Tag Archives: James River Rotary

Where is the world is … ?

07 Thursday Feb 2019

Posted by in Foundation Global Grants, National Immunization Days (NID), Rotary 7600 Foundation News

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Where will you find D7600 Rotarians?

Last week as we ushered in Peace and Conflict Resolution Month we highlighted work in progress on Water and Sanitation global grant projects in Ghana. District Rotarians Shel Douglas (Prince George) and Past District Governor Stephen Beer (Innsbrook) are on the ground on that series of grants. Yes, you will get a little update.

India:

We also have had a team in India working on preventing polio and vaccinating children. The 7600 Rotarians on that trip are Colleen Bonadonna (New Kent) our district’s Polio Plus Chair, Dianna M. Waters (Brandermill), and Muriel Hawkins (Petersburg Lunch). After two weeks of work, they are getting a little R & R.

Polio Plus Angels, Dianna, Muriel, Colleen

Costa Rica:

We have also learned of a global grant project in Costa Rica spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Richmond, with the Rotary Clubs of James River and Huguenot Trail joining in. This project has been to provide English language books to elementary schools in Costa Rica. Members from the Richmond Club have already been on one or more trips to Costa Rica including, Michael Little, Jeanne Walls, E.M. Miller, and John Delandro. Around the end of March, there will be another trip of local Rotarians to Costa Rica to bring additional books to assist elementary school children in learning and improving their English language skills. Mike Little, Jeanne Walls, Kelly Keene, and Karin Jimenez (James River Club) are scheduled to go on that trip along with Mike’s and Jeanne’s spouses.

Ghana:

The district Rotarians have actually just landed in Accra (about 1 pm our time Thursday) where they will meet with the District Governor on Friday morning. Then the team will have a few hours to shop, rest, read, whatever before they catch their flight back to Virginia. Two pictures sent by Shel captured this writer and are shared here. This is also an homage to our Rotarians in India just about to finish their work there.

Part of the grant project in the Andasi village in Ghana was to install a block of micro-flush toilets. This project builder is a young man trained last year by the grant’s master trainer. Everyone had said that this polio survivor would never be successful. He has proved them wrong!

  • Builder
  • Block of micro-flush toilets being built

This blog is just a teaser … More in the March Spirit of 7600

All three project trips will be featured in more detail in the March Spirit of 7600. It is an abundance of riches to have many of our District 7600 Rotarians engaged in three different international endeavors, Polio Plus, and two global grants, but how interconnected they are! Doing good in the world.

And a great time was had by all …

15 Tuesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News

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“And the award goes to …”

Amazing how time flies … the signature annual events of the District Rotary Foundation Committee, the Foundation Awards Banquet and the Friends of the Foundation Reception  are behind us.

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DGs Chenault, Beer, Arnason, & Probs by Bill Billings

Last Thursday  160 Rotarians from across the district came to the Banquet to watch others receive and to receive themselves over 126 individual and club awards.  But it wasn’t just an evening of awards and pats on the back.  It was an evening of warmth, humor, congeniality, and sharing.  Did we mention food? It was also an impromptu ‘roast’ of Jim Probsdorfer whose final year as the District Foundation Committee Chair was being recognized.

The Friends of the Foundation Reception is an event funded in part by the District Budget (not Foundation funds) and by generous sponsors to recognize and to thank Major Donors, members of the Bequest Society, and members of the Paul Harris Society.  Two new major donors were presented with their crystals at the Reception …Sam Shiplett (James River -Richmond) and Bill Sharp (Warwick). This year our generous sponsor was The Rotary Club of James River (Richmond) VA.

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John Smarge by Bill Billings

The Foundation Awards Banquet is self-funded by the attendees of the Banquet and includes some or all of the expenses for the keynote speaker and any special guests.  This year Past Rotary International Director John Smarge was our keynoter and Erin Groble, recently appointed as the Major Gifts Officer for Zones 33 and 34, were our guests.  It was Erin’s first visit to a district and we made quite an impression, hopefully a good one.

More detail will be provided in the District Newsletter, The Spirit of 7600, to be published later this month, but for now congratulations to all who received awards and special shout outs to The Rotary Club of James River (Richmond) VA on becoming only the third in the world and the first in the USA … 100% Paul Harris Society Club; to Jerry Fields on being awarded the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award, and to Bill Stramm on becoming a recipient of the Pierce Foundation Leadership Award.

 

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John Smarge, DG Diane, and Bill Stramm, later in the evening the recipient of the Pierce Foundation Leadership Award  by Lisa Clary