Newsletter - Archive  Apr 15, 2010

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Rotary Club of Villa Park Newsletter

"One small person can accomplish  a lot"

This was the message of today's speaker Dr. Susan Njemanze who spoke to us about a charity she began in her HIV-AIDS ravaged village in Kenya. She used the metaphor of what one pesky mosquito can do in an evening.  Apparently the mosquitoes in her home village are the size of a Volkswagen and are quite hungry.

We were treated today with a serenade outside the city hall council chambers from Major Chuck Jay and an ensemble of Villa Park Band members clad in feather caps.  This was to remind us that the band is having their annual Classic Car Show on May 8th from 9AM to 3 PM on the parking lot of Villa Park High School.  Admission is free and its still not too late to enter a car in the event. 

Vehicle Entry fee is $30 prior to May 1st and $35 after that. This was a unique way to open our meeting on another beautiful morning in Villa Park.

Guests:

Diane Marcus-Villa Park Interact Co-President

Katie Hui - Villa Park Interact

Courtney Branstaff- Villa Park Interact

Bob Carey-  Villa Park Band Liaison

Dr. Susan Njemanze- speaker  and founder of Graceworks.

Announcements:

Bob Carey- Talked about the upcoming Villa Park Band Fundraiser mentioned above that will occur on May 8th in the Villa Park High School Parking Lot.

Jay Applebaum updated us on the Harlem Ambassador Game-- Now is the time for all good  Rotarians to promote the event and sell tickets.  With 2 weeks to go we must do our best to let our community know that  this is a wonderful event at family friendly prices.   Everything else is in place for our guests to have a fun, exciting, and memorable, evening.

This Saturday we'll be at Ralph's Market from 9AM-3PM- So far Bob Bell, Wayne Silzel, Jay Applebaum and Greg Mills have volunteered to help out.  If you have a few hours come down and join us-  people tend to buy tickets from people they know and its actually a nice opportunity to meet members of our community.  If nothing else come watch our master salesman Bob Bell weave his magical spell.

We'll continue to sell at the Ralph's Center over the next two weeks.

April 28th is the Villa Park High School Open House from 5:30 to 8:30 PM- this is a  great opportunity to sell tickets- There will be a Pep Rally and band performance and some speeches by

Mr Howard and others. Lots of students and their parents will attend this event.  Please make it a point to be there to help out.- we will have a table set up near the gym to sell tickets.

With a little more effort over the next 2 weeks we can really make this event the success we know it can be!!!   Please do what you can ...our schools and community projects need our help in these tough economic times.

Joe Brand announced an End Polio Now fundraiser  featuring the CA Angels vs Texas Rangers on Saturday, July 31st, 2010 at 6:05 PM.  Tickets are $28 for Terrace Box; $33 for Field Box and $34 for Club Level Tickets.  Deadline to order is July 1st.  For more information, email rotary5320@aol.com or BruceFJohnson@aol.com.

Happy Bucks:

Lesslie Giacobbi  acknowledged Jay Applebaum for all the time and effort he has put into the Harlem Ambassadors event.  Thank you Lesslie.

Eric Sense also chimed in about how this is the kind of event that the community needs and that

we should all get out and talk it up to our neighbors.

Bob Kreisberg seconded Eric's comment and talked about how he walked around his neighborhood and had a good experience promoting the event.   Despite his initial anxiety he was well received and got very positive feedback.

Teri Brooks told the group that she took her mom to church and that her mom loved Pastor Stan.

Bob Bell went to Denver to see his grandson play wheelchair basketball.  He also attended the memorial tribute to Marine Sgt Major Robert Cottle who died while serving in Afghanistan.  He was very touched by the ceremony.  Our club has sent flowers to the Cottle Family.

George Poulos read Bryan Nash's book Phoenix Rising and was very moved by the story and the

hardships that Bryan had to overcome.

Steven Pollack warned us all that his son Cameron was going for his behind the wheel driving test this morning.  Beware the streets of Villa Park and nearby Orange.

Eric Sense announced that his daughter was appearing in the Broadway Musical Seussical that is being put on by a local theatre group over the next two weekends.  She is excited because she has nine wardrobe changes during each show.

Millie Alexander was happy to announce she got a new job that is just minutes away from her home and has a very flexible work schedule.

Greg Mills passed the hat for the Villa Park Band and collected $213.

Wayne Silzel announced that the Covenant Presbyterian Church is putting on a show, Fiddler on The Roof.  Tickets are $12 and there are still tickets available for the April 17th and April 24th shows.

Drawing- Susan Njemanze drew a Queen

Speaker: Susan Njemanze PhD

       Dr Njemanze told her story about being raised in a family of 17 in Kenya.  Her father died at an early age and the family was left without a breadwinner.  Despite this she managed to get an education which was rare for women in that community.  She met a women who was working in her village with the Peace Corp who ultimately sponsored her to come and study in the USA.  She attended schools in southern California and ultimately received her PhD in social work.  She returned to her Kenyan village to find that a whole generation had been wiped out by the HIV-AIDs Epidemic, leaving elderly grandmothers to care for the children.  Dr. Njemanze went on to create Graceworks, an organization that brings food, education and caring to the orphaned children in the village. She showed a video of the work that is being done there with comments by several of her co-workers and clergymen who visited the project.

     Our club has donated backpacks filled with school and hygeine supplies as well as 20 sewing machines to the project in the llast year.  The organizaition is currently hoping to refurbish a neglected school in the village. Jane McDonald is interested in partnering with a Rotary Club in Nairobi to see if we can make this a longterm club project.

      This was an interesting program and in the end demonstrated that one person can make a significant life changing difference to many with the right resources and determination. Dr Njemanze has lived in the United States and Orange County for the last 30 years she has 4 children who are all US Citizens.  Were it not for a chance meeting with a Peace Corp Worker many years ago none of this would have been possible.

Next week's speaker:  Peggy Baldwin-Butler President of Villa Ford and a motivational speaker.

Continue to Promote and  sell tickets for our upcoming fundraiser and set aside the date of April 28th to help sell tickets at the Villa Park High School Open House from 5:30- 8:30 PM.