And…. November went out with a jump and a jolt which got all of our attention. But our members are safe. Bob and I were in Seward helping the Club give Superintendent Lapinskas a Paul Harris for his work with the prisoners within the Springcreek Correctional Center. As we waited to get in, the prison went on lock down but they allowed us to come in to present the award, and more importantly let us back out! I’ve always said orange is NOT my color but according to some Facebooks posts – a few of you thought perhaps it WOULD look good on me – hah – nice try!
I have contacted all Rotary Presidents in our immediate affected areas and have heard from others all over the District. Most damage seems to be personal items inside houses and minor cracks in structures. It is sad to lose treasured objects, but they are objects, not our loved ones. No injuries reported as of yet. As always, our Rotarian friends are helping those in their immediate areas and we have offered more help if needed.
The In-Bound Youth exchange students are all safe and accounted for. Their parents have been contacted and reassured of their safety.
All of us are thankful to have survived ANOTHER earthquake and will plan for the next as well since it is “When not If” in our area. Our Crises Plan is being formalized and updated as we speak and seems to be working well so far. If you have any suggestions please send them to Joe Kashi as he is the point person to gather issues for the Crises Planning.
It has been heartening to hear the voices of those we care about. So I’m very happy to report that all is well so far. If anything changes, I’ll keep you posted.
Most of you know that, for the past three years, I have been working on the establishment of an international peace park on the border of India and Pakistan.
To that end we have created a Steering Committee and are working on a number of steps to further our initiative.
Wasilla Rotary Club's evening social tonight. We had a great time mixing with Susitna Rotary Members and special guest appearance from Ina from Everett's Fine Dining! So much laughter and great food! Join us next time January 28 at Everett's at the Mat-Su Resort. If you want to meet some awesome people and learn about a an awesome service organization, you have an open invitation!
Many donors in your district are planning their calendar year-end contributions. Calendar year end is a popular time for a number of giving options like:
IRA Charitable Rollovers: Enables donors over 70 ½ years old to transfer up to $100,000 annually from their IRA account directly to charity.
Corporate Matching: Employers can match any of your donations by sponsoring a matching gift program.
Stock Gifts: Help Rotary make an impact and receive tax benefits by making a gift of appreciated securities.