Although a banker by day, Michelle Tecza spends many of her off-hours taking part in the physically demanding world of Women’s Roller Derby action. Speaking at this week’s Rotary meeting, Tecza explained that the sport initially began as a racing competition in the 1920’s. During the next couple of decades, it became more physical with a point system and rules established. The sport evolved to more of a theater-aspect of entertainment in the 1960’s only to go through a decline of popularity. Interest rekindled with creation of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association in the early 2000’s.
The fast-paced Roller Derby action involves two opposing teams of five-members each roller skating around a track. Each of their runs are timed for two minutes. Each team designates a scoring player called a “jammer.” The “jammer” scores point by lapping members of the opposing team. Offense and defense are playing at the same time as players try to help their jammer past the opposition while blocking the other team’s jammer from getting through. There are extremely strict rules for how one maneuvers around the rink and pushes people aside without getting a penalty.
Tecza is a member of the “Barbed Wire Betties.” Besides the physical training needed for an actual competition, Tecza is also responsible for an extensive equipment list including helmet, mouth guard, elbow and knee pads, wrist guards, skates, toe stops , and jersey and helmet covers. The Barbed Wire Betties are organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit group. They play home games at the Kishwaukee YMCA. Tecza said participants and members of the audience can all enjoy the strategy, skill, and excitement of the roller derby matches.
Attending any art fairs in the near future? Please collect business cards and share the information with Paul Stromberg (pstromborg@mac.com) so the Sycamore Rotary can establish our own vendor database for our upcoming event in June! Thanks!
A mass, worldwide vaccination effort is crucial to defeating the COVID-19 pandemic — but the logistics of getting it done are incredibly complex. Two of the most complicating factors? Storage and transportation.
Distributing vaccine doses is much more elaborate than simply putting vials in a box and loading them onto a truck. From the time a vaccine leaves the manufacturer to the time it’s administered to a patient, it needs to be kept in ideal and highly specific conditions. For example, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine needs to be stored at a frigid -70° C. That’s why the success of large-scale immunization efforts is dependent on a reliable cold chain: a system of safely storing and transporting vaccines at recommended temperatures.
What makes up a cold chain?
A seamless cold chain combines three equally important elements:
Equipment: in most cases, the best storage option is a pharmaceutical-grade unit, specially designed for housing vaccines. Unlike the freezer where you keep your ice cream, these can cost upwards of $15,000. Specialized portable coolers are also important for moving vaccines from one location to another.
Personnel: staff and volunteers tasked with handling vaccines must be thoroughly trained on safe storage and transportation practices. This is particularly important because different vaccines require different conditions.
Processes: vaccinating facilities must have clear, detailed, and up-to-date instructions for vaccine handling — plus contingency plans in case of emergency. What if the facility loses power? What if there’s a weather event? These questions and more should have thorough answers.
What happens if the chain breaks?
Vaccines can only protect against disease if they’re delivered safely. Overexposure to heat, cold, or light can compromise vaccine quality. Not only does this diminish the vaccine’s effectiveness; it also leads to wasted vaccine supply and financial loss. Between spoiled vaccines, replacement costs, and administrative expenses, cold chain errors cost healthcare shippers billions of dollars a year.
How we help
For more than 30 years, Rotary members have been supporting the safe transport of polio vaccines to every corner of the globe. When it comes to COVID-19, we’re just as committed to bringing vaccines to all. Learn more about how we’re playing our part: http://on.rotary.org/covid19efforts.
April 30, 1948 – British rule ended and the independent state of Israel was created.
May 1, 1960 – American U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down over central Russia.
April 26, 1986 – At the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, an explosion caused a meltdown of the nuclear fuel and spread a radioactive cloud into the atmosphere, eventually covering most of Europe. The plant was encased in solid concrete to prevent further release of radiation.
April 26, 1994 – Multiracial elections were held for the first time in the history of South Africa. Anti-Apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was elected President.
