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October 26th Program
Service Above Self Award Program
 
     The Rotary Club of Rockford will be holding an awards ceremony on Thursday, October 26th at noon at Veterans Memorial Hall. The Club is pleased to honor seven individuals with the Service Above Self Award, and one organization will be honored for its special project to restore the headstones of Rockford’s Civil War Soldiers.
 
     The Honorable Thomas McNamara, Mayor of Rockford, will speak at the special luncheon.
     
     Rotary’s Service Above Self Award is presented to special individuals who go above and beyond in their volunteer service to the Rockford community. Based on Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self, the Award has been in existence in Rockford since 1968. More than 300 individuals have received this award to date.
     
     The Mary Stuart Carruthers Award was named in memory of a loyal member of Rotary who championed many nonprofit causes. For the last several years this Rockford award has been presented to an organization that has provided a special service to the Rockford community. This year’s Mary Stuart Carruthers Award will be presented to 815 Stone Scrubbers, a new, all-volunteer organization that sprang up to restore the headstones of all the Civil War soldiers buried in Rockford. Since late spring they have restored 468 headstones.
     
     This years’ Service Above Self Awards honorees and their organizational affiliations are listed below:
  
     Eric Willard
Veterans Drop-in Center
     Susan S. Carlin
Women’s Club of Rockford
     Bob and Georgia Eiss
Wesley Willows Auxiliary
     Mary Ann Norwood
Golden Apple Foundation
     Roger and Lowes Eggert
Mercyhealth Volunteer Association
     Catherine Brown
Crusader Community Health
     Kathy Vigna
Alpine Kiwanis Club
 
     The Rotary Club of Rockford promotes community service through volunteer and philanthropic programs in Rockford and in the world. Our Club implements such programs as Rockford Reads, Rotary Academy and high school scholarships. This fall the Club will be planting a pollinator garden at Welsh School as an educational resource on the environment.  Members also participate in Rotary International’s Polio Plus campaign to eradicate polio worldwide, provide for basic education and literacy, community economic development, disease prevention, maternal and child health, peacebuilding and conflict resolution, clean water and sanitation, and environmental remediation. For more information about Rotary International, please go to www.rotary.org.
 
 
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October 19th Program Recap
 
     Why We Must Keep "Eradicate Polio Now" As Our #1 Priority
     
     Prior to the Polio+ program presented by Bob Presman; a number of Rockford Rotarians have qualified for Paul Harris Fellow awards.  A Paul Harris Fellow is given when a person (they do not have to be a Rotarian) gives at least $1,000 to the Rotary International Foundation.  For each additional $1,000 donated, another award is given.  A Paull Harris Fellow+1 means at least $2,000 has been contributed, on up to Paul Harris Fellow +8 which means $9,000 has been contributed.  When the $10,000 level is reached, the person becomes a Major Donor.  The following members have qualified for various levels of Paul Harris Fellow. 
 
     Jennifer Furst - PHF
     Tom Scoville - PHF+2
     Becky Rundquist - PHF+2
     Pete Rundquist - PHF+2
     Darlene Furst - PHF+2
     Beth Thacker - PHF+3
     Dave Rydell - PHF+3
     Warren Heinke - PHF+3
     Wray Howard - PHF+4
     Tylor Carlin - PHF+5
     Robert Canfield - PHF+6
 
     Congratulations to all of these members for their continued support of the Rotary International Foundation.
 
 
 
 
     Jennifer Furst accepted a 4-Way Test plaque on behalf of FurstStaffing to display in their office.
     She also accepted a Paul Harris Fellow for her donation of over $1,000 to the Rotary International Foundation.
 
 
     Rotary Foundation chair, Bob Canfield, presented Becky Rundquist and Pete Rundquist with their Paul Harris Fellow +2 awards which indicates that they each have contributed at least $3,000 to the Rotary International Foundation.
 
 
     Beth Thacker was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow +3 award for contributing at least $4,000 to the Rotary International Foundation.  She is pictured with President Pete and Bob Canfield, Foundation Chair.
 
 
     Wray Howard accepted a Paul Harris Fellow +4 for his contributions of at least $5,000 to the Rotary International Foundation.  By now you can figure out who the other two gentlemen are.
 
 
     Taylor Carlin is presented with a Paul Harris Fellow +5 which as you probably have figured out by now means that he has contributed at least $6,000 to the Rotary International Foundation.  He is pictured with the usual suspects.
 
 
     Foundation Chair Bob Canfield is leading by example by accepting a Paul Harris +6 award for contributing over $7,000 to the Rotary International Foundation.
 
 
     After the presentation of the Paul Harris Fellow awards, Bob Presman gave a program on why we need to keep Polio + as our #1 Priority.  This Rotary program was started in the mid 80's with over 160 countries with polio cases.
     We are 99.9% complete with only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which still have polio cases.  The political problems in those two countries have prevented volunteers from administering the polio vaccine to the children in those countries. 
     There is hope for the future because the political and religious leaders of those two countries have started letting volunteers into the countries to vaccinate the children.  That's why we need to keep funding Polio + so polio can be eliminated from the face of the earth.  Keep those donations coming.   
 
 
     After Bob's presentation, two tennis balls that were used in the Australian Open, and were autographed by Past RI President Jennifer Jones, were auctioned off.  Bob Presman won the first tennis ball with a $100 bid.  There wasn't much of a challenge because he is a tennis player and did a great presentation.  However, the second auction was much livelier between John Mecklenburg in Memorial Hall and Past President and Past District Governor Kent Mallquist from Texas via zoom.  John eventually prevailed with a bid of $250.  
     Over $1,000 was raised with contributions from those in attendance, the sale of Polio+ T-shirts, and the $350 from the tennis ball auction.  A big thanks to Bob Presman, Paul Logli, and John Mecklenburg for their help in making our Polio program a success.
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November 2nd Program
 
"Child Abuse & Human Trafficking - 
Doing Nothing is Not an Option"
 
     As Manager of the Mayor’s Office of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Prevention for the City of Rockford, Jennifer Cacciapaglia serves as a key collaborator in coordinating advocacy service organizations, law enforcement, and civic groups.
     Jennifer has spent her entire career focusing on community work and engagement. In 2013, she co-founded the Rockford Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (RAASE) to work to end the demand for sexually exploited individuals through preventative measures, survivor protection, accountability of violators and community engagement.
     She also serves as the education coordinator and a trained facilitator for The Amanda Reed Memorial Fund, created to educate young people about the dangers of unhealthy behaviors in relationships which can escalate into lethal violence.
     Jennifer was previously an Assistant State’s Attorney with Winnebago County and City Attorney for Rockford, and she received her J.D. from Northern Illinois University School of Law in 1998.
     As the title indicates, Jennifer will discuss child abuse and human trafficking in our area and some of the programs and organizations that are working to stop these two terrible things.  This will be an interesting and informative program and one you will want to bring a friend or prospective member to listen to.  Lynn Momberger will introduce our presenter and act as Rotary host.
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Future Programs
Future Programs
 
11/02/23 - "Child Abuse and Human Trafficking -
                   Doing Nothing is not an Option"
                   Speaker - Jennifer Cacciapaglia
                   Host - Lynn Momberger
 
11/09/23 - "Annual Tribute to our Veterans"
                  Host - Janine Idstein
 
11/16/23 -   "Rockford Symphony's 5th Music Director"
                   Speakers - Yaniv Attar and Julie Thomas
                   Host - Warren Heinke
 
11/23/23 - Thanksgiving - No Meeting
 
11/30/23 - "Holiday Social" Hosted by President Pete
 
12/07/23 - "The Changing Face of Medical Care and
                    the Education of Doctors"
                   Speakers - Dr. Alex Stagnaro-Green &
                                     Dr. Jeff Smith
                  Host - Elise Cadigan
 
12/14/23 - "Our Park District Expanding Our Economy"
                  Speaker - Jay Sandine, Executive Director
                  Host - Paul Von Driska
 
12/21/23 - "Multi-Cultural Holiday Festival Music"
                  Rockford Music Academy
                  Host - Elise Cadigan
 
12/28/23 - Happy Holidays - No Meeting
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Weekly RI Foundation Message
 
     Each week we will be publishing a message from the Rotary International Foundation.  This week's message is:
 
     HOW SUCCESSFUL HAS THE EFFORT BEEN TO ERADICATE POLIO?
 
     Because of Rotary’s support, nearly 3 billion children have been immunized against polio and are protected for life against this crippling disease.
 
     Rotary and our partners reduced the number of wild polio cases from 350,000 in 1988 to 140 in 2020. Twenty million cases of paralysis have been averted through this global effort.
 
     The wild poliovirus is now endemic in just two countries, and we won’t stop our effort until we’re able to give children a polio-free world.
 
     Learn more and help The Rotary Foundation make history at endpolio.org.
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Rotary Lunches
 
     Starting with our September 7th meeting, we will be having lunches at our noon meetings.  We will be starting with a package from Beef-A-Roo.  It will consist of a Wrap, salad, chips, cookie, and a soda or water.  There will bea variety of meats in the wraps.  This is a work in progress and things may change.  Lunches will start on September 7, 2023 and will be available at 11:45 AM the day of the meeting.
     PLEASE.  If you plan to bring a guest, PLEASE let us know 3 days in advance so we can make arrangements for food.  It will be your responsibility to cover the cost at $12.50 per meal.
 
     Thanks
     Pete Rundquist - runky907@comcast.net
     President, Rockford Rotary
     
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Nov 02, 2023
Child Abuse and Trafficking - Doing Nothing is Not an Option
Nov 09, 2023
Annual Tribute to our Veterans
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Upcoming Events
Board Meetings
Nov 21, 2023
 
View entire list
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Jim Nelson
October 5
 
John Larsen
October 12
 
Lynn Momberger
October 14
 
John Anderson
October 17
 
Jim Powers
October 18
 
John Torrence
October 18
 
Daniel Ross
October 30
 
Bob Presman
October 31
 
Join Date
Alex Stagnaro-Green
October 9, 2014
9 years
 
Dick Lunde
October 16, 1975
48 years
 
Cynthia Drollinger
October 25, 1991
32 years
 
Jeff Smith
October 27, 2016
7 years
 
Tyler Smith
October 27, 2016
7 years
 
Darlene Furst
October 28, 1994
29 years
 
Karl Jacobs
October 28, 1971
52 years
 
Meeting Responsibilities
Meeting Set-Up and Take-Down
 
October 19th
Moe, Eric
 
October 26th
Carlin, Taylor
 
November 2nd
Clabough, Tom
 
Meeting Greeters
 
October 12, 2023
Thacker, Beth
 
October 19, 2023
Todd, Jo An
 
October 26, 2023
Foreman, Michael
 
November 2, 2023
Norwood, Mary Ann
 
November 9, 2023
Shelain, Suzanne
 
November 16, 2023
Maxted, Mary
 
cember 7, 2023
Johansson, Russ
 
December 14, 2023
Buchmann, Frank
 
December 21, 2023
Drollinger, Cynthia
 
Meeting Invocators
 
October 12, 2023
Dickinson, Elizabeth
 
October 19, 2023
Moe, Eric
 
October 26, 2023
Johnson, Linda
 
November 2, 2023
Buchmann, Frank
 
November 9, 2023
Todd, Jo An
 
November 16, 2023
Kwiat-Hess, Kathy
 
December 7, 2023
Maxted, Mary
 
December 14, 2023
Niemiec, Linda
 
December 21, 2023
Ryan, Michelle
 
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Rockford Rotary - Our 108th Year - www.rockfordrotary.org