Twisted Tales Haunted House is just a couple weeks away! Soft opening is on October 17th. In lieu of our weekly meeting on the 17th, please attend the soft opening of Twisted Tales at the Teen Center. We have a busy schedule of construction and are looking for volunteers to help out. To find out more information please contact Eloise.
We are back at the Masonic Lodge after a trial run at the Women's Club. We plan to stay at the lodge moving forward. The last two meetings featured Jose Mendez who talked about the Kurn Hattin organization, and Dr. Wen Chen who discussed human rights issues in China. This week we will hear from the El Segundo Fire Department as they announce winners from this year's Fire Prevention Poster Contest.
Don't forget to participate in the Rise Against Hunger event this Saturday at the United Methodist Church! Event runs 10am-noon and we will be packing lots of meals. Hope to see you there!
Special thanks to Gilda for hosting a fellowship gathering at her house on 9/28. It was a lot of fun for everyone! And a big Congratulations go out to Marisol and Matthew for getting married on Oct 5th. We wish you all the best!
What a great build day at Twisted Tales Haunted House!!! Thank you to our amazing volunteer crew. Here’s a few sneak peek images behind the spooky scenes! The haunted house opens to the public October 18! We can’t wait to see everyone there!
Rotary member Marisol Rios got married to Matthew Herrera on October 5th. Congratulations and Best Wishes! We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness!
Today we welcomed Dr. Wen Chen to our weekly meeting. She brought El Segundo resident Leno Szeto as her guest. Dr. Chen is an active advocate for human rights in China. John Stabile brought raffle prizes and gave us a brief craft talk.
What a great evening spending time with fellow Rotary members! We met at Gilda's beautiful home and BBQ'd, had smores, and enjoyed her amazing pool. The kids loved the pool slide and are even now still asking their parents to buy one for their grandma's pool. LOL All in all we had a great time socializing over dinner and cocktails.
This week, we welcomed Jose Mendez as our speaker. Jose shared about his experience growing up at Kurn Hattin home for children. He reminded us to be thankful for the things we have- like loving families, vacations, and even access to food in the refrigerator whenever we are hungry. Important message. Thank you Jose!! Rebecca Haynes also gave us a member spotlight- including highlighting her training from the FBI! Reminder that a sign up sheet for Twisted Tales Haunted House ticket sales and crowd assistance will be coming! We are getting very excited!!
Dr. Wen Chen was born in China during the Great Cultural Revolution. Being victims of the horrific atrocity that killed two million intellectuals and destroyed traditional Chinese culture, Wen's parents had mixed feelings about her education. Despite their discouragement, Wen eventually won a national prize at a science competition when she was 16. Hence, she was accepted into a top university for undergraduate study. In 1994, Wen came to the U.S. for graduate school and received a doctorate degree in Biology at California Institute of Technology in 2000. Dr. Chen currently works as a staff scientist for the institute. Because of her personal experience of being brainwashed in China, she decided to be a voice for the voiceless. Since 2012, she has given over 200 presentations to community organizations. Her topics include “The Renaissance of Chinese Culture”, “Traditional Chinese Attire”, “The Science of Tea Making”, “Human Rights Movement in China” and “North Korea and China”.
Did you know that none of The Beatles could read or write music?
There had been some speculation for decades, but Paul McCartney finally admitted during a 2018 60 Minutes interview that neither he nor any of his Beatles bandmates were able to read or write music, and they never understood music theory. McCartney said that the music just came to him and his bandmates John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, and it was never written down. Clearly, knowledge needn't beget success.
For more than 30 years, Rotary and its partners have driven the effort to eradicate polio worldwide. Rotary's Polio Plus program was the first initiative to tackle global polio eradication by vaccinating children on a massive scale. As a core partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary focuses on advocacy, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, and awareness-building.
Polio Today
Rotary and its partners have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent, from 350,000 cases in 125 countries in 1988 to just 33 cases caused by the wild virus in 2018. Only two countries continue to report cases of wild poliovirus: Afghanistan and Pakistan. The infrastructure that was built to help end polio is also being used to treat and prevent other diseases and create lasting impact in other areas of public health.
Challenges
Rotary and its partners have made tremendous progress against polio, but eliminating all cases requires more progress and perseverance. Afghanistan and Pakistan face unique challenges, including political insecurity, highly mobile populations, difficult terrain, and, in some instances, logistical barriers. With sufficient resources, the commitment of national governments, and innovations that improve access to remote areas, the Rotary is optimistic that it can eliminate polio.
Ensuring Success
Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year for polio eradication. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1, for a total commitment of $150 million each year. These funds provide much-needed operational support, medical workers, laboratory equipment, and educational materials. Governments, corporations, and private donors all play a crucial role in funding.
Rotary in Action
More than 1 million Rotary members have donated their time and money to eradicate polio, and every year, hundreds of member’s work with health workers to vaccinate children in countries affected by polio. Rotary members work with UNICEF and other partners to prepare and distribute informational materials for people in areas that are isolated by conflict, geography, or poverty. They also mobilize to recruit fellow volunteers, assist in transporting the vaccine, and provide other logistical support.
Celebrity Support
Rotary has a growing list of public figures and celebrities who support our fight against polio, including Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; actresses Kristen Bell and Archie Panjabi; actor and wrestling superstar John Cena; supermodel Isabeli Fontana; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; action-movie star Jackie Chan; actor Donald Sutherland; boxing great Manny Pacquiao; pop star Psy; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; conservationist Jane Goodall; premier violinist Itzhak Perlman; Grammy Award winners A.R. Rahman, Angélique Kidjo, and Ziggy Marley; and peace advocate Queen Noor of Jordan. These ambassadors help Rotary educate the public about the disease and the fight to end polio for good.
Tell us what you think! We want to hear from you. Let us know if you have any suggestions or ideas; please email us at info@elsegundorotary.org. Thank you for your support.
