Blood Drive & Ag AIr

Congratulations to Laura Bombei for finally getting her new member certificate and  info packet. You can take "New Member" ribbon off your name badge now.

Laura Bombei

BLOOD DRIVE

Paul Horak talked about why we do a blood drive every year, and why it is important to give blood.

Paul Horak

John Thorne greeted blood donors at the UP Church on February 11th

John Thorne

Ed Lins and Bob Kennedy are the Hostesses with the Mostesses. Plenty of cookies to go around for blood donors.

Ed Lins & Bob Kennedy

A number of Rotarians contributed to the 80 units of blood that were donated on February 11th. Anything can happen when Sue Basten donates blood, so thanks, Sue! Ask Sue what makes blood donation such an exciting adventure.

Sue Basten

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Denise Erpelding had the program and gave some of her life story. She went to IMS and has a lot of siblings and relatives. She talked so fast it was hard to write it all down.

Denise Erpelding

AG AIR

Thanks to Denise Erpelding for inviting Mark Nebel of Ag Air to speak about aerial applications.

Congratulations! to Brent Hinson on receiving his Paul Harris Fellow award from Tsalika Rich.

Brent Hinson & Tsalika Rich

Thanks to Michelle Redlinger for inviting Alysha Martin of Northwestern Mutual to Rotary. Welcome, Alysha!

Michelle Redlinger & Alysha Martin

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

February 25: Craig Davis - Joe McConnell on Saturday Kitchen

March 3: Brent Hinson - All About Brent

March 10: New Member highlight and chorus!

March 17: Don Vittetoe - AG DAY

Paws and Effect

Thanks to Amber Scott for inviting Nicole Schumate of Paws & Effect in Des Moines for presenting about their special service dogs on January 21st.

Amber Scott (L) and Nicole Schumate (R)

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT!

Amber Scott joined Washington Rotary in 2014 and is a funeral director at Jones & Eden Funeral Home in Washington. She is originally from Mediapolis (as is Rotarian Brent Hinson), and attended Western Illinois University and Worsham College of Mortuary Science.

She has recently purchased a home in Washington, got a new dog, and may or may not have very recently become engaged to Josh Trettin.

PAWS & EFFECT

Nicole Schumate, executive director and founder of Paws & Effect, gave a fascinating presentation about her Des Moines based non-profit. Paws & Effect is a 501c(3) non-profit organization that raises, trains, and places service dogs with disabled children and veterans. The majority of their dog recipients include children with autism and combat veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and mobility issues. They mostly used floppy eared dog breeds.

Paws & Effect was established in 2006 as a Pet Partner program in Iowa. Paws & Effect’s founders, Eric and Nicole Schumate, had volunteered with Denver Pet Partners while they lived in Colorado and missed the relationships they enjoyed there. The early and long term success of the Ability Through Agility Program at ChildServe, initiated in January 2007, demonstrated Paws & Effect’s commitment to children and the disabled population. In 2009, with increased visibility, a service dog program was developed to continue helping the populations and demographics that were already being served; Paws & Effect expanded its outreach to include military veterans.

The group also registers therapy animals through Pet Partners, and regularly hosts NADAC-sanctioned dog-agility events for fun and fund-raising. Its new Beaverdale neighborhood storefront also serves as a training center, as well as home base to Troop 232 of the Dog Scouts of America.

Schumate spoke about a recent experience where a veteran in North Carolina with one of their service dogs, died, and the dog was returned to the veteran's family in Iowa.

ANDRES BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday to Rotary Exchange student, Andrés Bravo! We all had cake at Rotary to celebrate with him.

Andrés Bravo (L)

The club also got Andrés the gift coveted by all teens, a Rotary-blue micro fiber polo shirt! Bill Sitler would be proud.

Andrés Bravo (L) and Tsalika Rich (R)

Thanks to Susan Wellington for inviting Sherry Simpson from Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors in Washington to attend Rotary. Welcome, Sherry!

Susan Wellington (L) & Sherry Simpson (R)

CLUB FORUM

Tsalika Rich led a Club Forum! on January 28. Overheard by several Rotarians leaving when the meeting ended before 1pm - "That wasn't too bad."

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

February 4:  Paul Horak - Blood Drive planning

February 11: Ed Lins - DAR Cabin in Sunset Park

February 11: Blood Drive 1:30 - 6:30 @ UP Church

February 18: Denise Erpelding - Mark Nebel of Ag Air

February 25: Craig Davis - TBA