Membership meetings second and fourth Thursdays at Square One in San Marco.

Rotaract Archives

Archive for May, 2010

Black Tie, Blue Jeans gala selected as 2010 Rotary International outstanding project for US, Canada and Caribbean

Friday, May 28th, 2010

The 2009 Black Tie, Blue Jeans Gala benefiting DLC Nurse and Learn received recognition for Rotary International’s 2009-2010 Rotaract outstanding projects for the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Rotaract of Florida’s First Coast is one of seven Rotaract clubs internationally to receive the award.

2009-2010 Rotary International recognition of Rotaract outstanding projects recipients

• International: Rotaract Club of Manila (District 3810, Philippines) for “Response and Relief Program” (to collect and distribute relief supplies, provide medical assistance, and raise funds to rehabilitate two learning centers for residents of five communities affected by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng in the region of Manila,
Philippines)

• Africa Districts: Rotaract Club of Quatre Bornes (District 9220, Mauritius) for “Let’s Change Their Future” (to provide bathing facilities and items, nutrition education, vitamin-rich foods, and school uniforms to 400 impoverished students at Serge Coutet Government School in Baie du Tombeau, Mauritius)

• Asia Pacific Districts: Rotaract Club of Chung Yuan (District 3520, Taiwan) for “Rotary Promises We Achieve” (to raise $10,000 in Taipei, Taiwan towards the global campaign to eradicate polio)

• Europe Districts: Rotaract Club of Izmir-Göztepe (District 2440, Turkey) for “Clean Sea Project” (to raise awareness of the need for and benefits of safe water and sanitation among 7,600 children in 47 primary schools in Izmir, Turkey)

• Latin America Districts: Rotaract Clubs of Puebla de los Ángelos, Puebla Centro Histórico, Puebla Industrial, and Chilpancingo de los Bravo (District 4180, Mexico) for “Centros Rotaract de Iniciación Technológica para Niños Indígenas (Rotaract Technology Centers for Indigenous Children)” (to provide four computer labs and remodel one school dormitory serving 300 indigenous youth in the region of Puebla, Mexico)

• South Asia Districts: Rotaract Club of Women’s Christian College (District 3230, India) for “Stree Suraksha” (to create awareness of domestic violence with the general public in Chennai, India)

• United States, Canada, and Caribbean Districts: Rotaract Club of Florida’s First Coast (District 6970, USA) for “Black Tie and Blue Jeans Gala” (to raise $22,000 for a school serving special needs children in Jacksonville, Florida)

Brent Williams to speak at Thursday’s meeting

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Brent Williams, the incoming Rotary Regional Foundation Coordinator will be our guest speaker this Thursday, May 13th. Brent has been an active Rotarian since 1989, and is past president of the Rotary Club of Gainesville.  He served as Governor of Rotary International District 6970 in 2006-2007.  Brent is a Major Donor and a member of the Bequest Society of The Rotary Foundation.

Brent is actively involved in Rotary Leadership beyond the district level.  He will serve as Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator for Zone 34 for a three year term beginning in this coming July, working with the 14 Rotary Districts in Florida, Georgia and the Caribbean Nations to build support for the humanitarian good work around the world made possible through the Rotary Foundation.  He represented District 6970 as a Delegate to the Rotary International Council on Legislation last month in Chicago.  He is currently serving a two-year term as the Chair of the District Governor Nominee Training Seminar for Zones 33 and 34, responsible for training incoming governors from 29 districts in the Southeastern USA and the Caribbean.  Brent is also a member of the Montreal 2010 Rotary International Convention Promotion Committee.

In addition to Rotary, Brent is involved in numerous other community service and civic activities, including service as past president and long time board member of the Alachua County Public Schools Foundation. He is also past president of the Gainesville Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association and is a graduate of Leadership Gainesville.

Brent is Director of Development for the public television and public radio stations licensed to the University of Florida: WUFT-TV, WUFT-FM and WJUF-FM.  He has been with the stations since 1977 and has had extensive involvement in national and regional public broadcasting affairs.

Brent and his wife Naomi have two daughters; Jarett, who works for CNN in Atlanta and Catherine, who works for a Marketing Agency in Jacksonville.  Catherine is a member of the Rotaract Club of Florida’s First Coast in Jacksonville.  Naomi, Jarett and Catherine are all Paul Harris Fellows of The Rotary Foundation.

After Brent speaks, Sara Conrad will provide our member craft talk.

Black Tie and Blue Jeans Gala raises $23,000 for Morningstar school

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

The Ninth Annual Black Tie and Blue Jeans Gala was held Saturday night at the Southlight Gallery in downtown Jacksonville. Gala chairs Laura Wharen and Tia Nash alongside Rotaract President Phil Bravo presented this year’s beneficiary, Morningstar school, with a check for $23,000 to cover expenses of building a covered walkway in front of the school.

View some of the photos from the event