Outbound RYE Ashley Fuentes Reports ....

All Because of Rotary!

I hope all is good at home and that everyone is doing well  I just wanted to keep you posted on my exchange so far.  Brasil has been pretty amazing so far!!   There are so many things I want to share with you regarding my experience here!

Just in short: I love the food!  Thus I've started dance class and I'm going the gym everyday with my own complementary trainer! 

I live walking distance from the beach with makes walking home from school oh so delightful! (And gives me time to write in the sand ... lol)

I am learning the language wickedly fast - way faster then I could ever imagine!  In fact at our first orientation,  the RYE officials would speak to me in Portuguese and I would translate for the group! I can't wait to see where my language skills will be at the end of the year.

I think people here are much nicer and easier to make friends with then back at home.  They are  fascinated with America.   I've made a bunch of friends already that I don't even want to think about having to leave in less then a year! 

My first host family has been amazing with me, they've truly allowed me to become part of their family and have been the best tour guides, showing me their beautiful city. Time seems to be flying by here and every day I learn something new about the culture, the people, and even myself!

I wanted to thank Rotary Club of Coral Gables for allowing me the opportunity of a lifetime and for sending me to such an amazing country.   This would not have been possible for me if it weren't for your help and efforts!   I can't wait till I return and I get to speak the club about my experience!

Ashley Fuentes
Brasil Outbound Exchange Student 2013-2014

P.S. Attached are some pictures so far from my exchange

Brasil RYE Students

 Me and my host Mom at Sunset

View of Sao Paolo out my window

Coastal Cleanup 2013

2013 Coastal Cleanup

Rotary's Dirtiest Day!

Every year we lament the fact that Coastal Cleanup is always held when the tide is high, the moon is full and the water is up to our knees.  This year was no exception.  Saturday, September 21st dawned partly cloudy and slightly rainy.  The tide at Matheson Hammock was high.  The garbage plentiful.  And we had a great group that worked really hard, including 20 Boy Scouts from President Don's troop.  In all there were about 30 of us and three in kayaks.  They concentrated on the water side of the coastline where we couldn't reach.

The Rotary Crew included Andrea Stone, Heather O'Meara, Bill Quesenberry, Walter Alvarez and Sally B.  We had help from two Rotaractos, our Youth Exchange Student, Dan Masson and Greg Martini and Don Trombly with their Boy Scouts.  The Kayak Crew led by Community Service Chair Lorraine Sheldon included Mr. and Mrs. Abe Horowitz.  At the end of the morning the land-based crew had collected some 40 bags of trash that contained everything from swim noodles to ice chests and 5,000 bottle caps.  The Kayak Crew collected really big stuff like tires, and furniture and empty pallets.  

After the collecting was done, the Boy Scouts took off to earn their kayaking badges and have a picnic lunch at the park.  The Rotarians took off for Scotty's Landing to have their own kind of picnic.  

All in all we had a great time and it was, as usual, the dirtiest project we do all year.

A Different Kind of Fundraiser - Benefitting VA Bingo

Sign Up Now to Work 

at the Falls Auto Show!

Rotarian Fred Baddour is hosting an antique car show on Friday night. October 4th at his warehouse in the Falls.  He has long been a collector of unusual vehicles - everything from Army-issue WWII Jeeps to an antique fire engine - and now he's inviting other folks to join him in displaying their collectible automobiles.  

There's no charge for admission to the show.  Our Club is looking for volunteers to grill burgers and hot dogs and sell beer and soft drinks to the attendees.  All of the proceeds from the sale of the food will go to fund our monthly VA Bingo games at the Veteran's Hospital.

So sign up to work.  Tell all your friends.  Actually, tell a lot of girls because there's a very dependable rumor that Fred has invited the Firemen from the 2013 Calendar to pose in front of his old fire engine!  Woo Woo!

Blood Drive October 3rd.

Jerry Santeiro

1951 - 2013

It is with deep sadness that we advise you of the death of our dear friend and fellow Rotarian, Jerry Santeiro.  His passing leaves so many in the Coral Gables community devastated by the  loss of this strong, gentle and giving man known for his wicked sense of humor.

Jerry was born in Havana, Cuba, March 11, 1951.  He emigrated to Miami with his family  in the 1960's and graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in 1968.  He got his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1972 and achieved his MBA from Florida International University in 1980. 

His early career was spent at Florida Power & Light Co., where he was External Affairs Manager from 1972 until 1994.  He was at FP&L when he joined Rotary Club of Coral Gables in December, 1991.  He served on the Board of the Club for many years and served as President in 1995-1996.  But his community involvement didn’t stop there.

Jerry served as Chairman of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce in 1996-1997, and became active with the Coral Gables Community Foundation.  He was the Foundation Chairman in 2009-2010.  It was through his involvement in the Foundation that his efforts began to focus on the aging and elderly in our community.  He was very involved with the Alliance for Aging and sat on the Senior Advisory Council for the City of Coral Gables for a number of years.  He became Executive Director of the Guardianship Program of Dade County in 2006. 

His own health problems and subsequent disability in 2009 led Jerry to his work with disability agencies and he was, just last week, appointed Chair of the Coral Gables Council on Disabilities. 

Jerry Santeiro loved life.  He loved Rotary.  He loved Coral Gables.  He is survived by his daughter Christina Santeiro Toole and his granddaughters Nina and Lola.  He will be greatly missed by us all.  Services are being handled by Stanfill Funeral Home and arrangements will be announced.

Jerry with  Christina

A Different Kind of Fund Raiser

Sign up to work October 4th

at the

Falls Auto Show 
Brought to you by our own Fred Baddour.

 Our Club will be selling hots dogs and drinks.

The proceeds will go to fund

Veteran's Bingo.

Sign up today.

RSVP to terryclong@bellsouth.net

Terry Long in Rehab

       Our Club Administrator 

Did it Again!!

Dear Terry Long did it again!  She was bike riding down in the Keys last Sunday when she took an unexpected fall on gravel.  Not speeding.  Not being a show off.  Just going too fast on a gravel path and BANG!

Her friend Charlie took her to Baptist Kendall Regional West where she was told that she had once again fractured her pelvis.  Long time members may recall that she took a spill off her bike up near Daytona five years ago and fractured her pelvis.  This fracture is different.  But fractured, none-the-less!

This time however she says it's not nearly as painful.  The break isn't as bad as it was the first time. She can sit and lay flat comfortably.  She can already walk with a walker (that took her quite awhile the last time).  She's comfortable.  Her fingers work.  Her voice works and as usual, she's working on Rotary from her hospital bed!  

She was transferred to Health South Rehab Hospital in Cutler Bay today.  She expects to be in pretty intensive rehab for at least three to four weeks.  So we will all have to scramble to cover all the bases that she keeps together.  But she's available - long distance - to help.  

Give her a call.  Drop her an email.  If you're down in that neck of the woods, stop by and say "hello".  She expects to be able to return to Rotary slowly - AND expects to be back on her bike within 90 days.  That woman just never quits! 

Rotary Youth Exchange

September 

is the Month for

Youth 

It's a great time to get to know our 2013-2014 Rotary Youth Exchange student, Danilo "Dan" Masson.  

Dan is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Campinas, Brazil.  He arrived on August 11 and will be here for the entire school year - he returns to Brazil in June.

Dan will have two host families during his stay in Miami.  His first "mom" is Madeline Mendez, the mother of our Outbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student, Ashley Fuentes.  She went to Brazil.  He will be living there until December when he moves to the home of Karen and Doug Neal.  Their daughter went out to Belgium last month and they are replacing their daughter with a temporary son.  

Dan is attending Coral Gables High School.  He is a Junior.  His English is really good, however, not good enough to follow along in the advanced Chemistry classes he wanted.  So they dropped him back into beginning Chemistry (he says it's a great "refresher course") and enrolled him in an ESOL class to improve his speaking and reading comprehension.  At the same time he is taking standard junior English, learning to write in his newly adopted language.  He has also joined the Coral Gables Interact Club and is already involved in their upcoming fair.

You'll see Dan at the meetings and other events throughout this year.  Don't be shy ... if you want to invite him out on your boat or take him to a football game, or a movie, he'd love to go.  Last weekend Sally B and Larry took him to dinner and a movie.  Then he went bowling with the Martini's and had his very first Arbetter's hot dog.  He will be joining us at the VA for Bingo this month and he'll be getting dirty at the Coastal Clean Up on September 21st as well.

The photo above is President Don and Dan exchanging club flags.  His Rotary Club sent him here very well prepared!  If you want to learn more about the Youth Exchange Program, visit www.RYEFlorida.org.  

Dan will be our lunch speaker at the meeting on October 3, 2013.  You'll learn more about him and this terrific program then.