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Guest Speaker:  Grace Waller
 
Grace Waller (right, with her father Rotarian Brad Waller) was a successful swimmer in high school, constantly working on her breaststroke and seeking to improve her times.  She wasn't about to let a little pain in her knees bother her.
 
But after her swim season ended in 2008, she couldn't ignore the pain anymore and went to a doctor -- who told her she had cancer.
 
Grace underwent nearly two years' worth of chemotherapy, and her life fell into a pattern -- chemo, recovery, blood transfusions and pain.  But even as she struggled with the disease, she had a bit of hope while in the cancer ward at Rush Memorial Hospital; a friend prepared a care package for her -- a suitcase of individually-wrapped gifts, marked to be opened on specific dates. 
 
This gave her something to look forward to during the long days in the hospital; and after being in remission for six years, she now wants to share that with other patients, through her own charitable organization.
 
Amazing Grace seeks to provide care packages to patients at Rush; donors can provide money, items to use as gifts, or participate in a number of fundraising events.  Anyone looking to help out can get more information by going to:  http://www.amazinggracenfp.org/
 
Sycamore Rotary gears up for annual Pancake Breakfast
 
Preparations are underway for this year's Pumpkin Festival Pancake Breakfast, to be held on Saturday, October 29th at the Federated Church in Sycamore.
 
Rotarians wishing to help out can participate by doing the following:
 
 -- Sign up for a shift at any upcoming Rotary Club meeting; volunteers are needed from 6 to 9 a.m. and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, October 29th...and for set-up on Friday, October 28th from 2 to 4:00 p.m.  (The Club has discontinued its policy of giving members who do not participate a special assessment; all Rotarians are free to volunteer, at will.)
 
 -- Sell tickets to friends, neighbors, colleagues, anyone in need of a hearty pancake breakfast.  Tickets are $5.00 each, and are available at any Rotary meeting.
 
 -- Take one or more of our posters; display them at your place of business, or put them up anywhere around town.  These are also available at each Rotary meeting.
 
Be sure to contact Dave McCann for more information.
 
Dictionary Distribution set for Wednesday, October 12
 
The annual Dictionary Distribution will be held on Wednesday, October 12th immediately following Rotary Club meeting; volunteers are being sought to help deliver dictionaries to 3rd grade students in the Sycamore School District and independent schools.
 
For years, the Sycamore Rotary Club has participated in The Dictionary Project; experts say third grade is the time when students begin to explore and learn the meanings of words, and that this is the best possible time to provide them with dictionaries...in order to help along that process.
 
If you are interested in helping out with this year's distribution, you can sign up at any upcoming Rotary Club meeting.
 
Kishwaukee Sunrise hosts 25th Anniversary Dinner on October 11th
 
The Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary Club will hold its 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner on Tuesday, October 11th; it will be at Faranda's Banquet Center, at 302 Grove Street in DeKalb.
 
The evening begins with a cash bar and appetizers at 6:00 p.m. with dinner at 6:30.  The program will celebrate the history of the club; the featured guest will be Kirk Reed, the first President of the Kishwaukee Sunrise Rotary.
 
If you wish to attend, please RSVP to Ken Olson at olsonpt@comcast.net, or call (815) 520-2857 by October 1st.  Please specify the number to attend, and entree choice (stuffed pork chop, stuffed chicken breast or vegetable lasagna).
 
Tickets still available for Make a Difference raffle
 
Tickets are still available for the Make a Difference DKC raffle, to support the Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack event in November.
 
Rotarians are encouraged to sell these tickets between now and November 13th; the grand prize is $10,000 in cash, and Rotary will get back $8 from every $20 ticket sold.
 
For more information, please see Heidi Wright at any upcoming Rotary Club meeting.
 
District 6420 urges early Rotary Foundation donations
 
2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Foundation.  Our district is having a RF donor dinner in Deer Valley on November 5th and DG Scott Shore has requested all clubs make a special donation to the Foundation at that time.
 
At the Sycamore Rotary Club board meeting in August it was suggested that Rotarians be asked to consider making their annual donation to the RF before October 1 (if you are planning to give this fiscal year - July 1-June 30).  The only alternative was to have a separate fund raising effort for this challenge, which would be difficult on such short notice.  
 
Giving the annual contribution now to the RF would preserve the tax deductibility of your donation.
 
If you feel you can give your annual contribution before October 1, please make your check out to the Rotary Foundation and give it to Michele Jurkovic, with a note to add your amount to the club contribution. 
 

Attendance: September 28, 2016

     Attendance:  50.72%

     Other Guests:  Marcela Silva, exchange student

Speakers
Oct 12, 2016
Teen Suicide
Oct 19, 2016
Women's Pro Baseball in WWII
Oct 26, 2016
Pentagon 9/11 Survivor
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Dictionary Distribution
Oct 12, 2016
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
 
Pumpkin Festival Pancake Breakfast
Federated Church
Oct 29, 2016
7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
 
Make a Difference DKC 2016
The Suter Company, Sycamore
Nov 10, 2016 10:00 AM –
Nov 13, 2016 5:00 PM
 
Make-Up Session
Blumen Gardens
Nov 23, 2016
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
 
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Sycamore
Service Above Self
We meet Wednesdays at 11:45 AM
Blumen Gardens Banquet Facility
403 Edward Street
Sycamore, IL  60178
United States
DistrictSiteIcon
District Site
 
VenueMap
Venue Map
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2016-2017
President -- Sue Emberson    
President-Elect -- Eric Jones
Past President -- Russell Bishop    
Secretary -- Sally Bruch    
Treasurer -- Michele Jurkovic    
Director -- Ray Dembinski
Director -- Pat Shafer   
Assistant Treasurer -- Lavarre Uhlken    
Sergeant-at-Arms -- Brian Adams
 
Monthly Committees
July -- Curt Lang, Gary Evans, Jim Moris, Chip Houdek, Sally Bruch, Fred Peltz
August -- Barry Schrader, Ben Swedberg, Lloyd Larson, Jim Buck, Julenne Davey, Dave McCann
September -- Mario Fontana, Paul Michel, Bert Gray, Jeff Jacobson, Tim Carlson, Brandon Diviak
October -- Jeff Frank, Marcy Buick, Dave Andrews, Jim Schwartzbach, Dave Miller, Don Clayberg
November -- Pete Johnson, Dave Galica, Julie Sgarlata, Kathy Countryman, Tami Armstrong, Troy Oates
December -- Steve Balster, Bob Wildendradt, Brad Waller, Eric Jones, Dan Gibble, Kathleen Merner
January -- Pat Shafer, Michele Jurkovic, Keven Dahl, Paul Barnaby, Heidi Wright
February -- Brian Gregory, Nicole Stuckert, Riley Oncken, Ahmed Kamel, Larry Berke
March -- Jeff Petersen, Paulette Renault, Russell Bishop, Ray Dembinski, Dave Hamilton, Steve Kuhn
April -- Paul Borek, Shelley Hendricks, Jim Bowers, Bob Hammon, Paul Callighan, Sajel Patel
May -- Mark Spiegelhoff, Cliff Bottigliero, Rose Henton, Mark Hilde, Darion Page, Rose Treml
June -- Paul Stromborg, Brian Adams, Lavarre Uhlken, Jeff Keicher, Jim Stoddard, Marijo Schwartz
 
New Generations
Chair—Julie Sgarlata
At-Large Committee Members – Kathy Countryman, Eric Jones, Don Clayberg, Julenne Davey, Nicole Stuckert
Sycamore H.S. Interact – Ben Swedberg  
Sycamore M.S. Interact – Nicole Stuckert 
South Prairie EarlyAct – Julie Sgarlata  
North Grove EarlyAct – Mark Hilde       
Long/Short Term Youth Exchange – Chip Houdek, Tim Carlson, Jeff Jacobson, Jeff Keicher
Group Study Exchange – Troy Oates, Fred Peltz
RYLA -- Ben Swedberg     
Student of the Month – Steve Balster
 
Foundation & Grants
Chair – Paul Stromborg
At-Large Committee Members Don Clayberg, Bob Hammon, Rose Henton
Polio Plus Paul Stromborg, Curtis Lang, Bert Gray
Annual Giving/Foundation – Jim Stoddard, Jim Buck, Jim Bowers, Riley Oncken
Scholarships Pete Johnson, Jeff Keicher, Ray Dembinski, Michele Jurkovic, Don Clayberg
 
Service Above Self and Service Projects
Chair – Ray Dembinski
Multiple Club Project Coordination – Bob Hammon, Dave Miller, Paul Stromborg, Keven Dahl
Water Project – Heidi Wright, Riley Oncken, Julenne Davey
Meals on Wheels (August) – Brian Adams, Curt Lang, Sejal Patel, Darion Page, Mark Spiegelhoff
Dictionary Distribution (September) – Lavarre Uhlken, Brian Adams, Shelley Hendricks
Pancake Breakfast (October) – Dave McCann, Marcy Buick, Marijo Schwartz, Brad Waller, Michele Jurkovic, Fred Peltz, Jeff Petersen, Paulette Renault
Feed My Starving Children (November) – Heidi Wright, Jeff Frank, Eric Jones, Paul Stromborg, Marijo Schwartz
Salvation Army Bell-Ringing (December) – Dave Andrews, Jim Moris, Kathy Countryman, Rose Treml, Paul Borek
Adopt a Family (December) – Heidi Wright, Dave Miller, Brad Waller, Julenne Davey
Rotarians at Work Day (May) – Brian Adams, Pat Shafer, Bert Gray, Brandon Diviak, Sejal Patel
 
Public Image and Awareness
Chair – Brian Adams
Website – Eric Jones, Fred Peltz, Paul Barnaby
The Spoke – Barry Schrader, Paul Barnaby, Brian Adams, Shelley Hendricks
Public Image Campaign and Social Media – Brian Adams, Marijo Schwartz, Mark Hilde
Sergeant at Arms – Brian Adams, Lavarre Uhlken, Barry Schrader, Curt Lang
IT/Audio-Visual – Eric Jones, Brian Adams, Dave Galica
 
Club Fellowship
Fines – Jeff Keicher, Riley Oncken, Paul Callighan, Marijo Schwartz, Jeff Jacobson, Jim Bowers
100% Attendance Lunch (August) – Sally Bruch
Holiday Party (December) – Jeff Petersen, Gary Evans, Dave Hamilton, Tami Armstrong, Paulette Renault, Julie Sgarlata
Rural-Urban Day (February) – Bob Wildenradt, Troy Oates, Larry Berke
Hula-for-Loota (April) – Paul Michel, Rose Henton, Julie Sgarlata, Tami Armstrong, Jim Bowers
Golf Outing (June) – Dan Gibble, Brian Gregory, Steve Balster, Brad Waller
 
Membership
Chair Sally Bruch
Recruitment All members are expected to bring at least one prospective member as a guest
New Member Orientation Bob Hammon, Ray Dembinski, Brandon Diviak, Russell Bishop
Member Retention Jim Stoddard, Bob Wildenradt, Larry Berke, Nicole Stuckert
 
Russell Hampton
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