As we make final plans for our district meal packing event on Saturday March 25 at Beachside HS, I want to remind you that this Saturday will be unlike previous food pack event, this event is intended to have Rotarians standing side by side with our youth leaders as we pack for Meals of Hope. What makes Meals of Hope so unique is that all meals packed will stay in our district to help address the problem of food insecurity in so many in our communities. If your club would still like to get involved either with financial support or sending people to “pack” it is not too late. Just reach out to District Governor Nominee Mickey Ulmer. Our goal is to pack 100,000 meals. Do you want to say you and your club were a part of this event or missed it?
In addition, I know that a lot of our clubs have participated in meal packing a food distribution events. We need to make sure that we are recording these on the Zone 33/34 website and updating these over the next few months up until June 30, when we will start again. Please make sure that you have posted all of your club’s activity to date. If you have not already done so, one “Food Champion” should be doing this for every club in the district. Many of you indicated that you had upcoming events – please report those AND report efforts to wipe out hunger for ALL activities since July 1, 2022. The link to record these is below and very simple to complete:
https://www.rizones33-34.org/
Each year, Rotarians across the district are asked to nominate outstanding Rotarians who personify the characteristics of Brent Williams and Al Watson. The nominations must come from your current club president; however, we encourage clubs to have discussions about worthy Rotarians. Questions about the nomination process and the nomination forms can be found on the Rotary District 6970 website or directed to DGN Mickey Ulmer.
The purpose of the Brent Williams Spirit of Rotary Award recognizes one outstanding Rotarian within District 6970 who has demonstrated extraordinary service and leadership in Rotary for at least ten years in at least two of Rotary’s Avenues of Service.
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The purpose of the Al Watson “Quiet Hero” Memorial Award is to recognize one outstanding Rotarian within District 6970 who has lived their life by the same principles as Al Watson. The award recognizes a Rotarian who, for at least ten years in Rotary has worked quietly and out of the spotlight … Someone who helps build community… Someone who does this work with joy, year after year.
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Have you talked to members of your club about attending the District Training Assembly and Conference? We are open and want you to sign up. We promise that this will be an exciting weekend of fun, fellowship, amazing speakers and stories of Doing Good in the World. We can IMAGINE Rotary. Rotary International President-elect R. Gordon R. McInally has created a presidential theme entitled Create Hope in the World. A key tenet of this theme is, “Rotary members should offer hope to those affected by mental health challenges — a crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have lost family members, many more have found their social networks uprooted, and young people especially have had their educational and developmental paths interrupted. As a result, more people around the world are facing mental health issues. And yet, seeking assistance is often perceived as a sign of weakness.” We believe that keynote speaker Past District Governor Dr. Geetha Jayaram offers an important bridge between the themes of President Jennifer Jones and RIPE Gordon as we attempt to Imagine a world without mental illness.
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Dr. Geetha Jayaram is Past District Governor for District 7620 for 21-22. A past Rotaractor and recipient of the 2012 Rotary International Service Above Self Award and a 2005-06 Rotary Grant for University Teachers. She is a Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing. In 1997, from the Rotary Clubs of Columbia, & Howard West, Dr. Jayaram founded the Maanasi Clinic in Mugalur, Karnataka, India. She has volunteered for National Immunization Days for eradicating polio in India several times.