Rotary in July…
On July 5, Rotary Club of
Eastchester sponsored the first night time Summer Concert at Lake Isle. The band Tangled Vine played to a very enthusiastic crowd.
Members of the Club, Richard Sullivan, Mike Fix, David Fuller, Andy Rabin, Mary
Beth Wellington, Mary Ciamarra, Dick Forliano and Freya Gnerre were on hand to spread the word about Rotary. Past President David Walker started the festivities by introducing the Rotary Club of Eastchester and the many projects conducted within the community; scholarships, bookbags, food drives for ECAP and above all the Gift of Life program and our young child Danna and her Mother, Sonia.
We had many people stop by the table to ask question about the Rotary and specifically the Gift of Life. Mary Ciamarra and Freya Gnerre stood at the exit to the concert where people made a generous donation to the Gift of Life program. It was a very good night for the Rotary Club of Eastchester.
The next community presentation was at the Country Market’s Farmers Market, Sunday, July 16 from 10 AM to 3 PM.
Once again, a table was outfitted with Rotary Information on all our worldwide projects of eradicating Polio, initiatives in clean water projects, world peace efforts and most important our various project in the Eastchester community.
Many people stopped by to pick up information on the Club, the golf outing and make donations to the Gift of Life program.
Members who helped out were Mary Ciamarra, Freya Gnerre, Richard Sullivan, Mike Fix, Alan Benedict and David Walker. We were visited by Jenny Saa-Tomala, host Mother, Gift of Life, after visiting Danna and Sonia in the hospital two days after Danna’s successful open-heart surgery.
Rotary in August…
Monday, August 7 the 14th Annual Mario Faustini Memorial Golf Outing with take place at Leewood Golf Club. Sign-in begins at 10:30 AM with golf commencing at 12:15 PM and dinner and award will start at 5:00 PM. We are expecting over 80 golfers.
There are many jobs that need volunteers especially in the morning to set up and greet the players. During the day, we need volunteers to drive the beverage cart on the course, supervise the putting contest on hole #4 and set up the silent auction in the clubhouse. With two weeks to go see if you could get more tee signs (only $200 ea.), golfers ($300 per golfer), a donation from your favorite business for silent auction and raffle prises or dinner reservations. THIS IS THE CLUB’S ANNUAL FUND DRIVE THAT SUPPORTS ALL WE DO IN THE COMMUNITY…YOUR PARTICIPATION IS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.
Tuesday, August 8 the Club will host a reception/farewell to Danna and Sonia Mendez at Ciao’s Restaurant beginning at 6 PM (cost to be determined). Danna will have been medically cleared to return to Ecuador on Thursday August 10.
The club’s effort to keep the spirits high of Danna and her Mother waiting patiently for her surgery since May 22nd is to be commended. Richard Sullivan is the reason that the Gift of Life program for our Club is so successful. Richard has coordinated the arrival at the airport, rides to and from the Westchester Medical/Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, visits by club members for lunch, dinner and shopping, interpreters and all in between to make sure this child was very well taken care of before, during and after surgery.
Dr. Khanh Nguyen who is Chief Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon from Mt. Sinai in New York City is to also be commended for performing Danna’s surgery. Everyone who helped exemplified the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self”: Mike Fix’s outstanding efforts for finding and securing one of the best host families that has been involved with our Gift of Life program and Jenny Saa-Tomala and her family who welcomed Danna and Sonia during a time of extreme angst and showed them what love, patience and understanding can do to heal the infirmed. The Rotary Club of Eastchester is blessed to have the Saa-Tomala family in our community.
