Well, as they say in the theater world, “That’s a wrap!” Our first major fundraiser in three years is over, and besides the relief of having a hard job finished, I think we’re all also feeling a lot of satisfaction at how well everything at our Hungry Games II went.
There are too many people to thank individually in this space, but special thanks go out to Nan Kemp, Tom Ryan, Walt Stickel, Robin Milam, Nicole Dillard, Cathy W-B, Judy Soldavini, Gayle Denney, John Hensley, and all those who worked so hard to sell admission and raffle tickets and helped at the event.
The bitter enders - photo by Cathy
We do not yet have an accounting of our total amount cleared, but it is sure to be a worthwhile amount. And in case you didn’t get to make a donation to the Fund-A-Need appeal, it is still open. (See below) We will have a “de-briefing” of the event at our Club meeting this week at Round Table Pizza. Please join us for a discussion of your thoughts and impressions, while we socialize and enjoy each others’ company this Thursday Nov. 17—last meeting before Thanksgiving break!
Speaking of Thanksgiving…are you all aware of the research that’s been done in the last 10-15 years about how gratitude changes us? Not only is it “fair to all concerned” to show our gratitude to those around us; clinical studies are now showing that staying grateful in the moment, rather than going off to a path of regretting, wishing for what we don’t have, or ruminating about the past actually changes our brain wiring and leads to lower rates of depression, better sleep, and improved physical health. So it can be “beneficial to all concerned” as well!
This Thanksgiving, I hope we can all hold in front of us the many ways in which we are all blessed—like a health tonic, without any side effects!
I wish you a joyous and love-filled beginning of the Holiday Season, and I am So grateful for my Rotary family.
Numbers are still being crunched so we don't have a final bottom line yet, but we do know, people were having a great time meeting and greeting; the chef tastings were scrumptious and creative; our restaurant raffle excelled; Pacific Auction Company brought a variety of art, jewelry, historical and sports memorabilia, travel experiences and more for the auctions; and Peace Lutheran Fellowship Center was a perfect venue for Hungry Games II.
Our Fund A Need campaign to support our broad range of Youth Projects stands at $7,750 and it is still open to anyone who wants to contribute. Just raise your hand on Thursday or send a message to Co-Presidents Chris and Carolyn or treasurer Tom Ryan. We would love to get to an even $8,000 or more! Many, many thanks to the generosity of those who have donated. Our Fund A Need donations ranged from $2,500 by Chris and Carolyn to $100 by a number of participants, including several $1,000 and $500 donations.
What a treat to have members of our new Interact Club helping setup, direct traffic, tear down and generally anything they were asked to do and to have a NEO student and a former RYLA student sharing their experiences. A great reminder about why we put so much time and energy into Hungry Games II!
Board Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month. Our next meeting will be November 14 at 4:00pm via Zoom.
Not a Board member but want to join us? Contact Robin or reply to this Rotario for instructions. All club members are encouraged to attend a meeting. Location subject to change, please ask.