In compliance with state and local guidelines to curb transmission of the Coronavirus, the Club Board of Directors has voted to cancel the following meetings:
Tuesday, April 7 Club Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, April 9 Club Meeting
Thursday, April 16 Club Meeting
Thursday, April 23 Club Meeting
Thursday, April 30- 5th Thursday - no meeting
President Doug Mann and the Board of Directors will review current Coronavirus directives and inform you of any additional cancellations.
Rotary International and District 5440 Updates
District 5440 and District 5450 have canceled RYLA and Young RYLA and RYLA Plus leadership camps for youth.
Rotary International has canceled the June 6-10 International Convention in Honolulu.
District 5440 has canceled the May 29-30 District Conference.
District 5440 has canceled the May 28 Foundation Dinner.
Times of trouble don't stop Rotarians
Are you in need of help? President Doug Mann is reaching out to club members who may need assistance during this time of Shelter in Place, Social Distancing, and anxiety about the Coronavirus.
"I would like for anyone who is having difficulties or problems of any kind during this challenging time to call me," he said. Doug's cell # is (815) 519-8933.
"We will try to help you get through this," Doug added. "Please know you are not alone. Your club can help. Rotarians will be there for you!"
Lucky and President Doug want to help!
Who says?
Who says you can't do something very important for your Rotary club while at home? Well, they are wrong!
Karol Rinehart is convening a committee to nominate and select award recipients for our annual Presidents' Night. She's looking for volunteers. All committee business will be conducted by email. This gives you the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to a celebration of members who leader and serve.
Karol's waiting to hear from you! Please email her at: kj.rinehart@centurylink.net
Duck Race Committee Update
There will be NO Duck Race Committee meeting on April 16. Our next committee meeting will be Thursday, May 14 at 5 p.m. Location (physical or virtual) to be announced later.
Big Duck asks that anyone with Duck Race questions contact her at 970-590-9942 or bigduck@epduckrace.org.
Duck Central equipment has been moved back into storage until a new location can be found for July and August. Anyone with ideas on a location should contact Karen.
Club donates to COVID-19 emergency fund
The Rotary Club of Estes Park Board of Directors has voted to make a $1,000 contribution to Estes Park Health Foundation’s special fund to support the COVID-19 response at Estes Park Health. This fund was recently established to help with the hospital’s work to obtain additional personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, care for the uninsured, acquire equipment, upgrade facilities, and other needs that may arise
The most pressing need is to outfit four patient rooms with negative pressure systems. Negative pressure will prevent air from the room of an infected patient from escaping out into the building to infect other patients or staff. This project will cost $45,000 to complete.
"This pandemic has impacted us all, through illness of friends and family in other areas, social restrictions that limit our interactions and travel, increased anxiety, unemployment, and economic fears," said Kevin Mullin, executive director of the Estes Park Health Foundation. "Our town is preparing for the threat caused by COVID-19, and our hospital foundation is pleased to support this preparedness."
A generous Rotarian has agreed to match the club's $1,000 contribution to the COVID-19 fund. Additionally, this Rotarian also will match club members' contributions up to a maximum of $5,000.
"The Rotary Club of Estes Park's history of supporting local needs is a hallmark of this group. The Estes Park Health Foundation very much appreciates this grant," Mullin said. "The additional pledge of a club member to match donations will multiply the club's generosity and help the foundation to reach its goal."
For more information or to make a contribution, visit givetoeph.org/covid19. Contact Kevin Mullin with questions, at kmullin@eph.org or 970-387-8252.
HELPING
Posted by Jack Boatman
R.I. approves our club's global grant
Cooperative effort will staff children’s center
We may be in “stay at home” mode in Estes Park, but our Rotary Club is still active serving others. Our club recently received approval for a global grant from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International to support a new Children’s Learning Center in Pogradec, Albania.
The Rotary Club of Estes Park, The Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation, the Pogradec Albania Rotary Club, and Nehemiah Gateway are working together on this global grant project.
Pogradec is a city of 37,000 people in southeastern Albania. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, with about 34 percent of the overall population living poverty. In rural areas and among marginalized groups such as people with disabilities, the rate is much higher. The education system in Albania offers very little support for children with special needs; in Pogradec, lack of services means that close to 100 percent of children with special needs are never able to attend school, and reach adulthood with limited options for dignified and independent living.
This project will help more children with disabilities receive the support they need to thrive in school. The nonprofit organization Nehemiah Gateway (NG) has helped thousands of people living in poverty in Albania since 1991, offering medical and social aid to people in need, and education for people for whom the public education system is inaccessible. This includes significant work with children with disabilities. NG has raised funds to add a new Children's Learning Center to its current clinical space, addressing a significant community need that it cannot meet with existing staff and facilities. This Center, consisting of two therapy classrooms connected by a shared waiting room and restroom, will be staffed by a team of nurses and specialists.
Nehemiah Gateway photos
The project supports several of Rotary’s global areas of focus. It is primarily an education project that will increase education opportunities for special needs children and build capacity in the Pogradec community to meet the needs of special needs children. Additionally, it addresses water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) goals by including funding to install an accessible bathroom (including handwashing and drinking water stations) in the center, and staff and student instruction on proper handwashing and hygiene.
The cost of the global grant project is $35,000. The Rotary Club of Estes Park and the Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation both contributed $2,500. Nehemiah Gateway provided $5,000 in matching funds. The global grant project will receive $10,000 in matching funds from District 5440 and $15,000 in matching funds from The Rotary Foundation.
Nehemiah Gateway has raised the funds needed to build the two therapy classrooms. The Rotary funds will primarily be used to support teacher training and personnel costs for the first year of operation. After that, Nehemiah Gateway will cover all ongoing operational costs.
The global grant project continues our club's connection with Nehemiah Gateway and the Pogradec, Albania area. Our club donations, along with district matching funds, financially supported a summer camp in this area of Albania in 2018 and 2019 and will be again in the summer of 2020. The camp provides a safe place for low income children to learn and grow during a time when school is out, and when many children are forced into begging and trash collecting.
News of a club member's upcoming battle
Gary Hazelton, a club member since 2002, was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Gary is currently being treated with chemotherapy. According to family friend Ward Nelson, because the tumor is isolated outside the pancreas and was detected early, the prognosis is the best it can be. Radiation will follow chemo, with surgery possible in the future.
"Gary is in good spirits and appreciates upbeat support," Ward added.
Please keep Gary and Kris and their family in your prayers. Cards may be sent c/o Estes Park News, P.O. Box 508, Estes Park, CO, 80517.
Gary Hazelton
Update on Jack Overly
Mary Overly has asked Anne Slack to inform the club she and Jack have moved to the Good Samaritan in Loveland for the time being. They hope to return to Estes Park when Jack's health permits. Contact Anne Slack for more information.
Get well, soon, Jack!
Posted by Rita DuChateau
Send an email greeting to a club member!
Because we haven't had meetings in a few weeks, please think about reaching out to a club member by email to wish them a happy birthday or to congratulate them on an anniversary or membership milestone. It only takes a few minutes and doesn't require a stamp or a trip to the post office.
Look at the right-hand column of this newsletter to see the list of March and April celebrations. Make someone's day with a message of cheer!
Posted by Rita DuChateau
Duck Race postponed
Ducks hope to race in mid-August
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Rotary Club of Estes Park has decided to postpone this year’s Duck Race Festival by several months. While it’s too early to announce a new date, Duck Race planners hope to stage the event later this summer, if circumstances permit. A mid-August date is under consideration. Duck adoption sales, which began in late February, will continue with paper forms and online purchases at epduckrace.org until Race Day.
“We realize this is a difficult time for everyone, and since we don’t know when social distancing restrictions and mandated closures will be lifted, we decided it would be best to postpone the race and all the festivities of the day,” said 2020 ‘Big Duck’ Karen Thompson.
Lucky says "Stay well!"
The committee’s decision, made March 19 at an online meeting of more than two dozen members of the planning team, underscores the importance of the event to the community. Last year’s Duck Race raised $128,700 for 67 community organizations. Over 6,700 ducks were adopted.
“Because this is such an important fundraiser for so many wonderful organizations in the Estes area, we didn’t want to consider canceling it,” Thompson explained. “At the same time, we had to keep everyone’s safety at the forefront, and the only way to do that was to postpone the race.”
The planning team is viewing the postponement as positively as possible under the circumstances, Thompson said. The “glass half full” approach envisions more favorable August weather, more time for participating organizations to sell duck adoptions, and more time to build excitement for a community-wide celebration of a hopeful return to normalcy. In addition, an August date may draw new spectators who have never seen a fundraising duck race.
“We hope that by holding the event when the weather is almost guaranteed to be beautiful, we’ll have a great turnout for the day’s festivities,” Thompson added. “We look forward to running a great race and giving away hundreds of prizes donated by our very generous merchants and sponsors. Most importantly, the participating organizations will be able to raise funds in order to carry on with their good work.”
More details on the Estes Park Rotary Duck Race Festival will be shared in upcoming weeks, as the committee finalizes details of the postponed event with the Town of Estes Park, partners and vendors. Thompson wants to emphasize that the decision to delay follows Rotary International’s guiding principles: “Is it fair to all concerned?” and “Is it beneficial to all concerned?”
“For all that has happened in the world with COVID-19 these last several months, it was important that the Rotary Club of Estes Park stand by its beliefs and make these necessary changes with the hope that circumstances will support rescheduling,” she said.
In the past 31 years, the Estes Park Duck Race has returned more than $2.7 million to Estes Valley organizations that serve residents of all ages.
The Grand Opening of Duck Central has been postponed. Participating Organizations are asked to collect and safeguard cash and checks from duck adoptions until further notice.
Give to our Foundation while you shop!
Do you find that you are placing Amazon orders more frequently these days? Don't forget to help your Rotary Club of Estes Park Foundation with every order. As a recipient of funds in the smile.amazon.com, our foundation will receive a portion of the sale. All you need to do its sign up to get the funds flowing. And SHOP!
Choose the charitable organization by typing in Estes Park Rotary Foundation. Our club and the Longs Peak club will come up in the search. Click on Estes Park Rotary Foundation.
Create a bookmark so every time you shop Amazon, you will participating in the smile.amazon.com program.
Rotary Quote of the Week
"As people of action, Rotary members want to find ways to respond to COVID-19, which is now a global pandemic, and to help people affected by it. The Rotary Foundation offers several options that Rotarians can use to help care for and protect people in their own communities and others around the world."
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