2020 Club Highlights 

In winter and early spring, before the Covid-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 President Vicki followed our traditional format of lively, in-person meetings in Maldaners Upstairs.

 

We enjoyed the presentations by speakers, such as our inbound exchange student Sabrina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this time, we enjoyed our traditional Rotary meetings, including brag-a-bucks and 50-50 drawings to raise monies for scholarships. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We set up a new fund in our Foundation and provided warm clothing (image to right) for students at Ridgely Elementary School, our adopted school. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We participated in World Polio Day to raise funds for Polio Plus and promoted the Rotaract Club at the UIS basketball game.

 

In February, we sponsored three Rotary tables and joined community members at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On March 16, we converted to virtual meetings in response to the spread of Covid-19. We transformed our March Madness Fundraiser to the Rotary Ultimate Food Fight and launched the virtual tournament in April. We donated the monies to the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln and United Way of Central Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund and Titan Fuel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Active community service continued during the spring. We partnered with District 186 and Neuhoff Media on 96.7 BobFM (WCVS) to provide Storytime. The radio station recorded club members reading stories for presentation to two student age groups. We also donated personal protective equipment for the Springfield Police Department to provide to the homeless. We installed flags for our Flag Service Project to honor soldiers and recognize all the frontline health care and other essential personnel working during the pandemic. Chatham Satellite Club members helped Clean the Village of Chatham.

 

In late May, we awarded $27,759 in grants for 14 high-impact projects. Ten of the projects helped combat hunger, which was extremely important given food insecurity during the pandemic. Our grant to the Central Illinois Foodbank helped purchase 12,000 pounds of nutritious dairy projects for distribution in central Illinois.

 

 

Four grants promoted literacy. Our grant to Ridgely Elementary School supported development of an at-home resource kit for every student. The need for such resources was reinforced during the pandemic when students had to shelter at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In June, our scholarships for Lincoln Land Community College and the University of Illinois Springfield were awarded to Anthony Rynders, a criminal justice major (image to left), and Ciara Chew, a biology major specializing in pre-veterinary medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We offered “The New Normal” virtual program series as part of our club meetings in summer and fall and it was open to the public. A stellar lineup of experts envisioned the post pandemic world from the perspectives of leaders representing various segments of our society including the economy, healthcare, agriculture, higher education, international government relations, technology, investment markets, and art. UIS Chancellor Susan Koch (left) presented on higher education and Peoria Sculptor Preston Jackson (right) presented on the arts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In July, we safely gathered outside to install our officers for the 2020-2021 Rotary year, thanked outgoing officers, and had a cordial evening full of warmth and laughter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community service continued at full speed over the summer and included site clean-up at the IMagicNation property in Springfield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We purchased school supplies for Ridgely School students. Supplies needed for one student are shown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal constructed and helped install a Little Library for the IMagicNation property, and fellow Rotarians are providing books.

 

 

 

 

We are participating in an international water project for a village and schools in Nepal with Nepal Rotarian K.B. Chettry (image to right) and approved support for additional international projects. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the late summer and early fall, we were able to hold hybrid meetings with socially distanced meeting space in Maldaners and virtual participation via Webex. We had to return to fully virtual meetings in the fall when Covid-19 cases surged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In September, Vicki led a project with other Springfield Clubs and Springfield Public School District 186 to develop at-home resource kits for Springfield elementary school students with funding from a District 6460 Literacy Grant. A virtual press conference announced the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other service included provision of a catered dinner to 55 homeless adults at the Tent City in Springfield. We also filled bags filled with essential supplies and delivered them to the Springfield Police Department for distribution to homeless individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vicki arranged for a micro-pantry for Ridgely School, and club members are stocking it with canned goods and other foods.

 

Club members rang the bells for the Salvation Army at Montvale Plaza. We also purchased angel tree gifts for Rutledge youth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In December, our club and other Springfield clubs donated 20,000 fresh Florida oranges to the Central Illinois Foodbank as part of the John Montgomery Memorial Citrus Drive. Proceeds from sales support community grants.