As the 2021-22 Rotary Year concludes, please join the millions of beneficiaries of projects funded by The Rotary Foundation in thanking our members who have honored their commitment of Every Rotarian, Every Year, contribute to The Rotary Foundation's Annual SHARE Fund.
These gifts support the local and international work of Rotary Clubs and Districts through District and Global Grants. A significant portion of these gifts support projects of our club like our recent contribution to Shelter Box, our annual Operation Warm coats and shoes for children projects, local COVID-19 relief efforts, Kids Against Hunger, and our Ecuador "Farm to Table" Global Grant.
Year to date, we are 56% of the way to Presidents Bill and Greg's goal of $12,000 for the 2021-22 Rotary year.
Please thank these 19 Rotarians (plus our good friend Donna Goodman) for already making their annual contribution, especially those in bold who are Paul Harris Fellows:
Sam Badger*+, Wes Baumann, Connie Berman, David Birkenstein*+, Eric Birkenstein, Donna Goodman, David Grant*, Tony Kambich*, Marie Kuipers, Rich Lalley*+^, Bill Leske, Robert Mardirossian, Lee Padgitt, Bob Sanfilippo, Heidi Sibert, Peter Skalski, Todd Stephens, Liz Taylor, Barb Tubekis, and Patti Van Cleave.
* signifies a Major Donor + signifies Paul Harris Society ($1,000 per year) ^Bequest Society
There are many reasons to give to the The Rotary Foundation:
- Contributions support humanitarian and educational projects initiated and run by Rotary Clubs and Districts in seven areas of focus- Disease prevention and treatment, maternal & child health, education & literacy, water and sanitation, economic & community development, protecting our environment, and peace & conflict resolution. Learn more by reviewing the Foundation’s annual report.
- Contributions come back to support projects of our club's projects, like Operation Warm Soles, support for ShelterBox, last year's COVID-19 Response efforts, Kids Against Hunger and International grants projects like our Farm to Table eco-agribusiness project in Ecuador, the water and sanitation projects we helped fund for schools in Guatemala and Kenya, and the digital x-ray/community health clinic project organized by District 6440. This year, we received $3,671, and next year we will can receive $4,876. But we must give to receive.
- Charity Navigator gives The Rotary Foundation its highest “Four Star” rating, giving it a score 100 out of 100.
- The Association of Fundraising Professionals named The Rotary Foundation the World's Outstanding Foundation of 2016!
- Giving to The Rotary Foundation is an easy way for you to participate in Rotary’s service work beyond our club, providing you a personal connection to this great organization and the good it does throughout the world.
If you have not already supported The Rotary Foundation this year, please do so now.
If you have any questions about The Rotary Foundation or how to give, contact Rich Lalley.
Bill Leske chaired the meeting. There were about 16 members present and 3 on Zoom. Guests were two representatives from the North Shore Art League, Denise Siegel, Past President, North Shore Art League Board and Sophie Candido, Communications Manager, who outlined the history and many activities of the Art League for the summer including Art Camps, Art Classes, Art Shows such as the current “Inspired by…”, the popular Abstraction Show, the Fine Arts Fair in Hubbard Woods Park in June and the Annual Members Art Show this coming October. They passed out information about how contributors can participate in the League’s 2022-23 Sponsorship Program.
SPEAKER BRUNO ABATE: the owner and chef of Tocco restaurant in Winnetka and founder of Recipe for Change. He is originally from Italy and mentioned that he visited Chicago 22 years ago and didn’t like it for several reasons. He tried the restaurant business but had a number of misfortunes such as the deaths of his brother and wife and his involvement in some bad financial investments. He finally leased a building for his restaurant in downtown Chicago and made friends with a woman whose father had killed his wife and was imprisoned in Italy but who worked for wages in prison and his daughter forgave him for his crime. Bruno said at that time he realized the importance of forgiving people who commit horrible deeds and end up in prison. He then saw a television program about kids in prisons; he then started to work with prison kids in St. Charles, Ill. who were 14 and under to give them the pleasure of doing something productive—in Bruno’s situation he taught them how to cook as part of his “kids in prison program”. Bruno started to get the attention of the media and was features on several television programs. He was also credited with writing a 10 page book on this subject, although he claims he received some divine guidance in that project. Unfortunately, the prison in St. Charles, Ill where he had his kids program was suddenly closed by the state without notice to him.
Bruno was then able to work through contacts he had made with Anne Burke, member of the State’s Supreme Court, and the brother of our County Sheriff, Tom Dart, to set up a similar program for adult prisoners in Division Eleven of the Cook County jail system. He continues to spend time each week outside his busy schedule with his Tocco restaurants teaching about 3000 inmates to cook and to make other living improvements at the Cook County jail.
His “Recipe For Change” program in prisons has brought him an award from the MacArthur Foundation. He not only teaches cooking but his program also has provided music appreciation and painting classes and is working on building an operation of food trucks for under-served areas of our communities.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Members were reminded of our Installation Dinner for our new officers this coming Thursday, June 16. Reservations should be made through Patti no later than this coming Sunday, June 12. Fred mentioned that a good friend of his and a former Senator from Illinois, John Porter, recently passed away and that he was a fine representative of the State-- Fred said that he liked his conservative approach to financial matters and his liberal approach to social issues.
HAPPY BUCKS: Bill Leske gave in honor of Patti, our new Club President. Tony gave because he appreciated the day as being a “very good day”. Several people thanked our guest, Ron Bernardi from the Northbrook Rotary Club for giving our Club the opportunity to sell popcorn at the June 18th Winnetka Music Festival, part of the proceeds being given to our Foundation.
DIG N GRIN: Bob Baker reported on a recent recipient of the MacArthur Darwin award which goes to people who sacrifice their own life to save others. Such award was given recently to Mike Sexton who, with a friend, tried to find a lost treasure of about 2 million dollars worth of gold coins in the mountains of Utah. They got lost twice and the second time Mike perished although his friend survived, but no treasure was found.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 1:30 WITH RECITING OF THE ROTARY 4 WAY TEST.
- Our current AG Tami announced she is retiring and introduced our club’s new AG:Sonia Martin from the North Chicago Club.
- Ron Bernardi introduced Sara Hanlon, who is in the marketing department at Sunset Foods.
- ‘Our Place’ brought 2 guests.
- Teri Dason brought 2 guests from the Winnetka-Northfield-Glencoe Chamber of Commerce: Catherine Healy and Therese Weaver
- Fresh from the District 6440 Annual Conference, Bob Baker showed us the new Rotary International banner featuring the 2022-2023 theme of ‘Imagine Rotary.’
- Greg Nelson announced the Installation Dinner for next year’s Club Officers will be on Thursday, 6/9 at 5:30pm.No lunch meeting that day!
- Rich Lalley reminded us to make year-end contributions to the Rotary International Foundation.
- Patti urged us to become charter members for a new Rotary Polio Eradication effort by pledging $100 a year by filling out a form on the District website.
- Amy is the Club’s new Membership Chair, and she will kick the new year off with a survey in July.
- Amy also invited us to hear live music presented by Blue Sky Highway in the WCH garden on Thursday, 6/2 from 5:00 – 8:00pm. This is the first of new ‘First Thursday Programs.’
- Patti thanked all the Rotary volunteers who staffed the concession stand at the Congregational Church rummage sale. Patti also offered for sale some assorted left-over nutrigrain bars from the event.
- Robert donated to acknowledge the great job that Patti did to organize the concessions stand.
- Saturday 5/14 will be the ‘Rotary Hope Walk for the Homeless.’ Deborah Morris, a Visitor from the Wilmete Club, described this event which is co-hosted by 5 Rotary Clubs. There is a sign-up sheet to support Rich Lalley who will be walking at the event.
- Thursday, May 19 is our Benefit at the Valley Lo Club. Barb Tubekis reminds us to purchase tickets at the link in this Bulletin or on the website.
- Fred announced the winners of his Presidential Trivia Challenge are Moha in first place closely followed by the dynamic duo of team Robert & Wes.
- Rich is happy that Sylvia and Sophia joined him last Saturday at the Ukrainian meal packing event.
- Greg Donated $17 for the total run count of the winning team, the White Sox, in the Crosstown baseball Series.
- Barb donated $128, $2 a year for each of her 64 years to commemorate her Birthday and for all those who attended her Volunteer Center Benefit.
- We provided nearly one quarter of the $40,000 sent to the Rotary Club of Kyiv International to support their extensive relief activity. The Rotary Club of River Cities has a sister club relationship with Kyiv International, and has been raising funds and transferring them to Ukraine. This support has allowed for the purchasing and distribution of tons of food, medicines and medical supplies and setting up of temporary refugee shelters. Here's a 45 minute video update from Ukraine of their remarkable efforts.
- We have contributed $3,000 and our Rotary Foundation District Designated Funds of over $2,200 to a Global Grant project in Lithuania that will provide mental health training to teachers and school psychologists in Lithuania to improve the ability to work with Ukrainian refugee children. We will have a detailed update on this project at our May 5 meeting.
- The Rotary Foundation Disaster Relief Fund is providing grants to clubs and districts that are deploying humanitarian relief in and around Ukraine, and some of our members have contributed to that fund as well.
- We participated on Saturday April 30 in a 50,000 meal food packing with Outreach Feed6 in Rolling Meadows.
1- follow the link below to purchase one or several of the remaining items needed on this Amazon list
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/U2QT3Z5GDD3E?ref_=wl_share
Items will ship directly to the sisters. Very easy indeed!
2- Make a donation to the Rotary Club of Wilmette's fundraising page, and they will handle purchasing what's needed.
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/wilmette-rotary-club-foundation/2nd-annual-holiday-drive-for-homeless-in-chicago
The Rotary Clubs of New Trier Township and other Chicago area Rotary clubs are raising funds to provide new winter coats from Operation Warm to Afghan refugees currently residing at the Indiana National Guard's Camp Atterbury.
We hope to provide new coats to 2,000 children.
So, for every $100 you donate, 6 children will receive the gift of warmth, confidence and hope that comes with a brand new coat.
We are working to get coats to these children in early November, so will be ordering coats on October 25th. So we need your donation now!
- May 27, Sara O'Keefe, Our Place
- May 20, Mark Gelfeld, Illinois Holocausts Museum
- May 13, Howard Berg- Learn to Read Faster & Learn More
- April 29, Museum of Broadcast Communications, Executive Director Susy Schultz discusses the effects of media on Presidential elections
- April 22, Dr. Scott Mitchell of Samaracare
- April 15, John Shea, Winnetka Park District, Lakefront update
- April 8, Rick Harnish on High Speed Rail
- April 1, Fernando Jones, Blues Kids
- March 25, Cynthia Beebe- Boots in the Ashes, tales of an ATF Agent
Suburban Rotary clubs team up to collect new shoes for children in need
Rotarians from Cook and Lake counties partnered with Operation Warm this month to provide 1,530 pairs of new shoes to area children.
The shoes were delivered to local nonprofit organizations and schools for distribution to families. The 11 participating Rotary clubs gathered Saturday morning at a Northbrook warehouse to pick and pack shoes for Operation Warm’s new Warm Soles program.
“It’s all about the kids, it’s all about taking care of the kids in the area,” said Bill Kolb of Zion, who delivered shoes to northeastern Lake County recipients.
Rotarian Gary Moriello of Northbrook helped deliver shoes to Waukegan.
“We have so much ourselves,” Moriello added, “and then to have a chance to give to somebody else who doesn’t have (new shoes) is a great idea.”
The program was funded from contributions from each participating club and a matching grant by Rotary District 6440 and The Rotary Foundation.
- Supported the local food pantry and provided financial assistance to families experiencing severe financial need through a $5,000 donation to the New Trier Township Angel Fund.
Are you thinking about joining our club, but have some questions? Or have you recently joined and want to know more about how things work? Check our our new FAQs:
Still have questions? Send them to info@wnrotary.org and we'll send you an answer and update our FAQs.
Last year, our club helped fund a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant program supporting a Rotary Club sponsored prosthesis clinic in Bolivia. Our club's funds were matched with funds from The Rotary Foundation; $2.50 for each $1 we contributed. Take a look at the impact this program has had on one gentleman!
Our club was able to participate in the matching grant program because our members contribute each year the the Annual Programs Fund of The Rotary Foundation. You can make a contribution via PayPal by clicking here.
PEOPLE OF ACTION
Winnetka, IL 60093
United States of America