Celebrating The Rotary Foundation

Pictured Left to Right- Brian Fulp, Wilf Wilkinson, and Elias Thomas

(Honesdale, December 1, 2009)…When it comes to strength in numbers, the Rotary Foundation packs quite a punch. On Friday November 20th in Philadelphia, more than 100 Rotarians gathered to celebrate the work of the Foundation, a group that leverages the hourly and monetary contributions of more than 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide into programs that save ten times as many lives.

Former Rotary International President Wilf Wilkinson talked about the importance of the Foundation’s programs, including its Polio Plus Campaign and its Annual Fund. The Fund supports humanitarian, educational and cultural projects—disaster recovery, sustainable agriculture, health and hunger projects, ambassadorial scholarships, group study exchanges and more.

Honesdale Rotarian Brian Fulp, who attended the event, felt that Wilkinson “wanted to make sure that although our current 200 million dollar challenge to eradicate polio is critical, it’s equally important to continue giving to the Annual Fund. Without it, Rotary cannot continue supporting other projects around the world.”

Last year, the Rotary challenged its 33,000 clubs to raise $200 million by 2012 to match part of $355 million donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Why the Rotary? Since its polio eradication program was launched in the 1980s, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine, and the number of cases worldwide has been reduced from 350,000 to less than 1700.

But the battle isn’t over. “Polio is still around and it’s only a plane-ride away from the USA and Canada, where this devastating disease has been a thing of the past for decades,” said the evening’s keynote speaker, Maine Rotarian Elias Thomas. He’s the Rotary’s $200-Million Polio Challenge Coordinator for Zone 32, which includes his home state of Maine.

“There remain four polio-endemic countries – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and India,” Thomas continued. “Although we are 99.3% successful in reaching our goal of total eradication, we must re-double our efforts in each of these countries.”

Thomas is one of thousands of “everyday” businessmen and women who have participated in mass-vaccination projects abroad. He spoke eloquently of leading groups of Rotarians to help vaccinate children on National Immunization Days in India—children who might not have even a small chance of leading capable lives without the polio vaccination. The vaccine costs a few dollars; the results are priceless.

The groups Thomas leads have also served as common laborers in other projects: construction of washing platforms to bring about safe drinking water; creation of a computer training center and a day-care center in a remote Muslim village; construction of a toilet block for Muslim women and girl children; and construction of a catch-dam in a remote area for a water harvesting project.

His trips abroad have meant a lot to Thomas and the people he takes with him. That’s their “return” on their investment—and that, too, has no price.

For more information about Rotary’s Polio Eradication efforts visit http://honesdalerotary.com/PolioPlus/ .
Pictured Left to Right- Brian Fulp, Wilf Wilkinson, and Elias Thomas

 

Ghouls and Goblins at the Himalayan Institute

Scary Creatures on the Front Field of the Himalayan Institute Campus

by Steven Coraor
Ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and…yogis?  This Halloween, the Himalayan Institute opened its doors and became the Haunted Walke Asylum thanks to Honesdale High School’s Interact Club.  More than 300 people came out to the Himalayan Institute campus on Sunday, October 25th, to experience the event and support Interact’s mentoring program for elementary school children in need.  This raised nearly $2000 for the cause and encouraged the club to repeat the performance on Sunday, November 1st.

In addition to raising money for a great cause, the true success story of the Haunted Walke Asylum is the community involvement that it has rallied.  The Interact Club, which is affiliated with Honesdale Rotary, brought together about 45 students and a ton of enthusiasm to transform the usually tranquil Himalayan Institute campus on Bethany Turnpike into an infested madhouse.  “We had searched for a place to have the event and the Himalayan Institute offered its grounds,” said Bethany Reynolds, Honesdale High School Interact member, “with the barn and the campus surroundings, it was just perfect—we really appreciated their support.”

A number of local businesses in Honesdale generously donated to the event including Apple Day Spa & Salon, Wayne Memorial Hospital, Rent-E-Quip, and Bold Gold Media Group, Woodloch, Jeff George Design, The Dime Bank, Wayne Bank, Gillow Construction to name a few.

Many individuals from around the area contributed their talent and time to make the Walke a success.  Breathing life into the infamous Dr. Walke was local Gastroenterologist, Dr. David Reynolds, M.D.  Graeme McDonnell, a former lighting shop owner from New York City now living in Honesdale, supplied an unbelievable amount of lighting and time.  So much, in fact, that every amp at the Institute was used and a neighbor generously allowed the club use of his porch for spotlights in the front field.  Chris Peroni, a screen writer, film director and owner the Old Wayne Curio Shop now living in Bethany, brought training and theatrics to the production—the kids loved it. About a dozen residents at the Himalayan Institute pitched in as well, becoming zombies, directing traffic, or helping to string more than a mile of electrical cable throughout the campus.

Brian Fulp, past president of Honesdale Rotary and one of the coordinators of the Walke, has lived at the Himalayan Institute with his family for over 10 years.  He was amazed at the outpouring of community support around the Haunted Walke Asylum and appreciative of the connection it created between the Himalayan Institute and the community of Honesdale.  “I can’t remember the last time we had 300 residents of Wayne County visit the Institute for a community fundraising event, it was great!” says Fulp.  “It really shows how far the Institute has come over the last few years in creating a link with the community.”

It is the Himalayan Institute’s goal to continue building that link.  Ever since the opening of HI’s Yoga Café on Main Street in Honesdale, a growing connection with the greater community has developed.  Many participants at the Walke said that they enjoy the Café, take Yoga classes there, and appreciate the other activities it offers like dancing and open mic performances.  Hosting the Haunted Walke Asylum both supports a great local cause and shares Himalayan Institute’s main campus with the community: something HI looks forward to doing more of in the future.

If you’d like to experience the insanity for yourself, please come this Sunday, November 1st, between 6-9 p.m. to the Himalayan Institute’s main campus on Rt. 670 in Bethany.  Also, if you’d like more information about how to get involved with future Interact or Honesdale Rotary projects, visit www.honesdalerotary.com or call Brian Fulp at 570-647-5548.

 

Interact’s Haunted Walke Asylum a Success

Dr. Walke's Operating Room Staff

 

More than 300 people turned out for Honesdale High School’s Interact Club’s Haunted Walke Asylum on Sunday, October 25^th.  So many that the club will put on a repeat performance on Sunday,  November 1^st.

“We go to a lot of haunted hayrides, forests, walks, you name it. This one was pretty good—we liked it a lot,” said Tanya Leet of Starrucca Borough in northern Wayne County.

The Haunted Walke—named after the mad scientist, Franklin Walke, whose experiments go awry—takes place at the Himalayan Institute’s main campus on Route 670 in Bethany.  Dr. Walke— played by a real local doctor—was called “amazing” by more than one visitor.

About 45 students take part in the event, which also includes a children’s storytelling area and a heated tent with home-baked goodies.

Donations of $5 are suggested at the ticket booth. The event supports Interact’s mentoring program for at-risk elementary school children.

For more information, visit www.walkeasylum.com. The November 1^st event runs from 6pm – 10pm. In the event of heavy rain, it will be cancelled. The last tour is at 9pm.

Pictured front: Ashley Randolph, Alicia Manzione, Michael Terwilliger, Emily Daniels. Dr. David Reynolds, aka Dr. Walke in back.

For more pictures and behind the scenes shots of this great Honesdale High School Interact Event visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=120785&id=728345027

Picture #2: Chris Peroni, Michael Terwilliger, Ashley Randolph (on table), Alicia Manzione, Emily Daniels.

 

Prepare to be scared—for a good cause!

Prepare to be Scared- Haunted Walke Asylum

Honesdale Rotary’s Junior club at Honesdale High School, Interact, invites the public to visit its “Haunted Walke Asylum” at the Himalayan Institute’s sprawling (and very dark at night!) campus in Bethany on October 24^th and 25^th, 6pm – 10pm.

The event takes its name from the main character, a mad scientist named Dr. Walke whose experiments go awry.  Those who dare can take the entire asylum walk, but a separate area with a bonfire, storytelling and crafts will be dedicated to young children who might want to avoid all the terror.  A donation of $5 is suggested for this fundraiser, which will benefit Interact’s mentoring program for elementary schoolchildren.

Honesdale EMS and others will provide medical and security aid. Pictured rehearsing for the eye-rolling horror show are Amber Stahl, left, and Devan George. For more information, visit www.WalkeAsylum.com. Rain dates October 31^st and November 1^st.

 

Honesdale High School Club Makes World Headlines

Pictured Natalie, Brian, Bethany, and Morgan of HHS Interact and Honesdale Rotary

In the newsletter End Polio Now, Honesdale High School’s Interact Club along with Honesdale Rotary are noted for helping to raise awareness and funds to end polio now! See the whole newsletter here

Purple pinkies proclaim support —

The Rotary Club of Honesdale and Interact Club of Honesdale High School, Pennsylvania, USA, teamed up to raise about $3,000 during Purple Pinky Day,

9 May. “We want to raise awareness about polio and how it’s still crippling and killing children,” says Interactor Dominic Manzione. “Every new person who learns about it brings us that much closer to ending it.”

Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Honesdale

Purple pinkies proclaim support —

The Rotary Club of Honesdale and Interact Club of Honesdale High School, Pennsylvania, USA, teamed up to raise about $3,000 during Purple Pinky Day,

9 May. “We want to raise awareness about polio and how it’s still crippling and killing children,” says Interactor Dominic Manzione. “Every new person who learns about it brings us that much closer to ending it.”

Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Honesdale

 

Rotary Honors Two High School Students

Pictured left to right: Brian Fulp, Honesdale Rotary; Elizabeth Stengel; Sienna George; Jill George; Jeff George; Maureen Beilman, President Honesdale Rotary.

Two high school students from two very distinct parts of the world were honored recently by the Honesdale Rotary— one from Venezuela and the other from the club’s hometown.

Sienna George, who graduated from Honesdale High School in June, was awarded a $500 scholarship for exemplifying the Rotary’s “Four Way Test.”  Before taking any action, Rotarians are guided by four questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill and friendships? Is it beneficial to all concerned?

Sienna, the daughter of Jeff and Jill George of Honesdale, thanked the club for its generosity.

Ileana Duque, who lived with host families in Honesdale this past year, told the Rotary gathering of about 20 members and guests, “I have had the best year of my life!” In addition to going to Honesdale High School, the South American teenager traveled around the USA this summer.  She called her past year, “very rewarding. I made many friends. I’ll carry this with me for the rest of my life.”

Ileana spent her last few months with Michael and Elizabeth Stengel and family.  Mrs. Stengel was present at the Rotary lunch meeting at Cordaro’s Restaurant as Ileana spoke. She fondly called Ileana “my adopted daughter.”

The local Rotary Student Exchange Program also helped bring a student from Hungary to the area this year; at the same time, the program helped send local students to Thailand and Australia.

Sienna George plans to attend Penn State University this fall.  Ileana said she hopes one day to be a lawyer.

To learn more about Honesdale Rotary and its projects visit www.HonesdaleRotary.com or contact Brian Fulp at bfulp@himalayaninstitute.org or by phone: 570-647-5548.

 

Honesdale Rotarians Become Paul Harris Fellows

Honesdale Rotary President Maureen Beilman, John Van Horn, Jim Mould, Brian Fulp, DG Ted Silver, and ADG Bob Tenewitz

Three Honesdale Rotarians received Rotary’s prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award, for distinguished service to the local and international communities.  John Van Horn, Jim Mould and Brian Fulp were presented with their awards by District Governor Ted Silvers and Honesdale Rotary President Maureen Beilman.

“Honesdale Rotary is proud to have these and several other Paul Harris Fellows in its membership,” said President Beilman, who is also a Paul Harris Fellow. “They are all good examples of living up to Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self. It’s a way of life.”

The Paul Harris Award, named after the Rotary’s founder, recognizes outstanding contributions to Rotary ideals. It can be awarded to any person, whether a Rotarian or not, who is deemed worthy. The $1000 cost of the Award is paid to the Rotary Foundation to support humanitarian and educational programs that bring hope and promote international understanding.

Honesdale Rotary’s recipients have been very active in raising funds to fight polio worldwide, to support the building of a library in Cameroon in West Africa, local American Red Cross blood drives and numerous other local projects. They each received a medallion, a special lapel badge and a citation signed by the President of Rotary International and the Chairman of Rotary Foundation Trustees.

Left to right: Beilman, Van Horn, Mould, Fulp, Ted Silvers and Honesdale Rotarian Bob Tenewitz. For more information about Honesdale Rotary, contact Brian Fulp at 570-647-5548 or email bfulp@himalayaninstitute.org.

 

Purple Pinky Project a Success!

Honesdale High School Interact’s Purple Pinky Project

More pictures can be seen on Facebook.com
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81595&id=728345027&l=92302e6a8a

More than 200 people had their pinkies dyed purple (temporarily) to help eradicate polio from the globe.

The Honesdale Rotary Club and its youth counterpart, the Honesdale High School Interact Club, held a day-long fundraiser outside and inside the Himalayan Institute Main Street Café on Saturday, May 9^th.   For a $1 donation, about the cost of a dose of polio vaccine, passersby could have their pinkies dyed purple.

Children in India have their pinkies dyed purple when they’re vaccinated against polio to help keep track of who’s been protected.

Polio is still endemic in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. Rotary International has been fighting polio worldwide since the 1980s- and the disease is almost licked.  The two local clubs raised about $3000 during Saturday’s events, which also included a dynamic presentation by a Rotarian who had vaccinated children in India.

Anyone wishing to add to the “polio prevention pot” can donate only here: http://honesdalerotary.com/PolioPlus/index.htm

or call Honesdale Rotary President Brian Fulp at (570) 647-1514.

 

Students Dye Principal’s Pinky Purple!

Students Dye Principal’s Pinky Purple!

 

 

(Honesdale, May 2, 2009)

Honesdale High School Principal Gregory Frigoletto has a purple pinky—at least for now. So do several other teachers. The school’s Interact Club, the high school version of Rotary, brought the “big wigs” on board to help promote their Purple Pinky Project Spectacular on May 9^th—a day-long event that will include coloring everyone’s pinky purple to help eradicate Polio from the planet.

“We want to raise awareness about Polio and how it’s still crippling and killing children around the world,” said Dominic Manzione, Interact member, “every new person who learns about it, brings us that much closer to ending it!” 

Manzione noted that mankind managed to eradicate the deadly and disfiguring smallpox scourge in 1980 through vaccinations. Why not polio?

Since the mid ‘80’s, Rotary International has been committed to ridding the world of another killer disease, Poliomyelitis or Polio.  Rotary’s success has been hailed by many, including the World Health Organization and the Wall Street Journal. When Rotary started, Polio afflicted more than 350,000 people in 125 countries. Today, fewer than 2,000 new cases occur each year in only four countries – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and parts of India.

The Purple Pinky Project Spectacular will be held at the Himalayan Institute’s Yoga Café on Main Street, Honesdale. Besides pinky dyeing, visitors can enjoy free face  painting by The Feel Good Projects’ Kelly Curtis from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Afterwards, a Rotarian who has personally vaccinated children in India against Polio will offer a presentation about his experience.

Stop by and join thousands who have colored their pinkies purple to eradicate polio from the planet! For more information, contact Brian Fulp at 570-647-5548 or visit www.HonesdaleRotary.com.

Pictured front row, left to right: Morgan Dux, Emily Daniels, Bethany Reynolds, Kara Brussell, Jessica Sikora, Corine Taninies, Natalie Hoff, Ashley Randolph. Back row: Honesdale HS Principal Gregory Frigoletto, Nigel Brauser, Honesdal Rotary President Brian Fulp, Landon Roberts, Zane Douglass, Breana Hull, HS Vice Principal Timothy Morgan. 

 

The Feel Good Project Donates to Polio Plus

 

Free Face Painting to Eradicate Polio with Kelly Curtis

Kelly Curtis co-owner of The Feel Good Project agreed to donate time to face painting to help generate community awareness about ending polio on the planet in a way that kids can understand- face painting! Join Kelly from 3pm- 5pm for an afternoon of face painting at the Himalayan Institute Main Street Cafe (630 Main Street, Honesdale, PA). 

Honesdale Rotary’s event, the Purple Pinky Project Spectacular will be held May 9th with activities throughout the day to promote Polio awareness.

“The goal of the day’s events is to raise awareness about Polio and how it’s still a crippling disease that affects children on the planet,” said Dominic Manzione, Honesdale High School Interact Member, “Rotary is really close to ending polio and every dollar we raise, every new person who learns about it, brings us that much closer to ending it!” 

Kelly Curtis is a playful teacher, CircusYogi, hoop dancer, performer, and face painter. Originally from Chicago, this former elementary school educator moved to northeastern PA to live at The Himalayan Institute and study Yoga.

After 2 years, she decided to settle in the area and begin teaching in the community. She teaches yoga, hula hooping, breathing, and meditation classes at The Lodge at Woodloch, yoga and meditation at Woodloch Springs Sports Complex, yoga at Kole’s Gym and CircusYoga workshops, with her husband Aaron, at various places around the area. Her “introduction” into the circus world was around 1995 when she saw someone at a festival playing with devil sticks and knew she had to get a set and master them. A decade later, she decided she needed to learn how to juggle. As a volunteer on a music tour in the summer of 2005, she met many amazing jugglers that each taught her a key piece of the art of juggling.

She also discovered the beauty of hula hooping and began face painting. Since then, she has volunteered and worked as a face painter at many festivals, parties, and events in the area and trained in CircusYoga. She has assistant directed children’s programs at Kripalu Center in western Massachusetts as well as assisted huge CircusYoga Family workshops and teacher trainings with the founders of CircusYoga. For the past few years, Kelly has also volunteered for the Northeast PA Audubon Society’s educational programs, served on the board, and performed the duties of newsle tter editor. She and her husband are the founders of The Feel Good Project, a local organization that aims to make people feel good about themselves through play and connection with others.

They incorporate yoga, CircusYoga, theater, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and a spirit of play into their programs for children and adults. They are also available for parties and events.

See www.thefeelgoodproject.org for more information and upcoming events. You can contact Kelly via email at kelly@circusyoga.com.