Rotary District 6080

SPRINGFIELD - For the second time in less than three years, Rotary International is helping Ozarks Food Harvest take hunger relief directly to those in need.

The Rotary Clubs of Springfield provided The Food Bank with its first Mobile Food Pantry in 2007. Now, Rotary members are giving Ozarks Food Harvest a second Mobile Food Pantry trailer.

The unveiling of the newest addition to The Food Bank's fleet will take place on Thursday, June 4th at noon inside the Oasis Convention Center. The entire truck will be parked inside during the local Rotary club meeting and will be dedicated by the R.I. President Nominee Ray Klinginsmith.

However, before the second Mobile Food Pantry is officially ready for the road, Ozarks Food Harvest will make use of the original moving pantry on Tuesday, June 2nd.

On that day, The Food Bank will make its second trip to Lebanon for a Mobile Food Pantry distribution. The first Lebanon distribution was in March and five more are still planned. The Lebanon Rotary Club is funding one of the five distributions and will provide volunteers to each of the distributions.

During this distribution, a Rotary International film crew will be present to document The Food Bank's use of its original Mobile Food Pantry. Rotary International also produced a film showcasing the Mobile Food Pantry shortly after its first distribution which was seen worldwide.

This film crew will also be in attendance at the dedication of the second Mobile Food Pantry, which will take place at the Oasis Convention Center on Thursday, June 4th at noon.

Ozarks Food Harvest works with more than 350 hunger relief organizations, reaching more than 53,000 people each month in 29 southwest Missouri counties. Recently, Ozarks Food Harvest has doubled its distribution to upwards of seven million pounds of food annually, the highest distribution in The Food Bank's 25-year history. This is possible because of its network of charities and direct relief programs such as Kids Cafe©, the Weekend Backpack Program™, Club F.U.N.™ and the Mobile Food Pantry™.

Installation of District Governor Steve Montgomery Set

Annual Recognition Luncheon
And
Installation of District Governor Steve Montgomery

Thursday, July 2, 2009
St. John's Cancer Center
2055 S. Fremont
Springfield, MO
11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Through video, special awards and ceremony, we will recognize our members And celebrate another successful year together in Rotary, where we "Make Dreams Real."

The Rotary Clubs of Springfield Honored by Springfield Regional Arts Council

The Rotary Clubs of Springfield - Downtown, Southeast, Sunrise and North - were honored as the Organization of the year for their contribution to the arts in Springfield. Specifically they were recognized for their efforts during Rotary's Centennial year for contributions to the Creamery Arts Center as well as an outdoor classroom and the K-Man interactive sculpture which are all located in Jordan Valley Park in downtown Springfield. Downtown, Sunrise and North did the art center and classroom and Southeast did K-Man which was designed and constructed by Springfield Southeast member, Russ RuBert, who is a nationally known artist.

District's GSE Team To Nigeria

GSE Outbound Team

District's GSE Team is in final preparation for their upcoming visit to Nigeria. Left to right, Catherine Withrow, Courtney Boydston, Betty Hopkins (leader) and Bob Nelson.

Ambassadorial Scholarship Appliation Deadline Fast Approaching

The deadline for submitting the completed application in District 6080 is no later than March 15, 2009 for the 2010-2011 academic year. Completed applications should be submitted to the president of the local Rotary club or the designated club representative for Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships for review and possible approval. The club president must send the endorsed application to the District Scholarship Chair no later than March 30, 2009. The District Scholarship Committee will interview all endorsed applicants at a site to be announced at Osage Beach, MO in April 2009.

We are seeking applications for the ninth class (2010-2012) for our Rotary Peace Centers

Help Rotary find the "Best and the Brightest". Remember that districts can submit as many qualified applications as they wish. After club and district interviews ... applications are due to TRF by 1 July 2009.

New Rotary World Peace Fellowship Application Form Available

The new Rotary World Peace Fellowship application form for 2010 is now available at the newly updated Rotary Centers website. This application form should be used for all applicants to both the master's degree and professional development certificate Rotary Peach fellowships.

Visit www.rotary.org/rotarycenters to view the site and download the form along with our new brochure and program guide for Rotarians.

Rotary, Gates Foundation announce $355 million for polio eradication

New challenge grant helps bridge critical funding gap, inspire other donors in global effort to end crippling childhood disease.

Rotary World Peace Symposium - 18-19 June 2009

Take part in a dialogue on peace-building and learn how political, economic, and ethnic forces can work for — or against — conflict resolution.

Open to Rotarians, Rotary World Peace Fellows, and Rotary World Peace Fellow alumni.

With your paid registration, you are automatically registered to attend the Rotary Alumni Celebration on 20 June.

Please contact District Governor Sherry Nielsen or District International Convention Chair Brad Bodenhausen if you plan to attend.

Rotary Foundation honors couple from 6080 for generous giving

Past District Governor Jerry Franklin holds up a flag of Missouri during the Arch C. Klumph Society induction ceremony on 29 October. Franklin, a member of the Rotary Club of Warrensburg, Missouri, and his wife, Sharon, were inducted during Missouri Day.

Past District Governor Jerry Franklin, president and owner of a commercial real estate brokerage and development company, joined the Rotary Club of Warrensburg, Missouri, in 1986. He was honored with both the Distinguished Governor Award and the Global Quest Award for promoting membership growth.

In his remarks, Franklin acknowledged that not everyone understands giving, which he compared to "experiencing Christmas morning every day of the year."

The Franklins participated in an NID in Nigeria and are involved with a camp for disabled children and adults called Camp Wonderland.

Wal-Mart Foundation Presents $100,000 Donation to the Rotary Club of Springfield North

Pictured in addition to the Manager is Elaine McDonald, President of the Springfield North club and AG Joe Stokes. Joe is a member of the North club and is the driving force behind the ball field for the handicapped project.

The Wal-Mart Foundation located in Bentonville, Arkansas, will present to the Rotary Club of Springfield North a check in the amount of $100,000 to start the raising of funds needed to build a baseball/softball field for disabled children and young adults. The presentation will be made at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 1923 E. Kearney on Wednesday, November 5, at 10 a.m.

The Rotary Club of Springfield North, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), and the Springfield Greene County Park Board (Park Board) are partnering to build a baseball/softball field for disabled children and young adults. Under the guidelines established by the Miracle League Association, this field, which is about one-third the size of a regular field, will have a special playing surface that allows easy maneuverability for wheel chairs and individuals using walkers, difficulty in walking due to health issues or blindness, etc. The field will be located in the new Dan Kinney Park located on Blackman Road in southeast Springfield. Use of the facility will be administered by the Park Board.

The approximate cost of this field is $245,000. The Rotary Club of Springfield North, the CFO, and the Park Board will be seeking cash and "in-kind" donations from corporations, individuals, and community organizations for the remainder of the funds to complete the construction.

It is anticipated that construction of this field will be completed in the summer of 2009, and will be available for use immediately upon completion. Organizations that work with individuals with mobility issues have indicated that there are several hundred children and young adults in the Springfield and surrounding area that will utilize this field.

For information about this field or how to get involved in the raising of funds for this project, contact Joe Stokes at 831-8355, or Jodie Adams at 864-1049.

For additional information about the national Miracle League Association, visit their website at www.miracleleague.com.