At this week’s meeting our club recognized the fourth graders of Irving Elementary School, who raised $500 for Polio Plus through a penny drive held at school. This precocious group challenged us to match their efforts and Airport Rotarians rose to the occasion. We not only matched it, we raised $1516 to send Rotary International for Polio Plus. This donation wouldn’t be possible without the fourth graders of Irving Elementary School and other Rotarians, who helped us reach our goal. We thank you for your tremendous and selfless service in the fight to eradicate polio. “We cannot...

A new year brings a new theme to Rotary International: Reach Within To Embrace Humanity. RI President-elect Kalyan Banerjee asked Rotarians, “To harness their inner resolve and strength to achieve success in Rotary,” during the opening plenary session of the 2011 International Assembly in San Diego, California, a training event for incoming district governors. He urged Rotarians to find their inner strength then, “they can accomplish great things in their communities and around the world.” Banerjee told Rotarians, “Discover yourself, develop the strengths within you, and then...

Every year, the Eugene Airport Rotary spends a hot August weekend serving beer and brats to visitors at the Junction City Scandinavian Festival. Our members come out in force, along with friends and family, to fill shifts across Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (and to set up/clean up). It’s a lot of work! But the money we raise funds our local and world community service projects – the stuff we’re passionate about. Some photos from 2010 Scandi Fest…

At our meeting this Thursday, we will be honoring the students receiving scholarships from the funds raised at our February auction. Thirteen high school seniors from eight area schools will each receive $1500. In addition to the high school awards, the club offers past awardees the opportunity to renew their scholarship. This year, nine students will be awarded $500 grants to continue their education at Oregon universities. 2010 high school award recipients: Crow: Dakota Rich Elmira: Matthew Lay Harrisburg: Ellen Haxby and Natalie Mathers Junction City: Katia Ames and Lianne Steinmetz Monroe:...

Rotarians are ramping up aid to victims left homeless by a series of disasters that struck areas in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. A devastating tsunami that hit American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga; earthquakes in Indonesia; two typhoons in the Philippines; and flooding in India have left thousands dead and millions displaced. Rotarians are focusing on distributing relief goods, including food, water, medicine, clothing, and shelter. Rotary clubs from districts in Australia and New Zealand are leading efforts to bring emergency response kits to victims of the tsunami that wiped out several...

There is no better way to kick off Fall than to become a volunteer for Rotary!  The Rotary Volunteers Program fosters active volunteer participation at home and abroad, drawing upon the spirit of the community and global service that lies at the heart of Rotary International’s (RI) mission.  Rotarians volunteer to utilize their individual, professional skills, and to share their expertise wherever help is needed locally or worldwide. The program increases awareness of the many volunteer opportunities.  Rotary clubs can register their projects or themselves as world volunteers with Rotary International. For...

Rotary President Jeff Apland and past President Steve Clarke have been delivering water to the “homeless and the hot” the last 2 days, and hope to continue throughout the week until the heat passes.  Jeff Apland, Steve Clarke and his son Alex and nephew Malcom, loaded up trucks and canvassed the Eugene/Springfield area.  Their road map included all the streets and avenues of downtown Eugene, parks, bridges, walkways, and dirt trails along the river.  The crew passed out over 300 bottles of water on Monday, and passed an additional 250 bottles on Tuesday.  Most of their delivery was by foot,...

LEAD—Leadership Education Adventure Direction—was established in 1998 as a component of the City of Eugene Outdoor Program. In July 2001, LEAD became an independent nonprofit agency offering a comprehensive leadership development program serving low-income teens ages 12 – 17 in Lane County. A lot of work goes into organizing this program with Heather Brule as the LEADership group program director, the program is like butter. Heather has facilitated groups of teens and adults in rock climbing, rafting and other outdoor adventure activities for various organizations during the last five years. She...

Talk to Nicole if you can help distribute to 3rd grade classes in our service area.

Eugene Airport Rotary funded the Senior Companion 2008 Recognition Dinner. An excerpt Our 2008 Recognition Event, A Western Affair, was a fabulous celebration for Lane County’s wonderful Senior Companions, who do so much for our Lane County communities! Your generous donation of $2000 allowed us to serve a traditional “western” meal to 100 people and to recognize our Senior Companions and their supervisors this year. We sat around the campfires (read “tables”) and enjoyed bar-b-qued ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, biscuits, cake, and good old fashioned out-on-the-range...