Stories

A small group of Ignacio Rotarians headed to Angel Island to enjoy the day and watch the Blue Angels (how appropriate!). A good time was had by all and some great shots of the Blue Angels were taken.

Photos of the "Marin Stigma Busters" team (and friends) who participated in a walk to raise funds in support of the National Association on Mental Health. Ignacio Rotary members pictured include Jenny Bates, John Marshall, and Henry Choi.  Our District Governor, Laine Hendricks was also in attendance.  Also note that we all brought our dogs!  It was a beautiful day for the walk which was held at McInnis Park in San Rafael.    

 

 

 

In response to the devastating fires in Maui, The Rotary Club of Ignacio raised more than $13,000 funds for the Hawaii District 5000 Maui Fires Relief Fund.  Our Club members always open their hearts and wallets in times of disasters.  We have raised substantial amount of money responding to hurricanes, Northern California fires, Ukraine and now the fires in Maui.  Mahalo to all who have helped support the emergency response and recovery in Maui.

Congratulations to John Marshall, the District 5150 Rotarian of the Month. A well-deserved honor for his tireless efforts to support our club as well as championing fund-raising events such as the recent Relay for Life. John is the technical support who makes our meetings run smoothly as he brings in videos and visual aids as the situation requires it. He also consults with other clubs who need technical assistance.

Way to go, John.

Pictured is Club President Andrei Jigalin (right) handing John a certificate of recognition.

The Rotary Club of Ignacio sponsored a donation of 500 reading glasses to the Rotary Club of Pujili, Ecuador. The glasses were distributed at four different locations and many people were overjoyed at being able to see up close for the first time in years. "We are glad to be able to partner with this young club in Ecuador", said Carlos Afre, Chairman of the World Community Avenue of Service. "This type of international cooperation is one of the great things about Rotary. Both clubs benefit from the exchange. As well as many people in Ecuador."

Photo and official City of Novato proclamation held on June 13th for outgoing President Michael Spalding!

 

 

Rotary Club of Ignacio continues to support St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin.  For the past couple of years our Club members have prepared and delivered delicious bag lunches to St. Vincent de Paul in San Rafael.  We have delivered more than 2,500 lunches as of May 2023 which are provided to people in need, including seniors, single mothers, and many more.  In addition, our Rotary club provided 10 turkeys at Christmas in 2022.  We remain committed to our support of St. Vincent Paul Society of Marin.

 

 

The Novato High School (NHS) Hornets baseball team has a new dugout interior to go
along with their new 102,000 sq. ft. synthetic turf playing field thanks to team managerial,
booster, and Rotary Club of Ignacio leaders coordinating the $5,130 community services
project.

President Elect Andrei Jigalin was officially welcomed into his role at the District Assembly on March 25.He will start his term of office on July 1. Pictured are (left to right) Assistant Governor Stacie Vance, President Elect Andrei Jigalin and District Governor 2023-2024 Laine Hendricks. 

Congratulations, Andrei. We are all excited for your leadership.

Rotary Club of Ignacio welcomed two new members at our meeting on March 30. Joining the club were Kevin Parrot and Anthony Moreno. Both have attended a couple of prior meetings to get a "feel" for the club. Members Larry Levy and Jayne Hulbert sponsored the new members. Congratulations and Welcome to you both!

 

 

Pictured (l to r) are Larry Levy, Kevin Parrot, Anthony Moreno and Charley Vogt (standing in for Jayne Hulbert).

For years, Angalia Bianca had slept in abandoned buildings throughout Chicago. She stole. She did drugs. She spent time in and out of jail for forgery, theft, trespassing, and possession of narcotics. But after she landed in prison for the seventh time, something changed -- Bianca knew she wanted a better life. She just didn’t know how to make it happen.

 

After serving her time, Bianca sought help from a local homeless organization, A Safe Haven, and moved to its shelter in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Bianca followed the program closely -- she attended all the required meetings, passed drug tests, and volunteered at every opportunity.

What is it like taking a large team to Africa?  It has probably been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. In mid February, I began leading Rotary members from all over the East Coast of the United States through Ghana. I’ve tried to give the team a warm Ghanaian welcome like I’ve received on my earlier trips. A large trip is a real blessing because each person sees Ghana and our work in a different way.

A highlight for the team was greeting the chief of Sagadugu. The team got excited about buying goats and food for children in the villages where I support eight churches. It was good to see the pastors of most of the eight churches, and I had to explain that we were just passing through on our way to Bolgatanga.

Throughout India and around the world, Rotary clubs are celebrating a major milestone: India has gone three years without a new case of polio. The last reported case was a two-year-old girl in West Bengal on 13 January 2011. To mark this historic triumph, Rotary clubs illuminated landmarks and iconic structures throughout the country with four simple but powerful words, "India is polio free."

 

The three-year achievement sets the stage for polio-free certification of the entire Southeast Asia region by the World Health Organization. The Indian government also plans to convene a polio summit in February to commemorate this victory in the global effort to eradicate polio.