• Sep 27, Indy Do Day Service Project

    Sep 27, Indy Do Day Service Project

    Sign up (REQUIRED) by September 23. 

    We hope you will attend our club’s Indy Do Day Kick Off Project on Tuesday, September 27. This is the third year we will be preparing meals for Pack Away Hunger during our Tuesday program.  During this fun and festive program, we pack nutritional meals scientifically proven to meet the needs of children and at-risk populations.  These packs are distributed to local food pantries and community feeding programs in emerging nations.  Please share the details below with your fellow colleagues, family and friends and invite them to join us- we want to kick-off Indy Do Day with a strong start!  To make sure we have enough packing stations, please sign up (REQUIRED) by September 23. 

  • Education Committee Planning Indy Do Day Project for Sat, Oct 1, 2016

    Education Committee Planning Indy Do Day Project for Sat, Oct 1, 2016

    The Education committee is excited to participate in Indy Do Day this year!  You are invited to join the Committee as we provide a Classroom Makeover for Teach for America Alumni Teacher of the Year Ms. Ella Hereth. Our education committee has provided Ms. Hereth with a $1,500 stipend to buy materials for her classroom, some of which includes furniture and supplies to help organize her space.  Ms. Hereth teaches middle school math and has requested volunteers to help put together furniture and help clean and organize the classroom. You and your families, and other Rotarians, are encouraged to join us at Guion Creek Middle School located at 4401 W 52nd St # 603, Indianapolis, IN 46254 from 9:30-11:30 a.m  on Saturday, October 1. If you plan to attend, please email ktingle@indyrotary.org to confirm.  A confirmation email will be sent as the date draws nearer.

  • Rotarian Cyclist Rides Across Country

    cris-fThe Rotary Club of Indianapolis will be hosting Rotarian Chris Figurieda from the Rotary Club of Ventura California as he makes a cross country bicycle ride to bring attention to healthy life styles and heart health. Chris has made several cross country and long rides to bring attention to his mission which you can learn about at his website at www.cycleforheart.org. He is raising funds for the American Heart Association and the Rotary Polio Plus Program on his ride. He will be in Indianapolis on Sept 25th & 26th and staying with Rotarian Joe Gaafar while in Indy. Chris is looking for opportunities to share his message with students in kindergarten through college as well as elected officials and would appreciate local Rotarians introducing or arranging meetings for him. If you have a group or person that would be interested in meeting Chris, please contact Joe at 317-294-6059 or Joe@SDGAvising.com. Also, if you’re a cyclist, fitness buff, or just interested in his trip, call Joe.

  • September 13, Indy Rotary: Brian Murphy, Holcomb Observatory

    September 13, Indy Rotary: Brian Murphy, Holcomb Observatory

    The New and Improved Holcomb Telescope

    The Holcomb Observatory at Butler University is putting the finishing touches on a $450,000 refurbishment of Indiana’s largest telescope.  These improvements were funded by a generous donation from Butler physics graduate Dr. Frank Levinson (’74).  The Holcomb Telescope is now a vastly improved version of its old self and is remotely operable and used by Butler students and faculty for research from anywhere in the world.  In this presentation Brian Murphy will give a bit of history of the observatory, explain the improvements to the telescope, and describe the outreach at Butler University and the research programs at Holcomb Observatory. In addition to the Holcomb Telescope, Butler has also been part of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA) telescope consortium. Murphy will describe the mission of SARA consortium and explain how the Holcomb Telescope dovetails with this consortium that allows the remote operation of three other 1-meter class telescopes located on three continents.

    Brian Murphy has served as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for nearly eight years and as director of Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium throughout his 20 years at Butler. In 2012, Murphy received the University Award for Distinguished Research, Scholarship, or Creative Work which is the highest accolade a faculty member can receive that honors her or his body of substantial scholarly achievement accomplished as a faculty member of Butler University.

  • Tue, Sep. 27 – Hungry to Help?

    Pack Away Hunger Service Project hosted by Rotary Club of Indianapolis
    Date: Tue, September 27
    Time: 11:30 am to 1:15 pm

    Sign up here

    Location:
    Scottish Rite Cathedral,
    650 N Meridian St #1a,
    Indianapolis, IN 46204

    Attire: Volunteers will be in casual or work clothes (please be sure to wear comfortable shoes as you will be standing) Lunch will be available

    Pack Away Hunger is a non-profit organization dedicated to greatly improving the lives of children and others who suffer from hunger and malnutrition. To achieve our mission, we have partnered with The Mathile Institute for Human Nutrition to develop the most highly nutritious pre-packaged meals available. These meals are scientifically proven to meet the specific nutritional needs of children and other at-risk populations.

    The “packed” meals are distributed to local food banks and pantries or to community feeding programs in emerging nations. These powerful packing events are educational and fun! Participants often feel a sense of purpose, knowing the meals they pack with their own hands will meet a significant need for someone in their neighborhood or in a community around the world.

    Please join Pack Away Hunger and your fellow rotarians to put an end to hunger and malnutrition and sign up today.

  • The Rotary Foundation Video – “Doing Good in the World”

    Nick Reich, co-chair of The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Committee, introduced “A Century of Doing Good in World,” a four-minute video that highlights TRF’s history, impact and future, at the August 30 luncheon.

    Nick told luncheon attendees he got his first exposure to Rotary through a TRF Group Study Exchange in 2009 to Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique. From that experience and membership in our Club he knows that through TRF we can reach far beyond our community and improve the lives of many more people by taking advantage of the powerful global network of The Rotary Foundation.

    The TRF Committee’s goals for the foundation’s centennial year are:

    • $40,000 in contributions
    • 150 donors
    • 25 new donors
    • 25 Rotary Direct donors

    “Do good” now! Setup for a Rotary Direct account and start making a difference around the world, one dollar at a time.

  • September 6, Indy Rotary: Rev. Dr. Stephen Hrekio, The Chin Community of Indiana

    September 6, Indy Rotary: Rev. Dr. Stephen Hrekio, The Chin Community of Indiana

    The Chins are a minority ethnic population from North-Western Burma (Myanmar). Many Chin experienced forced labor, arbitrary arrest, rape, torture and sometimes even execution of family before fleeing their home country as refugees. In Indianapolis, the Chin community has been growing to almost 15,000, due to it becoming a “hub” for Chin refugees fleeing from this military dictatorship of their home country, Burma.

    Life can be difficult for newly arriving Chin refugees. Many have limited English proficiency and skills that are not easily transferable to the American workplace.  Some are not accustomed to living in a technologically-driven culture. And still others are overcoming the memories and emotional scars of being persecuted.

    Join us on Tuesday to learn more about the Chin community- the struggles they’ve experienced and their efforts to assimilate into Indianapolis and become valuable, educated, employed citizens.  It’s a program you won’t forget and will be an inspiration to all who attend.

  • Become a Rotary Mentor

    Written by Rotarian Paul Wonch, Mentoring Committee

    The New Member Mentoring Committee engages our newest members by assigning mentors! Our mentors help new members learn about Rotary and select a committee. For instance, one such committee – Business Networking, provides new Rotarians with a venue to let other Indy Rotarians know what they do and how they serve through their vocation. Plus, there’s an opportunity to network professionally and personally with other like-minded Rotarians!

    Our goal is to get new members engaged in at least one of over 30 committees. Through the initial mentoring process, we match our newest Rotarians and a committee that best suits their passion and reason for joining our club. If you are a member of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis and would like to know more about becoming a mentor, or if you are interested in joining, please contact committee chair Paul Wonch at (317) 471-3564. He will be happy to get you started!

  • August 30, Indy Rotary: Marianne Black, Veterans History Project

    August 30, Indy Rotary: Marianne Black, Veterans History Project

    Marianne Black, a staff member for United States Senator Joe Donnelly, will discuss the history of theVeterans History Project as well as the efforts Senator Donnelly makes to promote the VHP throughout Indiana.  She’ll also talk about the mutual benefits to veterans and volunteers of conducting a VHP interview, and how Rotarians can participate.

    In an effort to collect, preserve and make available the personal stories of American veterans, Congress created the Veterans History Project (VHP).  The VHP is an archive of veterans’ oral histories, and they are housed in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, one of the world’s most respected research and cultural institutions.

  • World Health Organization Reports new cases of Polio in Nigeria

    World Health Organization Reports new cases of Polio in Nigeria

    The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in mid-August that polio is having a resurgence in Nigeria.  New cases of polio were discovered in two paralyzed children from families in separate towns in July.

    The End Polio Now campaign of The Rotary Foundation (TRF) continues to raise money so no child is disabled by polio ever again. During the last few years only Pakistan and Afghanistan were the countries that had not completely eliminated the disease.

    It is now more critical than ever that every member of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis seriously consider making a contribution to The Rotary Foundation’s End Polio Now efforts!

    Give online today so we can eradicate this crippling disease.

    Rotary Direct allows Rotarians to contribute online monthly, quarterly or annually.

    Take advantage of our Club’s giving incentives:

    1. First five Rotarians to donate using Rotary Direct get 100 extra points toward PHF recognition.
    2. First 10 new donors will get an extra 100 points toward PHF recognition, as well.

    Your contributions make a difference.

    Additional background from The Rotary Foundation:

    Rotary’s first major program to eliminate polio was the formation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988. The GPEI’s original members were Rotary, the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and UNICEF.

    At that time, 350,000 children were afflicted by polio every year. Today, that number has been reduced by 99.9 percent.

    Over the years, others have joined the effort, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and governments throughout the world. Rotary continued its fundraising efforts and as of 2015 had contributed more than $1.5 billion to the eradication effort. In addition, Rotary’s advocacy has resulted in contributions of over $9 billion from world governments.