Today we mourn the passing of friend and fellow Rotarian Dr. Tom Gunnings. Dr. Gunnings passed away unexpectedly Friday, August 20, at the age of 75. Please read his obituary in the LSJ [here], as well as a wonderful article from the MSU News [here]. Both articles contain information regarding funeral and visitation.
It’s that time of year again! The annual EL Rotary Golf outing will be happening on July 15th, at the Eagle Eye Golf course. There is a 1pm shotgun start, with registration beginning at 12 noon. Tickets will be $150 per player, with a 4 person scramble format. That price includes dinner, which will happen at 6.30 pm.
For those not quite at that “Masters” level, there will also be a Miniature Golf Tournament, teeing off at 4.00 pm, for the lesser price of $50. Various sponsorships are also available for $150.
As many of you know, Josh Clayton has been heading our Backpack Project with Donley Elementary school. If you are interested in lending a hand with this project, please review the important dates below, provided by Josh.
Friday January 29 @ 12:00pm
Friday February 12 @ 12:00pm.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has volunteered and encourage anyone else who is interested to participate.
Any questions please call me on my cell @ 517-648-1090
I know that many of us have received inquiries from Rotarians with questions regarding contributions to assist Haiti. Please let them know that a Donor Advised Fund has been established that is accepting contributions. Complete information is available at www.rotary.org/haiti. Information is also available on the home page, www.rotary.org.
The East Lansing Rotary Club and the Kroger Company have teamed-up to provide turkey dinners on Thanksgiving Day for the homeless families served by East Lansing-based Haven House. Founded in 1983, Haven House provides emergency housing and support services for one-parent and two-parent families with children. The shelter helps families who are homeless prepare for permanent housing by developing and promoting self-sufficiency, stability, and financial responsibility.
The Rotary Club is providing three dinners and Kroger is donating two dinners to this effort aimed at making the Thanksgiving Day holiday a little brighter for the 30 family members currently receiving assistance from Haven House. Each turkey dinner includes: a 10-12 lb. turkey, 3 lb. potatoes, 2 lb. stuffing, 1 lb. gravy, 1 lb. cranberry relish and a pumpkin or apple pie.
A certificate for the dinners was presented to Haven House Director Angie Mayeaux by East Lansing Rotary Club President Kevin Gray and Lake Lansing Road Kroger Store Manager Xavier Williams at the Club’s November 23, 2009 meeting. “This project is just one of the many efforts that our Club members have undertaken to serve the community,” said Gray. “We’re pleased to partner with the Rotary Club and be a part of this effort,” added Kroger’s Williams.
In addition to the turkey dinners, the E.L. Rotary Club also donated seven “exit baskets” filled with cleaning supplies to Haven House. Haven House provides an “exit basket” to each family that leaves their program to go into housing on their own. Each “exit basket” contains 35 different household items, including: a laundry basket, sponges, tub/tile cleaner, disinfectant spray, toilet bowl cleaner, toilet bowl brush & holder, dish soap, laundry soap, bar soap, dryer sheets/fabric softener, 2 buckets, mop, broom, dust pan, furniture polish, window cleaner, floor cleaner, pan scrubbers, paper towels, toilet paper, kitchen cleaner, bleach, Pine Sol cleaner, shampoo, deodorants for men & women, a hairbrush and comb, room deodorizer, band-aids, first aid cream, pot holders, comet, baking soda, trash bags, a small trash can, and toothpaste.
“We’re really appreciative the efforts of Rotary and Kroger to provide a wonderful dinner on Thanksgiving Day for our families. And, the “Exit Baskets” donated by the Rotary Club will be a big boost in helping seven families get settled into their own housing,” commented Haven House Executive Director Angie Mayeaux.
The Rotary Club of East Lansing has a long record of community service dating back to its formation in 1961. The Club currently has nearly 100 members and has supported a broad spectrum of community projects, like the Playground in the Park at Patriarche Park, the East Lansing Softball fields and Aquatic Center and the renovation of Haven House.
The Kroger Co. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio (NYSE:KR) is one of the nation’s largest grocery retailers, with fiscal 2008 sales of $76.0 billion. Kroger operates five supermarkets in the Lansing area.