New Membership Projects:  We have several new members still working on presenting their projects to the club to qualify for the money set aside for these projects.  

 

Winter Fest: Our club is looking to volunteer at Irondequoit Winter Fest on 1/21 by either distributing hot chocolate or crowd control. At the next meeting, we will decide as a club the best option. 

 

Dictionary Project:  The West Irondequoit "Marathon Day" and St. Ambrose are the only 3rd-grade classes remaining for the distribution of dictionaries. Over the years, over 84,000 dictionaries have been given out!!  The first recipients are now graduating from college!  What a legacy!

 

Membership:  A few leads are in process! Lori Martinez is interested in joining the club!

 

ROC City UnCorked:  Lots of discussion and planning taking place for the Feb. 1-5 auction.  A location has been secured and work is underway to inventory all wine and spirits.  Then they will be sorted and assembled into baskets.  NEEDED NOW:  good sturdy baskets and member solicitations for gift cards, sponsorships, etc. that can be used in the auction.  Proceeds allocations have been agreed to by all 6 participating Rotary clubs including a percentage to Irondequoit Rotary Foundation for hosting the event's finances.

 

Club Leadership:  We are still seeking a person to step up to be President next year starting in July!  Great opportunity to grow leadership skills and the entire club will help anyone who raises their hand!

 

 

Kelley Ligozio from New York Special Olympics and Dave Marshall from Irondequoit Interact Club were our guests at our last meeting!

 

Special Olympics is a successful organization assisting over 31,000 athletes and their families and providing 22 sports to join. In the Genesse region alone, Special Olympics works with 4,300 athletes! The organization does not ask the parents or their athletes to pay for their sport of interest and runs almost entirely on donations. They offer fall, winter, and spring sports and partner with local hospitals and universities to provide opportunities for students to provide check-ups for each athlete. All ages are welcome with the youngest program, Young Athletes Program, providing a space for younger athletes to work on fine motor skills, sports readiness, social and emotional learning, and setting achievable expectations. Kelley's proudest achievement is the Unified Sports program, a program that works with surrounding schools, such as Pittsford, Greece, and Irondequoit, to integrate students with intellectual disabilities with those without to participate together in school sports. She would like to see the program work with the Interact students; more to come! There are several upcoming fundraising events: Polar Plunge (2/5), Night of Champions (3/24), Law Enforcement Torch Run (May - June 2023), Tour de Champions (September 2023), and Sponsor an Athlete program (year-round). If you would like further information on how to get involved, please visit https://www.specialolympics.org/.

Many contributions to Kelley's great presentation and to Dave from Interact, BJ's dictionary project, the passing of Pope Benedict, and to Lynn organizing upcoming speakers. Additionally, contributions were made to prospective new members and to Penn State winning! Many members look forward to a great new year for the club and our involvement in the winter fest.