Portsmouth Rotary Log for November 16, 2017
by Lindsey Hery
Photos by Tube Loch
Portsmouth Rotarians joined together for one last time before the Thanksgiving break. Jennifer Craig greeted us at the door with her usual cheer. Meanwhile, the club iPad continued to present challenges. The credit card device temporarily crashed. But we soldiered on. Al Lantinen led us in a patriotic rendition of My Country Tis of Thee.
President Ben welcomed many visiting Rotarians and guests, including some potential new members.
Several Rotarians celebrated anniversaries this month, including:
Leanne Spees – 5 years
Justin Finn – 6 years
Margaret (Peg) Millar – 19 years
Lynn McClaren – 20 years
Ellen Labrie – 21 years
Announcements.
The Senior Luncheon will be held on December 11. If you’d like to RSVP for that, please contact Cindi Shanley. We have 50 available Rotarian spots for this always-memorable event. There will be no meeting on Thursday, December 14.
Priscilla McGinnis marked another fall right-of-passage for our Club. It was Turkey pick up day! She will soon be sending out additional details to Thanksgiving dinner volunteers.
Craig Taylor is requesting volunteers for the Richie McFarland Bruins Alumni Hockey Fundraiser on December 16. We are seeking participation, volunteers and donations for the event. If you can attend, you may be lucky enough to see some of our own club members lace up!
Christmas Tree Sales begin next week. If you are able, please tell your family, friends and coworkers. Printed posters are available to help promote the fundraiser. Leo Gagnon is still seeking volunteers for November 26, 27 and 29. Contact Leo if you can help. Soon all Rotarians will be receiving their assignments along with contact information. If you are unable to attend your shift, you are responsible for finding a replacement.
The Portsmouth High School Interact Club is very busy. Thank you to Joanie Dickinson for your leadership! Below is a summary of some of their recent events:
Unloading Christmas trees. More than 20 students have signed up to help.
Selling Christmas trees. Each student must attend at least one shift.
Bell ringing on December 2nd.
Collecting Stocking Stuffers for local children in need.
Volunteering at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen.
Donated 1000+ pounds of canned goods during the Halloween drive.
The 50/50 Raffle
Congratulations to the big winners, Dave Holden and the Cartel (thank you Bill Hurley for the suggested name). The 50/50 raffle prize was $59 and the bonus, which they matched, was $475.
The program: Crutches for Africa
Bill Hurley introduced our speaker, David Talbot. David told us about his many accomplishments, including overcoming serious health obstacles. A polio survivor, Talbot suffers now from Post-Polio Syndrome. The disease limits his mobility and the use of his left leg. Despite it all, he has enjoyed impressive nursing, education, dentistry and fire rescue careers.
He and his wife Candice, who was also in attendance, live in Colorado and belong to the Mountain Foothills Rotary Club. Together, they launched Crutches for Africa in 2005. The program’s goal is to “give people the opportunity to have freedom and be able to move.” It produced the first successful shipment of mobility devices in 2006. Since then, Crutches for Africa has distributed more than 21,000 pieces of mobility equipment. Bill Hurley, by the way, has helped our club become more involved, assisting with the collection of mobility devices.
David shared stories, videos and astounding images of African people affected by Polio and other mobility-limiting ailments. With no access to mobility devices, care givers are often forced to physically carry the disabled. The challenge of being disabled creates social stigma. Women are unable to meet husbands or begin families due to their inability to carry water. It’s such a terrible stigma that many affected people stay hidden in their homes with no access to society.
Together with Rotary and other organizations nation-wide, Crutches for Africa collects mobility devices to be shipped overseas. Desired items include crutches, wheel chairs, baby strollers, bike carriages and walkers. Monetary donations are also accepted to help offset shipping costs, which are generally $3 dollars per device. The closest Seacoast donation location is the Recycling Center and Transfer Station in Portsmouth. To learn more about Crutches for Africa, please visit their website: www.crutches4africa.org.
In honor of the holiday, there will be no meeting next week. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Respectfully submitted, Lindsey Hery
