by Ingrid Nova | May 28, 2014 | Awards, Community Service Ongoing, Youth Initiatives
The Student Excellence Award is presented to motivated East Lansing High School students who have demonstrated good character and citizenship through activities in school and the community. In addition, they have demonstrated personal growth by overcoming adversities. The award includes a certificate and a monetary donation for future educational endeavors, which is presented to the students at the Senior Honors Night. The students are nominated by the counseling staff at East Lansing High School. The East Lansing Rotary Club is pleased to announce the 2014 Award Winners.
Kenneth Washington Nominated for Student Excellence Award by School Counselor Nicole Coss
“Kenneth transferred to East Lansing High School when he moved to the area from Detroit.Kenneth holds a job outside of school to help support his family. His income helps his mother with household expenses,as she was a single mother raising two boys up until recently. He is the first person in his family to attend college,” shared Coss.
“Kenneth is a top candidate for this award because of his level of maturity. Kenneth has forged dynamic and genuine relationships with students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members. His ability to engage and lead is innately intertwined with his fascinating and compassionate personality, his mastered sense of conscientiousness and his work ethic.These traits convince me that he will positively influence everyone’s paths he crosses.” Upon receiving the award and recognition at a recent Rotary meeting Kenneth shared that he is looking at MSU, Michigan or North Carolina for school where he hopes to study pre-med.
Juwahir Mohamud Nominated for Student Excellence Award by her Counselor Joshua Barrons
“Juwahir’s family is from Somalia. They immigrated to the United States from a refugee camp in Kenya when she was a baby (after civil war broke out in Somalia). Juwahir comes from a huge family–she is one of 11 children. She is one of the most hardworking and dedicated students. Juwahir goes out of her way to help other students and to make a difference in the community. One of the places Juwahir volunteers is the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing. While Juwahir struggled when she started as a freshman at ELHS, she persevered and demanded academic and personal success for herself. She is now an A/B student. Juwahir will be the first person in her family to attend a four-year university. She has been accepted to MSU,”shared Barrons.
The Student Excellence Awards are a project of the Community Service Committee of the East Lansing Rotary Club. Member Kristin Shelley was the chair of this year’s awards process.
by Ingrid Nova | Mar 28, 2014 | Events, Foundation and Fund Raising, Playground in the Park
Fellow Rotarians here are the Big Bang-Quet results. Many thanks to everyone who participated in the University Club’s Big Bang-quet Charity Challenge! Twenty-four organization’s were a part of this year’s “challenge” and our Playground in the Park Re-Imagined project finished in 6th place with 840 votes or $4,200! Many thanks to all who voted online, recruited friends and family to vote, and/or attended and voted at last night’s Grand Reveal party. Thanks also to the Community Foundation and MSUFCU for their sponsorship of this event. And, a special thanks to our own Phyllis Riley for her advocacy on behalf of including the playground project among the charities/causes in this year’s event.
The Community Foundation will be sending us a check for $3,570 – which is our share (85%) of the votes cast – and moves us one step closer to fully funding the playground project.
You can go to http://www.universityclubofmsu.org/theclubwithaheart and click on the full details link to see all of the Big Bang-quet Charity Challenge rankings.
Thanks once again everyone for your support!
The Playground in the Park Re-Imagined Committee
by Ingrid Nova | Mar 18, 2014 | Events, New Members
By East Lansing Rotarian Lori Bosch
I am very honored to be the Managing Director of Ele’s Place in Lansing. Recently I was able to share my passion for Ele’s Place with my fellow Rotarians as East Lansing Rotary visted Ele’s Place. Ele’s Place is especially important to me, because when I was a teenager, my older brother died and I understand firsthand the pain and isolation that grieving children and teens experience. I encourage anyone who would like to learn more about Ele’s Place to take a tour. Tour dates are listed at www.elesplace.org, or you can call 517-482-1315.
For those of you who don’t know about our mission,Ele’s Place is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness of and support for grieving children and their families. Our primary goal is to provide a safe and supportive atmosphere where children can share their feelings and memories with their peers, and begin to heal following the death of a parent, sibling, other close family member or important friend.
Ele’s Place recognizes that children’s grief is unique and that allowing children to share their feelings promotes healing. Grieving children often feel isolated by a death; at Ele’s Place, they can connect with their peers who have suffered similar loss, and together begin to heal. Through our peer support group program, these children are given the opportunity to grieve in a healthy manner and begin their healing process.
Most children today will experience the death of a parent, sibling, grandparent, other family member or close friend before they complete high school. When a child experiences the death of someone special, the impact is emotionally devastating and has a profound effect on his or her life. Ele’s Place provides the support children and teens need to find hope and healing, so they can have bright futures.
by Ingrid Nova | Mar 6, 2014 | Events, Foundation and Fund Raising, Notable News for Members
On February 26th Sponsors, Community Members and Rotarians gathered at the Hannah Community Center for a Park Project Briefing for Playground in the Park Re-Imagined. East Lansing Mayor, Nathan Triplett, Parks and Recreation Director Tim McCaffery, Project Chairperson John Saltzgaber, and Honorary Chairperson were on hand to give the attendees an update and forecast for the community build date in June of 2014.
Honorary Chairperson, Suzy Merchant delighted the crowd with her personal feelings about Patriarche Park, the project, and the power of play.
Project Chairperson, John Saltzgaber outlined the remaining opportunities for sponsors, community support through the purchase of brick pavers and participation in the Community Charity Challenge called the Big Bangquet.
You may also view the video on YouTube.
by Ingrid Nova | Feb 10, 2014 | Foundation and Fund Raising, Playground in the Park
The East Lansing Rotary Foundation makes it possible for our organization to compete in the Big Bang-Quet Community Charity Challenge. This is a special opportunity to raise awareness and funds for our Playground in the Park Re-Imagined project. The timing is wonderful since the the voting structure of the competition makes the cost of supporting our charity within reach of the whole community and comes at a time when the community will be encouraged to participate as we prepare for the final push to completion. The park is expected to be completed in June of 2014.
Share with your Family, Friends and Neighbors
To participate in the Big Bang-Quet Community Charity Challenge Rotarians, friends and supporters are encouraged to visit the voting website: www.universityclubofmsu.org/theclubwithaheart to cast their votes (each vote costs $5) from February 1 – March 24. Votes cast for Playground in the Park Re-Imagined will yield 85% of the fund for the cause. Additionally, should the park project be among the top vote getters there are added benefits, the top prize is a $10,000 banquet at the University Club to be used for further fund-raising.
Sponsors Determined to Succeed
The Playground in the Park is a collaboration between the East Lansing Rotary Club, the City of East Lansing and many sponsors and supporters, including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund ( a major grantor). Planning and fund-raising has spanned nearly four years as the sponsoring organizations looked for solutions to replacing the aging wooden play structure with a safer, eco-friendly, long-lasting, and accessible play space.
“Kenneth transferred to East Lansing High School when he moved to the area from Detroit.Kenneth holds a job outside of school to help support his family. His income helps his mother with household expenses,as she was a single mother raising two boys up until recently. He is the first person in his family to attend college,” shared Coss.
“Juwahir’s family is from Somalia. They immigrated to the United States from a refugee camp in Kenya when she was a baby (after civil war broke out in Somalia). Juwahir comes from a huge family–she is one of 11 children. She is one of the most hardworking and dedicated students. Juwahir goes out of her way to help other students and to make a difference in the community. One of the places Juwahir volunteers is the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing. While Juwahir struggled when she started as a freshman at ELHS, she persevered and demanded academic and personal success for herself. She is now an A/B student. Juwahir will be the first person in her family to attend a four-year university. She has been accepted to MSU,”shared Barrons.