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| Seward Rotary - Report to Community |
Editor: Jeff Mow
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The 2008-09 was a very successful year for the Rotary Club of Seward. We would like to take this opportunity to present to the Seward community some of the club's accomplishments over the past year.
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The club's Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) program was very active this year with outbound Seward HS student Nicole Hewitt spending the year in Budapest, Hungary. Incoming student "Dutch" Chansaengchote from Thailand was a welcome addition to the Seward High School student body (Club cost $6500). Thanks to our local host families: Hohl's, Haddow's, and Draper's.
"Sun Over the Yardarm" (our fall wine tasting fundraiser) held in conjunction with the Seward Mariner's Memorial Association, raised over $2000 towards Seward's proposed Mariners Memorial. In past years the club supported community projects such as: the Community Playground, Skate Park Improvements, and Lagoon Boardwalk. Last fall club members built forms and poured concrete monuments for the Cemetery Project. The Cemetery Project will memorialize every person who has been buried at the Seward Cemetery.
In November, the club awarded a Community Vocational Award ($100 donation to Rotary Foundation) to Christy Terry, a non-Rotarian in Seward that exemplified Rotary's four-way test in her professional life. The Rotary Four-Way test: 1) is it the truth? 2) Is it fair to all concerned? 3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
The Rotary Club's annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Program ($1800) provided 27 food baskets to needy families in Seward, Alaska. Seaview Community Services has assisted the club over the last six years by gathering names and arranging for distribution.
The Rotary Club of Seward raised $6000 and joins eight other rotary clubs from around the world to support an international service project that provided low-cost laptop computers and wireless connectivity to an orphanage in northern Thailand. Providing computer literacy to orphans will improve the future prospects for a segment of society that generally has few opportunities as adults.
In January, the Rotary Club of Seward initiated the Dictionary Project by presenting dictionaries to every 3rd grader at Seward and Moose Pass Elementary Schools. The Club supported the statewide Rotary initiative to provide dictionaries to every 3rd grader in Alaska ($100).
In conjunction with several local businesses, Seward Rotary members presented Junior Achievement curriculum at Seward Elementary, Junior, and High Schools. Two $500.00 scholarships were presented to Seward High School for general scholarship needs.
Nine new club members were inducted into the Rotary Club of Seward; this is a 27% increase in the size of the club to date. Club and club members hosted a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from Taiwan and a Rotary Friendship Exchange group from New Zealand. Club fellowship events and vocational tours were held for each team.
The club raised $2900 for the general programs of the Rotary Foundation. Rotary foundation is the non-profit foundation of Rotary International and funds a variety of project needs around the world. Seward club raised an additional $1000 towards club's match of the $255 million Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Polio donation. Six club members became Paul Harris Fellows signifying individual contributions of $1000 to the Rotary Foundation (generally over the course of several years).
Please join us June 26 for our Rotary Youth Exchange Fundraiser ÃÆ'¢â‚¬" A 4 Hour Resurrection Bay Dinner Cruise. Tickets are $50 each and include a Prime Rib & Salmon dinner, NPS Ranger Program, and support for a wonderful program. Reservations can be made at either Renown or Major Marine ticket offices. This dinner cruise was generously donated by Seward Marine Tours.
For more information about the club's activities and complete information about our upcoming events, please visit our website at www.sewardrotary.org
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Rotary Club of Seward
