Kristen Jasinski Installed as Club President; New "Rotarian of the Year" Award Honors Gina DiSandro and Rich Lalley

Outgoing president Chuck Norton of Winnetka said he was “honored to have had the opportunity to serve the area’s finest service club.”  During his year as President, the club undertook many service projects, including cleaning Winnetka’s beaches, donating hundreds of new “Operation Warm” winter coats to children served by Chicago Commons and Youth Services of Glenview-Northbrook, and organizing a large “Kids Against Hunger” food packing project which packed 100,000 highly nutritious meals for distribution to hungry children in Nicaragua and to local food pantries.  The club also participated in Rotary’s renowned Youth Exchange program, sponsoring an outbound high school student for a year in Germany, and hosting students from Norway and Japan.  Finally, the club made community grants to over a dozen local organizations and contributed to the ShelterBox International Disaster relief agency and The Rotary Foundation in support of its educational and humanitarian programs, including efforts to eradicate polio from the world.

Norton recognized the club’s officers and board, thanking them for their service to the club and community. He also announced the first annual “Winnetka-Northfield Rotarian of the Year” award, and presented it to Gina DiSandro and Past President Rich Lalley.  DiSandro led the club’s “Kids Against Hunger” program, and Lalley provided leadership in a number of areas of club administration and promotion while also serving as Rotary District 6440 Club Service Advisor and webmaster.

Rotary Assistant Governor Rick Rivkin, a past president of the Rotary Club of Northbrook, formally installed Ms. Jasinski as the club’s new president. As her first official act, Ms. Jasinski thanked Mr. Norton for his service with the gift of a commemorative plaque and diamond studded Past President's pin..  “We are grateful to Chuck for his outstanding leadership over the past year,” said Ms. Jasinski.  “He follows in a long line of outstanding leaders this club has enjoyed over many decades.  I hope to live up to the high standard he set.” 

Ms. Jasinski said her priorities for the coming year are to continue the momentum generated by the club’s now signature community service projects (“Kids Against Hunger” and “Operation Warm”) while participating in two new exciting international projects and organizing one major new local project.  The first new international project will be a partnership with several Rotary clubs throughout the U.S. in providing seed money to a Rotary sponsored prosthetic clinic in La Paz Bolivia. The second will support a community of weavers in Madhya Pradesh, India as they pull themselves out of poverty with a fair trade social enterprise begun under the leadership of a former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. 

Locally, the club is organizing the first annual “Holes for Heroes-Midwest” golf tournament and dinner to support veterans and their families suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  The event is planned for September 12 at Crane’s Landing at the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort.  Learn more at http://www.holesforheroes.org/midwest.

The club will also continue to participate in Rotary Youth Exchange, hosting a student from India who will attend New Trier High School.  Ms. Jasinski hopes to increase awareness of this program which had a profound impact on her own life as the result of the year she lived in Japan as an exchange student.  “We would happily sponsor interested and qualified students from New Trier or Loyola Academy in future years.”

Finally, Ms. Jasinski looks to increase the club’s membership.  “I encourage any service oriented residents or workers in the area to come join us as we ‘reach within to embrace humanity’,” remarked Ms. Jasinski, using Rotary International’s new annual theme.  Ms. Jasinski’s complete remarks may be found on the club’s website.

Rotary is a worldwide network of inspired individuals who translate their passions into relevant social causes to change lives in communities.  The Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield meets Thursdays from 12:15 to 1:30 at the Winnetka Community House for lunch and a speaker.  Membership is open to service oriented residents and workers of the area.  Guests are welcome to attend lunches.  To learn more about the club, its schedule of lunch programs and its charitable and service programs, visit www.wnrotary.org or www.facebook.com/wnrotary.

Photo's courtesy of Laura Michaels/22nd Century Media