President Marv Edelstein welcomed members to the Halloween meeting.  Club members recited the ‘Why We Are Rotarians’ pledge. Many members, responding to a pre-meeting email from President Marv, showed up in costume in celebration of Halloween Day.

 

 

 

Steve Goranson reminded members that a comprehensive Holiday Sale (a.k.a. Gifts of Giving) email message was in their Inboxes.  Steve summarized his personal sales strategy:  Prepare your customer group email list, building on prior years’ history (see evlrc.net). Email customers a report showing ELRC use of our 2016-2017 Holiday Sale proceeds.   Email Holiday Sale letter and order form to your customer email list.  (Sample letters are included in the email you received.)  Search for new leads and prospects.  Remind your customers of our deadlines – Nov. 10 for pre-Thanksgiving delivery of pecans and hams, Dec. 1 for regular food delivery, no deadline for Anton’s greenery.  Contact those who haven’t responded.   Deliver orders (with an optional thank you note).  Continually review and update your customer list.

Steve also stressed the importance of encouraging “add on” purchases and tax-deductible donations to local non-profits or to the ELRC (we’ll deliver!).   Funds raised through the sale support Rotary’s worldwide objectives and benefit both local and global communities, with 100% going to charity. Please see our web sites – www.evlrc.org (club site) and www.evlrc.net (holiday sale site) for more info.

 

Marisa Naujokas noted that we will again oversee Ham Drives in November and December.  If you’d like to purchase a ham for donation to the Streetwise Café (November) or other charities (December), just sign the lists on our tables.  The ELRC Holiday Sale team will handle the logistics!

 

Brad Weiss announced that Dental Access Days will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Levy Center.  Due to changes during the last year (equipment was donated to the local organization), our help is no longer needed for set-up or take-down.  If you’re interested in seeing first-hand a project that our club supported for many years, please stop by the Levy Center. 

 

An exhibit of Harold Bauer’s paintings will take place on Friday night from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Over the Rainbow (OTR) Gallery, 2040 Brown Ave., Evanston.   All are invited to stop by for wine and hors d’oeuvres!

 

Chip Uchtman introduced his friend Laura Blizzard, an active Rotarian and Zone Coordinator from Puerto Rico.  Apologetic that her computer presentation was unavailable, Laura updated members on the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.  All 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico were affected.  Damage is severe and rebuilding/repair will take a long time. Three hundred thousand homes were destroyed; water quality is questionable; communication is difficult at best.  At present, only 17 percent of residents have electricity.  Some schools have been able to start the academic year, but many are waiting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Much help is needed!  There are 32 Rotary Clubs in Puerto Rico, with approximately 1,100 members.  To date, only 20 clubs have been reached… by physically traveling to members’ homes.  Irma and Maria hovered over the island and, since then, strong rains have continued.  The island is currently experiencing flooding and landslides, further limiting outside assistance.

    

In addition to food, water filters, and solar lights, Laura cited the need for wood panels and other construction items to build temporary rooms to protect residents from the elements.  Puerto Rico lacks the financial resources to transport items from the airports to where they are needed.  Laura encouraged Rotarians to contribute in any way that is personally efficient. 

 

Sue Gauna, a visiting Rotarian from Vieques, concurred with Laura’s remarks.  She further explained that her club has created an Amazon wish list and the company is once again delivering on the island.  Mosquito nets and generators are particularly appreciated.  Our International Service Committee has voted to assist the Rotary Club of Vieques, although details are still being determined.

 

Bruce Baumberger explained that Rotarians and others may contribute to donor-advised funds established at RI for the recently hurricane-ravaged areas -- #614 (Maria/Puerto Rico), #296 (Irma/Caribbean & Florida), #608 (Harvey/Texas & Alabama).   Kristin Brown, whose job entails coordinating inquiries about disasters, encouraged clubs to post their needs on Rotary Ideas (ideas.rotary.org).  Clubs can be very specific, highlighting items needed, ways to help, etc.   Jean Saunders suggested checking out the Disaster Network Assistance Rotarian Action Group (dna-rag.com) for ways to donate or become involved.

 

Nick ‘Bruce Baumberger’ Jones, past District Governor from Durbin, South Africa, thanked our club for its support of African projects (including a 2007 rainwater collection project that was visited by the Baumbergers and Searles).  He brought photos and a banner for exchange from the Rotary Club of East London, South Africa.

 

 

Gary Peterson boasted the Interact students from Beacon Academy who just returned from Haiti.  After raising more than $17,000 to fund a water well, the group traveled to Haiti to complete the project which will bring clean water to a local community. 

 

Harold Bauer boasted Gary Peterson for his organization of our club’s Golf Road Clean-Up effort.

 

Bill Glader boasted Neil Gambow for spearheading our Community Service Committee eyeglass drive.   In follow-up, Kate Collinson announced that the Community Service Committee will collect hats, gloves, and mittens in November for the Evanston School Children Clothing Association (ESCCA).

 

Jean Saunders roasted herself for visiting Harold Bauer’s art exhibit at the Over The Rainbow Gallery one week early!   Harold boasted Jean for trying! 

 

Albert Menard explained that he considered coming to the meeting as a particularly scary character – a physics professor with a pop quiz. 

 

 

 

 

Fran Caan introduced Paul Harvey, Board member and past chair of the Midwest Regional Board of UNICEF USA.  Paul has been involved with UNICEF for more than 15 years, leading several important fundraising campaigns and tirelessly advocating for children in need.  An Evanston resident, Paul has been active in investment management, both professionally and as a volunteer (Evanston Community Foundation, St. Athanius Parish).

 

Also an Evanston resident, Beth McCostlin is Managing Director, Midwest Region, U.S. Fund for UNICEF.  Prior to UNICEF, Beth was an Army Reserve veteran and graduate of Marquette University.

 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first.  UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more.  UNICEF USA supports UNICEF’s work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the U.S.  They are working toward the day when no child dies from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood.

 

Halloween is an appropriate day to talk about UNICEF as many Americans are familiar with the organization’s longstanding ‘Trick or Treat’ campaign.  Begun in 1950, the door-to-door Halloween campaign continues to this day, with all funds raised this year going to Emergency Response programming. The program has raised $177 million in the 67 years since its inception and has created generations of global citizens.  Trick or Treat for UNICEF taps the ‘innate desire to help’.  Every dollar makes a difference -- $1 buys pencils for 30, $8 buys clean water for a family, $15 buys 5 mosquito nets, $55 buys 150 nutritional food packets, $210 buys a “School-in-a-Box” (educational materials for 40 children).  Goosebumps, the popular children’s book series, is the presenting sponsor in 2017.

 

Like Rotary, UNICEF is on the ground, helping with immunizations, hunger prevention, education, sanitation, and emergency relief.  Beth and Paul congratulated Rotary on its recent World Polio Day and supported continuing efforts to eradicate the virus in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

 

While there is still much to do, UNICEF’s impact to date has been significant.  UNICEF’s efforts have reduced avoidable daily child deaths by 50 percent since 1990.  They have distributed 80 percent of the world’s Ready to Use Therapeutic Food packets to malnourished children.  Access to clean drinking water has been provided to 2.6 billion people.  Half of the world’s children have been immunized.  And education programming, at a cost of $1 billion/year, has reached children in 56 countries. 

 

In closing, Brad Weiss noted that Beth is a neighbor and loyal Holiday Sale customer.

 

 

 

 

Larry Shawver, RC of Harbor Country

Susan Gauna, RC of Vieques

Nick ‘Bruce Baumberger’ Jones, past DG from Durbin, South Africa

 

 

Kathy Hart, guest of Joan Borg

Maddy Schalet , guest of Bill Glader

Paul Harvey, speaker

Beth McCostlin, speaker

Patida Phanithullawat, Youth Exchange student

Calliope, Katherine Adams-Delgado’s adorable 3-month-old daughter

 

 

 

Anne Weatherhead – 1 year

Mike Merdinger – 2 years