Coral Gables RotaryGram: Vol. 66 No. 37 Notes from the Podium

President's Time

Obviously it's spring break. Attendance was light today and the group seemed distracted.

President Debbie is relieved to report that tomorrow is March 9 and our Annual Fund Raiser - "A Night on the Red Carpet." No more tickets are for sale. If you're not coming, it's your party to miss. You'll be sorry.

COMMUNITY SERVICE UPDATE
March 17 we're serving beer at John Martin's World Famous St. Patrick's Day block party. Sign up now and pick up your t-shirt. We're dressing as Coral Gables Rotarians from 4 p.m. until midnight. One of our best fundraisers of the year.

March 24 is Bingo with the Vets at the nursing home at Veteran's Hospital from 1 until 3 p.m. Two hours out of your life means the world to these guys.

2011-2012 Final 5th Friday!

Is going to be a terrific party. Our host for the evening is Deena Bell-Llewellyn (and her partner Lewis Aqui). They're pleased to have the opportunity to show off their new offices and party on us!

Introduction of Guests & Visitors

by Dick Bullman

DGEN Joe Roth (means he will be District Governor in two Rotary years) was visiting today from Weston.

Noelle Galperin introduced us to Elizabeth Nauahres from Dateline. President Debbie introduced us to Deborah Ann Welch, and Marilyn March of Easter Seals South Florida.

Rotary Club of Coral Gables turned 66 last Sunday, March 4th. So, continuing with the Pisces birthdays for our Pisces Club, say happy birthday to the compassionate, sensitive, kind, sympathetic and sometimes weak willed and easily led (astray) Mead McCabe tomorrow, Noelle Galperin on March 10, Jerry Santeiro on the 11th, Mike Freemen and Viresh Dayal on the 12th and Paolo Possenti on March 13th. The sign of the fishes is almost over ...

We have only one member celebrating their Rotary Anniversary this week, George Teruel has been a member for a year on March 10th.

Happy $$$

President-Elect Walter Alvarez was happy that he just returned from PETS (President Elect Training Seminar) where he had the opportunity to meet the PE's from all the clubs in two Districts and find out what works for them and what doesn't. He's got information overload but it only put him to sleep for about half the usual time. Dick Golden told a pretty good story about the Polish airline pilot who managed to bring his plane down on the shortest, widest runway ever built! Deena Bell was happy that she's going to the Gala tomorrow night. She also wanted to remind everyone that with so many Community Service projects coming up they need their t-shirts and so please get them from her after the meeting. Yoli Woodbridge is happy that today is her darling granddaughter Madison's third birthday. She was also happy to report that Walter made a good impression at PETS. Margarita Tonkinson is ecstatic today because tomorrow is the Gala! Bruce Kerestes was happy that he was able to attend his Uncle Bruce's funeral in Connecticut. He was buried with full military honors. Today is his Dad's 90th birthday ... he told Bruce he feels "old". Noelle Galperin is pleased to announce that she will be in San Francisco for a year beginning April 15th. She has received a fellowship to work with the implementation of private thinking into public policy with an organization called Children Now. She will see us once in awhile as she will still be maintaining her District duties despite her tenure in California. And finally Randy was happy about two things today...first of all that his fall trip to Africa is coming and also, he noticed that Bill Martinez was wearing a dark suit today and Randy's really happy he's standing up front! Happiness pays so keep on smiling.

Working Rotarians - March 8, 2012

Greeter - Steven Spann

Registration - Aaron Glasser

Collections - Lorraine Sheldon

Head Table - Deena Bell Lewellyn

Special Needs - Lan Nghiem-Phu & Chris Morrison

Open the Meeting - Jack Witty

Invocation - Greg Martini

Pledge - Hank Collins

Singers - Sally B & Greg Martini

DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - Jim Skinner

Given to - Ana Fournaris &Debra Welch

Pin Drawing Gift - Yoli Woodbridge

Pin Drawing Winner - Bill Martinez

50/50 Raffle - Fred Baddour & Donald Trombly

50/50 Winner - Walter Alvarez

4-Way Test - Walter Alvarez

Today's Program

Noelle Galperin, grew up in Rotary. Her dad, the late Arnold Galperin was the consummate Rotarian who served the organization at the international level for many years. So Rotary is in her DNA.

But Noelle is a Rotarian because of our club. After her first National Immunization Day (NID) we made her an Honorary Rotarian (2007). Since then she has led three NID's and she and her teams have vaccinated more than 2,500 children in India. She officially became a member of our club and a real Rotarian in 2009.

She is currently serving as District Chair for the Haiti Initiative which was started after the 2010 earthquake that devastated that country. Today she updated us on what's going on with the District Initiative and it's chosen project to help the people of Haiti - Project Medishare. The single most successful project in the rebuilding of Haiti. In January, Noelle returned to Haiti to review Project Medishare and was accompanied by RI Directors Barry Rassin from District 7030 and our own John Smarge as well as Rotary International President Banershee.

Project Medishare has succeeded in Haiti because of it's partnerships with community based organizations and committed local partners including the Haitian Government's Health Care System. They operate out of Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare (HBMPM), operate 24/7 and provide free/low cost trauma/critical care services to Haitians. They host 50 in-patients and up to 300 out patients a day. Since the earthquake Project Medishare has treated more than 180,000 people and performed more than 3,500 life saving operations.

HBMPM is operated by 200 Haitian physicians, nurses and health care professionals. They host more than 30 students every semester who are doing their interships in trauma medicine.

HBMPM broke ground last year on an 11,000 square foot building that will add 30 critical care beds, four large patient rooms, three classrooms, a simulation lab, Telemedicine Headquarters and a 120 seat auditorium.

Our District selected this project and approved to support it in three key areas, Ophthalmology, Laboratory and Radiology. The $70,200 we raised between District Clubs and matching funds from the Rotary Foundation has provided state-of-the art training and equipment for Project Medishare in these three areas.

The Primary Goal when District 6990 undertook to support Project Medishare was to support the project in its goal to provide a safe and functional environment that will increase the knowledge of Haitian health care professionals utilizing the "Train the Trainers" principle so these trainees can in turn also serve as mentors to future generations of Haitian health care leaders. With your help and the help of Rotarians throughout our District, and the Magic of Rotary, we have made this happen.

NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM: Scholarship Chair Terry Long with the Donors and Scholarship Winners from Coral Gables Senior High for 2011-2012.