The venue has been secured, the Allentown Band has been hired, sponsors have been obtained, and the concert program booklet is completed! Thank you to all those members who assisted in soliciting and/or purchasing sponsorships.
We only have a couple of additional items to address to ensure a successful event. First and utmost, we need every member to sell/purchase the six (6) tickets they were allocated for the concert. These funds, along with the sponsorships and auction items (thank you Cheryl and Marianne), will help offset the expenses and guarantee the concert is a successful fundraiser. Also, we will need a few Morning Star Rotarians to volunteer on concert day to sell tickets at the door, collect tickets at the entrance to the auditorium, hand out programs, flags, etc. Your assistance will ensure the concert runs smoothly. Please e-mail us at sttconcert@ptd.net if you are able to volunteer.
Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, in partnership with The Freezer Ministry and Garden Gatherers, will be hosting a Hut on Main Street in downtown Bethlehem in November and December to collect donations, and bring awareness about the unsheltered and food insecurity by handing out cookies. They expect to hand out over 5,000 holiday cookies and snickerdoodle bars this year. If you are interested in baking or sponsoring cookies, contact Cookie Coordinator Blake Messman at 484-894-3295.
As a member of our amazing organization, we want you and key members of your club to join us at the upcoming Action Plan Summit. By engaging with several members of your club throughout the morning, you will all leave with a great plan to bring back to your club.
We look forward to seeing you and your team on Saturday, November 8th at 8 AM at the Advanced Technology Center on Blue Bell's campus of Montgomery County Community College.
The cost is $60.00, which includes breakfast and lunch. Some clubs are paying for one or two members to attend. See if your board will pay for you!
This November, as we celebrate The Rotary Foundation, I invite you to consider not only what we give but why we give. The Foundation is more than a fund for projects. It is the beating heart of our promise that service, rooted in trust and friendship, can create lasting change.
Our Action Plan calls us to increase our impact, and the Foundation is how we make this vision real. Since 1988, Rotary and our partners have immunized nearly 3 billion children against polio. We have committed more than $2.6 billion to this cause, and last year alone we directed $146 million toward the final push for eradication. These numbers are significant, but the true impact is not in statistics โ it is in the lives of children who will never again fear polio. It is in the hope restored to families and the peace built in communities once defined by disease.
But polio is only one story among many. Each year, Rotary Peace Centers train new generations of leaders who will transform conflict into dialogue and division into understanding. In 2023-24, nearly 100 new fellows began their studies, continuing a legacy of more than 1,800 peacebuilders from over 140 countries. When we invest in them, we are planting seeds of peace that will bear fruit for decades to come.
The Foundation also touches lives through district and global grants, supporting projects large and small. A clean water well for a rural community, scholarships for young professionals, medical care in the wake of disaster โ these are not temporary gestures, but steps toward dignity, resilience, and opportunity. This is how Rotary service becomes lasting impact. And when natural disasters strike, our Foundation allows Rotary to act quickly with disaster response grants.
Our Foundation is not about what we can do alone but what we can do together. Each contribution, no matter its size, joins with others to create a collective act of faith in humanity and in the future.
The last mile of any great journey is always the hardest. We see this in our final steps toward ending polio, in our work for peace, and in every project that seeks to lift people out of despair. Yet every time we give, we declare that our work will continue regardless of the challenge.
This November, let us give with gratitude, with joy, and with hope. Through our Foundation, we Unite for Good, and in doing so, we leave behind not only projects but a legacy of peace, trust, and Service Above Self.
This complimentary special event will honor ShelterBoxโs 25 years of bringing shelter and dignity to families uprooted by disaster and conflict. Together, weโll reflect on our shared impact, and prepare for the urgent work ahead.
Join ambassadors, supporters, friends, and family from around the world as ShelterBox shows you the frontlines of todayโs most urgent crises. Youโll hear powerful stories of resilience and see how your support transforms lives where it matters most.
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION THIS ROTARY YEAR?
See Foundation Chair, Tom Hartzell for information on making your contribution. You can send your contribution on-line or give your check (payable to Rotary Foundation) to Tom. You can also mail a check to Tom Hartzell, 1341 Biafore Avenue, Bethlehem, Pa 18017.
Join us for Rotary's Fight Against Polio: Global Progress and Updates from Pakistan 13 November 2025 | 12:00 Chicago time (UTC-6) Live on Zoom
Polio remains endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, recent outbreaks in previously polio-free areas and detections of poliovirus in sewage across several European countries demonstrate that polio remains a threat to children everywhere. Fragile health systems and competing priorities continue to challenge eradication efforts, but Rotary and the Gates Foundation have renewed our long-standing partnership to fight polio with a joint commitment of US$450 million. Rotary leaders also recently visited Pakistan and met with government officials, who reaffirmed their commitment to eradication. Join us to hear the latest updates and learn how your support is helping make progress toward a polio-free world.
