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Club Information
Rotary of Avon-Canton - Founded 1973
Avon-Canton
Service above Self
We meet Fridays at 7:30 AM
Avon Old Farms Hotel
279 Avon Mountain Rd.
Avon, CT  06001
United States of America
DistrictSiteIcon District Site
VenueMap Venue Map
 
 
October 25, 2019
Bill Dombos
Farmington River Watershed Association
 
 
Sergeant-at-Arms Report
Members Present: 31
 
Visiting Rotarians: 17 CHS Interact Students  
Guests: Luke Violet (Prospective Member), Rev Tom Furrer, Elaine Chagnon, Bishop Marcus Dogo, Mrs. Nana Dogo, and Karen Sterrett
Happy Dollars: 22 / Raffle Prize: $40
Raffle Winner: No Winner
 
Fines
 
None this week
 
Birthdays
None
 
We had a very full ballroom this morning!
Happy Dollars & Announcements
 
President Heather Pantano welcomed our 17 visiting Interact students accompanied by Superintendent Kevin Case and teacher/advisor Michelle Traub, both members of Rotary of Avon-Canton. Interact President Luke Lederman introduced each of the groups officers: Communications Officer, Braedon Humphrey, and Treasurer Alvin Dean. Luke then talked about the group's projects and accomplishments. Luke said that the team has grown steadily since beginning in 2017. They have assisted with the annual Footwear with Care event that provides shoes for the homeless in Hartford and worked to cleanup and organize the Canton Youth Services high school teen center. Their biggest focus has been the opioid addiction crisis in our communities raising money for a local treatment center including art supplies for a new art therapy program.  CHS Interact hosted the Canton Rotary Interact Fight Against Opioid Addiction Pane Discussion. The panel included a CT Superior Court judge, a physician, a clinical program director, a director of behavioral health, and a person in recovery. The discussion focused on Crisis Awareness, Action, and Prevention. The students received an RI Presidential Citation Award for truly Making a Difference. This year the group will be raising money for Guiding Light Orphans and to help support the Watkinson School's Dominican Republic Service Team. Finally, Alex said that they will be supporting the Kateri Medical Mission, our presenters today.
 
Rollie Sterrett introduced our other guests today--Rev Tom Furrer, Elaine Chagnon, Bishop Marcus Dogo, his wife, Nana Dogo, and Karen Sterrett. They were here to proved an update on the Kateri Medical Mission projects that have been partially funded by our club.
 
Salin Low reintroduced Luke Violet who will be meeting with the Membership Committee following the meeting. Salin was also happy that Oklahoma won their game. She will be missing a couple of meetings while she vacations in Egypt.
 
Larry Haber was very happy that the Nationals were going to the World Series.
 
Ravi Prajapati is going to Nepal for to visit friends and family.
 
Linda Pendergast was in Nashville last week and went to a Nashville Predators hockey game. She said the fans were all decked out in game colors and were wild supporters. They also visited a Habitat for Humanity project where 50 homes are under construction.
Gary Miller reported on his recent bike trip with Debbie to the Gettysburg and Antietam Battlefields, Harpers Ferry and DC. He said the highlight of the trip was a 5 hour night bike tour of the city.
 
Craig Buhrendorf and his wife, Jean, just celebrated their 29th Wedding Anniversary.
 
Jolly Lux was very happy that CHS Interact were going to be helping to provide funds for medical supplies to the GLO medical clinics. She was pleased to report that the West Avon Congregational Church adopted GLO for a project for $500. Jolly leaves for Uganda in three weeks.
 
Alicia Canning reminded everyone to sign up for the FAVARH Gala on November 22nd.
 
Josh Gillooly said that the Tastes of the Valley committee had their kick-off meeting at Dish 'n' Dat. He is seeking additional committee members to help with various details. Please see Josh if you are interested.
 
 
Calendar of Upcoming Events
 
November 7th: District Foundation Dinner at Chez Josef in Agawam, MA, from 6:00-9:00 pm. The cost is $55 per person paid by the club. The Keynote Speaker will be Emily Goldman, the DUNN Global Grant Scholar.  Click here to register. The deadline for registration is October 25th. Let Gary Hyde and Joanne Santiago know that you have registered, so that a check can be sent.
 
November 13 - Pub Night - First and Last Tavern in Avon. Starts about 4:45 and provides an opportunity to visit with other Rotarians. Come and enjoy the low key fun!
 
November 22nd: FAVARH Annual Gala featuring Shake-A-Tail-Feather tribute to Motown
 
March 28th: Tastes of the Valley 2020 at Farmington Gardens.
 
Induction of New Members
 
None today
 
Paul Harris Awards
None today
 
 
 

Awards
 
None this week
 
Community and International Service Grants
 
None this week.

 
Presentation
Kateria Medical Mission
Bishop Marcus Dogo
 
 
Father Tom Furrer, second from left, presented Elaine Chagnon who has been with us several times. He also introduced Bishop Marcus Dogo and his wife, Nana Dogo. Bishop Marcus is from the Anglican Diocese in northwest Nigeria that includes many of the Kateri mission project schools and clinics. Bishop Marcus's area of responsibility includes 121 churches, one hospital, 5 primary schools and 2 secondary schools. Much of this area is Muslim and quite unstable at most times. The harmony between the Christian and Muslim students at the schools helps relations in the villages. The Bishop thanked us for our financial support which according to Father Tom totals over $6000 to create a well with storage tanks and a generator and purchase medical supplies for nearly 2800 people.
 
Bishop Marcus said that about 3-4000 people attend the medical missions.  Many come from as far as 250km away on foot, the backs of motorbikes, and any other available transportation. The new clinic in Gidan Waya built in 2018 has an ultrasound machine and modern OR lighting. They performed 148 surgeries at the last clinic, some of which were major.
 
Bishop Marcus was very proud of the Educational Partnership that has been formed. At the Kogum River school the new well has two 500 gallon storage tanks, a generator, and two spigots to serve both the school and the town folks. The well was dedicated in May 2019.
 
Father Tom said that the annual budget of about $250,000 funds 5 clinics, doctors and nurses, the medical missions, and mid-wives and pharmacists. In total the one week medical missions have served over 22,000 people.
 
Jolly Lux asked about the medical staff at each clinic. Father Tom said that it varies depending on the size from 3 staff to 16 at a large clinic. The staff includes a doctor, a nurse, a midwife, and a pharmacist. A large clinic costs about $20,000 to operate and a smaller one about $12,000.
 
Kathleen Parr asked about transportation. Father Tom describe a man with a gunshot wound riding in on the back of a motorbike hunched over in pain from his wound and the long bumpy ride. 
 
Phil Ferrari received a laugh from our guests when asking about government assistance. They receive no government support and many of the government hospitals refer patients to the Kateri clinics which have better care.
 
Asked about the qualifications of doctors and nurses, Bishop Marcus said that Nigeria has fine medical schools, but the graduates are attracted to the US, not their own country.
 
The Bishop closed by saying the Rotary support has been well beyond expectation.
 
 
 

Mail Bag
None this week.
 
 
Photo Credits 
Today's photographs courtesy of Mike Mehzeritskiy and Arnie Goldman.
 
 
Editor's Notes
Submission Deadline: Members are kindly encouraged to submit all materials for each week's Early Riser as early as possible. Please note that some editions may be published and distributed as early as the Saturday following our meetings, and during those weeks further contributions to the Early Riser will be included in the subsequent week's edition.
“The FOUR-WAY TEST of the things we think, say or do”:

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all Concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?