The Fall temperatures are tingling and Rotary friends were mingling (being socially distant, of course), but it was so good to see one another in person again this week! Twenty-two Members, plus four guests, gathered for today’s Noon Meeting. President Matt opened the meeting, asking us to stand for The Pledge.
Diane gave The Blessing, and she gave thanks to The Lord for the sun, the rain and our being here together. She asked God to give us each the heart of a servant.
Today we welcomed guests, Caleb Makepeace (our program presenter), Tom Pawluk, Jennifer Emmons, and Sharon Fredericks. Matt expressed his delight in having Caleb, Tom, Jennifer and Sharon with us today.
Matt had some dates and items to share with us:
- A reminder that the September Board Meeting will be at 10:00 on 9/21 at The Redwood before the regular meeting. Matt is entertaining the idea of our possibly meeting in the evening again. The transition will be discussed.
- There are extra Lucky Ducky tickets available at Caruso’s Café, should anyone require more.
John French came up to the podium, and he spoke next about the Walk of Life. He warmly thanked all those who made the WOL such a success this year in spite of the pandemic. Mike J., Jenny, Tom, Sherry, and Jodi were asked to approach the podium as well, and Sherry announced that we were excited to match last year in terms of donations! A total of $16000 was presented for two important charities: Naples' Hospeace House and the Margery Coughlin Pawluk Cancer Patient Needs Fund. Jodi presented a check in the amount of $9600 to Jennifer (for Naples Hospeace House), and she presented a check in the amount of $6400 to Tom (for the Margery Pawluk Fund).
Jennifer exclaimed that she was “astounded,” and Tom admitted that with the Margery Pawluk Golf Tournament having been canceled, he was “worried,” and added that the Sands Cancer Center would truly be “pleased!” Jodi thanked Bruce M. for his coverage of the WOL on Facebook Live. It certainly encompassed a great deal of time and energy! Although things were so different this past Spring and Summer, Naples Rotary saw the “opportunity open” and it rose to the challenge!
Here are a few more items that were on the “What’s Happening” Agenda. Liz and Sherry have formed an Ad Hoc Fundraising Committee. They would welcome any suggestions from the Membership of ways that further funds could be raised. They are in need of ideas, and those possibilities can be E-mailed to them, or better yet, one can choose to be a part of the Committee!
School Supplies: We need not have worried this most unusual year, as many substantial donations have flowed into our club through the generosity of various individuals. Many thanks to Jane and Susan, who were able to purchase 35 backpacks for the students! There was an amount of $1500, which was to be used for supplies as well.
Laurie and Patrice shopped for school supplies for K-12 students, using the lists provided by the teachers. About $1100 of that amount was spent on supplies for the students, leaving about $400 which can yet be used to help the kids. Laurie has talked with some of the Elementary teachers about the possibility of ordering headphones for the students (on Amazon). Many think that this is a good idea! Laurie also talked to Chris Arsenault and Kelly VandeSande, and they will check to see if there is a greater need. They will get back to us about this.
Mike J. spoke next, regarding the Grape Fest. Vendors had the option of being refunded if the Grape Fest were to be canceled. Some decided not to be refunded. That money that should have gone for next year, is going to be applied to this year, but it will be that much less for next year’s Grape Fest.
Mike J. spoke next, regarding the Grape Fest. Vendors had the option of being refunded if the Grape Fest were to be canceled. Some decided not to be refunded. That money that should have gone for next year, is going to be applied to this year, but it will be that much less for next year’s Grape Fest.
We were fortunate to have Caleb Makepeace join us, as today’s program presenter. Caleb, who has won the hearts of many who have known him, talked about the Makepeace Pump Park, which is a project that is near and dear to him. It is located at the Community Park.
Before delving into the topic of his talk, Caleb shared a little bit of his background with the group. Having grown up in Naples, Caleb graduated from NCS in 1997, and attended FLCC. He later went to Colorado to be with his brother, Jeff, and he lived and worked there for several years. Caleb married his wife, Pepper in 2008. Caleb’s brother, Jeff, had received his Pilot’s License. In September of 2017, Jeff and his family were flying from Colorado to Utah, and their plane crashed, tragically claiming the lives of Jeff, his wife, Jennifer, and their twins, Addison and Benjamin. This terrible loss served as the driving force which led Caleb back to Naples, and which helped him to realize “how precious life is,” as he put it. Chris Abraham and Seth Almekinder, who were close friends, helped to come up with a way to honor the memory of Jeff and his family. A Fundraiser was held in 2018, and a Makepeace Scholarship was developed.
Back in 2004, the first Pump Track was established in Boulder, Colorado for BMX bikes. Pump Tracks are a fairly new sport, as Caleb pointed out, and they are designed to give the biker the ability to go all the way around the track without pedaling. There is one in Victor, one in Geneva, and now there is one in Naples!
Its popularity is growing, and “it’s getting a lot of use thanks to word of mouth!” noted Caleb. The Makepeace Pump Park is located past the Disc Golf Course, near the woods. It has two “circuits,” one large and one small. Both BMX and mountain bikes work well on the course. It has held up well, and in the Winter, it has been covered for added protection. Chris is working on signage for the Pump Park. What a novel addition to our Community Park, Caleb, and what a wonderful way to keep the memory of your family close to our hearts.
Happy Bills and Fines: We were delighted to donate Happy Bills in appreciation of Caleb, and his project, which will provide enjoyment for many! We are so pleased with this year’s outcome for the Walk of Life, and that we could present Tom and Jennifer with those substantial checks. We are grateful for the WOL Team, as well! In addition, Sharon and Jack were glad to be with their family over the weekend, to celebrate Jonathan’s and Katie’s Anniversary. John enjoyed the District Golf Tournament. Alex had dinner with her son and granddaughter. Nancy has a new great grandson! Karen is making masks to raise money for the Naples Angels. Pres. Matt forgot his gavel today!
For the Rotary Moment today, Patrice wrote a little poem about the District Golf Tournament held in Lima last Friday. Find it in the column to the right.
Hope you all had a nice Labor Day Weekend, and that you will have a nice week ahead, until we meet again on the 21st. In closing, I’d like to go back to a comment made by Pres. Matt earlier in today’s meeting. “We live in a cool corner of the world!"
