public Works, and Matt Anderson gave an overview of the Wastewater Treatment System for the Village of Cary. Matt described in detail the filtration process used by the village. Residents of Cary are fortunate in having the property, facility and expertise to ensure that our wastewater is efficiently processed in a cost-effective manner. And, the facility has the capacity to accommodate additional growth within the community without the need to upgrade equipment.
Erick reviewed some of the Construction Projects that are planned for the Village. At the top of that list is the upgrade to the Metro Station, a $2.3 million grant project that includes a new depot and pedestrian crossing at Route 14. Being the 60th busiest station out of Metra's 236 stations, this upgrade is much needed. Thanks to both Matt & Erik for a very informative program.
Our guest speaker last week was Captain Andy Veath from the Cary Fire Protection District. Captain Veath updated the membership on current events and activities at the district. Founded over 100 years ago, the fire district is a separate entity from the Village of Cary. It provides protection for fire, rescue and life ambulance services to over 35,000 residents in the Cary area.
Community involvement is an important aspect at the district. Most notable are the Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) classes that are open to the public. Classes are held on the first Wednesday of the month but do require pre-registration, which can be done by visiting their website. The classes teach adult, child and infant CPR as well as techniques in choking incidents and how to use an Automatic External Defibrillation device. To learn more about the services offered by the Fire District, visit their website at www.http://caryfire.com.
Elizabeth Kessler, Executive Director for the McHenry County Conservation District, was the guest speaker this Elizabeth Kessler, Executive Director for the McHenry County Conservation District, was the guest speaker this morning at the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove. Shawna Flavell, Executive Director for the McHenry County Conservation Foundationwas also present at the meeting. Founded in 1971, MCCD established a mission of "Sustaining the Dream" by becoming stewards of the places we love in McHenry County. Nearly fifty years later, that dream still motivates the staff and volunteers that nurture the 25,000 plus acres that make up the district. at the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove. Shawna Flavell, Executive Director for the McHenry County Conservation Foundation was also present at the meeting. Founded in 1971, MCCD established a mission of "Sustaining the Dream" by becoming stewards of the places we love in McHenry County. Nearly fifty years later, that dream still motivates the staff and volunteers that nurture the 25,000 plus acres that make up the district.
At the core of what it does, MCCD works at protecting the environment that local animals and plant species rely on for their habitat. Thirty-four sites are open to the public featuring 105 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of biking trails, 23 fishing ponds, 6 campgrounds, 4 canoe launches, 40 miles of horse trails, and 21 sites with picnic shelters, and a multitude of opportunities for wildlife viewing. Over 500 volunteers help with the maintenance of these properties.
The future activities for MCCD is guided by the McHenry County Citizens' Conservation Bill of Rights. To learn more about volunteer opportunities and how you can support the district, visit their website at http://www.mccdistrict.org.
At our Evening Social on February 21st, The Rotary Club of Cary-Grove was pleased to award A. Robert Abboud with a Paul Harris Fellowship. Sponsored by his long-time friend and partner Ted Wagner, Mr. Abboud proudly accepted the award. His many contributions to the community, and his connections throughout the world have exemplified the humanitarian and educational objectives of The Rotary Foundation. We are thankful for his demonstrating in his life and vocation a commitment to helping persons in need, here and around the world. Congratulations, Bob!
At today's meeting, Rotarian Ann Hughes from the Rotary Club of Woodstock, gave a presentation of an Agro-Ecological Training Farm located in La Esperanza, Ecuador. The project provides hands-on training for local residents of ancestral agricultural knowledge and introduces new technologies to improve nutritional health in the local communities.
The lead club for this Rotary International grant project is the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield. They have been working with the Club Rotario de Quito Equinoccio for the past three years, and are once again, looking for partnership funding opportunities. Next steps will include the construction of a post-harvest building for cleaning and packaging produce grown on the farm. In addition, a retail store for selling the produce, and a mobile retail market which will transport produce to local neighborhoods is being considered.
Visit their website to learn more about this exciting adventure.
Members fron The Friends of the Fox River Grove Memorial Library and the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove dedicate the opening of the Little Free Libraries that were installed in Fox River Grove earlier this spring. One is located in Lion’s Park (pictured here), the other is in the Stone Hill Shopping Center located at Routes 22 & 14 in Fox River Grove.
