As the Rotary Year 2008-2009 winds down, the Rotary Club of Placencia focused on the last events for this year and started discussions and planning for the projects and events for our next fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2009, under incoming-President Harald Wallen.

POLIO WALK
On April 26, 2009, the Rotary Club of Placencia joined with other Rotary Clubs in other areas in holding a walk to raise funds towards the eradication of polio. Rotary International requested that all clubs contribute $1000 US towards meeting the challenge put forth by Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation to match a donation of $255 million US over the next 3 years to complete the polio eradication process worldwide.

At this time, polio still exists in only 4 countries (India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan) and administration of the vaccine in these countries has been successful enough that eradication of the disease is projected to take place in the next 3 years. There are still challenges to accomplishing this goal, such as the high birth rate in some of these areas (India’s Uttar Pradesh alone has 500,000 children born every month) and the exposure to so many different viruses and bacteria that 12 doses of the vaccine (the usual is 6) are required for immunity, however, with the generosity of the Gates Foundation and Rotary Clubs worldwide, it is expected that the challenges will be met and the goal accomplished.

On the day of the walk, almost 70 people, including members of the Rotary Club of Placencia and Friends of Rotary from the community, assembled at the airstrip at 6:00 AM to be welcomed by Rotary Club of Placencia President Sandra Johnson and begin the 31/2 mile walk to Placencia Point, where a light breakfast was served. This event was co-sponsored by Turtle Inn and Francis Ford Coppola, who is a polio survivor. The goal set for fund raising was met and our thanks go out to Turtle Inn and all who participated in the success of this important project.

CLUB ASSEMBLY
On April 28, 2009, the Rotary Club of Placencia held a Club Assembly at Yoli’s. The Club Assembly is a business only meeting held to discuss what has been accomplished. The meeting was attended by our Assistant District Governor Rene Villanueva, who heard reports from President Sandra Johnson, Treasurer Nazle Frutos, Projects Director Jim Weller, Director of Membership Lydia Villanueva, Rotary Foundation Director Harald Wallen. Club Administration Director Maretha McCullock and Public Relations Director Greg Valiton.

Also, the meeting included the induction of John Solomon of Rumfish. We look forward to working with John and are confident that he will prove to be a valuable addition to our club. Our thanks, as always, go out to Rene Villanueva for attending this important meeting, for the generous donation he made at the meeting, and for all of the assistance he has provided this past Rotary year.

SENIOR LUNCH
On Mother’s Day, the Rotary Club of Placencia welcomed 29 senior citizens from Placencia Village and Seine Bight Village to Wendy’s Restaurant for our second annual Senior Lunch. Attendees included ( we apologize in advance for any names we might have missed) Lawrene Augustine, Balmina Guzman, Elogia Lopez, Dominica Augustine, Luca Alvarez, Hendreta Augustine, Joe Williams, Elizabeth Guzman, Matthew Martinez, Gusiano Fernandez, Alcadia Fernandez, Estelle Augustine, Jessie Eiley, Joyce Eiley, Celia Muschamp, Gloria Wade, Sonia Leslie, Lucille Villanueva, Carline Wiley, Emma Westby, Aldrich Westby, Mertis Villanueva, Elise Leslie, Marie Martin, Teresa Cabral, Ruby Bull, Pearl Leslie, Ethel Curling, Candy Powers, Gwen Weaver and Glen Weaver. In addition, meals were sent to Dolores Augustine, Louise Wade, Percy Leslie, Wilma Leslie, Ethel Vernon, Lealo Adona and Simione Alvarez, who were unable to attend.

The festivities opened with a welcome from Rotary Club of Placencia President Sandra Johnson, followed by a prayer by Lydia Villanueva, who then led in the singing of a hymn with Sonia Leslie and Eugenie Adderly-Gabourel. Lunch was then served by the outstanding staff at Wendy’s and the group was escorted outside to enjoy the Christian based music of Truckee Graphite (Jim and Anna Mensies).

Drawings for raffle prizes were held at various times with the winners being Lucille Villanueva (1 month of free cable courtesy of Southern Cable), Aldrich Westby (2 months free water courtesy of the Placencia Water Board), Estelle Augustine (2 months free water courtesy of the Seine Bight Water Board), and cash prize winners Marie Martin, Terese Cabral, Joe Williams, Ionie Augustine, Gloria Wade, Lawrence Augustine, and Lilly Eiley.

Our thanks go out to Merlene and Yoli’s for the cake they donated, Wendy’s for their hospitality and great food, Radiance and Andrea for the transfer of the seniors to Wendy’s, Jim and Anna for their inspirational music and willingness to help us out, Beth Zabaneh of Independence, Merlene and Yoli, the Placencia Water Board, Seine Bight Water Board, Marie Cadle of SCN, and the business people of Placencia who donated so generously.

This is the second year we have done this lunch for the seniors and, based upon how much they seem to enjoy it and how much we enjoy doing it for them, this will certainly become an annual event for our club. Our seniors deserve our respect and our gratitude and we hope that this event will continue to grow. Special thanks need to go out to Rotarian Lydia Villanueva for organizing this event last year and this year. Her dedication and hard work are an inspiration to us all.

UPCOMING EVENTS
With the 2008-2009 Rotary Year coming to an end, we are hard at work preparing for our last event of the year, which is our booth at Lobsterfest. As was the case last year, we will be sharing our space with the Peninsula Volunteer Fire Department and will do our best to help the Fire Department raise much needed funds to expand service on the Peninsula, inform the public about what we do, encourage people to check us out as a first step towards possible membership, and, of course, raise funds for the Fire Department from our famous Duck Race. Tickets for the Duck Race will be available from members of the Rotary Club and the Peninsula Volunteer Fire Department soon, so, buy your tickets early to make sure you have a chance at the cash prizes.

We are also preparing for the start of the 2009-2010 Rotary year by holding Board meetings monthly and including new Board Members and planning for the July 4 Handing Over Ceremony, which will be held at the Pickled Parrot. On that night, outgoing President Sandra Johnson will hand over the reins to incoming President Harald Wallen, who will serve until July 2010 with Past President Sandra Johnson, Secretary Wanda Stakutis, Treasurer Nazle Frutos, Projects Director Eugenie Adderly-Gabourel, Membership Director (and President-Elect for 2010-2011) Lydia Villanueva, Rotary Foundation Director Bob Edmond, Director of Club Administration Maretha McCullock, and Public Relations Director Greg Valiton.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing Project Director Jim Weller for his dedication and hard work this past year. We look forward to continuing to work with Jim in the coming year.

The Rotary Club of Placencia meets at Yoli’s on Tuesdays at 12:30 PM. For further information on our club and what we are working on, please contact any Rotarian or visit our web site at www.rotaryclubofplacencia.org. This is your community, please consider what you can do to help out, give a little back, and help make our community and the world a better place.