The Testino Agency became the newest corporate member of the Rotary Club of Ankeny when they were inducted into the club by President Elect Rich Job on December 4th.   The Testino Agency is the Allstate Insurance agent in Ankeny.  Andy Testino will be the "Primary Designee", Nick Testino, James Benda, and Cory Johnson will be the "Secondary Designees" for this corporate membership.  Welcome to Rotary, Andy, Nick, James and Cory!

We're so close to eradicating Polio.  But to fully eradicate this deplorable disease we still need $1.5 billion to finish the job.  Why?  Even if the last case of polio is identified this year, a huge amount of work will remain to ensure that it stays "GONE", which means vaccinating children for at least three more years.  To ensure that polio is truly eradicated forever, it must be detected.  This requires continuous surveillance that is complicated and costly.  First doctors and community health workers must monitor children for acute flaccid paralysis and second is the process that involves local authorities collecting samples from sewage systems or in places that don't have adequate sanitation facilities, including rivers and bodies of water near a large group of residents. 

 

In addition, large scale vaccinations are enormous undertakings that require money as well as thousands of volunteers on the ground and in places where the vaccination programs have been successful, the challenge is to locate and vaccinate that small percentage of children who have been missed.  The vaccine itself isn't the biggest expense, it's the distribution of the vaccine - i.e. transportation and staffing.  A vaccination campaign is almost mind-bogglingly complex.  Rotarian's contributions pay for planning by technical experts, large-scale communication efforts to make people aware of the benefits of vaccinations and the dates of the campaign, plus support for volunteers to go door-to-door in large cities as well as in remote areas that may not appear on any map.

 

On November 11, 2018, the District 6000 Nominating Committee interviewed candidates for District Governor Nominee Designee 2021-2022.  The committee selected Alaka Khanolkar of the Rotary Club of Keokuk.

Now that the holiday season is upon us, many of us are scurrying around trying to find the best gift for our families, our neighbors, teachers and more.  Here is an idea that will save all of you a great deal of time and give you an enormous feeling of satisfaction!

 

In place of that gift, why not give the gift of Rotary through The Rotary Foundation?  A $100 contribution can help [rovide textbooks for one elementary school in Zambia, provide a hearing aid for a deaf child in Pakistan, buy de-worming tablets for 112 children in the Philippines , pay for cataract operations for three blind people in India, or provide 230 blankets for the elderly in the winter months of Korea!  And there are many opportunities even within our own country!

 

For more information contact our Foundation Chair, Steve SchraderBachar or call The Rotary Foundation at 866-976-82279.  Thank you for your generosity.

The following Ankeny Rotarians will celebrate birthdays in December:

 

2nd - Chuck Stewart

3rd - Scott Port

12th - Rich Job

14th - Tim Cox

21st - Doug Beech

25th - T.J. Brand

Now that the holiday season is upon us - many of us are scurrying around trying to find the best gift for our families, our neighbors, teachers, and more.  Here is an idea that will save all of you a great deal of time and give you an enormous feeling of satisfaction!  In place of that gift, why not give the gift of Rotary through The Rotary Foundation?  A $100 contribution can help provide textbooks for one elementary school in Zambia, provide a hearing aid for a deaf child in Pakistan, buy de-worming tablets for 112 children in the Philippines, pay for cataract operations for three blind people in India, or provide 230 blankets for the elderly in the winter months of Korea!   And there are many more opportunities even within our own country!

 

For more information contact The Rotary Foundation at 866-976-8279.  Thank you for your generosity.

The members of the Evening Ankeny Rotary Club packed 756 meals for Meals From The Heartland on August 30th.  The club also donated $100 to help cover the cost of shipping of the meals they packaged. In 2017, Meals From the Heartland distributed 20.5 million meals throughout the world.  The following thank you was received form Susan Bunz, Executive Director of Meals From the Heartland:

 

THANK YOU!  Two very powerful words that come from my heart.  Your recent donation of $100 along with the help of countless volunteers will allow us to package meals for hungry people her in Iowa, throughout the United States and around the world.  With one decade of hunger fighting in our rear view mirror, we are now setting our sights on the years to come and we can't do what we do without the ongoing support of loyal donors.  So again, thank you for being a hunger fighter we can continue to count on for your time, treasure, and talent.

Luke Nelson was a member of the Rotary Club of Ankeny for 5 years from June 2013 until July 2018 when he moved to South Carolina and joined the Rotary Club of Fort Mill, South Carolina.  

 

Prior to Luke leaving Ankeny he qualified for a Paul Harris Fellowship but we were unable to present it to him before he moved.  The certificate and pin were sent by UPS to the Foundation Chair for Fort Mill.  There was some concern that these items may be lost since they were sent about the same time hurricane Florence ripped through the Carolinas and UPS could not find any tracking information on the package.  Ultimately, the package was received and they had the items framed and their president, Patrick White, presented it to Luke.  Congratulations Luke!

Project Fresh Start is an Ankeny based volunteer program that has provided free school supplies, backpacks, prom dress and more to students for over a decade.  In the fall, many Ankeny families are faced with a significant challenge, Iowa winters, but lack the funds to purchase winter coats, hats gloves, boots and snow pants.  To assist these families Project Fresh Start has coordinated the receiving and distribution of winter clothing each year since 2015.  Dave Kissinger, Project Fresh Start Chairman, was in attendance at the noon Rotary meeting on November 6th to accept a check from the club for coats and snow pants.  The total donation to Project Fresh Start from the club was $2,512.  $1,512 was used to purchase winter coats and the other $1,000 will be used to purchase snow pants.