Irwin Cohen
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The FOGHORN
ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY
SEPTEMBER 5, 2024
Club Meeting to Prepare for Magic of the Coastside Lobsterfest
Article byStacy Trevenon
Photos by
Liz led discussion on the Lobsterfest on Saturday evening, starting with drawing attention to our club’s Welcome banner that thanks our donors and to our big inflatable lobster; several Rotarians including Joe, Stacy, Susan, Ginger, Irwin and more (including the lobster) went to the Farmers’ Market Saturday to highlight the Lobsterfest and sell tickets. Liz noted that we have a banner that will be prominent at Lobsterfest, and that Irwin blew up the lobster for Saturday. She pointed out that we feature $1,000 sponsors, including some club members, in one corner of our poster. Including Dave and Steve Wilson, for whom she called for (and got) applause. She listed the Gold supporters: Goldworks, US Bank and Warren Barmore, and then the Bronze Supporters ($500) which included our caterer Patti Schwartz, Adam Underwood, and Tri-County Banks. And, not least but very important, are the $200 supporters, *** Entertainment (Julie Bell,) Palermo Properties, and Rebyl Foods. Hearty applause followed. Noting that the purpose of sponsors is seed money, Liz continued that she and Nancy were going to do to spotlight all the pieces of the event.
She began with calling for helpers to go to the shed at 3:15 tomorrow to clear our shed of equipment we can use for the event. But the school is right on the entryway to the high school which is crowded at 3:15, so the time to meet at the shed was adjusted, and (sad news) Terri’s pickup got sold. We can’t get into the hall until 4 and we don’t have a pickup to haul equipment, so Rotarians with a vehicle large enough to haul stuff from our six bins, will meet at the high school at 2:00: volunteers included Mike, Osborne, Ed, Heather. Next item is the auction. First, from our Wendy who is fighting breast cancer, is the $1,500 set of peridot necklace, earrings and bracelet she donated to the auction. Who has peridot in their collection? Liz asked. These were passed around to oohs and aahhs. Liz went on to say the Mitone and Ginger “have been working their tushes off” for this event. Ginger talked about the checkout and how well organized it is; how items will be displayed along with descriptions. We have less-elaborate display than in past years, but we’re trying to keep the auction small so as to focus on selling raffle tickets. She spoke of dining gift certificates, and Betty the Yeti, who is the slot machine (“Ding-Ding-Ding!” said Liz). More discussion followed about the auction (difficult to make out through the chatter for note-taking purposes) and Ginger talked about how we are streamlining the process to make it easier for attendees to eventually get their items. We have a total of 29 items of which four will be raffle items: Who Wants to be a Millionaire Scratcher basket, a Relay for Life quilt, a basket of assorted honey goods and a gift certificate for a lobster boil for four. You can get multiple tickets and choose which box you want. Ginger said the raffle items, like the auction items, will be identified by signs, and you can put your tickets in the box alongside your desired item.
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The FOGHORN
ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY
AUGUST 15, 2024
Annual Visit with District 5150 Governor Steve Wright
Article by Stacy Trevenon
Photos by
Irwin Cohen introduced Assistant Governor Anne Campell, a retired educator with 40 years experience including teaching and being a principal of middle school, a school district superintendent, chairing a Measure H bond oversight committee for the San Mateo community college district, and San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools. She enjoys travel, reading and “hanging out with Rotarians!”
Anne introduced District Governor (2024-2025) Steve Wright. She called Steve and wife Colleen “a dynamic duo of service to Rotary.” He is from the Rotary Club of Pacifica and, after deciding that being club president wasn’t enough he and Colleen co-chaired the district conference for three years and then became PDG Gary Chow’s Chief of Staff. Believing in International Service, he and Colleen with his club had led a Global Grant supporting clean water and adult literacy for three years. “Every level of Rotary you’re thinking about, Steve was there,” she said, before introducing Steve, to a standing ovation.
Steve drew attention to the handout/brochures he had set at each place – inspired by Past District Governor and current Foundation Chair Gary Chow. These contained information about future events at the district level, and about the Grand Slam Award. It’s new this year: If you are a Major Donor, Bequest Society member, a Paul Harris Society member, and a Polio Plus Society member, then you’re a Grand Slam member.
The brochure contains a Resource Guide, a list of 100-plus names on the District Leadership team 2024-2025 (which includes our own Mitone Griffiths, the District Governor-Elect!) The brochure also described the Grand Slam Award and gave key dates: the foundation Amsterdam-Belgium Canal Cruise on Aug. 14-21, the Sept. 7 Membership Summit, the Oct. 12 Foundation event aboard the USS Hornet, World Polio Day (Oct. 24,) the World Peace Conference Jan. 24-26 in Rohnert Park, the District Assembly March 22, the Celebrate Hope in Action district conference in Santa Rosa and the Rotary International Conference on June 21-25 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and relevant Rotary Web sites.
Steve said that when people hear “district,” they tend to picture a monolith, and when someone had asked him what the district would do with a multimillion-dollar grant for affordable housing, he said the district would nix that, because the district is volunteers. Quoting Paul Harris, he said that “Everybody in Rotary has equal value. Some people just have greater responsibility for a period of time.”
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The FOGHORN
ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY
AUGUST 29, 2024
Club Social at Barterra Winery
Article by Stacy Trevenon
Photos by
It wasn’t a conventional Rotary meeting today, but it was just as good – a Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Social, with business strictly Rotary-style --- spending time together catching up, sharing food and drink, and planning upcoming Rotary activities.
Some 25 Rotarians and spouses filled the welcoming Barterra Winery back room, where current club President Irwin Cohen called the evening to order at about 6:15 p.m. Attendees passed around (and emptied) platters of chips, vegetables and small but delicious tapas while buzzing about the upcoming Magic of the Lobsterfest, coming up on Sept. 7, courtesy of the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Foundation. Liz Schuck passed out larger posters spotlighting the Lobsterfest, suitable for putting up in windows or other public places.
Discussion turned to the next Farmers’ Market, on Saturday, Aug. 3; local nonprofits will have booths at the market, from which they can meet with the public to promote their organizations’ causes. Ginger asked for volunteers from the club to man the booth that day, and about five club members volunteered.
Conversation touched on the upcoming “Wine Pull,” with the Rotarians present enthusiastically supporting this kind of social event. There were also some enthusiastic comments in favor of the room where we were – Barterra’s back room – for our social meetings like this one.
“This is perfect --- the size, and with the kitchen right here,” said Ginger Minoletti.
Attention was given to the hors d’oeuvres being passed around – small plates with such delectables as cheeses, basil dip, tapas, salmon bruschetta and more, nicely paired with bottles of wine, water or sodas going around. Giner kept popping into the kitchen, bringing out more, so the plates were going around several times.
“These are fun -- and such a great way to catch up,” said club member (and District Governor-elect) Mitone Griffiths. “We’ve all been such great friends.”
President Irwin summed it up nicely: “It was a wonderful social event. We traded tapas and various topics.”
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CREATING HOPE - It's ALL About What WE DO
We helped fund this wonderful Eagle Scout Project
Monthly Contribution to Coastside Hope Families Project
Update
Thank you to Mary and the Coastside Hope monthly supplies packing team: Joe, Heather, Rosi and Hal and all else who helped this past Wednesday!! Your commitment to the neediest members of our community is quite admirable.
May
Mary, Ginger, Heather in Mary's driveway getting the supplies packed and then Doug delivering them to Coastside Hope's Caitlen Vreeburg, Development and Operations Director.
Club Members Doing Work In Our Coastside and International Communities - Update
We presented the check from our Magic of the Coastside Lobster Fest fundraiser to CADHC. Seeing the joy and gratitude on the faces of the recipients was truly inspiring!
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A huge thank you to the Coastside Hope Monthly Supplies team for packing 8 bags this week--Joe, Stacy, Mary, Heather, and Doug,(Liz and Pat arrived too late to help this fast crew).
Another huge thank you to members and friends from both our club and the Woodside/Portola Valley club for participating in the Annual Coastal Clean up on Saturday--Susan, Dennis, Warren, Stacy, Teri, Anita, yours truly, Emily Prah, plus Haydi Danielson, Sandi Pugh, Sue and her grandson Marshall.
Rotary Crew Working Hard at the Annual Coastside Senior Yard Rehab Project
Dennis and Susan, Liz and Teri , Rose, plus Chris and Ann at the home of Mickey Williamson.
PUMPKIN FESTIVAL 2023 - ROTARY CLUB CLAM CHOWDER BOOTH
Order of Odd Fellows in Half Moon Bay. For the past five years, he has arranged for our Club and the Odd Fellows to socialize together each holiday season. This has built a strong relationship between the two clubs.
International Service: In 2022 when COVID prevented our Club's team from helping a medical clinic in Mexico, Joe purchased medical supplies with money from his own pocket and took the supplies to the clinic in La Paz, Mexico.
In 2023 Joe returned to La Paz, Mexico with a team of seven Club members to provide support to a medical clinic. Again, he purchased medical supplies with his own funds and donated the supplies to the clinic.
Joe has also served on medical missions with Alliance for Smiles, an organization that provides free surgical repairs for cleft lip and cleft palatein the continents of Asia and Africa.
Joe truly exemplifies the Rotary motto of Service Above Self in everything he does. We at the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay are honored to have Joe as our valued member. Joe Brennan is most deserving to be recognized as District 5150’s Rotarian of the Month for September 2023!
Cooking Breakfast Monthly in Support of Abundant Grace's Community Outreach
We are once again able to help out with Abundant Grace in this essential program for those who are underserved in our community. The crew for the month of May below: (Susan Kealey and Dennis Fisher, Heather Bodman, Rose Serdy, Paul Wrubel, Warren Barmore. and Joe Brennan (not in the picture). Thanks to Joe for getting our crews organized.
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