We had a great time at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on January 16 at the Wyndham Springfield City Center! Gerald McWorter, the keynote speaker, highlighted the man, the movement, and mission and gave a stirring call to action. On January 30, we will have a Social Night club meeting at Maldaners and on February 6, we will hear from our Inbound Exchange Student. See Upcoming Programs and Events for more information.
On Monday, January 23, our featured speaker was John Martin I (image on left), University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) Astrophysicist, who discussed the content and importance of images from the JWST, the powerful new telescope that enables astronomers and other scientists to see further into space and, by doing so, enhances human understanding of the origins of our universe. His was an energetic and enlightening presentation of a complex topic. He proudly showed us his red Converse High-top All Stars (image below) after Kathryn Harris complimented him for wearing them.
March 10 Rotary Night at the Symphony
In the the absence of Ross Hodel - who is either snow-birding in Florida (his official story) or island-hopping in the Caribbean (the more likely reality) - Harry Mitchell has arranged to reserve a block of tickets for the Club to attend a night with the Central Illinois Symphony at the Brookens Auditorium, University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) on Friday, March 10. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. that evening and tickets are $33 per person.
If you wish to purchase tickets for this event, please bring your check made out to Rotary Club of Springfield to either Harry or me no later than next Monday’s Rotary meeting (January 30th). The Symphony will be performing the well-recognized and beloved works of (Star Wars) composer John Williams that evening.
The Evening at the Symphony will replace our Monday, March 13 meeting. There will be no Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners on March 13.
January 30 Social Night
Take note that next week (Jan. 30), we will be having a Social Night, including a 50/50 drawing and a Brag a Bucks opportunity for members to celebrate their recent achievements and those of family and friends. Members will also be challenged to respond to unexpected information, which in some instances may have relevance to our lives, but in most instances, will not. Nonetheless, members should come prepared to have fun.
The Rotary Club of Springfield was well represented at the 48th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast in Springfield. We had two full tables (images above) and also had members at the table of Tony and Jan Williams, including Tony (first image below)! Club member and UIS Chancellor Janet Gooch (second image below) introduced the keynote speaker Dr. Gerald McWorter (lead image). He gave an excellent historical overview of the man, the movement, and the mission and a stirring call to action.
This year’s Citrus Campaign is completed. The profits that will be available for community grants is about $11,000.00, which is the same as last year. The number of citrus cartons sold this year is up 3% from last year. We had hoped for improvement in profits, but we had higher than usual increases in the cost of the citrus due to inflation and a reduced crop resulting from the hurricane that hit Florida.
There was a broad participation in the campaign as 34 club members sold citrus this year. One former member, David Kromphardt, sold $300.00 of citrus to members of his club with a promise of greater participation next year. Five club members sold more than $1,000.00 of citrus; they are: Rod Buffington, Travis Magoulias, Bruce Strom, Harry Mitchell and me. For many years Harry Mitchell has been the top citrus sales person. This year with $5,720.00 of sales to 82 different customers, I am the top sales person.
This year’s campaign included all five Springfield Rotary clubs. This results in increased harmony between the clubs and a bigger citrus order which increases our buying power. We buy our citrus through Humphrey’s Market who also buys significant quantities of citrus. This arrangement gives us the best possible pricing for our purchase of citrus.
One last thought, we don’t just sell oranges and grapefruit, we sell Florida oranges and grapefruit. Through the years the Florida citrus has had a tradition for premium quality citrus. This year’s citrus provided the best oranges we have had in years to go along with the incredible grapefruit we get every year. This year’s citrus has added to the tradition of premium quality citrus from Florida.
Submitted by,
Bill Smith
Citrus Warehouse Manager
The image above shows Bill reporting to the club on the results of the Citrus Campaign at our January 9 club meeting. We all appreciate the amount of work our warehouse czar puts into the annual citrus sale. The stories below capture some of the immediate community benefits of this work! Thank you, Bill and all the participants in this fundraiser.
On December 7, the Rotary Clubs of Springfield donated oranges to the Central Illinois Foodbank as a part of the annual Citrus Sale Fundraiser. All five Rotary Clubs in Springfield participated in this year’s Citrus Sale. Three of the clubs—our club, Springfield Sunrise, and Springfield South—allowed Rotarians and their clients to purchase oranges specifically for donation to the Foodbank. This year, we donated 190 40-lb. cartons of oranges (image on left)—about 23,750 oranges. This is Rotary’s largest donation of oranges to the Foodbank since our club added the option to buy oranges for them in 2013.
Bonnie Styles and Bill Smith arranged for the Foodbank to pick up the donated oranges at Humphreys Market on December 7. Humphreys Market helps with the Rotary Citrus order from Florida, and Hope Humphrey joined the group (above image far right). Bill Smith (above image, second from right and image below), Warehouse Manager and overall logistics director for the citrus fundraiser, was interviewed for the Central Illinois Foodbank Newsletter by Tim Kirsininkas, Public Relations Manager for the Foodbank (above image second from left and image below). Ed Reynolds (above image, far left), truck driver for the Central Illinois Foodbank) also joined the group and helped load the oranges on the truck.
Bill Smith described the benefits of the program for Rotary, the Foodbank, and those in need of food. “It’s a win-win situation all around.” Customers buy nutritious citrus to eat and gift during the holiday season and also purchase oranges for donation to the Central Illinois Foodbank. The Foodbank delivers the oranges to other foodbanks who distribute them to those in need. The gift keeps giving because the proceeds from the sale of the oranges and grapefruit by Rotarians, including the oranges purchased for direct donation to the Foodbank, support Rotary community grants that help combat hunger, promote literacy, and meet other community needs.
On December 11, Jennifer Butcher, the new Principal of Ridgely Elementary School sent the following note for our club:
Thank you Springfield Rotary! Last week, our third graders received their dictionaries and the entire school received the oranges you dropped off. We appreciate you so much!
Jennifer also sent images showing students with their new dictionaries (mage on left) and students enjoying the oranges (images below).
Both the dictionaries and oranges (from our annual citrus fundraiser) were purchased and donated by club members. We all thank all of those who donated for their generosity.
Please join us and get to know your Rotary friends even better (see President's message above).
February 6 - Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
Mark Sirichote: Experiences as a Rotary Exchange Student.
The image below shows Mark, our Rotary Inbound Exchange Student, when he first arrived in Springfield.
February 13 – Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
Laila Kim and Rebecca Graves: The Mission and Impact of the YMCA on the Community and Goals for the Future
Rebecca Graves is the Senior Director of Membership for the YMCA of Springfield. Rebecca currently oversees the Membership department operations for the YMCA of Springfield as well the driving energy behind event visibility as well as spreading community awareness on the benefits of membership with the YMCA.
Rebecca began her Y career in Youth Development as a program director. She was responsible multiple summer camps, afterschool programs and youth and family events. This ignited her passion for creating a safe and inclusive environment for children and families that have experienced poverty and homelessness. During her time as a Youth Development Director, Rebecca was awarded Outstanding Program of the Year by the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs for the Matthew Project Camp.
Rebecca continues her involvement with the Matthew Project by volunteering as a mentor during the school year.
When not at work, Rebecca enjoys live music, being outside and tending to her houseplants.
Laila Kim is the Senior Director of Health and Wellness for the YMCA of Springfield. Laila is responsible for managing all aspects of Health and Wellness from Weight and Cardio Room operation to Personal Training, Sports Performance, Group Fitness, and all Health & Wellness Programs at the Downtown, Kerasotes, and Lincoln branches. Laila comes to the YMCA of Springfield from LA Fitness where she served as the Illinois Regional Activities Director. She was responsible for the daily operation of the Group Exercise Department for South Illinois Territory which included Springfield, Bloomington, Bolingbrook, Joliet, Naperville, New Lenox, Tinley Park, and Oswego. Prior to that she held similar positions in Denmark, Europe, the country where she grew up. She immigrated to the US in 2014 and became a US citizen in 2019.
She holds degrees in Business Administration and Mechanical Engineering and was in her teenage years a competitive gymnast and as a young adult a professional dancer. Laila is a certified personal trainer (NCCPT) specializing in corrective & restorative exercises (FMS), Sports Strength and Conditioning and has experience in teaching a wide variety of group fitness classes and holds certifications in Silver Sneakers, Aqua Fit, Yoga, Pilates, Les Mills, Kick Boxing, TRX suspension training, and more.
Laila believes that the human body should be viewed holistically and that there often are non-surgical ways to live a pain free and active life and that it is never too late to start a journey towards physical and mental health.
Laila says: "My job is my hobby. I love helping people reach their health & wellness goal whether it is losing weight, get stronger or be able to play with their grand kids. My job never feels like work because it is so rewarding to me. I know I am very fortunate to feel like this about my job."
February 20 – Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
Gordon Davis, Founder, Whimsy Tea Company
Gordon will speak to our group about his experiences with the Whimsy Tea Company. Details will be provided later.
February 27 – Rotary Foundation Night Dinner
Mark your calendar for our annual Foundation Night Dinner! Our club will be naming two Community Paul Harris Fellows, and each of our Rotary Circles will be naming a Paul Harris Fellow. Details will be provided later.
March 6, 2023 — Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
Details will be announced later.
March 10, 2023 — Rotary Night at the Symphony, UIS Performing Arts Center
Star Wars & Beyond, The Best of John Williams
Time 7:30pm Price $33 for Loge Seating
Come join your fellow Rotarians and their guests at a wonderful performance by our Illinois Symphony orchestra.
IMPORTANT: Checks to be made payable to the Rotary Club of Springfield. All payments must be made no later than Monday, January 30. Checks can be given to Randy Erford or Harry Mitchell. Meeting this deadline will give our club the best opportunity for having us sit together as a group. Since the public sale has been underway for some time, we need to place our order as soon as possible.
March 13, 2023 — No Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
March 20, 2023 — Rotary Club Meeting at Maldaners Upstairs
Corey Kohlrus: Troxell
Corey will speak about Troxell Insurance company, where he is in his 15th year. He specializes in Property and Casualty Insurance, both personal and commercial. He is also licensed in life and health insurance. He was born and raised in Springfield. He graduated from Sacred Heart Griffin High School and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He has three young children at home: Charlie (6), Henry (4) and Ella, who will be 2 in April. He is raising them with his wife Courtney, and they have been married for almost 9 years. He earned his CIC (Certified Insurance Consultant) designation in 2020.
Happy New Year! The image below shows a Thank You note to all the Rotarians who participated in our Angel Tree this year.
We were able to provide gifts to a record 207 youth this year, and Rotary was a big part of that. These youth had a special Holiday dur to our Club's thoughtfulness and generosity.
Work stocking our Our Ridgely micro pantry (image above) and little library (image on left) continues and is especially important during these cold winter months. Please feel free to drop off any food/toiletries/cleaning supplies as you see fit. With this cold weather, families need these things now more than ever! We thank the Rotarians who have signed up for shifts stocking the micro pantry during the New Year. I encourage everyone to look at this list of Community Gardens and fill the pantry with local fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you're able (https://www.growspringfield.org/gardendirectory). You can see from the image on left, also provided by Vicki Megginson, the Little Library needs more books. If you want to sign up, let me know (Megan Reynolds <mnorman@familiadental.com>).
Central Illinois Foodbank
We hope to schedule more sessions for volunteering at the Central Illinois Foodbank soon.Stay tuned.
We are repeating a list of suggestions of foods and other items to stock in the Ridgely Food Pantry. These suggestions came from people who use food pantries to help feed their families.
1. Everyone donates Kraft Mac and Cheese in the box. They can rarely use it because it needs milk and butter, which is difficult to get from regular food banks. 2. Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal, which they also get a lot of. 3. Everyone donates pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles. 4. They cannot eat all the awesome canned veggies and soup unless you put a can opener in too or buy pop tops.* 5. Oil is a luxury and needed for Rice a-Roni, which they also get a lot of. 6. Spices or salt and pepper would be a real Holiday gift. 7. Tea bags and coffee make them feel like you care. 8. Sugar and flour are treats. 9. They fawn over fresh produce donated by farmers and grocery stores. 10. Seeds are cool in Spring and Summer because growing can be easy for some. 11. They rarely get fresh meat. 12. Tuna and crackers make a good lunch. 13. Hamburger Helper goes nowhere without ground beef. 14. They get lots of peanut butter and jelly but usually not sandwich bread. 15. Butter or margarine is nice too. 16. Eggs are a real commodity. 17. Cake mix and frosting makes it possible to make a child’s birthday cake. 18. Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated. 19. Feminine hygiene products are a luxury and women will cry over that. 20. Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing.
* At our November 29 club meeting, Ross Hodel reported that he followed this advice and stocked numerous can openers in the Ridgely Pantry. He noted that they were quickly snapped up.
Do you know or are you someone who has a passion to give back to your community? The Rotarians in this image are helping pack essential items for the Illinois Police Department to give to homeless individuals in our community. As a Rotarian, you adhere to the principles of the 4-way Test., which are:
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
If you find value in these ideals and want to be part of a great organization, right click on the attached link to open our online Membership Application in a new window. You can also click on this link to download an electronic copy of the Membership Application from our Club's website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) in the Download Files section. You can send the completed application to the Membership Committee at illinoisdelta@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Please email images of service activities to Bonnie Styles at bonstyles@yahoo.com. It's easy to take pictures if you have a smartphone, but even an old style camera works just fine. Send me an email (bonstyles@yahoo.com) to let me know when you will be volunteering for a service project, and I will come out and take some images.
Be sure to turn in your hours for any volunteering that you do on behalf of Rotary.
Did you know that volunteer work is already underway for our Flag Service Project in January? The image below shows Barry Tobias training his son Alec how to use the drill press to drill a hole in a flag pole in his home workshop. After drilling, the holes have to be filed down. Much thanks to Barry for providing this image.
On Monday, January 23, our featured speaker was John Martin I (image on left), University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) Astrophysicist, who discussed the content and importance of images from the JWST, the powerful new telescope that enables astronomers and other scientists to see further into space and, by doing so, enhances human understanding of the origins of our universe. His was an energetic and enlightening presentation of a complex topic. He proudly showed us his red Converse High-top All Stars (image below) after Kathryn Harris complimented him for wearing them. 
On December 7, the Rotary Clubs of Springfield donated oranges to the Central Illinois Foodbank as a part of the annual Citrus Sale Fundraiser. All five Rotary Clubs in Springfield participated in this year’s Citrus Sale. Three of the clubs—our club, Springfield Sunrise, and Springfield South—allowed Rotarians and their clients to purchase oranges specifically for donation to the Foodbank. This year, we donated 190 40-lb. cartons of oranges (image on left)—about 23,750 oranges. This is Rotary’s largest donation of oranges to the Foodbank since our club added the option to buy oranges for them in 2013.
On December 11, Jennifer Butcher, the new Principal of Ridgely Elementary School sent the following note for our club:
Laila Kim and Rebecca Graves: The Mission and Impact of the YMCA on the Community and Goals for the Future
Mark your calendar for our annual Foundation Night Dinner! Our club will be naming two Community Paul Harris Fellows, and each of our Rotary Circles will be naming a Paul Harris Fellow. Details will be provided later.
Work stocking our Our Ridgely micro pantry (image above) and little library (image on left) continues and is especially important during these cold winter months. Please feel free to drop off any food/toiletries/cleaning supplies as you see fit. With this cold weather, families need these things now more than ever! We thank the Rotarians who have signed up for shifts stocking the micro pantry during the New Year. I encourage everyone to look at this list of Community Gardens and fill the pantry with local fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you're able (
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