PROGRAM: Habitat for Humanity Project in Fiji. Jason Ronyak.
Berkshire High School and Case graduate Jason Ronyak, with some financial help from BMR, journeyed to Fiji this past summer with a group of American students to build a home for Habitat for Humanity. Jason was in Fiji for a total of three weeks.
Fiji consists of 300 + small islands and is located approximately 1200 miles from New Zealand. Fijian and English are their main languages.
The city that they built the Habitat home in was Suva, a very business oriented location on the island. The house they constructed was a simple 40 x 40 structure built on stilts. Because of the warm climate (it rarely gets colder than 60 degrees), there are no interior walls in most homes, just the outside wall shell. The homes are built relatively cheap so that a family can afford to rebuild in the event that a hurricane would destroy their home.
Jason commented that prior to his departure for Fiji, he had not met any of the other students he would be building the home with so he had reservations about how they would all get along. But after spending 3 weeks together they became very good friends and most of them still regularly talk. He thanked BMR for their support of his trip.
Next Meeting: January 19th at Punderson.
Guests: Marc Burr, Marilyn White, Stephanie Ronyak - mother of speaker Jason Ronyak.
Dan McClelland reminded all Rotarians to make sure that their homes are equipped with smoke detectors and that they work. A recent fire fatality in Geauga County would have been avoided if the home had a working smoke detector.
Mike Pesek is putting together ads for the pancake breakfast placemats. Please make your check payable to BMR for $75 and advise Mike if you want any changes in your ad if you had an ad last year. The money and/or changes can be given to Mike at a meeting or mailed to PO Box 516, Burton. The deadline for ads is February 8.
Amanda Peterson, Rotary's exchange student to Hungary, made it to Hungary on August 31st and started school the next day. She is keep a blog that you can follow at http://amanda2hungary.wordpress.com.
Dick Hills announced that we are still looking for a refrigerated trailer for pancakes.
The Singing Angels will by performing a free community concert at the Church of St. Anselm (1299 Chillicothe Road, Chesterland) on Sunday, January 23rd, at 3:00 PM. For more information please contact Chris Livers at 440-338-1561.
Dick Hills' Valentine Quartet will be available for Valentine's Day seranading for $40 per performance.