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Fountain at Community Ctr.
Food Baskets Project
For 50 Athens County Families
Annual Golf Fundraiser
2019 Rotarian: Bruce Wentworth
2018 Service Award Thomas O'Grady
Special Olympics
Good Works Supper
Rotary Foundation Yard-Sale Fundraiser
Support Amesville Elementary Library
Dictionary Project
Bellamaria Potable Water Project
Bellamaria, Ecuador
Don't forget to bring your cans for the food drive. Ohio University recognizes that some students may not have enough to eat on a daily or weekly basis. The Cats’ Cupboard food pantry provides students access to fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable food options to help with hunger. Most needed items include:
Our speaker is Bob Bolden, Head Coach of the OU women's basketball team. For the 21 people who made reservations, the in-person part of the meeting will be hosted in the Ballroom of the OU Inn by President, Sheila Mark. Note the meeting will begin at 12 Noon and we will adjourn at 1 PM. Masks are to be worn unless you are actively eating. We will sit 6 people at a table with tables 6 feet apart. A plated meal will be served with a drink and dessert. Diane McVey will be at the meeting taking reservations for May 10th and the weeks following. You can also make reservations by calling or emailing President Sheila by 6 PM on May 3rd.
For those who did not make reservations, please join the virtual part of the meeting by clicking on the URL in your Zoom invitation email and provide the password (included in your invitation email). If this is your first Zoom meeting, you will be prompted to download the Zoom software (if you have not already done so). It is recommended that you start your sign-in about 5-10 minutes before the meeting. Note: Should you unexpectedly get cut off from the meeting, whether because of poor internet connection or because of unexpected Zoom behavior, simply re-join the meeting as you did at the start.
The in-person audience will be able to hear and view the Zoom gallery on the projector screen and the Zoom audience will be able to hear and view the live audience in a speaker window. The camera will switch between the live audience and the speaker. Since this is our first hybrid meeting, it will be a learning situation for us all. We will do our best to cue both audiences of the new procedures. Please speak up if you are not able to see or hear - wave your hands or point to your ear. We're all new at this, so be patient with us old folks.
For first-timer Zoomers, Marcia Chadly has a great video on YouTube showing you how to use Zoom: https://youtu.be/9isp3qPeQ0E .
Note: Feel free to forward your Zoom invitation email to family members, friends or colleagues that you would like to invite to join us. However, you may not bring a guest to the in-person meeting unless you have registered them. The Inn requires reservations 5 business days in advance in order to schedule the room and purchase the food.
See you all on Monday at 12:00 Noon. Have your Happy Bucks ready and bring your cans for the FOOD DRIVE!!
Photo by Craig Johnson. Click on photo to see more.
Again, Athens Rotary Club expresses thanks to front-line workers everywhere by thanking our own healthcare workers. On a rainy Christmas Eve, "Thank You!" signs were placed beside sidewalks near Ohio Health O'Bleness Hospital to thank our healthcare workers for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Sheila Mark was assisted by Diane McVey and her husband Craig Johnson in placing the signs.
The signs were already available from similar previous events (all held in conjunction with the Athens Sunrise Rotary Club): on June 29 held again at Ohio Health O'Bleness; on July 14 held at the Athens County Health Department; and on July 21 at Station 51 of the Athens County Emergency Medical Service (ACEMS) on West Union Street).
Addendum (Jan 24, 2021): In early January, we continued to recognize the work of Front-line Healthcare workers by placing signs of appreciation near their work place. This time the signs were placed at Echoing Hills of Southeast Ohio with assistance of Athens Rotarian Mark Hutchinson. Mark is their Regional Director. See more photo's in our photo album.
A Rotary Blood Drive is set up for the following date:
Date: Monday, January 18, 2021
Location: Red Cross Office at 100 S May Ave, Athens, OH 45701
Time: 10am - 4pm
Goal: 23 pints
You may make reservations on-line:
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive
Look for the date: January 18, 2021
Date: Monday, January 18, 2021
Location: Red Cross Office at 100 S May Ave, Athens, OH 45701
Time: 10am - 4pm
Goal: 23 pints
You may make reservations on-line:
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive
Look for the date: January 18, 2021
Location: Athens County Chapter
...and choose an open time.
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for your support!
Our Club is doing a Christmas project with Good Works.
We are filling 50 bags, each with:
4 bus tickets from Athens Transit
A $10 gift certificate from Wendy's
2 pairs of hand warmers
A Rotary ornament
These bags are to be distributed by the staff at Good Works.
4 bus tickets from Athens Transit
A $10 gift certificate from Wendy's
2 pairs of hand warmers
A Rotary ornament
These bags are to be distributed by the staff at Good Works.
If you would like to donate to this project, please send a check to:
The Athens Rotary Foundation
P.O. Box 681
Athens, Ohio 45701
We are not letting COVID-19 get us down. Rotarians know that "Service Above Self" makes us happy!
The Athens Rotary Foundation
P.O. Box 681
Athens, Ohio 45701
We are not letting COVID-19 get us down. Rotarians know that "Service Above Self" makes us happy!
Pres. Sheila Mark
In spite of the Pandemic, fifty local families received food baskets again this year. Athens Rotary Club has been hosting this project for at least fourteen years. (For a brief history of this project see our story written in 2015.)
Project leader Betsy Baringer (leader of this project in recent years) reports that special precautions where required this year because of COVID-19. As in recent years, we applied for a $1000 Rotary District Matching Grant to help fund the project. Donations to The Athens Rotary Foundation provide the matching funds. Betsy reports that each (of the 50) food boxes were packed with the following items: a whole turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, 18 eggs, a gallon of milk, 1lb butter, cranberry sauce, mushroom soup, condensed milk, dried onions, items to make a pumpkin and an apple pie, pie crusts, and rolls.
On Sunday, Nov 22, 2020, at The OU Inn Ballroom, (with COVID-19 precautions in place) Athens Rotarian Volunteers Diane McVey, Craig Johnson, and President-Elect Susan Barga, assisted Betsy Baringer in unloading the food items from vehicles and packing the non-perishable items in the food boxes. Click Here to see photos taken by Diane McVey.
The fully packed food boxes were delivered to Athens area families with the assistance of Athens County Children Services.
Thanks to all volunteers, and those who donated funds, for making this project a success again this year!!
Photo from Sheila Mark's photo album On Friday Nov. 27. 2020, Athens Rotary helped Good Works, Inc host a Friday Night Life Dinner at the Plains United Methodist Church. Good Works holds a Friday Night Life Dinner every Friday evening throughout the year for those in the Athens area struggling with homelessness, poverty, and recovery issues. The food is donated and prepared by community organizations and our Athens Rotary Club takes responsibility for one or two the the meals each year. Note: Our club has been doing this with Good Works at least since 2007 (see Aug. 2007 story) .
President Sheila Mark announced that Susan Barga has been elected to assume the office of President-Elect for the remainder of this Rotary year 2020-2021. Consequently, Susan will become President of our Club on July 1, 2021. The Board congratulated Susan and expressed confidence that she would do an excellent job!
Photo by Don Fucci (from last year's Event.)
Channing McAllister, President of the Athens Rotary Foundation, and Chair of the 24th Annual Athens Rotary Foundation Charity Fundraiser announced that, because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Golf Scramble would be "IMAGINARY" this year, but the Charity Fundraiser would be held as usual! The proceeds of this event have always helped fund the projects benefitting children that we support in Athens County. This is the only yearly fundraising event for the Athens Rotary Foundation. He has said previously,
"While Rotary is known for its world-wide efforts, the Athens Rotary Foundation is focused entirely on the needs here in Athens County, particularly those of the youth. Your support is very much appreciated and will help us address those needs"
This year those projects are even more vital and include recent grants to Operation Backpack, Imagination Library, Coolville Elementary, O'Bleness Diversity Books for Pediatric Offices as well as the annual Dictionary Project for every third grader in the Athens County Schools. Most recently we are providing Aid to International Students who are having a difficult time in Athens this summer because of the Pandemic. We have pledged, and completed, $50,000 commitments to Stuart's Opera House, The Dairy Barn Arts Center and continue to provide substantial scholarship support to area high school students. Our Foundation has no administrative expenses; all moneys flow directly to our projects.
We will not be able to enjoy all the fun competition at the Athens Country Club this year because of the Pandemic. But we promise you will have a warm feeling in your heart for continuing to support the Athens Rotary Foundation and our projects by supporting our "IMAGINARY" event.
Become a Hole Sponsor ($125); "Play" ($125); Become a non-participating General Sponsor ($250); Become a participating "Team" Sponsor ($500).
Make checks payable to The Athens Rotary Foundation, Tax ID# 31-1600581
Mail to: The Athens Rotary Foundation; P.O. Box 681, Athens, OH 45701
Contact: Foundation President and Golf Chair, Channing McAllister (740-592-4882).
Photo by Diane McVey. Click on photo to see more.
On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, The Athens Rotary Club and The Athens Sunrise Rotary Club collaborated on our third Frontline Appreciation Event. This one was held at Station 51 of the Athens County Emergency Medical Service (ACEMS) on West Union Street. We met at 7:30 AM to set up the signs and plants. The staff has 24-hour shifts that change at 8:00 AM, so we were able to recognize two shifts, one coming and one leaving. It was really nice to meet the staff and let them know how much the community values their service.
Thanks to Rotarians Jeanne Heaton, Diane McVey, Karen Vedder, and Athens Rotary Pres. Sheila Mark for staffing this event. Thanks to all of you, your family, and friends who made signs. They were terrific!
---Story provided by Pres. Sheila Mark
Athens Rotary joins with the American Red Cross to sponsor a Blood Drive:
Monday, July 27, 2020
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
100 May Street,
Athens, Athens OH 45701
Note the location is at the Red Cross site on May Street.
To Schedule an appointment: Go to Redcrossblood.org and enter your zip code, click-on find drive, scroll to the blood drive on July 27 at 100 May St. in Athens, and enter your information.
Note:
-- Walk-ins are NOT SUPPOSED to be taken, but if there is a slot available for a later time they can try to schedule a same day appointment.
Also Note:
--Everyone is kept 6 feet apart no matter what. They take donors one at a time through check in, health history, and through the donation process.
--You will need: License, donor card (if you have one), and a mask!
This information was provided by Rotarian Betsy Baringer. Thank You!!
Photo from Pres. Sheila Mark. Click on photo to see album
On Tuesday, July 14, 2020, the Athens Rotary Club and The Athens Sunrise Rotary Club held an appreciation event at the Athens County Health Department. We masked up and placed signs at the building entrance and around the parking lot to thank the staff for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. A table was set up in the parking lot, filled with outdoor perennial plants to be distributed to each of the staff. The date of the event was very appropriate, as the nurses had worked overtime the previous 2 weekends tracking cases after the numbers recently spiked in Athens County. Thanks to Diane McVey, Mike Noel, Ed Peterson, and Sheila Mark from the Athens Rotary Club as well as Kelly Pero from the Sunrise Club for staffing the event. It was rewarding to hear the expressions of gratitude from the staff.
---Story provided by Pres. Sheila Mark.
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Service Above Self
Athens, OH 45701
United States of America