President Don Zillman welcomed 55 members, 1 visiting Rotarian and 1 guest to our club meeting on Friday.
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Tom Nickerson gave our invocation reflecting on the death of Robert Kennedy 50 years ago by reading from Ted Kennedy’s eulogy to his brother. Linda Varrell led us in the Pledge, and we sang “God Bless America.” Visiting Rotarians included PDG George Rice, president-elect of the Oxford Hills club, and Kirk Duffey of Savannah, GA who will be with us until October.
Mike Fortunato and PP Kris Rosado (photo at right) thanked the army of volunteers who contributed to the success of the Maine Outdoor Challenge. Kris reports that preliminary results show that the event earned $27,000 for Rotary, and an equal amount for the Boys and Girls Club.
Kudos were also shared for the MOC banquet at which participants shared lobster, steak, or chicken, depending upon what they told Mike Fortunato. Tom Ranello and Patty Erickson were applauded for their contributions. Tom displayed excellent auctioneering skills demonstrating his ability to raise $3,400 for one item — PP Cy Hagge’s contribution of a week at his Sugar Loaf estate. The winner got it for $1,700, and Cy agreed to contribute a second week to the runner up if the top price was matched. It was.
Kris introduced a new fundraiser which will take place on August 23 in partnership with the Maine Girls Academy, Maine Cornhole Championship. For those unfamiliar with the sport, cornhole, or bean bag toss is a game in which players toss bags of corn at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. Kris demonstrated the techniques required to achieve mastery of the sport. Watch for more details on this event.
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