30th Annual Scramble for Scholarships

30th Annual Scramble for Scholarships

The East Lansing Rotary’s 30th annual Scramble for Scholarships will be held on Monday, September 11, 2017 at the Timber Ridge Golf Club located at 16339 Park Lake Road in East Lansing. This year’s Scramble kicks-off with a shotgun start at 1:30 pm, followed by dinner and prizes at 6:00 pm.

Since the events inception in 1987, the Rotary Club of East Lansing has used the proceeds from this event to provide scholarships to help support East Lansing high school graduates with their college expenses. Over the past 30 years, the golf outing has raised and awarded over $100,000 for these scholarships. This past spring a total of $7,500 in scholarships was awarded to six college-bound East Lansing high school seniors.

Goal for 30th Annual Scramble for Scholarships

This year’s goal is to raise $10,000 so that we can continue this important club tradition aimed at helping deserving graduates of East Lansing High School with their college expenses.

We invite you to join with us in this effort by:
a) making a reservation to play in this year’s Scramble. Reservations ($500 for a foursome & green/tee sponsorship, or $100 per golfer) can be made by contacting Timber Ridge directly (517/339-8000), or by sending a check payable to: East Lansing Rotary Foundation c/o 2017 Scramble for Scholarships, P.O. Box 4205, East Lansing, MI 48826.
b) becoming a sponsor. To reserve one of the sponsorships listed below, please contact John Saltzgaber (517/881-6112 or saltzgaberj@comcast.net).
and/or
c) donating prize. To donate a prize for this year’s Scramble, please contact Bob Page (517/347-6990 or robann@msu.edu)

2017 Scramble for Scholarships Sponsors as of 8/15/17

Dinner Sponsors (1 still available @ $300)

  • H & H Mobil
  • Lansing BWL

Par 3 closest-to-the-pin (1 still available @ $250)

  • Horizon Bank
  • Michigan Flyer/Indian Trails
  • Dart Bank

Hole Sponsor (5 still available @ $200)

  • Williams AutoWorld
  • Brogan Reed & VanGorder
  • Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC
  • Jim Little

Tee/Green Sponsor ($100 each)

  • MSUFCU
  • Dean Transportation
  • Prime Housing Group
  • Dennis Rosenbrook
  • Koehler’s Printing
  • Nathan Triplett
  • Bennington Cross Group/Merrill Lynch
  • Farmer’s Insurance – Okemos

 

 

Peru Global Project Support

Peru Global Project Support

Fellow Rotarian’s –

I wanted to share with you that when Raef Fadel met and talked about his Peru Global Outreach Mission a few weeks ago, it was his hope that we, as a club, would offer some project support, specifically financial. This will be the ninth year this mission trip has taken place.  If you remember from his presentation about 35 pre-med students, doctors and professors travel to South America with many supplies to help the people in need as best they can. The spend one week in Lima, and one week traveling up the Amazon, stopping at small villages and providing medical services off the boat.

The International committee listened to Raef share his experience and wants to support their project, but as a club we have already made our financial commitments for the year. Therefore, the International committee has agreed to put it on their agenda and will look at supporting this project as a budgeted line item for next year. That being said, Raef and his group of pre-med students have been a big help to us in working towards getting our MSU Rotaract club back off the ground. Raef himself is a past president of our previous  Rotaract club and has introduced us to Colleen Reidy, a premed student who is helping us get the program reignited at Michigan State. Good things are happening as it pertains to the Rotaract club including working cooperatively with Okemos and Lansing in sponsoring our “renewed” club at Michigan State.

I would like to speak to the club about this project and ask that we “Pass the Hat” at our next meeting to support the Peru project this year. They have support from five other Rotary clubs including a $5,000 match from Traverse City, but it would look good for them to get support from what they would like to consider their parent club (because of the Rotaract connection).

Please bring your wallet or checkbook and an open heart and I hope we can send a few dollars to support this worthwhile project.

Yours in Rotary Service,

John Stauffer

Rotarian Speaks at High School Honors Event

Rotarian Speaks at High School Honors Event

Joe Osypczuk, the Chairman of the East Lansing Rotary Foundation, had the privilege of addressing students, teachers, and parents at the 2016 High School Honors Event.

Greetings East Lansing Graduates and Scholars,
As a member of the Rotary Club of East Lansing, I am blessed to be able to stand before you to say how proud all of our club members are to have you in our community. You are being recognized for your outstanding scholarly skills as well as your outstanding community service.

As Rotarians, we are often asked, “What is a Rotary Club”? Rotary can best be defined in this way:
Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons that are united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”

Needless to say, our work begins in our local community of East Lansing by providing funding for items such as the Weekend Survival Kit backpack program that provides food for youngsters that are in need, the purchase of books for our local school libraries, the recent renovation of the Patriarche Park Playground and of course, the Joe Gross Memorial Scholarships and the student excellence awards that are being presented today.

In 1943, Rotary adopted a code of ethics that is now called The Four-Way Test. This code of ethics is followed by all Rotarians and is something that can be used and applied by everyone on a daily basis.
The message is simply:
Of the things we think, say or do:
1) IS IT THE TRUTH?
2) IS IT FAIR TO ALL CONCERNED?
3) WILL IT BUILD GOODWILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4) WILL IT BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL CONCERNED?

Congratulations on everything you have accomplished to date in your young lives. It is only the beginning – there is so much more for you to experience in the years ahead. Hopefully, the experiences will all be wonderful and fulfilling.

Thank you for letting the East Lansing Rotary Club be a part of your awards ceremonies.
We are pleased to provide the following awards to these outstanding students:

Student Excellence Awards ($ 250.00 Each)

Kokou Dagbovie
Jordan Harris-Gonzales

Scholarships ($ 2.000.00 Each)

Katelyn Meyer
Paul Przybylski
Madelyn Zink

Weekend Survival Kits Program

Weekend Survival Kits Program

The East Lansing Rotary Club is proud to be a supporter of the Weekend Survival Kits program. Now in its’ fifth year of operation, the Weekend Survival Kits program helps feed needy children in our area (most of whom receive free, or reduced-price meals at school) by providing them with a two-gallon bag filled with nutritional food every other Friday during the school year. A typical Weekend Survival Kit includes: pre-portioned crackers, soup, 100% fruit juice, pudding cups, mac and cheese, canned vegetables, pasta with protein, peanut butter, granola bars, fruit cups in plastic containers, single serve cereal boxes, fruit chews and oatmeal packets. Each “kit” is packed with enough food for up to 7 meals and 2 snacks to help feed a hungry child.

Participating Schools in Weekend Survival Kits Program

Last year (2013-14 school year), 26 different schools in nine different school districts, plus two other locations (Edgewood Village Network Center and the Parkwood YMCA) participated in the program. Overall 1,883 students were served by the WSK program, up from 1,181 the previous year and nearly 400 more students than the 1,500 student goal set for the 2013-14 school year.

Our goal this year is to reach 2,500 students. Currently, 11 school districts and 33 schools are participating, including: Dansville, Haslett, Holt (Hope), Okemos (Central, Hiawatha, Bennett, Cornell), Lansing (Attwood, Post Oak, REO, Riddle, Willow, North, Gardner, Gier Park), Ingham ISD (Heartwood), DeWitt (Herbison Woods, Schavey Road, Scott), Mason (Alaiedon, Steele, North Aurelius), Waverly, East Lansing (Donley, Pinecrest, Glencairn, Marble) and Williamston (Discovery, Middle School, High School, Explorer, Lil’ Hornets). Other participants include the after-school tutoring program at the Edgewood Village Network Center and the Parkwood YMCA Summer Program.

Community Partners also Supporting Weekend Survival Kits

Started by the Haslett-Okemos Rotary Club, the Weekend Survival Kits program continues to grow. Community partners currently include: Rotary Clubs in East Lansing, Haslett-Okemos and Delta-Waverly; Kiwanis Clubs in East Lansing, Okemos and Williamston; Mason Optimist Club; Jackson National Life, Kohl’s, East Lansing Masonic Lodge #480; Okemos Community Church; St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Haslett, the Joe D. Pentecost Foundation, and the R.E. Olds Foundation.

Many Hands logo for the organization that coordinates the Weekend Survival Kits program

In 2013, the Many Hands Foundation  became the fiduciary agent for the Weekend Survival Kits program and now coordinates the program’s food ordering, packing sessions and food kit deliveries.

Help close the food insecurity gap in our communities by voting in
the U Club’s “Big Bang-Quet Community Charity Challenge.”

Cast your $5 votes for the Weekend Survival Kits program
online between February 9 and March 24 at:
www.universityclubofmsu.org/theclubwithaheart

Mud and Suds Fundraiser Provides Food for Hungry Kids

Mud and Suds Fundraiser Provides Food for Hungry Kids

The East Lansing Rotary Foundation will be hosting a Mud and Suds fundraiser on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 to benefit the Weekend Survival Kits program which provides food for hungry elementary school children across Ingham County. The “Mud and Suds fundraiser will be held at East Lansing’s Scene Metrospace (110 Charles St.) from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm and feature a special pottery demonstration by Jon Whitney, craft beers and savory hors de oeuvres. Pottery created by local artists will also be displayed and for sale at the event. Tickets are $50 per person and are available for purchase online at www.manyhandsmi.org

Started to Meet a Real Need

The Weekend Survival Kits (WSK) program was started five years ago to help meet the nutritional needs of mid-Michigan’s elementary school students, specifically on the weekends. The WSK program is focused on helping feed children – especially those who receive a free or reduced-price breakfast or lunch at school – by providing them with a “food pack” filled with nutritional food every other Friday during the school year. Food for the kits is acquired through the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s network, which means that $1 has the power to buy an equivalent of $10 of food at retail value. Each food “kit” costs about $5, and $100 sponsors one child for an entire school year. Last year (2013-14) the WSK program served over 1,800 elementary school children in Ingham County.

Program is Growing

As might be expected, the WSK program continues to grow as more families and schools learn about and join the program. As the program grows and the number of students served increases, the need for food, funds and volunteers increases as well. More information about the Weekend Survival Kits program and how you can help can be found at www.manyhandsmi.org or www.facebook.com/manyhandsmi. Contributions are always welcome and can be mailed directly to: Many Hands Foundation, 1288 W. Grand River Ave., Suite 400, Williamston, MI 48895. Many Hands in a 501 © 3, non-profit organization and serves as the fiduciary agent for the Weekend survival Kits program.

Healthy Safe Drinking Water in Brazilian Schools

Healthy Safe Drinking Water in Brazilian Schools

A healthy safe drinking water project was spearheaded by East Lansing Rotarian, Dr. Omero Iung. Through his leadership an international partnership between three Rotary Clubs – East Lansing Rotary Club, Lansing Rotary Club in Michigan’s Capital of Lansing, and Rotary Club General Camara of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil was established in the Fall of 2013. The mission was to create healthy, safe drinking water in local schools from General Camara, Brazil.

Funding the Fountains

Both the Lansing and East Lansing Rotary Club’s donated $2,500, for a total of $5,000 towards the project plan of purchasing and installing 10 drinking fountains. The Rotary Club of General Camara took responsibility for acquiring, installing the fountains and educating the community on water preservation. In October of 2013 the funds were received from the United States. Due to the favorable exchange rate of the dollar to reais, Rotarians of General Camara were able to acquire one additional drinking fountain.

Installing the Fountains

Installation of the 11 fountains commenced in November of 2013, and the project was completed in March of 2014 with a break between December and February for the annual school holiday. Follows is a list of schools and the number of fountains:

  • City Elementary School Oraida Pereira in Passo da Taquara – 1
  • City Elementary School Trajano Azambja in Boqueirao – 1
  • City Elementary School Maria Jose in Potreiro – 2
  • City Elementary School Padre Ely in Banheiro Velho– 1
  • City Elementary School Mathias in Boca da Picada – 1
  • State High School Joao Cannabarro in the county seat – 1
  • Municipal School of Child Education Norberto Fagundes Ribeiro in the county seat – 2
  • State Institute of Education Vasconcelos Jardim in the county seat – 2

It is estimated that 1,500 students and 500 teacher, staff, administrators and visitors will enjoy the benefit of consistently delivered healthy and safe drinking water. In addition, the local Rotary Club coordinated talks by experts on the importance of water preservation and the rational use of water with the expectation that those messages would be carried home to families and communities.

Dr. Omero Iung sampling the healthy safe drinking water

Dr. Omero Iung sampling the drinking water.

Congratulations to all Rotary partners for a successful project completed.
For a complete copy of the report which outlined detailed costs related to this project may contact Dr. Omero Iung c/o the East Lansing Rotary Club