Online Meeting URL: https://bit.ly/rotary3376mtg and/or by phone at 312-535-8110 access code: 126 188 3153.
Due to Covid-19 the meeting location may change. Check back here or on our Facebook page for the latest information.
We have an incredibly special speaker scheduled for our December 10th meeting. In the last 10 years, Wade Nomura has presented to over 200,000 people across 15 countries, illuminating how to maximize success, create impactful projects, and enhance team performance, and has been a speaker on Civil Rights at the last two Rotary International Conferences. Join us online.
We are scheduled to ring the bells at the Salvation Army Kettles on December 19th. As of December 7th, we still have 13 spots to fill and time is getting short, so please take the lead and show that we are People of Action by clicking the button below to reserve your spot.
If you are filling a spot know that as America moves toward becoming a cashless society, The Salvation Army is making it easier for donors to give back during the Christmas season by making a gift with Apple Pay or Google Pay at the iconic Red Kettles.
The Salvation Army has placed smart chips and QR codes on Red Kettle signs across Michigan City, allowing shoppers to simply “bump” or scan their phones to make a digital donation.
Shoppers will be directed to a custom donation page that accepts Apple or Google payment options. The funds will then be distributed to local Salvation Army units based on the donor’s billing ZIP code, and an email receipt will be sent directly to their phone.
Also, masks and sanitizing wipes will be there for you. And remember to practice social distancing.
Finally
Be sure to read the articles on charitable donations and the Alinsky Award.
To suggest topics for training or service opportunities, or to tell me how we can improve your participation in the club, please use the Suggestion Box on the navigation menu above.
If you haven't attended for a while, know that you are missed. I hope to see all of you on Thursday.
Wade Nomura draws on his experience as a global humanitarian, community leader and Mayor of Carpinteria, CA, successful businessman and a BMX national champion, to educate and inspire audiences around the world. Within Rotary, he has worked on 200 charitable projects and been on 50 international project missions. He currently serves as the Technical Coordinator of water, sanitation, and hygiene projects worldwide for Rotary. In the last 10 years, he has presented to over 200,000 people across 15 countries, illuminating how to maximize success, create impactful projects, and enhance team performance, and has been a speaker on Civil Rights at the last two Rotary International Conferences.
Creating Destiny is a powerful story of overcoming adversity and embracing opportunities by humanitarian and BMX champion Wade Nomura.
Wade tells the story of his early life as a Japanese American growing up in the shadow of World War II, viewed with suspicion in the land his family called home for generations. He struggles to find his place in the world as his family grapples with the scars of internment in the Arizona desert for their ancestry.
A chance encounter led to the start of an award-filled career as a BMX racer, living life on the road and giving all for the glory of the win.
His life takes another turn when he falls into a life of service, taking him around the globe from the slums of India to helping those in need in Mexico to hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico. He reflects on his role as Mayor of his hometown facing down the aftermath of some of the largest wildfires in California history and the perils of the global coronavirus pandemic.
A life of twists and turns, adversity, triumph, leadership, love and loss, Wade’s story is an inspirational journey not to be missed.
You may double your December gift to our Rotary Foundation through a matching grant provided by the Congregational Church Trust Fund. Thanks to George Dobie, fund administrator, any donation to Rotary Foundation from $5 to $55 will be matched.
Donations must be in the form of a check made out to:
Rotary Club of Michigan City Foundation
Checks must be received BEFORE December 25. NoteCongregational Match on the check.
The Michigan City Rotary Club is pleased to announce it is accepting nominations for the Paul J. Alinsky Excellence Award during the months of December and January.
This award is presented in honor of Paul Alinsky who was a past Chamber Chairman of the Board, Rotary Club President, and founder of Sentinel Alarm Company. Paul passed away in 1997 and the award was created to keep his memory alive. The award is given annually to a person from the Michigan City community who exhibits dedication to community service and excellence, passion, and innovation in their vocation/career. These are the areas where Paul excelled.
A nomination form is available on the Rotary Club website at www.mcrotary.org and must be returned to Michigan City Rotary Club, PO Box 9372, Michigan City, IN 46361.
Past recipients of this award include Les Radke, Bud Ruby, Duane Mertl, Ron Bensz, Jerry Karstens, Emerson Spartz, Glen Lubeznik, James Welborne, Kathleen Lang, Bernie Scott, Jan Radford, Tom Ringo, Jim Dworkin, Dr. Lisa Hendricks, Marty Corley, Don Babcock, Al Whitlow, Dion Campbell, Cyndi Davis, and Rotary Service Volunteers. In 2016, in honor of the club’s 100th anniversary, the award recognized every Rotary Club member over the past century.
A memorial inscribed with the names of past recipients is on display at City Hall, located at 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City.
Jim Welborne, president of the Rotary Club of Michigan City, said, “We are honored to present this award every year to recognize Paul’s legacy as an entrepreneur and a leader in the community. Each year we receive so many nominations for truly deserving individuals and we’re looking forward to recognizing another pillar in our community this year.”
The selection committee will include Rotarians, as well as community leaders outside of the Rotary Club.
A nomination form is available on the Rotary Club of Michigan City website at www.mcrotary.org. Deadline to submit a nomination is January 9, 2021 and the recipient will be announced on February 11, 2021.
The recipient will be awarded a replica of the Paul Alinsky memorial along with a contribution to a charity of their choice.
Sunny was born in Nigeria. In the first years of his life, he faced poverty and malnutrition. He was challenged by his family to live up to and exceed his potential, and he did. Since then, he moved to the United States, earned his MBA, and started “A Boy and his Dream Foundation.”
With the foundation, Sunny aims to inspire change and give a voice of determination and perseverance to everyone experiencing hardship. From complicated family situations to moving to the other side of the world, Sunny’s story of determination to succeed, no matter the cost, is a story we believe is one that inspires and gives hope.
His goal is to inspire struggling youth to realize there is hope for their future, and to encourage change. We hope you join us on this journey.
"Christmas Kettles"
You may double your December gift to our Rotary Foundation through a matching grant provided by the Congregational Church Trust Fund. Thanks to George Dobie, fund administrator, any donation to Rotary Foundation from $5 to $55 will be matched. 
The Michigan City Rotary Club is pleased to announce it is accepting nominations for the Paul J. Alinsky Excellence Award during the months of December and January.
Sunny Akomu Akhigbe
