TASTE & TUNES 2020 starts OCTOBER 4th. Are you ready?!!
Welcome to Fall 2020 despite the high 70's temperatures and high humidity. Fall is shaping up to be a busy time for Bethlehem Rotary with the many projects under way. This week I will give you an update on several committees and feel free to reach out to the committee chairs if you can provide help. We need you to keep us a vibrant and active club despite being in a virtual state for a little longer.
The Liberty High School Interact Club is up and running and will be holding their first meeting of the school year tomorrow-stay tuned for date to be announced for Charter Night. This is an exciting new club we are sponsoring thanks to Diane Donaher and Maria Dietrich leading the group and making this a reality.
Speaking of Diane Donaher, at last week's meeting we adopted a resolution to support Diane as a candidate for consideration as District Governor of District 7430 to serve for the Rotary year 2023-24. I cannot think of a better qualified person considering all of her past club accomplishments the fact that she's always at work on our club's behalf - whether it is the Foundation, Polio Plus, Centennial Park, Jamaica Unitas Project, Interact and more. We wish her the best and support her 100 percent!
Chris Nelson has been leading the Jamaica-Unitas project to develop and implement organic farming and a greenhouse to increase employment and provide needed food in rural Central Jamaica. As you can imagine, trying to accomplish this 1,500 miles away can be daunting at times, but with time and perseverance this committee is moving forward to make it a reality.
Cindy Glick is chairing the 2020 Grants Review Committee for our Bethlehem Rotary Foundation. Please spread the word that funding requests are being accepted now through November 15. We hope to award grants between $500-$1000. See the Download Files section on ClubRunner for the information.
Those are just a few of the many things Bethlehem Rotary does throughout the year. There are many other D7430 service projects such as Shelter Box, Polio Plus, Camp Neidig, and the Four Way Test Speech Contest, that we support by participating, some in person, some financially. The financial end DEPENDS on the success of Taste & Tunes each year to help fund these worthy endeavors.
Taste & Tunes 2020 Dessert Edition on-line bakery auction launches next Sunday. Watch your email for a special PREVIEW INVITATION so you can decide what scrumptious dessert or exciting "experience" to bid on. I was previewing the list with Jen earlier today and we have items we will be bidding on.
The Northeast Community Center and our Foundation are counting on the success of this event to fill the pantry and fund OUR programs. We are inching closer to my end-of-September goal to secure another $5K in personal and corporate sponsorships. PLEASE, reach out THIS WEEK to me, Gerry Long, or Deb Walter to advise us if you plan on being an event sponsor - or recruiting one. The NEED has never been greater due to the pandemic. Plus Paul Ricciardi is counting on you to hit this $5K goal so that President Pete buys the first round of beverages at our first return to in person Happy Hour meetings (hopefully soon).
This week's meeting will feature our own Vocational Committee Chair Nikki Gingrich (and local Toastmasters President) explaining the new partnership between Rotary and Toastmasters International District Governor that Janet Kolepp mentioned in her presentation to our club. Plus - and this is important - Paul Leese and Dave Erickson will walk us through how to use the Tastes & Tunes Dessert Auction website. The site is called Bidding Owl and it is vital that we know how to use it so that we can all bid on these scrumptious dessert items - and interesting non dessert items, too. So please don't miss this important meeting.
See you Wednesday!
