Children love to celebrate birthdays and the birthday of one of their all-time favorite authors is cause for polka-dot purple cake with green eggs and ham! The Rotary Club of Greater Corvallis will connect with over 1,000 elementary students in the Corvallis School District to, on Monday, March 3, 2014 to celebrate the birthday of beloved author, Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Rotarians from all five Benton County Rotary Clubs will fan across the Corvallis School District’s elementary schools to honor the good doctor and celebrate the fun and value of reading. The goal of the Rotary project is to help instill the love of reading in children and advance literacy in our community. This is the thirteenth annual Read Across Corvallis event and it is shaping up to be the biggest event ever, involving Rotarians from all Rotary clubs in the city. Each Rotarian reader will be wearing the famous red and white stovetop hat made famous by Dr. Seuss in his book, “The Cat in the Hat.” Additionally, each child will receive a birthday gift of a Seuss themed pencil and a Dr. Seuss bookmark. It promises to be a Seuss-sational reading event!
Club News
Give Rotary a birthday gift
Rotary Club of Greater Corvallis is turning 37 at the end of October. How about giving Rotary a gift of a $37 check to the Foundation at one of this month’s meetings? You can drop your check by the registration desk and we’ll celebrate with cake at the end of the month!
United Way Day of Caring
Interested in volunteering for Rotary in September but unable to make it to Fall Festival? The Community Service Committee is organizing a group of Rotary volunteers to participate in United Way Day of Caring on September 20th. If you are interested in participating, please contact Jen Costa at costa@bwbslaw.com or Andrea Thornberry at director@heartlandhumane.org. Details regarding times and work assignments will be provided shortly.
Rotary Shelter Celebration
The Rotary Picnic Shelter celebration is scheduled for Thursday, September 12th, from 5pm-7pm at the new Rotary Shelter at Willamette Park. This is a great chance for fellowship and to come and see your new shelter and create friendships. We will have drinks from Dutch Bros and McDonalds and dessert from Taylor Street Ovens.
This would not have been possible without you and this awesome community we live in. Please share this communication and information with anyone you think might be interested. Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Lee Eckroth
Rotarian, Rotary Club of Greater Corvallis
Below is the announcement from the Parks and Recs Department Department
@Grand Opening of the Rotary Picnic Shelter at Willamette Park
September 12
5-7pm
Willamette Park, SW Goodnight Avenue
Refreshments, music and children activities
Join us to celebrate the grand opening of this new community picnic shelter next to the Willamette river. Area Rotary clubs partnered with Corvallis Parks and Recreation and the Benton County Foundation to raise funds to make the dream of a premiere picnic shelter come true. The Exit Electric band will set the mood to kick off the opening and Parks and Recreation will have activities for children. Bring the family!
Karen Emery, Director
Corvallis Parks and Recreation
541 754-1703
@
Rotarians continue efforts to end Polio
It continues to be the longtime goal of Rotary International — eradicate Polio. In 2012, there were fewer than 225 cases of polio – only one percent — known in only three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The Gates Foundation recently joined the effort with a $100,000 million commitment: toward this effort to get vaccine and security where needed. Local Rotarians can be proud of our support for this effort.:
Healthy Youth Program teaches children about growing and cooking together
Candace Russo gets excited about dirt! A soil scientist, she enjoys helping children examine soil nutrients through the Linus Pauling Institute’s Healthy Youth Program.:
Russo, the Garden Manager at HYP, helps children enjoy gardening, harvesting, and preparing healthy foods. Combating obesity in today’s young people is a focus of the Healthy Youth Program, explained Russo, As many as 24 percent of Oregon youth are considered obese and “a declining emphasis on nutrition and inactivity among children are contributing factors,” she says.
Programs offered through the Institute include Spartan Gardens at Corvallis High School and the Lincoln School Gardens in south Corvallis. CHS students grow vegetables used in culinary classes and offered at tasting tables for the student body to sample. At Lincoln School, the gardens are a “family sharing” opportunity, where families learn about gardening and cooking.
The Institute offers a summer camp called “Chefs in the Garden” where elementary children try recipes using fresh foods. Other programs include Grocery Store Tours, Fresh Grown cooking classes, and a nutrition curriculum for elementary children.