George Winiecki opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.
The special Valentine’s Day meeting was hosted by John and Tina at Risdall Advertising’s impressive new office. John arranged for The Exchange to cater the meal and the food was exceptional. Mary Ann Bawden and Mary Stewart provided special desserts to complete the dining experience.
Many Rotarians invited their significant others to join them for the meeting. Nancy Benson, Chrissy Fournier, Cheryl Neeley, Tina Karelson, Debra Hollimon, Christine Winiecki, and Julie Barmore joined their husbands and Margaret Johnson invited April Stensgard, University of Northwestern’s Director of Career Development. Mary Jo McGuire also was able to join us today.
Cindy Carlson had just returned from two weeks in Hawaii…She and Kevin had a wonderful time.
Principal Amy Janecek reported that the West Side Band, Choir and Orchestra Music Festivals were a great success this year. Amy also encouraged us to check out the One-Act Play Showcases which will be held at Irondale on March 2nd -4th from 7-9 PM and March 5th from 1-3 PM.
Cindy Carlson reminded us that the Gold Plate Dinner will be on March 31st, just 6 weeks away. Bev Aplikowski will be sending you your ticket and some brochures that you can use to help you sell as many additional tickets as you can. The deadline for reporting your ticket sales and meal choices is March 17th, so start beating the bushes now for friends and business associates who might enjoy our fun event.
Cindy also announced a MN Zoo fundraiser on Thursday, February 23. Cindy is going and hopes that some of us might like to join her in supporting the Zoo. Tickets are $65. See Cindy if you are interested.
Gerry Tietz made us aware that the position of Club President for the 2018-19 Rotary year has not yet been filled. See Gerry with possible nominees.
Cindy Carlson introduced our speaker, Kara VanderKamp, Founder and Executive Director of Remember Niger Coalition. Kara has spoken to the club on a number of occasions about Remember Niger’s efforts to help the young people of Niger. Niger is located in the heart of desert-like Northern Africa, and ranks as one of the least developed countries in the world. The average life expectancy is just 54 years, and the average mother gives birth to 7 children. Unfortunately, the child mortality rate is close to 20 percent, partly due to the fact that fifty percent of families don’t have access to clean drinking water. With an average annual income of just $200, quality education is just a dream for many families. Remember Niger is working to make education possible for the children of Niger.
Our club’s first exposure to Remember Niger’s education initiative was in 2012, when we supported a Rotary Global Grant totaling $36,600. Since then we have supported District Matching Grants to improve schools by providing latrines and hand washing stations. Until recently, efforts were directed toward primary schools, but as those students have aged, middle schools are now needed. Remember Niger has responded by building its first middle school. Because incomes are so limited, even the low tuition is difficult for many families, so donations are needed to sponsor children to attend the schools.
To donate, or get more information about Remember Niger Coalition, click
here. Kara, John and Cindy are shown below.
