IN THE NEWS
Rotary Night 2010, featuring the Schaumburg Flyers vs. the Lake County Fielders
Wednesday evening, August 11
At Schaumburg’s Alexian Field, 7:00 pm gates open at 5:30 pm. The event is sponsored by Rotary District 6440 and coordinated by Schaumburg AM Rotary Club.
Reserved seats are $10, lawn seats are $5. Disney characters will be featured entertainment prior to and during the game. In addition, Schaumburg Flyers baseball cards will be given to the first 5,000 guests entering the park. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to The Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus program whose mission is to globally eradicate polio. Other partners participating with Rotary in this global initiative include the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and UNICEF. In 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation made a $355 million challenge grant to Rotary in support of polio eradication efforts.
When Rotary launched its Polio Plus program in 1985, polio infected more than 350,000 children annually. Since then the number of polio cases has been slashed by more than 99 percent, preventing five million instances of childhood paralysis and 250,000 deaths. In 2008, fewer than 2,000 cases were reported worldwide.
In addition to fundraising, Rotarians volunteer personal time and resources by administering oral polio vaccine to more than 2 billion children in 122 different countries. According to Jim McKenzie, Rotary Night 2010 Event Coordinator, “as long as polio remains a threat anywhere in the world, all children – wherever they live – remain at risk.” For tickets, more information or to make a donation, visit www.rotarynight.org or contact Jim McKenzie at jim@nmi.com.
Photo Caption –
Rotary Night 2009 paired the Schaumburg Flyers against the Fargo RedHawks. This year’s opponent is the Zion, IL based Lake County Fielders, owned in part by Academy award-winning actor Kevin Costner.
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June 30, 2010
Rotary Dist 6440 Governor Elect Carlos Früm with incoming Schaumburg AM Rotary President Karen Maczka-Bishop
Governor Elect Carlos Früm inducted Karen Maczka-Bishop as incoming president. Maczka-Bishop recently attended her first Rotary International Convention in Montreal and came away feeling inspired, excited and humbled at being surrounded by fellow Rotarians from all over the world who make the mission of Rotary happen within their local clubs and communities. In her inaugural remarks Maczka-Bishop noted that the benefits of being a member of Schaumburg AM Rotary included “the camaraderie enjoyed by its members and the personal support that they offer to each other, in addition to the group’s willingness to serve their community.”
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ROTARY PRESENTS PAUL HARRIS FELLOW HONOR
June 9, 2010
Schaumburg A.M. Rotary Club today honored Bob Podgorski, Founder & Coordinator of the Hoffman Estates based St. Hubert Job & Networking Ministry, for his humanitarian concern and compassion for those in career transition, by making him an honorary Paul Harris Fellow. In early 2003, Bob, along with a small core committee of fellow St. Hubert parishioners, launched this non-denominational career advancement and employment program that has now served more than 20,000 people across metropolitan Chicago. Having experienced first-hand what it felt like to be in career change and transition and having successfully overcome the challenges and barriers to finding new employment, Bob and his core committee decided to share with others both the hard knocks & wisdom learned in the process.
During the award presentation, Sharon Perry, Club Service Director, recognized Bob for his leadership skills, grass roots community service and dedication to the Ministry, all of which exemplifies Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.” Paul Harris Fellow recognition provides for the continuing support needed to underwrite many programs of The Rotary Foundation that build international understanding, goodwill and peace.
Sharon described Bob, who resides in Hoffman Estates and works for Harper College in Palatine as Manager of Extension Services, as “a man of warmth, honesty & integrity, and a fountain of knowledge when it comes to job search information. He is well known for the help, knowledge, support, encouragement and inspiration that he, his Ministry Committee and team of volunteers provide to those seeking new employment opportunities.”
From left to right in the photo above -
Sharon Perry, Bob Podgorski & Earl Bateman, Schaumburg A.M. Rotary Club President
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Katie Pan, Rotarians Jeff Winkenwerder and Earl Bateman, Petar Petkov & Folasade Famoroti
Rotary Awards Vocational Scholarships
June 23, 2010
Schaumburg AM Rotary Club recently awarded $4,000 in vocational scholarships to three local students pursuing careers in nursing, dental hygiene and automotive technology.
Rotary’s vocational scholarship program, which is need-based rather than grade-based, is designed to provide financial assistance to students who desire to pursue either a certificate or degree in an accredited career or vocational program offered at either area community colleges or regional trade schools. The award is intended to support the education goals of the recipient and may be applied towards tuition or other expenses incurred in pursuit of that particular program. Upon completion, recipients must go directly into employment in their respective fields.
Jeff Winkenwerder, Schaumburg AM Rotary Club Vocational Service Director along with committee members Gary Bublitz, Mike Gollinger & Karen Maczka-Bishop reviewed candidate applications, conducted personal interviews and selected scholarship recipients. Winkenwerder stated that what he found most rewarding about the selection process was “meeting and learning more about each of the candidates. Awarding scholarship money is one thing, but understanding how this financial assistance impacts these individual’s lives and their future is quite another.”
Two of the three award recipients - Petar Petkov and Katie Pan - are recent graduates of Hoffman Estates High School and plan to pursue careers at Palatine’s Harper College. Petkov, who resides in Hanover Park, is interested in automotive technology and is described by Winkenweder as “a hard-working young man who has developed a plan for his future education and beyond.” Pan, who lives in Schaumburg and plans to study dental hygiene, was an Honor Roll student ranking in the top 5% of her class and came highly recommended by her teachers. Winkenwerder noted that Pan “is focused on earning a modest income, while also setting aside time to continue doing volunteer work which is very important to her.”
The third winner is Hoffman Estates resident, Folasade (Sade) Famoroti, who is currently studying nursing at Harper College and expects to complete that program by May 2011. Winkenwerder described Famoroti as “outgoing and passionate, an outstanding candidate with both a polished demeanor and contagious smile.” In addition to being a volunteer, mentor and fulltime student, Famoroti is a single parent who also works at Northwest Community Hospital.
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PRESS RELEASE
June 3, 2009
This morning the Schaumburg AM Rotary Club presented over $17,000 to representatives of seventeen local charitable organizations at Poplar Creek Country Club.
The organizations selected represent and provide programs for the very young, the elderly, the unemployed, the handicapped, those dealing with various diseases, and many other causes. This year’s recipients include Child’s Voice, Children’s Home & Aid Society, Alzheimer’s Association, Rainbow Hospice, Read to Learn Adult Literacy and St. Hubert’s Job Ministry. Funding was also given to the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry, Cub Scout Pack 394 and Boy Scout Troup193 among many others.
It is so impactful to see so many organizations present, and the wide range of services the Rotary Club is able to support because of their commitment to the community.” Chris Cholewa, Child’s Voice.
Gary Bublitz of the Alfred Campanelli YMCA noted “The Club’s generosity is overwhelming and hits at the core of volunteerism and philanthropy. At a time of economic uncertainty, we know that the Schaumburg AM Rotary Club will be there to help.”
Harry Semerjian of Fox Valley Micro Loan Fun said “Listening to some of the recipients this morning brought tears to my eyes. Some very worthy causes were truly helped. “
Additionally the Schaumburg AM Rotary Club granted three vocational scholarships, sponsored three local high school students at the annual RYLA weekend (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), and contributed to Rotary International’s Polio eradication program.
The Club’s next big fund raising event is Rotary Night 2009 with the Schaumburg Flyers on July 30th at Alexian Field. As part of the evening, Rotarians are working with the Alfred Campanelli YMCA and Children’s Home and Aid Society to provide tickets to youth of the area who would not be able to attend a game due to economic reasons. Tickets and more information is available at www.rotaryfundraiser.org
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OUR MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
Volunteers fight polio -- one child at a time
'WE'RE ALMOST THERE' | Aim to wipe out disease worldwide
Chicago SunTimes February 17, 2009
By- Thomas Monifa Staff Reporter
Three volunteers, one disease.
The three -- from Arlington Heights, Evanston and Schaumburg -- are part of a Rotary International effort to eradicate polio worldwide, a more than two-decade campaign that recently got a $255 million boost from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Evanston-headquartered organization's goal: to wipe out polio in at least five years by vaccinating children in the four countries where it's still endemic -- Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. Thirteen other countries have at least one imported case of the highly contagious disease.
Karen Maczka-Bishop, Mary Stitt, and Sue Smith are among the volunteers trying to make that goal a reality.
Karen Maczka-Bishop of Schaumburg
Maczka-Bishop, a nurse for 30 years, went to Niger with Rotary in 2006 to vaccinate children living in desert villages.
"With our freedom comes responsibility. This gave me the opportunity to act on that responsibility to the world community."
Her blond hair and blue eyes "absolutely terrified" some of the children she met, but Maczka-Bishop said she was more struck by the similarities she saw with the people of Niger.
"It's helped me to be more accepting of others who are different," she said. "We all have the same dreams. We all love our children." Maczka-Bishop thinks it's only a matter of time before the world will be free of polio. "We're almost there," she said, "so we can't lose the critical mass and momentum."
Mary Stitt of Arlington Heights
Because she grew up when polio was still widespread in the United States, Stitt, 83, felt compelled to get involved in the polio eradication campaign.
"I lived through all that," Stitt said. "You remember those things."
Stitt has been overseas six times since 2004 to immunize children in India, Niger and Nigeria. On her last trip, she and 11 other volunteers vaccinated about 7,000 children. One time, she saw a 7-year-old polio survivor crawling on a floor because she couldn't walk. "That really makes you feel like what you're doing makes a difference," she said.
"We won't see that in a few years," she predicted. She joined Rotary in 1992, after retiring from Olive-Mary Stitt School, an Arlington Heights elementary school that was renamed in her honor. Next month, she plans to return to Nigeria to continue her anti-polio work.
Sue Smith of Evanston
Polio was still rampant in Egypt when Smith, 64, went there on her first polio vaccination trip in 2004.
The former event planner spent her days in a crowded suburb of Cairo, going door- to-door with other Rotarians to deliver the oral vaccine to children.
"We were going up 132 flights of cement stairs, knocking on doors on each floor," Smith said. "We just went all day up and down these stairs." Their efforts paid off: Egypt was declared polio-free in 2006.
"I don't feel like I made an impact on the program, so much as the program made an impact on me," she said. "It was very exciting to actually give those drops to those children." Since retiring, Smith has been traveling the world on trips like this one through her involvement with Rotary International, Engineers without Borders and other humanitarian groups.
"I had to make a decision," she said, "whether to work full-time and live the lifestyle I was accustomed to, or live like a student and use the extra money to travel. It was an easy decision." Smith hopes to go to Afghanistan on polio vaccination trips.
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SCHAUMBURG/HOFFMAN ESTATES ROTARY CLUBS'
VOCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
APPLICATION 2010
DEADLINE - January 15, 2010
The Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates Rotary Clubs will be awarding scholarships up to $1,500 for post-secondary training in non-Bachelor Degree programs. The awards may only be used to defray the cost of tuition, fees, books, and supplies at the school of choice. The recipient must reside in Schaumburg TownshipThese scholarships are for students pursuing training beyond high school in a vocational area. We will send selected local Rotary winners to the District Rotary competition. The District Rotary will award additional $1,500 scholarships
TO APPLY YOU MUST:
1. Be a graduating senior or a high school graduate (or GED).
2. Attend, or plan to attend, a two-year or four-year school providing vocational training. Certificate programs and trade schools qualify for this scholarship.
3. Complete an application
4. These scholarships DO NOT apply to two-year programs, which lead to four-year Bachelor Degree programs.
For more information, please contact:
Don Minor Gary Bublitz
Schaumburg/H. E. Rotary Club (noon) Schaumburg A.M.
Karen Maczka-Bishop
