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Addison Rotary Meeting Members present:
Guest: Brian Anderson, Past District 6450 Director The meeting opened with America , the Pledge, 4-Way Test and invocation. Cal George's birthday is February 9. The club celebrated with song. Cal announced that the club has received resignations from Jim Lesko and Simeon Carson. A visit to the Villa Park Easter Seals center will be scheduled for May 6, with lunch provided by Sinagra Catering. Cal and Matt Delawder attended a planning meeting held by the Addison Trail Interact Club. The Interact members want to continue the Salt Creek Clean-up project in Bill Brewer's honor and memory. Matt introduced Brian Anderson, District Director 1999-2000, who shared photos and information about the ways in which Rotary responded when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. Brian and his wife were personally involved being in the area and having a daughter who was evacuated from her home in Mississippi as the storm struck. Addison Rotary Club was one of the first clubs to respond to the plea for donations. Brian and others transported truckloads of needed to supplies to a food pantry in Biloxi , where they were sorted and organized before being immediately delivered to people in need. On returning home, donations continued to pour in, and two semi trucks full of clothing and goods were sorted in a warehouse in Romeoville before returning to Mississippi . In an effort to make a lasting difference with some of the monetary donations, it was decided to design and rebuild a joint senior center and recreation center in Long Beach . This center, which should be completed in May 2009, cost approximately $4 million. The project was a joint venture of Rotary Clubs in Chicagoland (6450 and 6440), Southwest Michigan, Mississippi , Arizona , Virginia and Lake Tahoe . Matt Delawder credited Brian with the successful implementation of this building project. Meeting was adjourned at 1:40. |