Rotary Club of Elk Grove, Newsletter, Third Edition
President's Message
MESSAGE
September's theme is basic education and literacy. According to Rotary International, more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. Our club is fortunate to have as Rotarians many educators. I salute their work with the Elk Grove Unified School District improving the lives of its students.
I am also proud of the work our club undertakes to assist students in Elk Grove including RYLA, our mentorship program, and the contributions we make to the Elk Grove Regional Scholarship Foundation.
During Elliot’s presidency, we provided money to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Dolly Parton understood the importance of literacy and the Imagination Library sends free books to children every month from birth to 5 years of age.
And over the years, we have also supported education at the international level.
Thanks to all Rotarians who work on these projects.
On another note, in May, I applied for a grant through District 5180. The grant application was for $1000 with a match from our club, totaling $2000. The purpose of the grant would be to support the Elk Grove Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) in providing furnishing for its clients for whom HART finds housing. This month, I learned that my application was approved. I will work with our HART liaison, Frank Lucia, to determine the needs of HART's clients this year. I will then ask you to participate in shopping for and delivering the needed items. Stay tuned!
Warm regards
President Diane
NEW MEMBER
As this month focuses on education, what better way to celebrate than highlighting one of our newer members who spent her career in education.
Sonja was born in a small trailer near White Sands, New Mexico. She moved with her parents to Pittsburg, California, when her dad (a private in the US Army) was working at the Concord Naval Weapons Station.
At 16, Sonja dropped out of high school to get married. At 21, she and her husband, who was in the US Air Force, adopted Roxana, a 14-month old baby from South Korea. When Roxana was 11 years old, Sonja got permission from her husband to return to school. Five years later, as a widow, she entered the workforce as a reading specialist, having enjoyed a full-ride academic scholarship and having earned two degrees from UC Berkeley.
Sonja has worked in education in various capacities in Naha, Okinawa, San Francisco, Martinez, Sacramento, and Elk Grove, California. She retired from the EGUSD where her favorite job was being a reading specialist.
Sonja had an opportunity to study for a month in Oxford, England. This was the beginning of her solo travel. Her travels have taken her rafting on the Colorado River, and hiking up and along the Grand Canyon. She has been awarded the title of Boatman on the Snake River. Recently, Sonja and her granddaughter stayed in her first five-star hotel- the Langham-Huntington in Pasadena.
Sonja is devoted to her family. Her daughter is married to a San Francisco police officer. Sonja has two grandchildren, Zachary and Isabel.
We are lucky to have such a dedicated educator in our club.
DISTRICT WATER PROJECT
At our first club meeting of this Rotary year, District Governor Dave asked our club to contribute $5000 to a district project. Our contribution has been included in this year's foundation budget. As you will notice, the following paragraphs change font. That information is taken almost verbatim from a flyer provided to me by District Governor Dave. If you would like to have a copy of the flyer, please let me know.
The project is known as the Sangihe Futures Initiative (SFI) which will entail building a project that will bring safe drinking water to 2,265 residents of Kelurahan Balehumara, Tagulandang, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Tagulandang is a volcanic island in the Sangihe Archipelago, between North Sulawesi and the Philippines. The village of Balehumara on Tagulandang lies 3 km from the Ruang volcano. Tagulandang is part of Sitaro Islands Regency and is home to ~21,500 residents including 2,265 in Balehumara.There is not safe drinking water for these residents and most boil raw water for drinking—a time-consuming and polluting practice—or for those few who can afford to, pay 5,000 to 10,000 Rp per container at private depots; and even these facilities are often unsanitary and sources of disease. A separate, private piped water system delivers non-potable water to a limited distribution system for just 2.5 hours/day. As a result, many residents get water from open, communal well sites. The 2024 Mount Ruang eruption displaced families and degraded infrastructure, further complicating what was already an inadequate and unsanitary drinking water situation.
This project will deliver a community-managed well and a Reverse Osmosis/Ultraviolet (RO/UV) purification dispensary on the grounds of Imanuel Kelling Church. The capitol cost is $80,000 (USD) and long-term operations and maintenance will be funded by a community fee per water container that is approximately 10 percent of the market rate. There are multiple goals for the project including sustainable drinking water for 2,265 residents, the reduction of waterborne disease risk, lower household economic burden, freeing up time for women, and reducing plastic waste through reusable containers.
Beef & Reef is fast approaching!
Remember to sell six tickets for our big fundraiser! Also, if you wish to help, please contact one of the following committee chairs: Dena Willmon (silent auction and raffle); Les Willmon (food); Doc Laudon (sponsorships); Steve Jones (bar); Elliot Mulberg and Jason Crowson (live auction); Cindy Chaffin (decorations); and Frank Lucia and Don Guy (logistics, including set up and take down). You can always contact the event’s co-chairs, Simeon Stewart and Jason Crowson, for assistance.
MEETINGS
CLUB MEETINGS
September 2, 12:10, The Park. Speaker: Sue Hayes, Rotary Club of American River will discuss RYLA
September 9, 12:10, The Park. Speaker: Dr. Devon Graves, financial aid affordability-future of community college access
September 16, 12:10, The Park. Speaker: Vic Cadena will speak about scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)
September 23, 12:10, The Park. Speaker: Vernell Turner and Diane Boyer-Vine, presentation on club service. If time permits, we will ask Jason to assist members after adjournment with club runner questions
September 30, 12:10, The Park. Speaker: Joe Scheimer will update the club about Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio
CLUB BOARD MEETING
September 23, 1:45 to 2:45, The Park, Captain's Room
CLUB EVENTS
Beef & Reef, September 26, starting at 5:00 p.m., SES Hall
Fireside Chat #1 (by special invitation), September 30, 5:30-7:00 pm, Sidney's home
BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, AND CLUB ANNIVERSARIES
BIRTHDAYS
Jon Colton - 9/8
Doc Laudon - 9/11
Becky Davis - 9/14
Wade Lokka - 9/27
CLUB ANNIVERSARIES
Sidney Smith - 9 years
Vidal Velez - 2 years
Vernell Turner - 8 years
Simeon Stewart - 4 years
Tom Boack - 3 years
Cindy Chaffin - 22 years
Cathy Guy - 21 years
Nola Grice - 13 years
Fawzia Kevel - 6 years
Nancy Slatten - 1 year
REMEMBER TO REGISTER FOR THIS YEAR'S DISTRICT 5180 CONFERENCE!
We need 6 people registered for the conference by September 30 and 5 people attending the Foundation Brunch, which will be held during the conference (November 1). If we meet these two goals, we will qualify for points.
