100 Avenues of Service Project Off to a Great Start!

–submitted by Neil Fauerbach,  100 Avenues of Service Sub-Committee Chair

   Your Rotary Club of Madison has had a tremendous impact on our community and the world.  It is one of the reasons we are Rotarians–to make the world a better place, one small step at a time.
   As we mark our 100^th year as a Rotary Club, we have many events, projects and celebrations to mark this milestone. One of the projects the Centennial Celebration Committee has planned is called “100 Avenues of Service.” This project will keep track of, count and document the projects that Rotarians carry out between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013.  The idea is not to be boastful but to illustrate to our members and prospective members the value of being a Rotarian.
   What is a “Project”?   Sticking with the Strategic Priority, the projects should fall into one of our five avenues of service: Club, Community, Vocational, New Generations and International.  All Committees and Fellowship Groups will be asked to communicate their projects for documentation.
   Projects such as Polio Plus or the annual Ethics Symposium–even though they have multiple “touches” or meetings throughout the year–are considered ONE project.  A fundraiser by the Wine Fellowship Group to benefit a Rotaract project is ONE project.
   The 100 Avenue Projects will be communicated in a number of ways, as we all receive our information through different channels.  Projects will be recorded on our blog, tweeted, reported on our website, documented in our club newsletter and occasionally reported from the podium. The goal is to increase our activities in our Centennial year, document those activities and show the true impact our activities have on our community.
   When one gives of their time, their money and themselves, it not only helps others but also strengthens our own spirit. Some of the happiest people we know are the busy volunteers in our midst.
   This year we will show 100 more reasons we are proud to be Rotarians!  We are off to a good start with the following:

Pete Christianson

#1 – The Community Projects Committee organized the 3rd Annual Rotary Blood Drive held on July 11 around our weekly meeting. Twenty pints were collected from Red-Blooded Rotarians. (It was falsely reported that the Rotary Scholars/Mentors picnic was the first. Sorry, Ellie!)

Ellie Schatz (second from right) pictured with 3 of her mentees.

#2 – Rotary Scholar/Mentor Picnic was held on July 15^th at the home of Nate Brand and Regina Millner. Twenty-five scholars and their mentors were served a cookout feast by the Kitchen Committee.

#3 – On July 21, the Bicycle Fellowship Group helped the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County in their annual bike ride to raise money for their great programs. The ride raised over $300,000 for the club.