Thank you to the team led by Ken Farley, who delivered 6 raised beds this week! Karen Chasse ("CEO Mom"), Justine Bassett, Jen Fullmer, and Jim Godbout rounded out the small but effective team! We do need volunteers for this weekend for this rewarding work, so please watch for an email from Ken.
Thank you to Colonel Hakim for his amazing talk at last week's meeting, helping us understand the situation in Afghanistan. It was especially moving to hear how welcoming the Biddeford community has been. And we can't say it enough: thank you to Jen Fullmer for making Hakim and his family a home here.
Thank you to Heather Gendron for arranging our $1,000 college scholarships to students graduating from our four local high schools: Thornton Academy, Old Orchard Beach High School, Biddeford High School, and Biddeford Regional Center of Technology. The Award is made for the second semester of Freshman year and is paid by us directly to the student for use in paying tuition, room and board, books, or other additional needs directly related to their studies. The winning students will be notified this week!
We've been having fun, interesting meetings, with a good core group turning out. We need about 17 people to break even at Dizzy Birds. It's nice if you sign up, to make it easier for me to plan the meeting (such as choosing someone to give the invocation), but it's not a must. Feel free to bring a guest. We had two great guests last week, Brad and Ramin. Chef Tom always makes something good (it's not just chicken). In fact, last week, it was Thanksgiving, which was fun. The week before that, it was fajitas. There's always plenty, and if you're in a hurry, grab a takeout box and bring lunch back to the office.
For your calendar, here's our schedule of upcoming meetings (all at Dizzy Birds) through the month of June, as well as other events to get involved with:
May 18, just us, no speaker. Chef Tom's good food, fun, happy dollars, fellowship and project updates. Guests welcome
Saturday May 21, Raised Bed delivery & setup, 9AM -- noon
May 25, just us, no speaker. Chef Tom's good food, fun, happy dollars, fellowship and project updates. Guests welcome
Thursday May 26 at 9AM, place Memorial Day flags on veterans graves at St. Joseph's Cemetery, West Street, Biddeford. Rain or shine
June 1, no meeting (holiday week)
June 5, Syrup Distribution at Pension Professionals, 9AM, 180 Pool St, Biddeford (when picking up, you can also help prepare the syrup you sold to others, to be shipped)
June 8, Past Presidents. Not to be missed. All past presidents of the Club invited, usually our biggest crowd of the year.
June 15, Awards Day. We will be presenting all of our Club awards, and we have some exciting and very deserving awardees selected.
June 22, just us, no speaker. (Marty on vacation, looking for guest host. Got a fun idea? Let's do it!)
June 29, presidential handoff. Welcome, Brenda!
Note that we do not have a meeting on June 1 (because of the holiday week). Past Presidents, a meeting not to be missed, is June 8, and Awards is June 15 (the committee met this week and has chosen some very deserving awardees).
All meetings are at Dizzy Birds, 65 Main Street, Biddeford.
As we plan the final stages of a great service project we are still in need of volunteers. Many hands make light work and I'm asking all of you to commit to helping at least one day and hopefully more.
We need volunteers for the following:
Saturday, May 7th from 9 am to noon: Looking for a couple more volunteers to help assemble metal and wood raised garden beds for Biddeford Community Gardens at Rotary Park in Biddeford.
Saturday, May 14th from 9 am to noon: We need 5 more volunteers to install raised garden beds for our Family Garden project. The plan is to have two teams of four deliver four raised garden beds each. Additional details will be emailed the week of the event. We will need the following tools for each team; wheel barrow, 2-3 shovels, a steel rake and a cordless screw gun.
Saturday, May 21st from 9 am to noon: We need 6 more volunteers to install raised garden beds for our Family Garden project. The plan is to have two teams of four deliver four raised garden beds each. Additional details will be emailed the week of the event. We will need the following tools for each team; wheel barrow, 2-3 shovels, a steel rake and a cordless screw gun.
Please let me know which day(s) you can help. Thanks a lot.
The Biddeford Saco Rotary Club now accepts Venmo! You can pay your dues, the golf fundraiser, fines & happy dollars, foundation giving or anything else you’d like to pay directly to our bank account.
If you don’t have Venmo, please download the app and set up an account. It’s very easy. And it’s especially helpful that you can pay with your phone while we don’t meet in person.
Please send payments to @Treasurer-BSRC and put a note with your name (if it’s not identifiable) and what you’re sending money for. I can also try to answer questions if you respond to this email.
CLYNK bags are available at Whimsical Me on Main Street Saco. Stop into Heather’s store to pick-up several bags. Drop your bags off at the CLYNK DEPOSITORY In the Hannaford Shopping Center. Scan the bag tag on the outside of the door and place the bag inside Help us support Roland Gagne’s school in Kenya. A few cans and bottles goes a long way to improve the lives of these children. Let’s fulfill our commitment. .
Thank you
Roland
Our Club is in first place of 10 Rotary Clubs who participate in this program! But Saco Bay is gaining on us.
Rotary Club of Biddeford Saco
Total Raised
$3,219.35
Containers CLYNKed
57,186
Saved enough energy to light 79.9 lightbulbs—24 hours a day—for a year.
Saved the emissions equivalent of driving a car 15,124 miles.
Diverted enough containers to fill 581.5 lobster traps.
Fill up those green bags. If you need more bags and/or labels, just let Julie Villemaire know and she can hook you up…no charge!
Simple fill with returnables and drop off at any Hannaford.
Alternately, if you already have a CLYNK account of your own, you can designate you funds as a donation. Hit the Donate button and search for Rotary and you'll find our account.
