There’s always something to do in Eugene and there are even more fun activities happening around the holidays.  This week, add some holiday fun to your schedule.  Check out some of these upcoming events: Oregon Mozart Players perform a Candlelight Baroque at the First Christian Church in Eugene on Tuesday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m.  One of Eugene’s favorite music traditions, the concert includes Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, flute and violin soloists and a harp concerto.  More information can be found at www.oregonmozartplayers.org. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day until Christmas...

In this photo, Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Glenn E. Estess Sr. (left) presents an award to violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman in appreciation of his help in fighting polio during a reception following the 2 December concert. Perlman played to a sold-out audience in New York City’s Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on December 2, during a benefit concert to raise money and awareness for Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio. Perlman received several standing ovations during the fundraiser, Rotary’s first benefit concert for polio. The organization joined...

In his December message, Rotary International President John Kenny addressed Family Month, Rotary’s month-long celebration of the family of Rotary.  December is a time for Rotarians to concentrate on the balance between family and Rotary activities.  ”Every club should strive to achieve a balanced interaction between Rotarians and their families — and the family of Rotary. Only by working together, as a family, can we ensure that the Rotary of today grows into an even stronger Rotary of tomorrow,” says Kenny. You and your family can support the family of Rotary by participating...

Rotary Peace Fellow Russell Vandenbroucke, pictured at left with a Thai girl who saw him perform, uses the stage to convey his desire for peace. “The consequences of violence are always negative,” says the author of Soldier Circle, a play that humanizes the effects of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq on the individual soldier, and Atomic Bombers, which was turned into a public radio program for the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan. “To say my plays send a message is too simple. I don’t write about things that are simple — or at least I make them more...

Take a look at just one way the Eugene Airport Rotary is making a difference in its community: Hundreds of free dictionaries are being handed out to all 3rd graders in Bethel. More than 650 dictionaries will be delivered to Bethel kids before Thanksgiving. The giveaway has become an annual gift from Rotary clubs in southern Oregon and northern California. Bethel, Junction City, Elmira, Crow, Triangle Lake, Harrisburg and Monroe 3rd graders are getting the dictionaries from the Eugene Airport Rotary. Among those giving away the dictionaries is Glen Martz, a long-time Rotary member and just-retired...

Whether you’re a Rotarian who attends each weekly meeting or a newcomer who wants to better understand what Rotary International is all about, you’ll learn something new from Rotary’s new interactive E-Learning modules.  These modules are short video tutorials that help future and current Rotarians get the most out of their interaction with Rotary. New to Rotary?  Learn about how current Rotarians became involved in Rotary.  See how you can join a local club and get involved right away.  Regardless of your interests, there’s a way to make significant contributions to your local Rotary...

This Friday, we’re featuring a photo of our District Governor, John Cox.  DG John visited the Eugene Airport Rotary’s meeting on Thursday morning where he celebrated the club’s accomplishments over the past year. At the meeting, the club also raised over $300 for Habitat for Humanity of Eugene-Springfield.  Thank you to all Rotarians for your contributions over this past year.  It was a privilege to have DG John visit the meeting and being able to raise money for such a worthy cause made it even more special. To learn more about DG John and the causes that District 5110 supports,...

The child in this photo is just one of the millions of children worldwide whose lives have been positively impacted by the programs of The Rotary Foundation.  The Foundation provides relief for natural disaster victims, educational scholarships for students, vaccines to protect children from diseases and much more. November is Rotary Foundation Month, and there are a number of ways you can contribute to the Foundation and further its mission to “advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.” Rotary...

One of the causes most important to Rotary International is the eradication of polio.  Just over two weeks ago, Rotarians around the world observed World Polio day and joined together to raise money and awareness for polio eradication.  While Rotarians everywhere came together to fight polio, the issue hits close to home for members of the Rotary Club of the Eugene Airport. Ed McDunn, a member of the Eugene Airport club and the District 5110 Polio Eradication Committee, survived polio after suddenly contracting the disease at age five. At the District 5110 TRF meeting in Cottage Grove, Ed shared...

This photo provides a snapshot of a day in the life of a group of Interact Program participants.  Interact, Rotary International’s service club for 14 to 18-year-olds, is making a big difference in the lives of youth at the South Carolina Juvenile Justice Department.  After finding themselves in trouble with the law, they came to the Juvenile Justice Department and began working with Interact. Their participation in the program has turned their lives around by allowing them to serve their community and learn more about volunteerism and respect .  They documented their experiences in this video,...