The Trumbull Rotary Club held their 1st St. Paddy’s Day Dinner Dance last night at Port 5 in Bridgeport and there was an excellent turnout who enjoyed music by DJ Bill Lopez, dancing, a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and fun surprises as well as an award for the best dressed Lad and Lass.
There was no Blarney Stone to kiss so the Club came up with the next best thing; a really cute leprechaun (Dr. Phil) to kiss for Good Luck…just pucker up and you’ll find him as the first photo in this blog posting.
Try to visit Whole Foods in Fairfield today if possible
Dennis Wong came by to support the effort
Whole Foods, BRM Staff and Rotarians
The Fairfield Rotary Club has arranged for 5% of the sales made today (01-15-2014) at their Fairfield Whole Foods store on Grasmere Ave in Fairfield Connecticut to go to one of their favorite charities; The Bridgeport Rescue Mission (BRM).
Many local residents, as well as the Fairfield Rotary Club, the Bridgeport Rotary Club and the Trumbull Rotary Club actively support the Bridgeport Rescue Mission. The local involvement of the area Rotary Clubs and many the passionate comments in support of the Rescue Mission inspired Whole Foods to select the non-profit as this year’s first Five Percent Day recipient.
Five Percent Days are part of Whole Foods Market’s commitment to support environmental and educational causes in their community. Four times per year, each store identifies local organizations that align with Whole Foods Market’s commitment, and that make a real community impact. Often, these days raise $2,500 or more for participating organizations.
Bridgeport Rescue Mission
BRM’s food outreach program includes mobile kitchens that visit impoverished neighborhoods in Bridgeport and South Norwalk; pantry box deliveries to families struggling to make ends meet and a Thanksgiving drive that donates thousands of food boxes and coats to families in low-income areas.
“At this time of the year with many extra people coming in from the cold for hot meals and having to buy more fuel oil to keep our facilities warm in frigid temperatures, a program like Whole Foods Five Percent Day is a tremendous help to Bridgeport Rescue Mission and the people in our care,” said BRM’s Executive Director Terry Wilcox (Bridgeport Rotarian).
Please come out and support a cause that many of our fellow Rotarians care deeply about today.
In September 2012 the Trumbull Rotary Club announced their plans for an ambitious Habitat for Heroes project to build a home in Bridgeport for a veteran’s family. The project was co-sponsored by Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County. With this project the Trumbull Rotary Club became the founding sponsor of the first ‘Habitat for Heroes’ initiative in Connecticut.
Trumbull Rotary 50k challenge
The first phase of the project was completed in mid-October 2012 when the two non-profit organizations raised the initial $50,000 required for ground breaking. The Trumbull Rotary Club contributed $22,000 in challenge matching funding.
Ground breaking on the first CT Habitat for Heroes home
On Veterans Day, November 11, 2012, The Trumbull Rotary Club and Habitat for Humanity broke ground and began excavating the building lot. The building lot was donated by the city of Bridgeport.
Trumbull Rotarians on one of many Build Days
In March 2013 Trumbull Rotarians were the first workers to help construct walls for the structure on a ‘build day’. The Rotarians were joined by other civic and veterans organizations, as well as local businesses and individuals. There would be a number of additional hands-on ‘build days’ that Trumbull Rotarians actively participated in during the construction of the home.
Staff Sgt. Juliet Taylor
The Heroes House was completed and dedicated on Veterans Day 2013 this past November, just 1 year after the ground breaking. Army Staff Sgt. Juliet Taylor is now living in her new home with her two sons, daughter and grandson. Taylor has served more than 11 years of active service, including an 18-month tour in Iraq and two humanitarian tours in Afghanistan.
Mike Rappa, Bill Zeidenberg and John McBride
This initiative got started after Past President Jim Malski came back from NE PETS and challenged the Club membership to come up with a meaningful multi-year project benefiting the surrounding Trumbull community and having a significant impact on someone or some persons. The Club voted on Malski’s proposal and Past Presidents Bill Zeidenberg, Mike Rappa and John McBride took led the project from conception in Jim’s year to completion this Rotary year under Holly Sutton-Darr’s Presidency.
Immediate Past President Jim Malski
The completed project cost approximately $150,000 plus a considerable amount of donated labor.
Current President Holly Sutton-Darr with Juliet Taylor
The Trumbull Rotary Club led the way in helping to raise the initial $50,000 required to break ground, they also provided project oversight, ‘hands-on’ labor during build days and they assisted Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County in raising the additional $100,000 required.
Update: The Trumbull Rotary Club has agreed to assist a second house and they hope to have the initial ‘ground breaking’ funds raised by 2/14/2014. Interested in helping out, partnering or donating? Then contact Past President Bill Zeidenberg via email.
The Fairfield Rotary Club hosted the 26th Annual Norman K. Parsells Award Luncheon today at the Gaelic-American Club.
The Norman K. Parsells Award, is presented annually to honor the memory and spirit of Norm Parsells. He was a dedicated Rotarian who served his community and Rotary, demonstrating Rotary’s ideal of “Service Above Self”. The recipients of the Award are being recognized as Rotarians who personifies the same spirit and dedication to their community and Rotary that Norm represented during his lifetime.
Because of their outstanding service to their Rotary Clubs, their communities and to Rotary International, the 2013 recipients of the Norman King Parsells Award are:
Black Rock – Charles Priddle
Bridgeport – George Shawah, Jr.
Derby-Shelton –Anthony F. DellaMonica
Devon – Mark Krom
Fairfield – Peter A. Penczer
Monroe – Bill Florin
Milford – Mitchell I. Quintner DMD
Orange – Paul Grimmer
Stratford – Diane Puterski
Trumbull – Byron Campbell
Norm was an attorney, a majority leader in the House of Representative and a very active member of his community.
Areas four and five of District 7980 honor the memory and spirit of Norm Parsells, a dedicated Rotarian who served his community well. Norm’s dedicated service to the community demonstrated Rotary’s ideal of “service above self”.
Although Fairfield was his “home” club, he visited and worked with other clubs where many lasting friendships have been made. It is, then, quite fitting that each club in these areas join to honor him by issuing the Norman King Parsells Award.
The Trumbull Rotary Club put on their 6th Dodgeball Tournament on Tuesday night at InSports in Trumbull.
Proceeds from the event will support the hungry and homeless in their community which are being served by The Bridgeport Rescue Mission. The Bridgeport Rescue Mission strives to excel in the provision of food, clothing, shelter, residential discipleship, education and job training for the urban poor and addicted.
16 Teams turned out for a night of fun competition in a quest to claim the coveted bragging rights associated with winning the tournament. In the end it was The Honey Badgers winning the tournament for their 3rd straight time. Every participant received a handsome YELLOW tournament t-shirt (nice touch Trumbull), pizza and drinks.
Start training your team for next year as this is a fun event.
