Annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner is happening again in 2020
Due to Covid -19 only pick up and free delivery this year instead of a sit down dinner.
BUY OUR ORNAMENT AND HELP PORTMOUTH AREA RESTAURANTS AND WAITSTAFF WHO HAVE BEEN HIT SO HARD BY THIS PANDEMIC
This year we picked the iconic Portsmouth diner “Gilley’s” as our Christmas Ornament. Who has not been to Gilley’s? Its been around since 1912 and it is as famous as the tugboats and the North Church!
This year has been so hard for both restaurants and their waitstaff, that the Portsmouth Rotary Club has chosen to take all of our net proceeds from the sale of our Gilley’s ornaments and buy, at retail, gift certificates to local restaurants, and then we are going to take those gift certificates and distribute them to waitstaff who have been so impacted by Covid. Its one of the 100’s of ways Portsmouth Rotary supports our local community along with scholarships, food banks, the homeless shelter, coats for kids, building playgrounds, and the list goes on. We are 100% volunteer, so when you buy a Rotary ornament or Christmas tree, all of the net proceeds go to the community! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah everyone!!!
<---- Click the ornament to buy online
It's that time again!
Come visit our lot for a large selection of fresh Northern grown Trees, Wreaths and Ornaments.
- Location: 775 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth. Margarita's/Planet Fitness Lot
- Dates: Friday November 27th - Wednesday December 16th
- COVID safe, masks are required
- Hours: Monday - Thursday 12pm to 6pm
- Hours: Friday - Sunday 11am to 8pm
- We deliver to Portsmouth, Greenland, Rye and New Castle for high risk individuals
- Wednesday deliveries are: December 2nd, 9th and 16th
- Saturday deliveries are: November 28th, December 5th and 12th
- You can pick delivery day when we contact you
- All money raised goes back to our community
Top of the Week!
Thanksgiving Day Means No Meeting This Week!
Here's wishing you all the happiest of holidays. Have a bountiful and safe Thanksgiving everyone.
Sign Up for Tree Sales
Don't forget to sign up for tree sales as well. There are still open slots that need to be filled.
NOTE: THE SATURDAY EVENING SHIFT (5:00-8:00 PM) STILL NEEDS TWO ROTARIANS FOR SALES / RESTOCKING
In addition to the usual tasks, this year there is also the opportunity to volunteer for deliveries (we're talking to you pick-up owners).
Click the link below to sign up.
Virtual Fundraising
An article by PDG Marty Helman is now on the home page of the District web site, and seems worthy of sharing widely within our club. We’ve been exploring different ways to manage virtual fundraising and there are some examples here.
Keep Up to Date on the COVID-19 Pandemic
For up to date information and available resources in New Hampshire visit the State's web page:
The City of Portsmouth's website is also a great source for local COVID-19 information.
Helping Cross Roads House in These Trying Times
Some of the ways you can still help at Crossroads:
• Meal Preparation - Prepare food in your home and drop it off at the shelter. This includes both dinner entrees and bagged lunches. Whether we provide the ingredients and pans, or you do, this will help us to continue serving residents three meals a day when volunteers are unable to come into the shelter. Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Kristina Siegenthaler, at k.siegenthaler@crossroadshouse.org, or 603.436.2218 ext. 107, for more information.
• Donations of Food and Supplies - Donations of food items and supplies from our “Wish List” are greatly appreciated at this time. You can view our “Wish List” online at www.crossroadshouse.org/donations/wish-list. Donations can be dropped off at the shelter at any time, or you can shop our Amazon.com Wish List (http://a.co/gOnxxkK) from the comfort of your home and have items delivered to the shelter.
• Monetary Support - Our annual “Benefit by the Sea” fundraiser has been posted to August 29, 2020. This event provides funding for nearly 30% of our shelter operating budget. Now more than ever we need your help to ensure we can continue serving some of our most vulnerable neighbors. If you are able, click the link below to make a donation today. The gift you give today will make a tremendous difference for the families and individuals who rely on Cross Roads House to make it through this difficult period.
Rotary Dinner Service the Salvation Army
Yes, even in these trying times, Rotary continues to serve...
Dinner, that is, at the Salvation Army's food truck.
Rotary participation is being limited to two people per service.
If you would like to participate please contact Sara Treacy at 603-661-8588.
New Scholarship Fund Honoring Dr. Clayburgh
Nancy Clayburgh whose husband Jim passed away on Friday, May 1st would like to establish a Rotary scholarship fund in his name.
Dr. James B Clayburgh Scholarship Fund. Anyone wishing to support this fund may do so by mailing contribution to Rotary Club of Portsmouth, PO Box 905, Portsmouth NH 03802-0905.
Rotary Connections is back!!!
Now more than ever Rotary Connections let’s our members know that their Rotary club is thinking of them. Members facing a health issue, death in the family or a life celebration, we are here!
If you know of any of our members who may need a Rotary Connection, please reach out to the Cathy Nickerson.
Project: Volunteer Surge
Looking to help out in these trying times but don’t know how or where? Check out this opportunity from the Global Impact Group.
Rotarians and their supporters have the opportunity to lead recruitment of the first one million citizens to participate in Volunteer Surge. Together, we can reduce suffering and save lives.
Rotary Log for November 19, 2020
Our Top Turkey Jon made another humorous entrance, this time adorned with a turkey leg headband. He promised a meeting stuffed with greatness. And in his inestimable way gobbled up some time with a litany of bad puns.
God Bless America was next up, beautifully sung A Capella by Judy Ringer.
John Rice offered a wonderful Thanksgiving prayer, reminding us to be grateful for friends, family and good deeds even in these difficult times. Perhaps a Covid vaccine will bring us together in person one day soon.
Also mentioned was our wonderful plucky Peg Millar, who sadly passed away at age 90. We are grateful that she graced our club for so many memorable years. Later, several of us attended a lovely committal service in Rye Central Cemetery on Friday, November 20. With close acquaintances and family gathering under cloudy skies, Peg’s dear friends Shannon, Trish Cummings and James Petersen offered heartfelt remembrances of a special woman. The sun peeked out in agreement.
Thanksgiving
Like many members, Jon will be celebrating the holiday with only immediate family. The Prez is not one to be deterred by a vegetarian daughter and a wife who eschews the “big fowl.” He plans to chow down by himself on a 40-pound bird. His decidedly better half, Polly, will be honored with her own ham (no, not Jon, though he will be doing the cooking.)
On to the Rotary Thanksgiving Dinner. Betsy and Ann have taken on our initial socially distanced meal service with aplomb and good cheer. For the first time in history, meals will be received by delivery only. Two hundred and sixty community members have requested meals!
Volunteer drivers will make contactless deliveries. They will line up behind the Greek church to collect meals and directions to destinations throughout the area. Many “boxers” will be needed to pack 30 meals every 10 minutes. Boxers should be on hand by 9AM. Drivers at 10:30. Betsy, Ann, Jon and the intrepid early crew plan to be there by 6AM. Is this a great club or what!? Big shouts of gratitude to Ann and Betsy!
What will be different and what will be the same for your Thanksgiving this Covid-year, asked Jon?
A couple of the memorable answers included Frank telling us he is breaking with tradition to cook an Italian feast.
White wine will be on the menu at Joannie’s in place of her customary red. As you just read, our club’s Thanksgiving Dinner service will be different, but the fellowship will be the same.
Basic Needs
Jessica Parker highlighted both fellowship and gratitude, as she announced recent Basic Needs Committee contributions to several area non-profits. Her reading of several sincere thank-you notes was a nice touch. A House for Me, Community Tool Box, Seacoast Community Lunch, Share Fund, and Step Up Parents were among the appreciative recipients.
Historical Moment
Ian served up another entertaining and educational Historical Moment, taking us back to 1957. In those days, our citizenry consumed an average 24 pounds of chicken and 369 eggs per year. Enter Nichols Poultry of Kingston, N.H., which became the center of Granite State turkey production. Mr. Nichols, a Portsmouth Rotarian, produced a new bigger, fatter, and meatier turkey. The birds were shipped live to all 48 states, where many producers bred their own bigger turkeys from that stock.
“Now that’s fowl play,” quipped Ian.
Today’s speaker, a Planetary philanthropist
Ken Murphy introduced our speaker, his friend and Portsmouth entrepreneur and philanthropist Alex Choquette. Mr. Choquette told us he is very impressed with Rotary’s “Service above Self.” Motto. His immediate $1500 donation to the club was an ample and much-appreciated demonstration of that admiration.
Growing up the fifth of eight children, Alex had a dad who taught his kids the importance of giving generously to help people in need. Back in the day, the successful Choquette-family business sold automotive manuals to 50,000 customers throughout New England. By 1997, as that industry was going electronic, Alex moved in a different direction.
In 2005 with “passion and guts” he decided to buy into the Planet Fitness phenomenon. A single purchase in 2006 led to a second in 2007. Alex was a man with “a mission to open 10 stores, cash out, and travel the world to help people.”
An apparent overachiever (and obviously nice person,) Alex bought a Planet Fitness territory with 15 stores in North and South Carolina and Georgia. He sold that company last year, recently purchasing even more Planet Fitness stores. Undoubtedly his success can be attributed in part to the way he values and rewards employees and their families, a practice to which he freely admits.
Alex has certainly not forgotten the lessons imparted by his mother and father years ago. His mission to give back to the less fortunate has been brought to life. Recognizing food insecurity caused by Covid 19, Alex and his management team made a generous donation to food banks in Myrtle Beach. He has also purchased nine mobile food collection storage units, placing food collection bins inside and outside supermarkets.
Quoting Choquette’s company website: “Giving back to our community is at the heart of what Anchor Management stands for. I am proud of our team and the kindness and generosity shown during this time when so many around the world and here at home have been impacted.”
Service above Self indeed! Thank you, Alex, for a great presentation, an educational Q&A and your generous donation.
Respectfully submitted, Neal Ouellett
Photo captures by Don Chick
To see photos of our new members click on the following link:
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