President's Message
Whether it's obvious to us or not, hunger is a real problem for many in N. Michigan, and Cherrell Granger from the Manna Food Project did a great job of helping us understand that at Tuesday's meeting.
Manna acts both as a food distributor to food pantries and related operations in our three-county area, as well as a pantry themselves. The complexity of purchasing, grant support, and local sourcing is amazing, and the need astonishing. Thanks Cherrell for your time, and your efforts!
Serving in Action
Our club's first effort towards helping Maple Grove Cemetery is complete. About a dozen hearty members and friends spent 2 hours Tuesday in the cold inventorying veteran gravesites and updating records.
Sherry Steffen is compiling the changes, which will be numerous. For example, the section Blaine and I checked had about a 10% error rate, mostly uncatalogged, more recent burials. Our plan is to improve the records so that none are missed when the graves are decorated Memorial Day weekend.
Rotary Gets Trashed
Also, the first highway trash pickup is set for Saturday 4/12 at 9:30am, starting from Rotary Park. The first of the season usually means a bit more to do, so we're looking for a good turnout to make it easy for everyone. And remember, any cash you find while picking up trash is yours to keep!
75th Year Anniversary Party
Plans are underway for a celebration of our club's 75th anniversary, set for June 9 at the Elk Rapids Marina from 6-9pm. Save The Date notices have been sent, and we'll print tickets that club members can use to invite others to the event (although tickets won't be needed for entry). We plan to invite past club members, local partners and grant recipients, Rotary dignitaries, and everyone else, as it will be open to the public. Entertainment will be by Doc Probes with a Jimmy Buffet theme. So dress appropriately!
Our hope is to celebrate our club and anniversary, show the community who we are and the impact we have on our area, and potentially attract new members and donors.
Peace Scholars Looking for Hosts
Several Duke-UNC peace fellows are looking for AFE opportunities. Because of visa issues and anticipated travel bans, fellows at Duke-UNC have been advised not to leave the US for their summer internships. Organizers are looking for organizations or people who could host them for 8-12 weeks during June, July, and August. Anyone interested can contact Christina Lanzona, Rotary Peace Centers Program Officer, 847-866-3410.
.png)
