HEARING FOUNDATION DOES IT AGAIN
Making the difference for so many!
by Jack Zaleski
In January, BC Family Hearing Resource Society opened its second satellite centre in Vancouver. This expansion allows them to build their capacity to provide accessible services to families within its large catchment area (Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North and West Vancouver). It strengthens the range and depth of programs and services offered; local families will be able to access groups and events on-site, and early interventionists who serve this area can now optimize their efficiency when working with families, be it at the centre or in their homes.
This centralized location will also be a hub for meetings, workshops and other training opportunities in response to the needs of professionals in the community. The Vancouver Centre is already staffed with three Speech-Language Pathologists and a Program Assistant, along with itinerant services from our Family Support Parents and Sign Language Consultants.
The support provided meets the costs of furniture, computers and early intervention resources (totaling $24,000)
VGH/UBC Hospital plans to provide auditory brainstem implants in the coming year. RCoV Hearing Foundation has provided $50,000, matched by other donations, to set up this procedure.
Auditory brainstem implants are important because they help people when hearing aids and cochlear implants cannot. Candidates for this surgery are completely deaf because of damage to their cochlea or auditory nerve (and sometimes because they don't have an auditory nerve, to begin with.)
Although the implants don't restore normal hearing, they do help most people recognize basic sounds, like a telephone ringing or a car horn honking. They also make communicating with the outside world easier.
Two VGH surgeons - one an otolaryngologist, the other, a neurosurgeon - will partner to perform the life-changing surgery. About four weeks after the operation, patients will be ready for the next step: activating their sound processor. This is when they begin learning to "hear." The process takes a number of visits to an audiologist and usually lasts several months.
When VGH begins offering surgery for auditory brainstem implants, it will be a first for British Columbia. Only two other hospitals in the country offer this service, one in Ontario and another in Quebec. Consequently, the team expects to see people from all over the province, as well as the Yukon, and possibly elsewhere in Western Canada.
The Youth Exchange Committee needs your help. There are looking for help in two specific areas:
A webmaster -- someone to take over updating of the website. The webmaster would be provided content information to be posted, updated or removed.
Short-term hosting & emergency support. Occasionally, especially in August, students may for a variety of reasons miss their flight to their exchange destination. The student is then stranded in the Vancouver airport and would really benefit from some support to work through re-booking their flight, keep them company, or sometime provide them with short-term hosting. In addition, on occasion we need short-term billeting of students who are travelling to Vancouver for Rotary events; examples are exchange students who are attending RYLA may have to fly into Vancouver a day early to make the necessary connections.
The Youth Exchange Committee would like to develop a list of willing volunteer people and families who can help. This will streamline the process of finding willing Rotarians (which we always have been able to do), at short notice.
Thank you in advance for considering our request. If you are interested or have more questions, contact Gina Rawson, Chair (250-552-3200, gina.rawson@shaw.ca)
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NEW MEMBER RECEPTION - postponed
WHO:
member who have joined within the last two years,
their mentors, and
all Board members
WHERE:
#110 - 328 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, BC V6B 1K6
WHEN:
STAY TUNED - DATE IN NOVEMBER TO BE SET
RSVP:
Kamyar Asadibeiky, 604-727-5176
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Upcoming Events please click on the titles for more info for specific events
President Brian Street chaired the meeting and gave the invocation.
Don Evans accompanied us on the piano for the singing of O Canada.
Joe Lopushinsky, Sergeant-at-Arms, introduced visitors and guests.
President's announcements:
Rotary & Business: If you want something done, ask a busy person. I [Brian] found out this morning tha tI made it into the Top 4 Listing Agents from my office of several hundred realtors for the month of September. Thank you goes out to Blair Trenholme, whom we know sold his home and moved to the Island.
Red Carpet Ball update:
Prediction at this point is that we'll break even. So all income that comes in now will be profit.
Auction update:
Courtesy of Kaz Kadono, in addition to providing two free nights accommodation at the Listel Hotel Vancouver for the DJ, Kaz has also provided a Whistlerauction: 2 nights accommodation for two at the Listel Hotel Whistler (note that it was incorrectly written as the Listel Hotel Vancouver in the last Rotor); dinner for two at the Bearfoot Bistro and two tickets to the 8th annual Bearfoot Bistro World Oyster Invitational and Bloody Ceasar Battle on November 18th. Value ~$1,200
Courtesy of Team Cabo Properties, through the efforts of Katherine Copeland, has provided us with six nights' stay for two at one of five (your choice) Mayan Palace resorts. These are 5-star luxurious properties. This item may be upgraded for US$199 per person to al all-inclusive stay. Value: US$3,000 (~CDN$4,100)
The auction will be hosted by Vancouver's own Man About Town, Fred Lee. Fred announced our event on his weekly update on CBC's The Early Edition on Monday morning.
The Live Ultimate Experiences Auction is approaching a total retail value of ~$14,000.
Ticket sales update:
148 dinner & dance
61 dance only
5 donations, totalling to just over $5,600
Publicity:
DJ, Robbie Leslie, will be interviewed on CBC's Early Morning Edition on Friday, October 26th.
Katherine, via video, appealed to the group to encourage people to attend the event.
UPDATE: you can listen to both Fred's announcement and to the interview - CLICK HERE
We are in the final stages of pulling everything together for Saturday. Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to help, thank you to everyone who has purchased tickets, and thank you to everyone who has ensured our Ultimate Experiences Auction. It will be an outstanding night. I look forward to seeing you all there. The searchlights will be illuminating the sky from 6:00 - 11:00 p.m.
World Polio Day, October 24th. John Bathurst shared last week that the City of Vancouver has proclaimed October 24th to be World Polio Day. The City Hall was to be lit up in honour of the day.
Youth Exchange has appealed for some help. Check notes above for more information.
Joan Posivy provided the Secretary's announcements:
reminders of upcoming events/meetings (see above)
birthdays:Bill Shulz Oct25
member anniversaries:Angela Pan, Eliza Pan, Xia Xiang Pan 1 year
wedding anniversaries:John & Pamela Sullivan 59 years Oct24
Special announcements and member's moments:
Alvin Zhao was inducted to the Club as our newest individual member. His mentor is Franz Gehriger. Classification
Paul Martin & Heather have been and continue to be very busy. Paul is hoping to be able to attend Rotary more often moving forward as he moves towards retirement next year. They will be moving into a new home in the new year, and have a grandbaby on the way. Great to see you Paul!
John Bathurst read out some thank yous from Gladstone students who received scholarships.
Don Evans attended the ceremony to charter District 5040;s 51st Club in Lillooet.
Don McPhee shared that his his a great grandad! Congratulations Don.
Verona Edelstein let us know that the second Kinsenso WASH project has received great support much thanks to Kayo and Kaz. The Tokyo Setagaya Club donated $5,000, an addition $10,000 from their District and also, from their Fukei East Club another $1,000! This project is well funded thanks to all concerned.
Terry Gunderson bid us all adieu. He and his wife are embarking on a new stage in their lives that will most likely involve a move to the Island. We will miss seeing you around Terry - do come back and visit often.
Jack Zaleski presented presentation cheques to the BC Family Hearing Resource Centre ($24,000) and the BGH/UBC Hospital Foundation ($50,000)
Meeting adjourned with a toast to the service and success in Rotary.
