5110 in Action eNews 09-22-2020

Please Zoom In and join your Rotary Family for a night of celebration, awards and fellowship as we look back at our success during the last year.

We will share projects, recognize Rotarians, Clubs and capture the passions you shared during the year. We will also present our District Governor Candidate speeches that will help select our 2023-24 District Governor. Please mark your calendars and join us for this special night in Rotary!

Rotarians can register now — click here to go to the 5110 website and your path to register and party!

If your club would like to nominate a qualified candidate to serve as the 5110 District Governor for the Rotary Year 2023-24, the club must submit a Governor-nominee Designate form along with a Club Suggestion Certification Resolution for 2023-24. A picture of the candidate needs to be included with the forms, which must be sent to all members of the Nominating Committee before 11:59 p.m. this Wednesday (tomorrow).

Contact PDG Claudette Mirassou McWilliams at 541.912.7592 or dgclaudette1718@gmail.com if forms are needed.
DG candidates will present a four-minute speech during the Night of Celebration this Friday at 7 p.m. on Zoom (register today!).

Candidates will be told the topic when applications are submitted. Candidates will be interviewed by the Nominating Committee via Zoom on October 3, 2020.

In response to the catastrophic loss of homes, businesses, and livelihoods for many Oregonians, Rotary has established a Fire Relief Fund to help victims of the fires rebuild their lives. Oregon communities that have been severely devastated, if not eliminated, in the wake of these unprecedented fires will need help in both the near and long term.

“For the painful and challenging times ahead, Rotary is ready to accept the public and corporate support to help those in need in our local communities. The focus is on raising and leveraging funds for future distribution via District Disaster Grants that help rebuild the fire devastated areas,” said District Governor Cindi O’Neil of Bend, Oregon. Click here to learn how to donate and help with relief efforts.

From Curry County to Bend, Oregon to Houston, Texas, Rotary 5110’s Fire Relief Fund earned media attention. Matt Hall published front page stories — Rotary establishes fire relief fund for victims — in four newspapers in Coos and Curry counties. Bend’s KVTZ-TV carried the story on its TV website. Even the e-Club of Houston, Texas — whose members include a few Oregonians — carried an article, Rotary helps Oregon Fire Victims.

Below are official links to all of these media outlets. Please thank them and support them.

Curry County Reporter Myrtle Point Herald The Coquille Valley Sentinel Port Orford News

e-Club of Houston, Texas KTVZ-TV (Bend, OR)

District 5110’s first Satellite Club formed at the Springs Retirement Community in Eugene after several Southtowne members moved there. Since they chartered in January 2020, they’ve grown from 10 to 15 members. The secret to their growth has been to invite non-Rotarian residents to help with their volunteer projects.

They hold regular meetings twice a month, and maintain physical distance. At this time, no outside visitors are allowed. One new member earned his Paul Harris Award already! They focus on service. Before COVID, they hosted a performance about the “shortcut” some Oregon settlers took off the Oregon trail. At that event, they passed the hat and raised $750 for a scholarship.

They have collected 50 bags of recyclable bottles – even getting the Springs Pub to join the effort – to support a tiny home project. They stuffed reading books in school bags for local kids. With the onset of COVID, though, they really stepped into action—click here to read on about this satellite making things happen.

Healthy businesses support engaged Rotarians, and engaged Rotarians produce vibrant Rotary clubs. D5110 weekly announces a “Business of the Week” featured in the D5110 Rotary Business Network (RBN) Directory.

This week’s BUSINESS OF THE WEEK RECOGNITION salutes KGAL/KSHO Radio and Greater Albany Rotarian Charlie Eads. Eads Broadcasting Corporation is a locally-owned Oregon corporation which operates KGAL 1580AM, KSHO 920AM & 94.1FM and the streaming-only station for music, news, sports and weather. Owner/President Charlie Eads is a charter member and past president of the Greater Albany Rotary Club. Click here to check out the full website story and more about our Rotary Business Network.

Every D5110 Rotarian with a business or profession is entitled to a FREE listing in the Rotary Business Network directory. If you have a known business listed through DACdb, your business is already listed.

With smoky skies and AQI exceeding 500 this week in Eugene, Delta Rotarians Gael Coyle and Kim Meyers prepared and delivered food to the Hosea Youth Center which is a resource day room for homeless youth living on the streets and riverbanks around Lane County.

Southtowne Rotary is also preparing meals for the Hosea Center with 45-60 kids coming in daily to shower, charge their phones and access resources and kindness. Click here for the full highlights of the great work happening in Eugene on the 5110 website.

Eugene-Delta Rotarian also volunteers with the Red Cross fire relief efforts by delivering food and snacks to Eugene-area hotels housing displaced fire evacuees.

District Governor Cindi O’Neil presents the Rotary Hero award to Rotarians who continue to find ways to safely and creatively serve those in need in their communities during these difficult and historic times. “These ‘Rotary Heroes’ inspire us and lead us to continue the service work Rotary has done for over a century,” explains DG Cindi O’Neil. “We have been here before, and we will be here tomorrow.”

Between COVID and the seemingly endless stretch of regional wildfires, the need for the eNews levity is greatly enhanced these days….thus, we’ll return to a combination of Murphy’s Law chuckles:

1. If the shoe fits, get another one like it.
2. The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.
3. God gave you toes as a device for finding furniture in the dark.
4. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

More to come…….be safe and help out those who haven’t been as fortunate!