Congratulations to Tom Mais for his generous contributions to the great purposes of the Rotary Foundation. Tom was recognized by Club President Symmonds as a Paul Harris Fellow + 5!
Judy Brigham, who happens to be a Rotary District Governor of District 6110 (parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri), as well as her husband Tom and granddaughter Jaci Gall, recently returned from Oaxaca, Mexico where they distributed 140 wheel chairs. They call their project the American Wheel Chair Mission Project, and they raise the funds from various organizations, including Rotary Clubs, and use those funds to purchase high-quality, low-maintenance wheel chairs for those in need. During this trip, they delivered the chairs to those associated with CRIT (for mentally & physically disabled), to a nursing home, and to several homes. The rewarding part is seeing the true appreciation of those who would not otherwise be able to have a wheel chair. They are now considering another mission trip in the future to deliver additional wheel chairs.
Jennifer Bennett and Amanda Gutierrez from the Emporia Recreation Commission talked about the amazing variety of programs provided by this community agency. Part of their mission includes organizing youth sports teams, and they manage sports fields at Peter Pan Park, the DeBauge Family Soccer Complex, and Whittier Fields. Inside their headquarters, which is undergoing a renovation that includes a new roof, pickle ball is currently very popular among the community. Other activities:
After-school programs - 597 kids per day, 50 part-time staff
60 employees, of whom 90% are ESU students, creating a great community partnership
12 full-time staff
Over 200 staff when include part time staff members
Fitness Center that was renovated in 2015
2016 usage involved 49,000 individuals in over 300 programs