No More Campaign to End Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Mat-Su Valley Connects Survivors and Students
2nd annual conference continues efforts to educate and empower youth to be agents for change in epidemic
On Sunday, April 24, from 12-3 p.m., at the Glenn Massay Theater, many adult and student leaders from around the valley will convene for the second year in a row to unite in their message of “No More!” No More is a national campaign to end domestic violence and sexual assault that encourages local adoption and action. Expected speakers include former Olympic athletes, Nina Kemppel and Kevin McMahon, and former NBA athlete, Jahadi White. This event is free and open to the public to attend.
Two years ago Jason Marvel, Burchell High School principal and father of two daughters, impressed upon the Wasilla Sunrise Rotary Club the gravity of the situation in the Mat-Su Valley, where statistically 1:2 women will experience some form of domestic violence or sexual assault. The Sunrise Rotarians immediately picked up the mantle and, together with Alaska Family Services, have pledged an on-going effort to educate and involve the youth of the valley to help break the cycle and be agents for change.
Domestic violence and assault can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender and affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. The No More Mat-Su campaign seeks to raise awareness in the community in general of this epidemic, and to educate and empower young people to put an end to what is often generational cycles of abuse.
Surviving hardship and overcoming odds of all kinds share traits of will, determination, belief in self-worth, and the strength to reach out for help. Sunday’s event combines the testimonies of the survivors of violence and assault, along with the overcoming the odds tales from two former Olympian athletes and a former NBA athlete, to drive home the message of No More. For more information, please call the No More Mat-Su Team at (907) 746-6213.
15th Annual
Roses for Rotary Fundraiser Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Get your rose sale forms at the meeting or contact PE Matt Stielstra.
Everyone is encouraged to sell as many as you can!
Roses On Sale Now!
$30 for a dozen long stemmed roses
Just in time for Administrative Assistants Week, April 25-29
Rose Delivery Day is Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Let someone know you are thinking of them, Appreciate them,
are wishing them a Happy Birthday or Anniversary,
or any other reason just to put a smile on their face!!
Only $30 gets you a dozen roses
for that someone special
and you help support one of the many many
community service projects put on by
Wasilla Sunrise Rotary!
Contact any Sunrise Rotarian with your order!
Thank You for Your Support!
Candace, her daughter, Mark & Chris Lee and Debbie Bushnell will travel to Guatemala on February 29th and return March 5th.
Tierra Linda (appropriately translated as ‘Beautiful Land’) is a small village in the mountains of Guatemala. The indigenous students’ native language is Katchiquel, but their schools are taught in Spanish. This presents a significant challenge in an impoverished area.
I have had the blessing to work with a wonderful group called Mayan Families, a fantastic 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in rural Guatemala. This is unlike any other organization. In 2009 I had the privilege to visit and witness firsthand how 100% of my donations went directly to the family we sponsored. I witness the joy on their faces, the excitement in the children’s eyes and the hope of a better future. It was an experience that left me humbled, thankful and desperate to share their stories.
In the past years, through generous fund raising efforts of supporters of Mayan Families, in addition to their elementary school, Tierra Linda now has a preschool, a middle school and a small library open for community use. Unfortunately education is not free in Guatemala. Often time’s parents are forced to choose between sending their children to school and feeding their families. They simply cannot do both and survive. Guatemala has one of the highest illiteracy and lowest school enrollment rates in Latin America. This is primarily due to the high cost of attending school which prevents many indigenous families from receiving an education.
This is where we can help. Education is key in breaking the cycle of poverty and can create a better future for the children and their families. Fronteras, students from both Colony and Wasilla High School, Wasilla Sunrise Rotary and other community members are collecting items to take down to distribute in Guatemala in February 2016. We are requesting the following donations:
-Books in Spanish
-School supplies
- And of course, monetary donations toward sponsorship of students* at Tierra Linda
* To sponsor a student the cost of one full year is $360. Tierra Linda has 12 students that need sponsorship. Student sponsorship covers the cost of enrollment fees, requisite school materials, supplies and uniforms, regular monitoring of school work and progress by a Mayan Families Social Worker, and provides students with access to the Charlie Gomez Medical Clinic as well as general educational support as needed.
To learn more, please go to Mayanfamilies.org or contact Candace Cieslo at Candace.cieslo@yahoo.com. If you are interested in traveling to Guatemala with our group, we would be happy to give you more information. This is a great opportunity to meet the students you sponsor!
Thank you so much for your help and consideration.
We have secured a special conference rate at Talkeetna Lodge, our conference location. Just $135 per night, first come first serve on the room type. This should incentivize everyone to book early to get Mountain Side and Main Lodge rooms! Once these rooms are filled, reservations will flow to the exterior lodge rooms. Please request the room type preferred when making reservations.
You may begin to reserve rooms now. Please call 866-845-6338 toll free, or 907-777-2806 local. You may also email: groupsales@ciri.com. Either by phone or email, simply say that you are with the Rotary Conference, and the discounted rate applies.
An exciting, fun and informative conference is being planned! District conference provides an ideal opportunity for new members & friends to learn more about Rotary International, our District 5010, leadership and service opportunities- plus creating new friendships. Watch your email for other details to follow.
Checklist
Call or email Talkeetna Lodge to secure a great room!
Invite new members of your club, family or friends to conference
We look forward to seeing you in Talkeetna May 12-15, 2016.
Each officer and director shall be a member in good standing of this club. The president-elect shall attend the district presidents-elect training seminar and the district assembly unless excused by the governor-elect. If so excused, the president-elect shall send a designated club representative who shall report back to the president-elect. If the president-elect does not attend the presidents-elect training seminar and the district assembly and has not been excused by the governor-elect or, if so excused, does not send a designated club representative to such meetings, the president-elect shall not be able to serve as club president. In such event, the current president shall continue to serve until a successor who has attended a presidents-elect training seminar and district assembly or training deemed sufficient by the governor-elect has been duly elected.
Standard Rotary Club Constitution – Article 9 Section 5(c) – 2013
PARTICIPANTS
PETS participants should include the governor-elect, assistant governors, the district trainer, and all incoming club presidents in the district. The RI Board of Directors has recommended that the expenses of the incoming club presidents be paid by the clubs or the district. (RCP 23.020.4.) Assistant governors promote attendance among the presidents-elect to whose clubs they are assigned and facilitate team building among the presidents-elect, governors-elect, and themselves. (RCP 23.020.4.)
Manual of Procedure – 2013 and Rotary Code of Policies
Pacific Northwest PETS
2015 – PETS Friday 6 March thru Sunday 8 March
The PNW Presidents-elect Training Seminar is the largest and one of the oldest multi-district PETS. PNW PETS is a joint effort of the nine Rotary districts in the Northwest area of North America (and eastern Russia). This large area includes the states of Alaska, Oregon, Washington, parts of Idaho and California, the Canadian province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. PNW PETS is managed, prepared and conducted by a PETS Operating Committee composed of the District Governor-elect and a Past District Governor representative from each participating District. Consisting of well known exceptional speakers, informative workshops, detailed district training sessions, fellowship and networking, the basic purpose of our PETS is to have the best prepared, most enthusiastic club presidents in the Rotary world. Annually, the over 550 Presidents-elect attending leave well prepared to carry out their Rotary duties.
There is a lot of information throughout the web site that will answer your questions about PETS and the training weekend. Please spend a few minutes to visit the various pages. As new information is developed it will be added to the site. A detailed program of the events occurring during PETS will be provided on the program page when it is approved by the committee. As you complete your on line registration on the registration page please read the notes and directions provided and you should be able to avoid problems that others have had in the past.
The purpose of the presidents-elect training seminar (PETS) is:
• To prepare incoming club presidents for their year as president.
• To give district governors-elect and incoming assistant governors the opportunity to motivate incoming presidents and build their working relationship.
Eagle River Club - meets Thursday morning 7am at Bear Mountain Grill, Eagle River and Thursday noon at Picollino's Restaurant, Eagle River - Facebook.com/eagleriverarearotary - www.eagleriverrotary.org
Rotaract - See Mat-Su Rotaract on FB
Interact - See Mat-Su Interact on FB - or contact Dan Kennedy at kennedy@kennedycpas.com