Regular Meeting, October 13, 2010

Attendance: 20, including guests Dave & Linda Grahek, Bob Sharkey, and Tom Vichich and Julie Crowl of the Copper Country Marrow Registry Drive.

Welcome: Chris Davidson – Horizon’s Principal - CLK Schools

Glad to report that Andy Murtagh attended today’s meeting. Andy reports his daughter in Canada is “holding her own” in her fight with health issues. We are glad you are back Andy.

(The picture is Julie Crowl and Tom Vichich of the Copper Country Registery Drive for bone marrow donors.)

Announcements:
1. LAST CHANCE HIGHWAY PICKUP Saturday Oct 16 at 0900. Meet at the corner of Pine St and US 41 on the north side of Calumet.

2. Amy Roberts asks CLK rotary members to consider travelling to Green Bay WI on Nov 10 to hear the Rotary International President speak. She also said Paul Harris Fellows will be subsidized for this event only, with the District contributing $250 and RI National contributing $250. In short, for a contribution to Rotary Foundation of $500, you can receive a Paul Harris Fellowship and have it presented to you personally by the International President of Rotark, Tay Klinginsmith. Quite the opportunity!

3. Happy $$: Several contributions were made from members including Happy Dollars for Terry Smythe for receiving the Salvation Army Citizen of the Year award. Congratulations to Terry!

4. Bob Sharkey – incoming District governor, presented an opportunity for our club to make some money by selling coffee from Green Mountain. Selling a bag of ground coffee for $10 will bring $3 to our Club and $1 to any country growing coffee beans for clean water projects. Bob also announced an opportunity to buy winter coats for children at a price of $17. The coats will have a tag inside the coat indicating Rotary donated the coat. For more info, contact Bob Sharkey.

Also, Bob said that the district meeting planning committee will meet on Thurs Oct 14 at 5:30 pm at the Library Restaurant & Bar in Houghton.

Program: Julie Crowl and Tom Vichich talked with the Club about the process of becoming a bone marrow donor. On Wednesday, Oct 20th, from 11:30 to 7 p.m., a Bone marrow registry drive will be held at the Finnish American Center on Quincy Street in Hancock. Cost to register is $25. Donors need to be in good health and between the ages of 18-60. Registry involves some paperwork and taking a swab from inside your cheek. Once complete, the donor stays on the Registry until a match is found.

This effort is being done to help Pete Nissila find a bone marrow donor. Pete, a member of the Hancock Rotary Club, ran Nissila’s Greenhouse in Ripley. He and his wife closed the business and relocated to Oregon where Pete found work as his city’s horticulturist. This summer he developed a cold that became more sever. He was diagnosed with an acute and rapid form of leukemia. His best chance for survival is a bone marrow transplant from a donor with a Scandinavian background.

More info on bone marrow donors can be found at: www.marrow.com which is the site for the Be The Match Foundation.

In addition to actually becoming a donor, you might just offer to sponsor a potential donor by contributing the $25 to the registry. The CLK Rotary Club Board of Directors will investigate at their next board meeting being a sponsor for potential donors.

See you next week.


(Julie makes a heart-felt plea to our members to become bone marrow donors)