December 2009

Holiday Meeting

President Nicki Scott presides over our traditional Holiday meeting on 12/18/2009. Family members are invited to attend to enjoy the program. The School of the Performing Arts provided a wonderful choral and dance program.

Paul Harris Fellowship Awards

President Nicki Scott awarded Paul Harris Fellowships to four individuals who have exemplified the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.” Receiving certificates on December 4 were: Pat Pradel, civic leader, Revati Natesan, founder of the ThinkGlobal Arts Foundation; Sunrise Rotary spouse Paul Junkroski, who is active in various community organizations, including our own; and Elke Kroeger-Radcliffe and soul of our efforts to raise literacy and health standards in Zambia. Elke was unable to attend the ceremony.


Pat Pradel


Revati Natesan


Paul Junkroski

Congratulations to our newest Paul Harris Fellows.

Five New Sunrise Rotarians

Five new members were inducted into our club on December 4. Left to right (below) are Chuck Koch, Mark Wright, Lilly Kelpsa, Carl Jensen, and Bill Eagan.

Chuck is a counselor at Naperville North High School, Mark owns Diverse Facilities Solutions in Chicago, Lilly works for Plastic Card Solutions in Lisle, Carl operates the Catch 35 restaurant in Naperville, and Bill is an employee of Kraft Foods. Their sponsors are, respectively, Kevin Gensler, Mary Morrissey, Trevor Morgan, Kathleen Malecki, and Mary Lou Wehrli.

Welcome to Rotary!

 

 


Mark Rice, Chairman for the Sunrise Rotary Coat Drive, thanks all the members and businesses that have make the drive such a success this year. 

• Over the past years, our winter clothing drive provided coats to Sharing Connections. Last year, the success of the project overwhelmed Sharing Connections to the point that we needed to find other organizations to support.

• Hesed House was contacted and gladly became a partner in our annual project.

• A fire at School District 203 Scott Elementary School ruined many students clothing and we were able to provide winter clothing that were distributed. 60 winter coats plus hats and gloves were delivered to Dist 203

• School District 204 requested that if we had additional winter clothing, they could use them. 25 winter coats plus many hats and gloves were delivered to Dist 204

• All coats were collected from Fair Oaks Ford on a regular basis, sorted and distributed throughout the coat drive so that only suitable clothing was donated

• The receiving organizations were not overwhelmed by the number of coats donated

• As soon as the coats were delivered to Hesed House, they went out to those in need

 

November 2009

On November 20, we were down to the last card in the deck: the king of hearts, which had eluded 51 prior attempts at winning the weekly Sunrise breakfast raffle. The pot had grown to nearly $2,300, and ticket sales that day alone surpassed $800 (which went into the polio fund). The ticket was drawn, and C.J. Lydon (center) read the number,

3-9-6-9-7-3,

which was held by Chuck Koch (left in photo). Chuck, whose sponsor is Tim Belgio, will be inducted at this Friday’s meeting.

 

Geoff Roehll, John Nania, and Dawn Newman kick off Naperpalooza III.  The event theme is a beach theme and is scheduled for 2/20/2010.  For more information, see www.naperpalooza.com

 

On 11/20/2009, John Schmitt, President of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, gave a program about Chamber.  “Our main objective was to stabilize the Chamber and restore credibility,” said Naperville Sunrise Rotarian John Schmitt, who took charge of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce on May 1.

Schmitt also led an effort to expand services to 1,600 member businesses. Unfortunately, the recession made it necessary to “concentrate on revenues and reduce expenses,” he told a recent club breakfast.

“We’re a reflection of the struggles that you’re going through every day. We know that we have to show value and worth, and give people a reason to belong to the chamber,” he said.

Schmitt encourages members to submit ideas, like the Chamber’s new “green” initiative, which so far has 18 businesses involved in blueprinting an energy plan. The Chamber is also excited about the Chamber’s new Leadership Institute, which will run twice a month from January to June.

 

In honor of Veterian's Day, Bill Frier provided a program to the club about his experiences during World War II.  He was aboard a mine sweeper which took him all over the world. 

Bill also spoke about receiving an Honor Flight.  Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America's veterans for all their sacrifices. They transport our heroes to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – World War II survivors, along with those other veterans who may be terminally ill.

With over one thousand World War II veterans dying each day, our time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out.
 

Thank You to all our Veterans.

 

On 11/6/2009, the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise provided a check to the Turning Pointe Autism Foundation for $15,000.

Kevin Gallaher from the Foundation accepted the donation.  This donation was made possible through the support of our Naperpalooza event.

 

 

Rotarian Mary Ann Bobosky provides information to the club about the Holiday Gifts program.  This year, the Rotary Clubs in Naperville are providing holiday gifts to students in both Naperville school districts.

For more information, see our Holiday Gift Program.

 

 

 

October 2009

National Pork Board spokesman Pat Titus brought her message to Sunrise Rotary on October 30, explaining that the “swine flu” should not keep people from enjoying “the other white meat. "Pork is very safe to eat…you cannot get swine flu from eating pork." Titus said.

Also, the pork we eat today is raised very differently than in the past, when pigs roamed small farms and frolicked in muddy pens. Most modern hogs spring from large, specialized production facilities where the oinkers never see the light of day, other than what comes through windows.

 

On 10/23/09, Julie Lichter and Deb Carr, NCO Youth and Family Services, provided a program about the work of NCO and the support from the community. 

NCO Youth and Family Services was founded in 1971 by a group of concerned parents and community and religious leaders who saw the need for local professional services for youth and their families. Working cooperatively with many local organizations, NCO has played a leadership role in the development of programs that encourage positive social change. NCO plays a significant role in youth development and services at the state, local, and county levels.

For more info, see http://www.ncoyouth.org

 

On 10/16/2009, Rotarian Mary Ann Junkroski (center), Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise, presented a check for $2,000.00 to Rebecca Viant and Geoff Pounds from DuPage Senior Citizens Council for the Meals on Wheels program.

DSCC provides in-home services such as daily delivery of nutritional meals to the homebound, widely known as Meals on Wheels.  Their daily Well Being Check Program provides health and safety checks to seniors by volunteers during their meal deliveries. The Minor Home Repair Program that helps make it possible for older individuals to remain in their homes by assisting with basic home maintenance.

See http://www.dupageseniorcouncil.org

 

Rotarian John Keough provides an overview of our Rotary club's community service programs.  His overview provides a glimpse of the numerous people our club touches every day.  We pride ourselves on being a "Hands On" Rotary club.  Our programs include our DuPage Site for the homeless, Clean Sweep, Christmas Gift program, Coat Drive, School Backpack program, and Food Pantry collections. 

Click on the "Community Service" menu on the top of this page for more information.

 

Dr. Jeffrey Miller, medical director of the Edward Neurosciences Institute, explains how the catheter he's holding is threaded into an artery of a patient's leg through the body and into the brain to find and dispose of a clot to stop and even reverse the effects of a stroke.

The procedure is just one used to treat stroke and other neurological disorders in the state-of-the-art neurointerventional suite at the Institute, a joint venture between Edward Hospital and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation.  

Dr. Miller provided a program on October 9, 2009 to our Rotary club in an effort to increase awareness of the symptoms of stroke.

 

September 2009

Caryn West was our guest speaker on September 25.

Caryn West’s effort to raise awareness of the inhumane treatment of children around the world has been nothing less than traumatic.  On the way to writing, designing, illustrating and self-publishing her remarkable book, “The Trouble with the Alphabet,” Caryn, along with husband Brock, frequently encountered Murphy’s Law (anything that can go wrong will go wrong).

Fortunately, Caryn found a financial backer who made it possible for her to complete the project.

The “status quo” keeps innocent children in the grip of slavery, child prostitution, disease and early death. Each letter of Caryn’s alphabet – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe - represents a country where Children face some form of injustice.

 

On 9/18/2009, the Naperville Sunrise Rotary club honors new or multiple Paul Harris Fellows.  Donors of $1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants Program, or people who have that amount contributed in their name, can be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows. Each new Paul Harris Fellow receives a commemorative certificate and a pin.  President Nicki Scott and Past District Governor Chris Riley thanked the members on behalf of Rotary International. 

 

Sept 2009

Outfitted with a conductor’s cap and wooden train
whistle, District 6450 Governor Jim Czerwionka
brought his “team train” to Naperville on 9/11/09.

Pulling the train are the engines of membership
and the Rotary Foundation, Czerwionka
explained. These engines, which “pull us into the
future,” are fueled by public relations and
fundraising. Then follow three cars and a caboose:
Community Service, International service,
Vocational Service, and youth programs
respectively. “We as Rotarians continue to deliver
carloads of service,” he said, adding that “the train
goes nowhere without…a solid track on which to
run, and that track is Club Service, fellowship and
administration.”

“Rotary stands on two legs: fellowship and
service, and the brains are the four-way test,”
Czerwionka said, concluding that “the future of
Rotary, and certainly the future of this club, is in
your hands.”

 		 2009-10 District Governor Jim & Marcia Czerwionka with Naperville Sunrise President Nicki Scott.

For more information about Rotary District 6450, see
http://www.rotary6450.org/

 

Congratulations to new members Nolan Harrison and Jim Ensign on their membership into the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise.  Show above (from left to right) is Sponsor Deb Newman, Nolan Harrison, President Nicki Scott, Past District Governor Art Muehlhausen, Jim Ensign, and Sponsor Tim Belgio.

 

On 9/4/09, Sunrise Rotarian Judy Ellertson provided a presentation on the YMCA Active America.  Click here for the slide presentation.

The presentation outlines how obesity is a major problem in the America and is getting worse over time, and how the YMCA is working towards a solution.

 

August 2009


Sunday, August 16, 2009

For 2009 Photos, click here.

 


Amy Van Polen

 Amy Van Polen, Resource Development Director for Bridge Communities, provided the August 14th Sunrise Rotary program about the organization.  Located in Glen Ellyn, Bridge Communities is a non-profit organization committed to transforming the lives of homeless families through partnering with talented, resourceful individuals and groups in our community. Our program of housing, mentoring and empowering families focuses on moving them towards a goal of self sufficiency.  For more information, go to www.bridgecommunities.org.

 

July 2009


NaperDink was held on 7/25/09 - Thank you to all who volunteered and who participated.  It was a beautiful day to be outdoors to bike, hike, and float!  For more information, see www.naperdink.com

 

DuPage County is one of the wealthiest in the nation. Yet decent housing is completely out of the reach of most of the people that work in the county's offices, hospitals, hotels, schools and restaurants. Why? Because the median home cost in our area is over $350,000 and rising.

Homeownership is crucial to providing families the stability they need to succeed. DuPage Habitat for Humanity® partners with families and the community to create affordable, livable housing. Housing that we need to be a stable community. Housing that will offer a hand up, not a hand out.
 

For more information, click here

 

 
On 7/24/09, performers from the North Central College "The Mikado" performed for the club.

North Central College will feature a light opera in its lineup of summer music theatre productions with the staging of The Mikado. A classic comic operetta by the legendary British team Gilbert and Sullivan, The Mikado is a hilarious social satire of Victorian culture and romantic whimsy set in a fanciful and fictional Japanese society.

For more information, see http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu/x48053.xml

 

 

On 7/17/09, Rotarian Mary Lou Wehrli provided a NaperDink project update to the club.  

Being held on 7/25/09, the triathon event includes a 2-miles bike to Pioneer Park on the DuPage River Trail, a hike about 1/2-mile around Pioneer Park, bike back to Centennial Beach, then an adult Float at the beach.   For more information, go to www.naperdink.com.
Rotarian Bruce Dixon provides a program on "Club Service" to the club members on 7/25/09.  Rotary is divided into 4 Avenues of Service; International, Community, Club, and Vocational.  Bruce Dixon was the chair of Club Service in 2008-2009. 

Club Service includes our Rotary meetings, newsletters, website, social events, and new members program.  Bruce's program included embarrassing pictures of our members having fun at the different social events over the year.

 

On 7/10/09, new President Nicki Scott provided a program on her vision for the 2009-2010 Rotary year.  She emphasized the importance of involvement for every club member at our meetings and on our projects.  She also stressed the need to grow our club membership.  Rotary is one on the best kept secrets, and we need to spread the word about Rotary.

 

June 2009

On June 25, 2009, Nicki Scott was inducted as President of the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise.  The photo on the right show Nicki being sworn in by Past District Governor Art Davis. 
Nicki with Immediate Past President Joe Lichter and PDG Art Davis.

For a complete listing of the new board and officers, click here.
   

Congratulations to our 2008-2009 Rookie of the Year Drew Powers and
our 2008-2009 Rotarian of the Year Dawn Newman. 


Joe Lichter and Drew Powers


Joe Lichter and Dawn Newman

 

On June 12, 2009, Ryan J. Dowd gave a photo presentation of a December trip to Ghana, where he was an election observer. Dowd is executive director of Hesed House.

 

On June 9th, the boards of the four Naperville Rotary Clubs had a joint social event. This was an opportunity for the Rotarians to meet each other and discuss their common missions.  Shown in the photo are the incoming Presidents for each of the clubs; Rich Goulet, Nicki Scott, Pat Merryweather, and Ron Nyberg.

 


On June 4th, the Rotary Clubs in Naperville held their annual scholarship breakfast.  Above is  a photo of some of the recipients. 

Congratulations to the Naperville Sunrise Rotary's 2009 Pursuit of Life Award Winners
Each Recipient will receive a $2,000.00 scholarship.

Donald Hruska - Naperville North
Rhea Matar - Naperville North
Kimberly Kraska - Nequa Valley
Abbey Storey - Naperville Central
Brandon Rivera-Melo - Naperville Central
Benjamin Green - Naperville North

For the presentation made at the banquet, click here.

 

May 2009

Mark Puknaitis, who became Naperville’s fire chief last November, explained how excellent fire
prevention has moved emergency medical services to the top of the duty list. “Less than one percent of our call volume is fighting bona fide structure fires.

A majority of our call volume is handling emergency medical calls, and nearly 85 percent of our department is paramedic certified,” Chief Puknaitis told our May 1 breakfast.

In addition, the Naperville Fire Department is one of only 120 accredited fire departments in the nationwide


Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis

 

Members of the School of Performing Arts treated the club to a scene from their production of “42nd Street,” which has a cast of 60. Here, singing to each other, are Jeff Jordan and Annie Yokom, daughter of Rotarian Barb Yokom.

The School of Performing Arts is recognized as one of the area’s premier centers for arts education. Our Naperville facility features several dance studios with oak or sprung Marley floors and glass viewing windows, private and group music studios, a state of the art music lab, as well as additional space dedicated to theatre, art programs and administrative offices. Our new Plainfield campus located in the Plainfield Small Business park, just south of 135th Street on Route 30, offers professional dance studios with sprung Marley floors, glass viewing windows, wonderful sound systems, and beautiful private music studios equipped with high quality pianos.

 

April 2009

On April 24, 2009, Marilyn Maurella provided a program on Feed My Starving Children.

Feed My Starving Childrenis a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding children who are hungry in body and spirit, according to Marilyn Maurella. Maurella said the approach is simple: Children and adults hand-pack meals formulated specially for starving children, and missionaries ship the meals to more than 60 countries around the world

.

 

On April 17, 2009, Sunrise Rotarian Becky Anderson explained the concepts behind "Indie Bound" and  how the movement helps independent businesses compete against “big box” stores. “(The independent) gives fans a home, a place to share their passion, and extended relationships on which they can rely,”

This call to independently owned bookstores and other small businesses is part of a movement spearheaded locally by Anderson’s Bookshop. IndieBound’s mission: “to help people across the United States share and find independently-owned businesses,” according to their Web site.

Becky said, inviting small business colleagues to go on line and sign the “declaration of independence,” and become part of the IndieBound “revolution.” We’ve created IndieBound Naperville with our own Web site…our own alliance of independent businesses,” Becky explained, adding that “being a part of a local alliance that focuses on independent business…shows a difference in your sales.”

See www.indiebound.org/cities/naperville/illinois


Becky Anderson

 

March 2009


Dr. Wilde, NCC President

 On March 27, 2009, North Central College President, Dr. Harold “Hal” R. Wilde said near-term enrollments remain healthy, additional funds are being diverted into the scholarship program, and freshman enrollment remains robust.

Dr. Wilde expressed pride in the school’s new theaters: the 57,000 square foot Wentz Concert Hall, the 150-seat Madden Theater, and a yet-tobe-named 240-seat thrust-stage theater in Meiley-Swallow Hall

 

Sunrise Rotarian Tim Walsh provides details on the Clean Sweep project.  Clean Sweep is where our club members roll up their sleeves and work on helping a family repair or remodel their home.  For more information on this year's project, click here.

Rebuilding Together Aurora, formerly Christmas in April Aurora, is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to helping low-income homeowners, through home renovation and repair. Their mission is to make a significant and lasting contribution to those they help in Aurora, Illinois.  "We rebuild together, one house, one family at a time." 

For more information, see the web site: http://www.rebuildingtogetheraurora.com/


Emily Stern, Rebuilding Together Aurora

 

Congratulations to our newest Rotarians, Susan Diaz and Matt Weber.  They were inducted on 3/13/09.


Susan Dias, Matt Weber, Scott Model (Susan's sponsor) and
President Joe Lichter (Matt's sponsor)

 

In memory of our Rotarian and Friend Sean Daley.  Our hearts and prayers are with Sean's family and friends.

Sean Brockett Daley of St. Charles, 55, died unexpectedly Saturday, March 7, 2009, at Edward Hospital in Naperville. He was born Oct. 10, 1953, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Sean served his country in the Marine Corps. While in the Marines, Sean was a member of the prestigious Silent Drill Team and based at the 8th and I detachment in Washington, D.C. Sean was active in local community affairs and was a member of the Naperville Sunrise Rotary Club. Sean was in partnership in a commercial real estate firm, Commercial Realty Exchange. He is survived by his father, Robert W. and the late Regina B. (nee Brockett) Daley of Pittsburgh; a sister, Donna D. (John M.) Popovich; nephews, Geoffrey D. and Joshua D. Popovich; and by a dear friend, Kathy Srejma. Interment will take place on Thursday, March 12, at 11:30 a.m., in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood, Ill. Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home, 516 S. Washington St., Naperville, IL 60540, handled the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Naperville Sunrise Rotary Club, c/o the funeral home.
 

 

On 3/6/09, City Manager Doug Krieger provided a state of the Naperville program to the members. 

Naperville operates under the Council-Manager form of government as provided by state law. City Manager Doug Krieger is the professional chief administrator for all city operations and is appointed by the City Council. He is responsible for executing the policies established by the Naperville City Council.

Doug provided an overview of how the recession is affecting the City budget and what has been done to work through the budget.  For official information about the City, click here.

 

February 2009

On 2/27/09, Reba Osborne, Director of Development for Donka Inc., provided an overview of the organization and the services they provide. 

Donka, Inc. is a non-profit organization providing no-cost computer training and job readiness services to persons with physical and visual disabilities. Through computers and assistive technology, their clients become more self-sufficient and independent members of the community.

For more information, click here.

 

On 2/20/09, Gary W. Moore, Author, described the making of his book s Playing With the Enemy.
Gary W. Moore

 Each year, residents in the Naperville, Illinois area enthusiastically embrace an exciting reading program. Inaugurated in 2001, Naperville READS is a variation of the “one city, one book” reading programs popular around the country. As a partnership with Anderson’s Bookshop, the Naperville Public Library, Naperville School District 203, and Indian Prairie School District 204, the program seeks to promote the pleasures of reading as a family and community activity.  For more information, click here

Inspired by true events, Gary W. Moore’s highly personal non-fiction book is an engaging read for teens and adults. Moore’s book reveals the real-life story of his father, Gene. It was true in the 1940s and it is still true today: if you have talent, people take notice. In Gene’s case, that talent attracted the Brooklyn Dodgers. Word quickly spread across the U.S. about the farm boy who could hit the ball a country mile. But as Moore prepared for the Big Leagues, his destiny was interrupted by Pearl Harbor. After playing ball for the Navy in the Azores and North Africa, Moore and his military team were sent to the States for a special and top secret mission: guarding German sailors captured from U-505 (the submarine now on display at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry). Moore convinced his commander to allow him to teach the enemy the game of baseball. Author Gary W. Moore, Gene’s son, did not learn of his father’s remarkable odyssey through World War II or of his days in minor league baseball until the day before Gene’s sudden fatal heart attack. The stunning news sent the author on his own odyssey as he researched his father’s life and interviewed dozens of people. Production of the major motion picture based on the novel starts in April 2009, and Gary’s son, actor Toby Moore, will play the role of his grandfather.

 

Naperpalooza2, our clubs fundraiser benefiting Turning Pointe Autism Foundation, Tikodane School, Pursuit of Life Scholarships, and other educational programs was held on 2/7/09.  It was a huge success.  Pictured above shows the leadership team for the event.   Thank you to the sponsors, committee chairs, and volunteers who made the event such a success.

 

Welcome to David Newby, who was inducted into the Naperville Rotary Sunrise club on February 13. David, a bankruptcy attorney with Johnson and Newby in Chicago, is sponsored by Barbara Knuckles. His wife, Diana, is a member of the South Naperville Rotary Club. The Newbys have two daughters, Andrea and Meredith.
   

 

 On 2/13/09, Stephanie Walsh (left) and Jennie Gates (right) updated our club on the activities of the local chapter of Easter Seals. Those include a fundraising walk and a climb up the carillon on Sunday, June 21 (Father’s Day). Billed as “Step Up and Step Out for Easter Seals,”the Father’s Day event is open to anyone who wants to participate, according to Gates.

All local Rotary donations (Chicago network) go to the Easter Seals Autism Therapeutic School in Chicago, she said. Walsh said Easter Seals has a long-standing and valuable relationship with Rotary. “We were actually founded by an Ohio Rotarian –Edgar Allen –whose son was involved in a streetcar accident in 1907, and because there was little medical care (available), his son died of his injuries.”As a result, Allen devoted time and money to building a community hospital, and devoted his life to helping people with disabilities, Walsh said.

Walsh added that Easter Seals DuPage and the Fox Valley Region provides services for infants, children and adults with disabilities to achieve maximum independence, and to provide support for the families who love and care for them.

 

 

On 2/6/09, Rotarian Geoff Roehll is giving the final instructions to the club members for the upcoming Naperpalooza event.

 
naperpalooza
Saturday, February 7, 2009

Rotarian Mark Rice prepares to award the Community Service Grants to local organizations (see below). 

The Sunrise Rotary Arts, Education, and Community Grants are used to benefit local, national, and international humanitarian agencies and projects,  as well as for building and equipment projects.   Included in our mission is to serve the Naperville community by creating opportunities to cultivate, nurture, strengthen and build awareness of the visual and performing arts, art appreciation and art education by raising and awarding funds in a fiscally responsible manner.


This year's Grant recipient organizations included:

Front row, left to right: Barbara Tartaglione and Lesley Gena (People’s Resource Center)
Lauren Visher (Heritage Group YMCA)
Beth Carter (Kidz Kabaret Student Grant Program)
Nancy Wiersum and Elitsa Bisios (NCTV ‘Spotlight on Naperville’)
Lyndsey Kokoris and Lisa Trychta (Family Connections, NNHS)
Mary Boland (NAMi of DuPage)
Laura Milligan (Ecumenical Adult Care)
Mary Iona, (Little Friends)
Susan Craighead (Literacy Volunteers of DuPage)
Standing in back: Dana Stewart and Kurt Hinterkopf (WDSRA Visiting Artists Program)
Chuck Warner (NAMi of DuPage).

 

January 2009

Congratulations to our newest Rotarian Kathleen Malecki.  Kathleen was a Rotarian at another club and would like to get involved in our club projects. 
 

Nicki Scott was her sponsor and Art Muehlhausen performed the induction.


Kathleen Malecki
On 1/30/2009, Namgyel Dorji provided a program on his background, country of origin, and goals.  Namgyel is a North Central College student from Bhutan and a recipient of an international scholarship. Namgyel related his remarkable story of growing up in a very rural area, moving to the capital city with his aunt and uncle, his education and training as a monk, and his travel to the United States to further his education, and to prepare for a career of working with children in his native country.


Rotarian Barbara Knuckles, Damgyel Dorji, and Sephanie Mayumz Okubo

 


Dr. Mike Litow


Steve Odden
John Ball
Dr. Mike Litow, Director of the Naperville Education Center,  thanked the club for providing the center with two $1,000.00 student grants in memory of Rotarian Ron Buonauro.  Dr. Litow informed us that the center would like to make these grants annual.  For more information about the Center, click here. Rotarian Steve Odden provided the club with an update on the activities in our International programs.  Specifically, Steve describes the on-going work to support the Village Packs and Tikondane School.  For more information, click here. Rotarian John Ball just returned from Duchity Haiti, where we have been supporting a clean water project.  John met with the local engineers and government officials on a project for water distribution to the village and filtration of the water.  Our club has allocated funds for this work, which may get funding by the Haitian government.  For more information, click here.

 

On 1/16/09, Dave Wentz gave a program on the "Healing Field".  The Exchange Club of Naperville will host the a Healing Field of Honor on November 7-14, 2009 on Rotary Hill.  Visitors and volunteers from the surrounding communities will experience an amazing display of patriotism including 2009 large U.S. flags atop 8ft poles in perfect rows on Rotary Hill in downtown Naperville.

This living display of heroism will fly as a temporary patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of Americans, and will honor all Veterans who served our nation to preserve our security and freedom.

The Exchange Club is in the early planning for this event and is asking for involvement of many of the service clubs in Naperville.  This is the perfect opportunity for all of us to unite as a community and to remember and honor our local and national heroes.

For more information, click here.

 

On 1/10/09, the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise supported a fundraiser for Turning Pointe Autism Foundation

In lieu of our regular club meeting, our club encouraged members to attend the fundraiser breakfast at Hugo's Frog Bar.  All the proceeds from the breakfast went to Turning Pointe.  Hugo's donated all of the food for the event.  The event was a lot of fun, and the food was wonderful.  The photo shows Rotarian Mary Ann Junkroski with Turning Pointe founder Kim Wolf.   Turning Pointe is a major beneficiary of the Sunrise Rotarian's Naperpalooza event.