Club Assembly

 

  

 

CLUB ASSEMBLY
March 27, 2009

 

Dear Alpharetta Rotarians,

Thanks to your efforts, the Alpharetta Rotary Club has accomplished much this year. 

During this Rotary year, we have engaged in a wide range of service projects including: the Fire Safety House for the City of Alpharetta; North Fulton Community Charities back to school supplies drive, food drive, and Fresh Market food pickup; Rotary Reads and book donations to Child Development Association; dictionary donation to Bridgeway Academy third graders; District Simplified Grant project building a deck for Canine Assistants; Rivers Alive clean-up project; providing supplies for our soldiers in Iraq; participating in the Police Athletic League's Shop with a Cop; providing Thanksgiving lunch at the Alpharetta Senior Center; AIDS Awareness program to Hopewell Middle School; multiple Adopt-A-Miles; Habitat for Humanity landscaping project; and the upcoming American Cancer Relay for Life.

Last summer, we worked hard to make FunFest a success so we could raise money for the Club.  As a result of your efforts, Alpharetta Rotary was able to make donations totaling approximately $40,000 to: City of Alpharetta Fire Safety House ($12,000), YMCA Partners With Youth ($6,000), HomeStretch ($5,000), Habitat for Humanity ($3,500), Canine Assistants ($3,154), Soldiers in Iraq ($2,037), ShelterBox ($2,000), Police Athletic League ($2,000), Boy's State ($1,000), North Fulton Community Charities ($1,000), Drake House ($1,000), Cancer Relay for Life ($500), StandUp for Kids ($450), Alpharetta Senior Center ($415), AIDS Awareness ($274), Bridgeway Academy third grade dictionary project ($185).

We have also been active in international endeavors, including the GRSP weekend, hosting the Korean GSE team from April 9 to 11, the Guatemala literacy project, nominating an Ambassadorial Scholar, and our support for ShelterBox and Wayne Robinson's work with ShelterBox around the world.

We've added ten new Paul Harris Fellows this year, raising the number of PHFs in the Club to 34.  In addition, we increased our giving to the Foundation to over $122 per member and we exceeded our annual goal for giving to the Foundation by more than $2,000.

And even though we've worked hard, we always emphasized having fun, and we have shared good time at events like Charter Night, the Old Soldiers Day parade, the sporting clays shoot, Bowling for Charity, Gladiators hockey night, and Spamalot theater.

We have three months left in this Rotary year which means we have three months of opportunities for fellowship and service before us.  At our meeting on March 27th, we will go over our plans for the rest of the Rotary year.

In April, Alpharetta Rotarians will head to Turner Field for a Braves game, we will host the Korean GSE team, we will hold our "back to Jekyll party" and we will head to Jekyll Island for the District Conference.  In May, we will participate in the Alpharetta Relay for Life to support cancer research, run the Mayor's Challenge to raise funds for the Club, and hold our first Luau with Rotarians and family members.  Before the Rotary year ends on June 30th, t he Alpharetta Rotary Club will undertake two World Community Service projects - one in Guatemala and one in Panama.  We are also working on a Matching Grant project that will provide $27,500 from Club, District and Rotary International funds to purchase a pediatric cardiac unit for use in a Guatemala City hospital.

Thank you for your hard work and initiative and your Service Above Self.  Don't miss out on the upcoming opportunities to "have fun, do some good, and make a difference."

Yours in Rotary,

John Hipes