Rotary Club Newsletter Wednesday March 22, 2006

Meeting location for March 29th:
Mariposa Inn, 3109 E. Garvey Ave, North, West Covina.

President’s Message: This weeks’ meeting was a relaxing one. We have made some progress on the golf tournament donations and sponsors yet there is much more to be done. Please do your part in supporting our most important event of the year. Next time you are out to lunch or dinner, ask for gift certificates.
As you know Don Morrin has been absent a couple of meetings due to his fathers’ illness. Please keep the Morrin family in your prayers.

Celebrity Golf Tournament -- April 24th, 2006.

Golfers: We need golfers
Sponsors: We need hole sponsors, tee sponsors and golf package sponsors.

New sponsors added this week: Penske and Mark Christopher for Hole in One contest. Also our old friend Reniero Francisco signed up for a $1,000 package.
Let’s not forget that Dave Harris and SHCC has donated the fees for all of the 36 celebrity golfers.

Raffle Prizes: Please contact all your friends, family members and business associates to see if they can donate items for our raffle. We need Gift certificates to Restaurants, Personal Services such as salon services, massages, facials, dental work, chiropractic, etc.,etc. We can use baskets, movie tickets, hotel get-a-ways, golf fees, tickets to shows, golf clubs, photography setting, gift certificates to stores, boat rentals etc.,etc… The possibilities are endless. Please contact Lone Sorensen at 626-893-7395 with contact information of businesses or individuals you know will donate.
The Golf Tournament Committee needs your help -- Position still open:
Hole sponsor coordinator Call Mark or Marc to sign up.

Volunteers: We also will need plenty of volunteers for the tournament. We need people to man the tables, sell tickets, help at holes, set up of auction and raffle items, sell dinner tickets and the list goes on and on. Please ask your friends now! Call Carolina Chacon for more info. at (626) 862-5654
Thanks for your continued support of our golf tournament! Keep thinking SPONSORS!

President Elect: Our incoming president, Vatche Kelartinian invites everyone to attend the District Assembly – if you are interested, please contact Vatche.

Rummage Sale: The San Gabriel Valley Neighborhood Coalition is hosting a Huge Parking Lot Treasure Hunt Rummage Sale on Saturday, March 25th, 7AM to 2PM. All proceeds from the sale will benefit Stepping Stones for Women, Arrow Community Center and Southern California Youth for Christ. If you need to do some spring cleaning ( and don’t we all ), they will be happy to accept your usable discards. They also need volunteers to help before and during the sale. If you are interested please call 626-974-1162 or contact Kathy Benton for more information.

Good Friday Breakfast: The San Gabriel Valley YMCA will be hosting its 28th Annual Good Friday Breakfast at South Hills Country Club on April 14th, 2006. Special guest will be Favid Frost, a former Angels pitcher, commodities trader in Chicago, and a columnist for the Orange County Register. Please join us to hear his special message.

Open Lunch: Kris Kelso just emailed me regarding this week’s open lunch at Johnny Carino’s. Not only is Johnny Carino’s going to donate a gift certificate to the raffle at our Golf Tournament, but Kris also got a $25 gift certificate from Islands and Lunch for 2 from Pick Up Stix. Great Job Kris.

First Friday Breakfast: Soar with the Eagles and Network with your West Covina Chamber on April 7th at 7:00 am. Special guest speaker Pastor Kelley DuPee from Faith Community Church. As usual a local charity will also be featured and given the chance to appeal to the local business community for support. This time it is our very own Stepping Stones For Women with Executive Director Kathy Benton. $15 chamber members, $18 at the door. Location: Marie Callender’s, East Garvey, West Covina.

Books, books, Books: THE NYAHURURU, KENYA LIBRARY PROJECT By: Shannon Heintz, a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer serving in Nyahururu, Kenya.

Did you know that 80% of Kenyan’s are literate? Most people assume that Africans aren’t literate and minimally educated. In Kenya, primary education is free and most children attend school. English and Kiswahili are the national languages of Kenya and both are taught in school. Yet, with all of this education many Kenyan’s do not read books. Not for lack of wanting, it’s lack of money. Kenyans live on about 70 Kenyan Shillings (Ksh) per day ($1 USD = 73 Ksh). It is enough money to feed a family of four. Storybooks and novels cost about 300 Ksh to 1500 Ksh each, putting the written word out of reach for all but the wealthiest. People know how to read in English, many of my neighborhood children can, but simply cannot afford books.

I am writing to you because my community needs and wants a library. As a public health volunteer, I teach health and work with people living with HIV/AIDS, however, my side project is running a library from home. I currently have over 80 primary and secondary school students, and adults taking part in this book borrowing program. However, I cannot meet the demand. I am in need of the following books: beginning English books, illustrated storybooks, early readers, young adult and novels -- Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and Harriet the Spy. Also, Illustrated children’s books, Dictionaries, World Atlases, Children’s Illustrated Bibles and bible stories, Christian adult fiction, Christian young adult fiction, books by black American authors, and about black Americans. I could also use the following: Bro-Dart book covers for hardback books, construction paper, markers, crayons, educational posters, stickers, etc. My mailing address is: Shannon Heintz, Peace Corps Volunteer, P.O. Box 2149, Nyahururu, 20300, Kenya. You can mail all items via M-Bag or Media Mail at the US Post Office. The cost is $1.00/pound of books mailed.

I can be reached at: shannonheintz@yahoo.com. I am currently working with the mayor to ensure that there will be a permanent structure in town for a library before my tour is over in August 2007. Your donation will help the many children and adults in my community. I thank you in advance for your time and support.

If you are interested in donating books or supplies, please contact Lone Sorensen 626-893-7395, lhsorensen@verizon.net. If you supply the books, I will pay the shipping costs.

Program: Social time. Some tables discussed the golf tournament. Others solved the world crisis…

Raffle: Mansoor won and draw the 7 of spades. Getting closer.


Calendar: The information below and more can be found on our very own web site.

2006 District Conference
Hilton Palm Springs Resort
May 18-21, 2006
"Fun in the Sun 2006"
400 E Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA

Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammer Save the Date!
May 3, 2006
Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammer, Rotary International President will be in Las Vegas May 3 for an Interclub meeting.
Details will be posted here when available.
For more information.....
Tom Novotny
tom_arohed@yahoo.com

Mar 24: Rotaract Dinner at Citrus College
Mar 25: Rummage Treasure Hunt Sale
Mar 29: Meeting at Mariposa Inn
Apr 14: Good Friday Breakfast, YMCA, at South Hills Country Club
Apr 21-22: District Assembly

Places Rotarians should visit regularly:
District’s Newsletter
Rotary International member website
Rotary International