Congratulations on another amazing Rotary Community Sale. So many of you were involved with hauling, sorting, organizing and pricing over the last few months which makes this event one of the most impressive service projects and fundraisers in our repertoire! The money is still being added up but you can expect a BIG reveal when the net number is determined. We extend a huge thank you to Rick Gilts for stepping up to the plate to chair this event. Your leadership is appreciated!
Speaking of BIG…this week is our BIG GIVE to finish our $15,000 Every Rotarian Every Year campaign. If you have not yet given or would like to make an additional gift, we will have laptops set up right at the meeting where you can make a one time or recurring gift to The Rotary Foundation. We are so very close to making the goal and would appreciate ANY gift you can make!
So, what is our program all about this week? President-Elect Jennifer Fehnrich will be leading a BIG Club Assembly and providing a sneak preview of her vision and goals for next year. Each board member will share a little bit about their area and opportunities to volunteer. If you have ideas and suggestions, this is the week to bring them!
It’s one of the busiest weeks of our Rotary year: Community Garage Sale Week! Each day (and night) this week countless Rotarians, family members and volunteers have gathered at the Commodore Building to haul, sort and place the donated treasures as we host the largest sale in the Perrysburg area. This is a huge undertaking but Rotarians always step up to the plate, this year under the leadership of chair Rick Gilts, to raise as much money as possible with a bunch of gently (and not-so-gently) used items. If you haven’t stopped by yet, we can use your help between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. this week and this Friday after the Rotary meeting to help with last minute pricing and sorting.
It’s easy to look at the full gym and get caught up in the excitement of sale day and forget why we are really doing this huge project. Half the proceeds from this sale go to our Perrysburg Rotary Service Foundation which funds projects all over our region. The remaining half of the proceeds from the sale will go to the High Impact Peer Program (HIPP) at Perrysburg Junior High School. This anti-bullying program culminates in a trip to camp where teambuilding is the focus. A Rotarian from our club spoke with a junior high student who recently attended the spring camp session who said it was, “the best school thing I’ve ever done!” Last but not least, the clothing that is not sold at our sale is all given to MESA and is used to pack the medical equipment and supply containers that are shipped internationally out of our Rotary District each year. The clothing protects the equipment and then is distributed to the people in the area.
Finally, remember that we will not be at Carranor Club on Friday. Our meeting is at the Commodore Building in the auditorium. And it's all hands on deck on Saturday! We need as many Rotarians as possible to help with our always well-attended sale. I promise there's a job for you!
Looking forward to serving with you all this Friday and Saturday!
