May this find you, your family, neighbors, friends, and everyone in your world healthy and hopeful for a better new year. It has been a struggle for us all on every level - personal, professional, and otherwise. There have been so many disappointments, cancellations, and so many occasions of hearing, "this will look a little different this year."
From the minute I accepted the Presidency of the Rotary Club of Westerly for 2020-2021, I had such grand ideas for service, fun and fellowship. So many of which have had to be put on hold or cancelled altogether ranging from a "New Year's Party" in early July to not being able to be with you all for a holiday dinner before our upcoming break. How I miss the handshakes and the hugs, and how I've hated when we've been forced to have virtual meetings that because of poor reception, all but excluded those who needed to quarantine, yet needed to be included.
But here's the good news! Fortunately I keep a record of what this club is doing, so when I get down and think that the last six months were stagnant, I have only to look at this list to know we are indeed as our District Governor calls us, "a mighty little club."
Here's what we accomplished since July 1st:
"Thanks to Essential Workers" signs around town
Began Westerly Rotary CAN Do program, providing cans and non-perishables to local social service agencies on a monthly basis
Rhode Island Veterans' Home letter-writing project
Sixth Annual Golf Tournaments, highest net ever!
Radiothon in downtown Westerly on WBLQ for Ryder, raised over $30,000 for his wheelchair van lift
Passed out 4,000 masks to all schools in our district
Pasta Curbside Pickup Dinner with Lions Club to benefit the Jonnycake Center of Westerly Heating fund for Community members in need
Special Westerly Rotary CAN Do collection for Fire & Police local drive
Delivered holiday gift cards to Jonnycake Center of Westerly clients
Participated in Christ Church Community Thanksgiving Dinner - preparing To Go containers and delivering
"Teachers Make a Difference" signs to go up around town before Christmas
AS OF THIS DATE: Since March 13th 118 Grocery and RX deliveries have been made by our Rotarians to local people who are quarantined or shut-in from Stonington and Pawcatuck to Charlestown and Hopkinton and everywhere in between!
I look forward to our next six months working together to better our community and our world.
