Come and meet Mark Lee, Chairman, Bethania Kids North America & Member of Estes Park Rotary Club
Mark Lee and Bethania Kids
Mark has worked in the Information Technology industry for the last 43 years, and his work takes him to India frequently. After witnessing the impact of extreme poverty on India's children, he started volunteering for a charitable organization, Bethania Kids, dedicated to providing hope and wholeness to these children. Bethania Kids is a registered 501(c)3 organization led by dozens of volunteers across the United States and Canada, and is currently supporting more than 1,000 orphaned and at-risk children in southern India. Mark is currently serving as the volunteer chairman of this organization.
Mark will address the challenges faced by so many children in India, and the work of Bethania Kids to provide them with support. He will also discuss recent connections made with local Rotary Clubs in southern India that are also providing support to these children.
Our program on April 17th will be held in person, but a Zoom link will be provided.
For the Invocation Lee Lasson gave Al Wasson’s prayer.
Annie led the Pledge of Allegiance.
We sang “April Showers” accompanied by Madison Casey.
No guests today.
Annie acknowledged Karen McClure’s birthday, and wedding anniversary of Guy & Leslie Van der Werf.
Announcements:
Annie said there is a Rotary virtual assembly this Saturday 9:00-11:30. Ask her for the connection.
Beth Weisberg said the annual town clean-up before the Duck Race will be Saturday, April 26. Sign in at 9:00 to get a route to clean. She also needs two people to work the registration desk with her.
Madison gave an update on the duck squat, and said he needed one person to come to his house for an afternoon to prepare the board squares.
Scott Robbins said the spots are filled for the two potluck/hosted dinners on Friday, April 18.
Jim Austin gave two months’ worth of Shelter Box appeals and donated $20.
Scott Thompson gave a Duck Race update:
$66,500 for 2,838 ducks adopted.
$32,000 sponsors showed a big increase lately so closer to our $40,000 budget. He thanked Bill Solms' work. Due to this, we have enough money to commit to the Grand Prize of $10,000 cash!
218 merchant prizes, thanks to Tim Moore, chair.
142 volunteers of 160 goal, chaired by Scott Robbiins.400 people will be involved that day, including entertainers.
400 people will be involved that day, including entertainers.
Stanley Hotel produces Mountain Madness that weekend, and is giving free Friday night concert tickets to duck adopters. In addition, before the concert, they will have a celebration of Rotary and the Duck Race. We are encouraged to come 1.5 hours before the concert to network with people for Rotary.
We sort ducks today after this meeting at Barn W at the fairgrounds.
Friday after the race, May 9, is the Duck Race Wrap Party at the Holiday Inn for Rotary, sponsors, participating charities.
SCOTT presenting the latest Duck Race update
Jim Whiteneck said the Legion is completing the bar renovation so our meeting room will be looking normal next week. Thank Hannah of the Legion for accommodating us.
Rotarian Stories
Larry Williams gave his Rotary story.
Larry presenting his Rotary Story, including
rooting for The Ohio State University
Scott told his joke.
Happy Money:
Jay Harroff and Daffney participated in the annual Sweet 16 contest at The Wheel, and this year he won big and is giving Rotary $300!
Neil Standard is happy to have had cataract surgery.
Program:
Jack Ford introduced Courtney Hill, Chief Operating Officer of the YMCA of the Rockies. She is a long-time resident, and her father was an officer at the Y as well. She told us about the many programs and facilities at the Y, and the impact they have on the town.
Courtney Hill presenting Courtney receiving a piece
of the rock from Annie.
Adjournment
We concluded with the 4 Way Test.
Submitted by Madison
Update from President Anne Slack
This week has been consumed by Scholarship Applications and Interviews. It is such fun to meet our young students, to see their enthusiasm about heading out to start their lives as adults, hear their dreams for their futures and their concerns about how they are going to fund their college education. Some of them seemed so self assured; others seemed nervous but still presented themselves well to our Rotary group. When we asked if they had heard about Rotary, most of them sadly had not.
We had the pleasure of interviewing fifteen students this week. The scholarships we offer are three academics which are $10,000 each for 4 years and then endowed scholarships of various amounts given by family or friends in memory of a Rotarian, or by current Rotarians that want to support our young students so they are able to afford the cost of college.
It is incumbent on each of us to spread the word about Rotary: what it is, what it does locally and world-wide. We need to engage our youth in Interact, Rotaract, RYLA, and the many other programs available to them through Rotary to support them and promote Service Above Self.
Back in mid March we heard from Brooke Latourelle who had received a scholarship from us in 2007. I am including an email she wrote to Chuck Bonza. Be sure to watch the video. See how the money we raise throughout the year is what we are able to give to our students so they can have an outcome like Brooke’s.
“Hello Mr. Bonza!
I'm not sure if you remember me but I met you just a little under a year ago at the Duck Race. I then offered to send a thank you video to Rotary for their scholarship that they gave me when I was a high school senior.
Though way overdue it is attached in the link below. Sincerest thanks again! Would you mind sending to the other local Rotary Club as well? I believe that Sunrise and Afternoon Rotary clubs both gave me scholarships.
Announcing Community Clean Up Day: Saturday, April 26th. Please save that morning to help clean up the Town. This event is open to the public, so feel free to bring friends and neighbors. We will meet at 9:00 a.m.at the Visitor’s Center east side parking lot where you can pick up a route assignment and a large orange trash bag. Most routes take about 1 1/2 hours to complete. If you have a particular route that you would like to do, please let Beth know via email in advance, and she will reserve it for you.
We also could use one more member of our club to sit at the table at Visitor’s Center east side parking lot, and sign in the volunteers, hand them a pre-printed route assignment, and smile a lot. It's fun and easy. You can sit or stand. You would need to be there around 8:45 a.m. and should be all done by 9:30 a.m. at the latest, probably sooner. No experience necessary, and you won't be asked to pick up any trash unless you want to -- in which case you can have your choice of routes, and start out right after the crowd has gone. Please let Beth know if you would like to volunteer to help with sign-in/route assignments on April 26.
From The Chaplain
Do you know a Club Member who needs assistance? Maybe a ride to meetings, or just a phone call to keep in touch? Please contact Bill Smith 970-420-1033 or billsmithbronx1956@gmail.com.
