Rotary #14 in 2017-18

On June 26, 2018, President Jennifer Brinkman and her leadership team bid farewell. We recognized the contributions made by club members through community service, education and literacy and international service. Many thanks to the members that participated in our ongoing club projects at The Gathering Place, through Salvation Army Bell Ringing and as mentors to youth in our community.

This last year we distributed over 3900 dictionaries to 4th graders in partnership with other Lincoln Rotary clubs, donated 95 books to local school libraries through our Birthday Books program and supported leadership development for youth by featuring a High School Leadership Award recipient from every high school in the community.

Rise.Shine.Give. raised over $53,000 this year and with the proceeds raised over two years, Club #14 will provide $50,000 to support the implementation of the Everett Elementary School Playground renovation this summer. Our partnership with the school flourished this year. Our club was able to support the purchase of library bicycles for the Fuel Up to Play 60 program; developed relationships with students, staff and parents through the Lunch with a Rotarian program and our work with the Family Literacy Program; and provided volunteer help at the book fair, the Ukelele Club and the End of the School Year carnival.

Club #14 continued our commitment to International Service with our global work in the Dominican Republic, Namibia and support for work in Kenya. The work of the UN-L Rotaract Club has raised $9,0000 towards their goal of $18,000 to provide wheelchairs to polio survivors in the Ivory Coast and our club raised another $5,023 toward Rotary International's polio eradication efforts. Our Rotary Youth Exchange program is flourishing having sponsored two outbound students this year and supporting the visits from Ruben of Spain and Kenshiro of Japan this year.

Finally, our Tree Initiative is off to a great start. 23 trees were planted in Pioneers Park on Earth Day and the Lincoln Community Foundation has provided in-kind support to our initiative to plant another 65 trees along the F Street corridor to replace trees affected by the Emerald Ash Borer. Initial support from District 5650 could bring the total raised to implement the project to $16,500 to date. All 300 trees should be planted by the end of the fall planting season.

It's been a great year at Rotary #14!

Jennifer Brinkman

President 2017-18