NEWTOWN ROTARY Chartered March 13 1939

NEWSLETTER Vol: 2 #5

75 years of Service

November 11, 2013

NOVEMBER IS ROTARY FOUNDATION MONTH. The END POLIO NOW Campaign continues to be the principle focus of the Rotary Foundation, there are still three endemic countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria but Polio knows no borders and has spread to war torn Syria and Somalia. The under mentioned clip from the Independent newspaper in the UK is encouraging news. Britain to give £100m to help the battle against polio, International Development Minister announces

The UK aims to help vaccinate up to 360 million children by 2018 EPA

Outbreaks in Syria and Somalia; Kenya and Ethiopia, threaten to reverse decades of progress in eradicating the disease.

NEWTOWN ROTARY CELEBRATED FOUNDATION MONTH, AT DISTRICT DINNER. We collected three major awards and two certificates recognizing the member’s contributions to The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund – that’s the resource for grants such as the New Sight Eye Center. We have a goal to help the End Polio Now Campaign some of our 50/50 Dollars go towards achieving this goal.

Past President Mike Toll receives the White Knights plaque for 2012-13 from DG Rick Bassett and iPDG Brian Amey at the District Foundation Dinner held this year at the Pine Orchard Yacht Club, Branford. He was supported by 9 Club Members; Carrie Swan; Pat Caruso; Chris Hoeffel; Bill Watts; Tom Nipper; Larry Gardner; Larry Nkabinde; Mrs. Monica Toll and Brian Amey

Coming up in November: Next week the 18th we have a visitor from the New Sight Eye Clinic, Liberia; Dr. Robert Kerkula, who has been here in New Haven receiving Treatment. Later that evening we will hear from Duane Giannini, Carrie Swan and Mary Griffin elaborating on the Club Visioning Strategic Plan. Saturday November 30th is the next Dorothy Day assignment contact Jim Gulalo as soon as possible if you can help on this date. In December we have Pancake breakfast on the 7th, get you tickets from Pat Caruso and sign up on the Breakfast schedule. Tombola prizes (like a raffle prize) are needed approx value $15/$20 – to Chris Hoeffel and /or Brian Amey. The Annual Ability Beyond Disability Holiday decoration event will be Monday December 9th at the ABD House in Hawleyville. 6.00pm Call Scott Senette for details. Students of the month for December is the 16th a big night as we will be catching up with some of November’s students that did not make November 11th. Don’t forget our Holiday party is Monday December 23 at Rock Ridge Country Club. Bring your significant other! This is a Family of Rotary Event. Expect a sign up with details shortly. Veteran’s Day Visitor: Facebook from Joe Hemingway. Tonight was Student of the month night at the Newtown Rotary Meeting but it was also Veterans Day, One of the members wife's ran into a 94 year old WWII veteran at the Post Office and was so fascinated by him that she invited him to our meeting to honor him. His name was Paul Kolbe, I sat with him for dinner, and he may be one of the most interesting men I have ever met. He landed on the Normandy beaches on July 4, 1944 and fought in France, surviving one battle where his company lost 54 of the total 109 men, - Happy Veterans day Paul and thank you so much for joining us and for preserving our freedom.

Children’s Adventure Center to begin Storytelling series We are invited to attend the first event in the series with Ray Sipherd – Big Bird from PBS Sesame Street series – the story telling series will be known as Sandy Hook Bookworms and will feature books from the new library. Saturday November 16, 10.00am to 11.30am and on the second Saturday each month.

Recent Press Releases: Press Release November 8, 2013

Newtown Rotary welcomes new member: At the October 28, meeting President Tom McKirdy formally welcomed Randy Eskenazi as a new member of Newtown Rotary, sponsored by past President Mike Toll, Randy is a local Financial Advisor and is looking forward to serving the community through involvement in some of the many projects undertaken by the Club.

President Tom McKirdy (L) Randy Eskenazi (center) Past President Mike Toll (R)

PRESS RELEASE November 8, 2013

NEWTOWN ROTARY FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO RECEIVE DONATION TO IT’S SANDY HOOK SCHOOL FUND.

Newtown Rotary established its Sandy Hook School Fund on December 15, 2012 as part of the Club’s 501 C 3 Foundation. Currently, donations have exceeded $700,000 from donors throughout the world. Distributions have to date totaled over $300,000 helping to ease the pain for the families, teachers and first responders. At the Club’s meeting in October Members of the Women’s Council of Realtors of Connecticut and New York presented a check to the Club being the sum total of donations to the Council. The Council is not a registered charity but support the Club’s stated mission to seek to continue to aid the victims of the 12/14 tragedy.

Rotary Past President Larry Gardner (Center) receives a donation from the members of the Women’s Council of Realtors of Connecticut and New York towards the Club Foundation’s Sandy Hook School Fund.

BIKES FOR KIDS – Rolled out this week. Posters are out around town we are collecting bikes again this year, if you know a any kids bike that can be donated either call Pat Caruso or Brian Amey, or drop them off at Black Swan or Newtown Florist, We will be collecting until December 7th.

Press Release 11/12/2013

Newtown Rotary shares United Nations experience with local High School students Rotary is one of the founding organizations of the United Nations, each year on the first Saturday in November Rotary International is recognized by the UN and are able to host Rotarians and their guests to ‘Rotary UN Day’, a kind of open house for Rotarians. Participants take over the General Assembly building in New York, get to sit in reserved seats for member countries, and hear presentations from the UN Secretariat as well senior Rotarians. This year the President of Rotary International, Ron Burton was one of the keynote speakers. Tickets for this day are popular, but Newtown Rotary obtained guest tickets and hosted six Newtown High School students at the event.

Picture attached: Newtown High School Students attended the Rotary UN Day on November 2; Kevin Arther; Lindsay Fuori; Riland Abazi; (L) Rotary Club Past Presidents Mike Toll; and Dr Tom Nipper who acted as chaperons, Clint Stergue; Aysha Hafiz and Baxter Hankin (R) enjoy the experience of the United Nations.