Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives through its Focus Areas
This month Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives by helping to improve the lives of mothers and their children. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.
After her son’s death in 2015, Terri DiGennaro established the Ryan Giambattista Art Therapy program to provide community-based art therapy services for persons with mental health, developmental and physical disabilities. She will join us Wednesday at Wick Park to tell us about Ryan, the local buildings he used as canvases for his art, and how the creative process of art can be a form of psychotherapy.
Julie Rauzan told Rotarians about the Day Trader Challenge, an online game that has some things in common with fantasy football but also gives nonprofits a new fundraising option.
This skill game was developed locally and is being used in high schools, notably Austintown Fitch and Boardman, Rauzan explained. Players choose 8 stocks from the S&P 500 stock market index and are given a virtual bankroll of $1 million. They have to conduct research to predict whether their stocks’ value will rise or fall during the game, in real time. Correct guesses equate to points. Students earn gift cards from local sponsors. Day Trader also was a side activity during the Ned Mervos YSU Football Alumni Golf Outing earlier this month. Participants signed up to play by pledging to YSU, she said.
Day Trader Challenge also is being incorporated into employee wellness programs. By reading information tidbits and watching videos during the game, they gain financial literacy and possibly enhance their mental health, Rauzan said.
The game is available in the App Store for Apple products and Google Play for Android devices.
In other news, Jack Kravitz thanked the 10 Rotarians who attended the Bike Belmont bike event on May 18 in Youngstown and Liberty. Samantha Turner thanked Rotarians for their support during her mayoral campaign and cited Ra’Cole Taltoan for her unwavering help and friendship. Also, Bonnie Burdman won the 50-50 and the bonus drawing!
The week ended with the annual District 6650 Conference at Tyler History Center in Youngstown, where achievements during District Governor Elayne Bozick’s year of leadership were celebrated.
Rotary Next Week
YSU English Festival Committee Co-Chairs Jeff Buchanan and Angela Messenger will be our guests on May 14 at Wick Park. After 47 years, the festival is such a strong draw that it takes three days to complete. Thousands of junior high and high school students from northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania hear from well-known authors; write essays; attend artistic performances and book discussions; and play language games. It’s all to promote reading and writing among our future authors and artists.
INTERACT UPDATE
Rotary International sponsors Interact, a youth service club program. In Youngstown, 21 students at Potential Development High School are demonstrating Service Above Self.
These Interact members have been working in groups of 4 at Our Community Kitchen on Wednesday mornings. Students help by rolling silverware, cleaning tables, packing lunches, and more.
Earlier this month, Interact students also spent several mornings filling more than 2,100 plastic eggs in preparation for an Easter egg hunt at the PD Preschool and Elementary schools.
Recently, they organized a Baby Shower for the benefit of Sojourner House, a domestic violence shelter. Students asked PD staff and board members to donate baby supplies, clothing, toys, and books for 14 children and their families in residence there. Two Sojourner House staff members visited with the Interact Club, explained what they do at the shelter, and described how the donations collected would help support the families. “We had an overwhelming response to the students’ donation request, and all of the items barely fit in the [Sojourner] van,” said Shellie Ducheck of the PD staff, who also submitted a photo of the donated goods. “We are so proud of each student who participates in the PD Interact Club. They take their volunteer work very seriously all while learning life skills and helping the community.”
Interact Club members will continue weekly visits to Our Community Kitchen as well as volunteering at Angels for Animals and the Youngstown Community Food Center through the end of the current school year.
Congratulations to the Potential Development Interact Club!
SAVE THE DATE
Captain Donald Hatheway and Senior Master Sergeant Bob Barko Jr. of 910th Airlift Wing of Youngstown Air Reserve Station, June 4, Wick Park Pavilion.
Strawberry Festival by The Rotary Club of Niles, 5:30 p.m. June 5, McKinley Memorial lawn, 40 N. Main St. (outdoor concert by Guys Without Ties at 6:30 p.m.)
Third Annual Girard-Liberty Rotary Catalina Wine Mixer, 6-9 p.m. June 12, Liberty Giant Eagle, 4700 Belmont Ave.
Year in Review by President George Nelson, June 18, Wick Park Pavilion
President’s Party, July 2 (no noon meeting)
TAKE THE CLUB SURVEY
Attention Youngstown Rotarians!
Please complete the Rotary Club Health Check by May 15th. This will provide valuable insights to President-elect Gerri and her leadership team as they begin working on goals aimed at fostering greater club engagement and driving growth.
To participate, scan the QR code with your phone camera or click the link below to access the survey. The Health Check will only take about 15 minutes, so please set aside time to reflect on your responses thoughtfully. We encourage you to be as honest as possible, as all responses will remain anonymous.
Your time and feedback are incredibly important, and we truly appreciate your participation in shaping the future of our club!
More than 100 attendees, including 26 members of The Rotary Club of Youngstown, celebrated the past year and the outgoing district governor, our own Elayne Bozick, on May 24 at the Rotary District 6650 Conference at the Tyler History Center.
Keynote speaker Miquette McMahon, founder and executive director of Teach Haiti, shared the inspiring story of her own journey and her organization’s efforts to help educate youth in her homeland. Attendees also were entertained by magician Michael Dustman, who called up Youngstown Rotarian and future district governor Dave Stillwagon to participate in one of his tricks.
Among the highlights of initiatives involving Youngtown Rotarians were the establishment of the Interact Club at Potential Development – possibly unique among Interact Clubs statewide if not nationwide – and Aundrea Cika Heschmeyer’s role in the successful Purple Pinkie fundraiser, in which nearly 500 dozen doughnuts were sold.
The club also received a District Club Excellence Award; recognition for being a Peacebuilder Club; a certificate in recognition of efforts to support polio eradication; and recognition for membership recruitment and engagement activities, specifically the launch of Wide Open Wednesdays.
Most notably, the club was awarded First Place in the Operation Pollination District Challenge. Special thanks go out to the club environmental committee and especially Elsa Higby for her efforts during this past year.
Pollination done right, day or night
A study from Lund University in Sweden highlights the importance of nocturnal pollinators, such as bats and moths, in plant reproduction. Traditionally, daytime pollinators like bees and butterflies have received more attention and protection, but research shows that nighttime pollinators contribute equally in about 90% of the cases studied.
The researchers conducted a global meta-analysis of 135 studies examining 139 plant species, revealing that plants generally have flexibility in their pollination and can reproduce successfully whether pollination occurs during the day or night. They suggest that human biases — such as being more active during the day and perceiving daytime pollinators as more visually appealing — may have led to an underestimation of nighttime pollinators' role.
Given increasing threats to biodiversity, the study emphasizes the need to protect nocturnal pollinators, reconsider agricultural practices (like nighttime pesticide spraying), and reduce light pollution to support their ecological contributions.
April 29, 1946: Rotary Club of Youngstown Past President Atty. Robert A. Manchester was installed as the first Governor of the newly-designated Rotary District 158.
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