Service Above Self Day for FODAC
On Saturday, July 30, 2016 we had a fantastic turn out for our community service project benefiting FODAC (Friends of Disabled Adults and Children). Chris Brand, President and CEO of FODAC (and Stone Mountain Rotarian), expressed that we may have surpassed the monetary record for a single day collection! The estimated value of the collections for the day is $150,000! Chris stated, "this was the most successful collection drive of any volunteer group ever for FODAC!"
All of this was possible because we were able to pick up several bulky and costly items such as hospital beds and motorized wheel chairs. In addition we picked up several manual wheel chairs, 3-in-1 seats, walkers, canes, and loads of unopened soft goods. Without each of our volunteers participating and providing their vehicles, trailers, trucks and muscle, this wouldn’t have been accomplished. Kudos all around!
The concept here is that we helped by volunteering to pick up these items (no longer needed by one family) which in turn defrays costs for FODAC so they can then provide these items (newly refurbished) for free, to persons (in another family) who do need them. We helped extend every charitable dollar contributed to FODAC by providing our man, woman and kiddo power and resources for this project!
A very large and special thank you goes to Ralph Sims for his leadership and on going coordination of the project! He did a darned good job “herding us cats!” Congratulations Ralph on this massively successful service project.
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Most of the volunteers and Dachshund Rev Duke, gathering after our breakfast social and before hitting the road for a day of service.
The numbers:
We had seven (7) Rotary Clubs, one Rotaract Club and FODAC represented and providing a total of 46 people who participated in this day of service! Many thanks to the North Atlanta Rotaract Club, and the Rotary Clubs of Brookhaven, South DeKalb, Tucker, Sylhet Sunshine (of Bangladesh), Stone Mountain, Duluth and of course, North Atlanta. Congratulations to all for a job well done!
Special thanks to our co-sponsoring partner coordinators, Bonnie Hardage and Patrick Lewis of the Brookhaven Club, and Ceasar Gaiters of the South DeKalb Club. This is our first collaborative service event of the year; we make a great team! We plan to participate together in many more successful endeavors!
South DeKalb President Ceasar Gaiters
Lloyd Ames, FODAC and Chris Brand of FODAC and Stone Mountain Rotary flank N A Rotary President Barbara Bush and N A Rotaract Past Presdient Kamna Malhotra
We are also grateful to the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant for their support in allowing us to gather on the Patio for breakfast, fellowship and instructions, and for offering their parking lot as our drop-off point for collections. Thank you for these gifts!
Brookhaven Rotarian Bill Smith with Sylhet Sunshine Rotarian Rooman Ahmed
Mahalo nui loa to all involved.
Be proud of your Service above Self!
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From L to R: President and CEO of FODAC and Stone Mountain Rotarian Chris Brand, Rotaractor Ren Sato, Tucker Rotarian Bill Dowden, Rotarator Gilbert Vazquez, Tucker President Renie Hallford, and Lloyd Ames of FODAC
L to R: North Atlanta Rotarian PP Lance Reising, Rotary Family member Gary Bush, Lloyd Ames of FODAC, Kamna Malhotra, PP North Atlanta Rotaract, and Chris Brand, FODAC and Stone Mountain Rotary Club.
Rotary Family member Lewis Kropp, LLoyd Ames of FODAC, and Bill Smith of Brookhaven Rotary Club.
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L to R: N A Rotarian Bill Mclaughlin, Lloyd Ames of FODAC, Rotaractors Kamna Malhotra and Jordan Hutchinson, Friend of Rotary Eric Williams, Brookhaven Rotarian Mike Swahn, Family of Rotary Eli and Adelien Hardage, PDG Tom Kent, Brookhaven President Bonnie Hardage, Bookhaven Rotarian Patrick Lewis and FODAC Service Event Coordinator N A Rotary PP Ralph Sims.
Brookhaven Rotarian Patrick Lewis, Family of Rotary Stephen Bush and Will Soteres, and Brookhaven Rotarian Steve Soteres.
L to R: Nathan Aberson of the North Atlanta Rotary, and North Atlanta Roaractor Gilbert Vazquez
Family of Rotary members Erin Bush and Susan Hughes
Family of Rotary Brad Sims with N A Rotary PP Kent Gipson's borrowed truck.