Reporter:  Kelly Buck

“Business of the Club”

 

COLTIVARE and on Zoom

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President Mary opened the meeting at Coltivare by greeting our many guests on this second Visitors Day.  She explained and then led us in the Four-Way Test.

 

Our many guests and Rotarians were welcomed and asked to stand and be recognized.

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome visitors!  Rotary rituals include a Thought for the Day provided by a member—in this case, Lynn Swain.  “Mother’s Day was just over a week ago; Monday the 15^th was my son’s birthday and Friday the 19^th was my daughter’s, so I wanted to take a minute to reflect on mothers.  We’ve all had one; some of us are one.”

 

“I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me.   She taught me everything I need to know, even before I got to kindergarten.  I use the lessons every day:  Say please; ask for what you need; say thank you; be kind; be welcoming; help people feel like they belong; and the values of Rotary’s Four-Way Test.”  So here are a few quotes in honor of our mothers:

After some time chatting with tablemates and guests, President Mary called the meeting back to order by asking newer members Jeremiah Craig and Ravi Walsh to say a few words about why they joined Rotary and their Rotary experience thus far.  

 

Jeremiah is one of our club’s youngest members at 36.  He and his wife moved to Ithaca a year ago, and he’s doing all he can to connect in the community.  In fact, that’s what he found at Rotary:  the three Cs—connection, community, and caring.

 

Ravi joined the club in March and was struck by the caring he has found here.  He especially appreciates the Youth Exchange Program, Community Grants, and the sharing of wisdom.

 

 

Jean McPheeters tells us that the Linen Closet collection wraps up next week (end of May).  Please bring your donated toiletry items to Coltivare and place them in the bins near the sign-in desk.

 

The 10th annual Rotary Road Rally will take place on Sunday, August 6^th.  Mark your calendar now and spread the word!  We’ll be asking for donated prize items and goody bag stuffers later this summer.

 

Sherrie Negrea introduced the program by first giving the group an overview of the fundraising project she’s been leading for the past several months.  When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Sherrie wanted to help because she has family from that region.  The little bit she was able to contribute personally didn’t seem like enough—she wanted to have a greater impact.  She eventually connected through Rotary with the club in Lviv, Ukraine.  Together, they determined that the priority was to refurbish bomb shelters at local schools.  This launched a seven-month fundraising effort that ultimately brought in about $42,000.  Last November during our first Visitors Day, Lviv University student Yuliya Bitner met with our club via Zoom to discuss the need and the situation in Lviv.

 

Our club, with the guidance of Gertrude Noden, wrote a Rotary international grant that was funded at the $25,000 level.  In addition to individual donations, the Ithaca Rotary Club under Sherrie’s direction also held a benefit concert in Ithaca on February 19^th.  More than 300 people attended the sold-out event and raised another $5,000.  Many in the audience were of Ukrainian descent.  When the woodwind quintet, with Sherrie on flute, played the Ukrainian national anthem to close the program, many stood and sang in Ukrainian.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

 

One of our Zoom participants was from Ukraine.  The club welcomed Olexiy Gusev, Past President of the Lviv International Rotary Club, who gave an update on the newly rebuilt school bomb shelter.  He has been in charge of overseeing the construction project and showed many before and after slides of the spaces.  He explained that alarms still occur nearly every day due to bombings and rocket attacks—but it was worse during the winter.  Lviv is now a hub for receiving medical supplies and shipments from around the world, and so is a regular target.

 

Last August, hundreds of families fled Ukraine for safer spots in Europe.  His own family (wife and two young children) went to Poland for a month to escape the bombings.  They and many other parents had to make the tough decision whether or not to return home and continue schooling their children.  Would they be safe?  The existing bomb shelters from WWII were in terrible shape; from this the idea of refurbishing them was born.  Olexiy shared the idea with his Rotary Club and other civic organizations.  It was agreed that there was a huge demand—and in order to keep the children in school and safe, this was a priority.  It was necessary protection in order for the schools to operate; having this new safe space has helped everyone—parents, students, schools, and communities at large.

 

The Lyceum School #2 with over 1,000 students was selected first for renovation of its bomb shelter.  It was necessary to demolish and rebuild bathrooms, waiting areas, and water systems, in addition to adding medical supply rooms.  Bathrooms now have flushing toilets and showers, in case of longer-term seclusion.  They replaced windows, heaters, generators, and dehumidifiers (since the spaces are underground).

 

This success story inspired them to continue with School #95, which is underway now.  This project started with significant exterior work waterproofing the basement that constantly flooded in heavy rain.  It is still a work in progress and will cost $60,000.

 

There was no time for Happy Dollars, but Rotarians are urged to donate as they are able to both Community Grants and the Ukraine project.

 

President Mary closed the meeting by thanking all of our guests as well as their sponsors.  All are welcome back at any time to visit and even become members of the Ithaca Rotary Club!

 

Newsletter Reporter:  Kelly Buck

Photographer:  Mike Brown

Greeter:  Ambra Munlyn and the Membership Engagement and Support Committee

Newsletter Editor:  Loralyn Light

 

Setup/Teardown:  Brad Carruth, Steve Johnson, Larry Robinson, Dave Martin, Juliet Gibbs

Audio/Visual Setup:  Bez Thomas, Mike Brown

Recording Archive:  Paul Martin; click here

Club Service Facilitator:  June Losurdo