Pledge: Pres. Bill O'Shaughnessy Prayer: Gerri Lewis Song: Paul Moore Brents Card Game Winner: Gerri Lewis
Sergeants Report: Heather Asch Welcome Guests: Annie Sternie, Pat Caruso, Wilma Asch, Larry Shafer, Heather Wong, Mike Velgouse, Abe Gordon. Raffle Winners: Glen, Paul, Wilma Happy Bucks, Brent reported the club made about $2700 gross and $1200 net on the food booth at the Arts & Crafts show. Big thank you to Bob Antoniac for organizing it, great job as always! Mike Velgouse was happy to be here and celebrating his 50th anniversary, Dave was happy to be celebrating both his birthday and wedding anniversary, John got his daughter a car today, Abe was happy to be with his favorite club! Amber was happy to be with Heather Wong who is the new Interact Club president, Annie was happy to be here, lots of bucks for our guests.
Program: Abe Gordon, Pat Caruso: Gift of Life
Abe Gordon Pat Caruso
Our special guests and speakers were Abe Gordon and Pat Caruso who spoke about GIFT OF LIFE INTERNATIONAL. Their mission is Turning Despair to Hope for children around the world who suffer from heart disease. Everyone in Rotary knows Abe Gordon for his many years of involvement at all levels of Rotary International. He has served on committees too numerous to count in 65-70 countries in 6 continents and in 1999-2000 was the Vice-President of Rotary International. The Gift of Life program started when Abe, told the plight of a child who needed heart surgery but there was no facility to perform the surgery, at a Rotary meeting in Long Island. A 25 year old new member asked what needed to be done and one thing led to another. Money was raised for this child, the program was born, and now 4 years later, 65 countries are involved and 17,000 lives have been saved. Abe told a story of being on a plane and a passenger seated next to him noticed his Rotary lapel pin. They soon talked about this program and it turned out the passenger was a hospital administrator from Malaysia. He wanted to get involved and with Abe's help, has been extremely active and his hospital is responsible for saving over 500 children. Abe has been to third world countries for other things like Polio Plus to areas where there are no roads. A mother came up to him with her sick child and said to Abe, "make live". That's what Rotarians do! Pat Caruso is from the Newtown club. After the tragedy that struck Sandy Hook Elementary School, there was a desire to do something positive. A year later, Pat hosted a child who had a hole in her heart and a ruptured aorta. She was given 12 months to live. When she arrived, Genesis was in very weak condition, having to stop and rest after only a few steps. She was very excited when she arrived and after some tender loving care from her hosts, gained 21 pounds and the necessary strength to undergo cardiac surgery. Immediately following surgery, her energy seemed to be boundless and today she is doing very well. When a child is ill, all the parents can do is pray, Rotary can help answer those prayers. Pat said we changed her life but she changed their lives as well.
GIFT OF LIFE INTERNATIONAL P.O. Box 650436 Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 845-546-2104
