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Ukraine Benefit Performance
Ukraine Benefit Performance
 
     Rockford Rotary is sponsoring a Benefit for the Children of Brovary, Ukraine.  Miles Neilsen will be performing on Wednesday, September 21st from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Veterans Memorial Hall at 211 S. Main St.  Tickets are $20.  The link to register is below.  You will need a barcode scanner app to read the link.  Pass this information along to your family, friends, co-workers and aquiantances.
 
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Two New Rotary Members
 
 
The newest members of Rockford Rotary are Margret Hynes with her sponsor Frank Buchmann 
and Becky Tyo with President Eric.
 
Two New Members
 
     What a way to start a new Rotary Year with the induction of two new members.  President Eric introduced and inducted Rebecca Tyo and Margret Hynes as the newest member of Rockford Rotary.  We will publish more about these two in later issues of the COG.  In the meantime, we would encourage our members to make an effort to meet and welcome Rebecca and Margret to Rockford Rotary.
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Upcoming Service Projects
 
 
Upcoming Service Projects
 
     Rockford Rotary has several opportunities to serve our local area and people around the world!
     Please join us as our motto is SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
 
     Greenwich Village Art Fair, September 17 and 18. Please sign up through www.greenwichvillageartfair.com . There are many ways to help.
     
     Kids Around the World Million Meal food packing event, Saturday September 24 and Sunday September 25. We will be working with fellow community members and Kiwanis Clubs are planning to volunteer, also. There are 5 different slots to volunteer: Sat. 9-11, 12-2, 3-5 or Sun. 1-3, 4-6. We have reserved 20 slots on Saturday from 9-11 and Sunday from 1-3. Please bring family and friends – this is an event for the whole family! Sign up at the next Rotary meeting or email runkymom@comcast.net.
 
     Rotary Environmental Committee will help repurpose an old playground near Welsh School into a flower garden. More information to follow.
 
     Northern Illinois Food Bank: Watch the announcements for more opportunities to help our neighbors in need. We plan to schedule at least one time per month.
 
     RPS 205 Academy Expo is Wednesday, October 19 at the Indoor Sports Center. RPS 205 freshmen participate in the expo each year to learn from industry experts and see where each College and Career pathway can lead. Volunteers are needed to guide students through the areas. Signups will be available as the event approaches.
 
     THANK YOU!!!
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September 15th Program
 
 
 
Rockford Promise
 
     Rockford Promise is a non-profit 501(c)(3) location-based scholarship program that offers full-tuition scholarships to deserving graduates of Rockford Public School District 205. Modeled after Promise programs around the nation, our goal is to increase educational attainment in our community while providing a powerful economic incentive for residents and businesses to locate in the Rockford region.
     We believe that financial barriers are just part of the equation for many students. In addition to full-tuition college scholarships, Rockford Promise also supports our Scholars with robust community mentorships, strong academic advising and meaningful social connections to ensure they earn their degrees and jumpstart successful careers.
     What started as a small grassroots effort has developed into a community initiative gaining momentum and support. Our growth has been entirely the result of a tireless commitment from volunteers, the voices of powerful advocates, and the generosity of forward-thinking donors.
     Rockford Promise has grown steadily each year, increasing our financial support and the number of Scholars we are able to help send to college. However, the real value in a promise program is realized when we can extend the benefit to all Rockford Public School District 205 graduates. Our vision is to become a fully funded promise program.
     A fully funded promise program delivers community-wide benefits which include: 
  • Increased graduation rates and public school performance 
  • Higher educational attainment 
  • Enhanced workforce readiness 
  • Higher property values 
  • Decreased crime rates 
  • Decreased social costs due to increased high school graduation rates 
  • Powerful economic incentives for residents and businesses
     Maurice Redd is President of Redd Insurance Group and President of the Board of Directors of Rockford Promise.  He became involved in Rockford Promise because this is the single greatest initiative that could transform the Rockford region. A fully funded Rockford Promise will attract and retain talent to the region.
     Gabrielle Sims is the Mentoring Manager for Rockford Promise.  She is new to the Rockford Promise family and is excited for the opportunity to develop the mentoring program and provide all of our scholars with opportunities to help them be successful in college and beyond.
     It takes $1,850,000 annually to support scholarships and scholar support.  There are 800 active volunteers and supporters for 300 active scholars.  It is estimated that there is $131.81 of local economic impact for every $1 invested.
     Maurice and Gabrielle will talk about the Rockford Promise program and the effect that it has had on the Rockford community.  This will be an informative program and one that you will want to invite a guest or prospective member.  Elaine Breck who is a Past Board President of Rockford Promise will introduce our presenters and act as Rotary host.
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September 22nd Program
 
 
District Governor's Visit
 
     District 6420 Governor Laura Kann will make her annual visit to Rockford Rotary on September 22, 2022.  DG Laura is scheduled to meet with the Officers and Board of Directors prior to her presentation at our regular meeting.  She will discuss RI President Jennifer Jones' goals for the 2022-23 Rotary Year and also her goals for District 6420 for this year.  Laura will also tell us what she expects from Rockford Rotary during her year.
     Laura Kann, past president and honorary member of the Rotary Club of Dunwoody, Georgia, has been selected to serve as Governor of Rotary International District 6420 in 2022-23.
     Laura began her Rotary journey when she joined the Rotary Club of Dunwoody on September 24, 2004, having been proposed and sponsored by Marion Bunch. She resigned from the Club on June 30, 2018. The Rotary Club of Dunwoody elected Laura to honorary membership in 2018. Highlights from Laura’s tenure as a Dunwoody Rotarian will be published in an upcoming newsletter as an “Honorary Member Spotlight.”
     Laura is now a very active member of the Rotary Club of Princeton, Illinois which she joined July 1, 2018. The Princeton Club is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2020. Laura serves on the Board of Directors and is also chair of the annual Rotary Auction for the club’s centennial year in 2020. In addition, she serves on the 100th Anniversary Committee, the Community Service Committee, and the Rotary Foundation Committee.
     At the District level, Laura serves District 6420 as the District Grant Subcommittee Chair. In that role she is conducting three annual District Grant Management Training Seminars for Club Officers throughout the District. She also was a speaker at the 2019 District 6420 Conference and the 2019 District 6420 Foundation Dinner and speaks to Clubs about a wide range of Rotary Foundation topics.
     Both Laura and her husband Charles (Wick) Warren worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Upon Wick’s retirement in December 2014, they moved from Decatur, Georgia to Princeton, Illinois to be near Laura’s mother and father. Soon after moving to Princeton in November 2014, Laura’s father, Douglas Kann, passed away in March of 2015.Douglas was a member of the Rotary Club of Princeton for over 40 years. Her mother, Lucille Kann, is now 88 years young.
     Living in Princeton, Laura continued her service responsibilities for the Dunwoody Club and Rotary District 6900. She also continued working for the CDC, making monthly trips to Atlanta, until her retirement in August 2017.
     We would encourage all of our members to show their support for the District Governor and attend this meeting either in person at Memorial Hall or via Zoom.  This will also be an excellent opportunity to bring a guest or prospective member so that they can learn about Rotary.  Past District Governor Kathy Kwiat-Hess will introduce our Governor and act as Rotary Host.   
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Women's Suffrage Event
 
 
 
 
Women's Suffrage Event
 
     The Social Committee would like to invite our Rotary members and guests to join us at the Women's Suffrage Plaza on Tuesday, September 27 at 5:00.  Barbara Simon from the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Committee will be there to share the process and historical account of the sculpture.  The location is the Riverfront of the YMCA at 200 Y Boulevard (just south of the Y Lodge) with parking along the river west of the YMCA. There are no seats, so people can either stand, sit on the retaining wall or bring a folding chair.
     In a nutshell: August 18, 2020, marked 100 years to the day that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, recognizing women’s right to vote. The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Sculpture, Rockford’s first public art installation honoring women’s leadership and celebrating that momentous achievement, was dedicated on October 31, 2020.
     After the presentation by Barbara Simon, we invite the members and guests to join us as we walk down the bike path to the Nicholas Conservatory Truck Night for dinner.
     This event is weather permitting and any rescheduling due to inclement weather will be announced as necessary.
     Food Truck Information:  Alcohol must be purchased onsite. Alcohol consumption is limited to the circle drive area, pavilion, and terrace. No alcohol is allowed on the rec path and/ or riverbank We encourage cashless transactions to minimize cash handling.
     If you have any questions, please feel free to call/text me at 815-222-0663 or email kmolson257@gmail.com
 
     Katrina Olson
 
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Brian De Benedetto
September 4
 
Earl Dotson
September 17
 
Denise Noe
September 19
 
Terry Anderson
September 21
 
Phil Dierstein
September 27
 
Brian Kobischka
September 28
 
Join Date
John Anderson
September 6, 2001
21 years
 
Dick Leighton
September 7, 1967
55 years
 
Taylor Carlin
September 9, 2004
18 years
 
Elise Cadigan
September 15, 1988
34 years
 
Hannah Warren
September 15, 2016
6 years
 
Frank Buchmann
September 19, 2019
3 years
 
Nellie Miller
September 19, 2019
3 years
 
Jennifer Stark
September 28, 2017
5 years
 
Rudy Valdez
September 28, 2017
5 years
 
Roger Maggio
September 30, 1982
40 years
 
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Rockford Rotary - Our 107th Year - www.rockfordrotary.org