Stories
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Alicia Milne, Development Director at RMH |
Rotary International Director Johrita SolariPortland Sunrise Rotary Club welcomes Rotary International Director Johrita Solari |
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Tom Atwell - Maine Gardener - May 6th 2020Join us for this week’s guest speaker - writer Tom Atwell, aka the Maine Gardener |
DA Jonathan SahrbeckDistrict Attorney Jonathan SahrbeckFebruary 27th 2020 |
Joe Chappell from CCEMA speaks to the Portland Sunrise Rotary Group.Today we had Joe Chappell from the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) speak to us about individual disaster preparedness. Thank you, Joe, for an interesting and informative presentation!  |
Portland Sunrise Helps Preble Street Resource CenterGreat things are happening at the Portland Sunrise Rotary Club! Today we heard from Gracie Johnson of the Portland Rotary Group and Ali Brauner, Volunteer Manager at the Preble Street Resource Center about volunteer opportunities for our group at Preble Street. Thank you Gracie and Ali!  From Left to Right: Gracie Johnson - Portland Rotary, Christine Byrne - Portland Sunrise Rotary President, Ali Brauner - Preble Street Resource Center Volunteer Manager |
District Grant 2019Assistant District Governor Laura Young stopped by our meeting today to present us with our district grant for our upcoming Front Street Community Center Project. We are really excited to get going on this project!!  From left to right: ADG Laura Young, Sunrise Rotary President Christine Byrne, and Group Member Brian McCambridge. |
Tri for a CureTwo of our Rotarians ran into each other, literally, during this year's Tri for a Cure. Here are Katie and Christine, all smiles as they help raise over $2 million for cancer research!  |
Changing of the Guard!On the cusp of a new Rotary year, a callback to our club origins!  |
Dinner time at Ronald McDonald HouseOur recent night as Guest Chefs at Ronald McDonald House in Portland |
Party with a Purpose 2019 - only 1 week to go!Our 2019 Party with a Purpose in aid of the Maine Children's Cancer Program is only one week away! Wednesday May 22nd 2019 DiMillo's Restaurant in Portland  |
5 Rotary women leading the fight to end polioTo mark International Women's Day, a great article on five Rotary women who are in the forefront of the battle to eradicate polio...including our own Ann Lee Hussey |
Party with a Purpose 2019Save the date! Our 2019 Party with a Purpose in aid of the Maine Children's Cancer Program will take place Wednesday May 22nd 2019 at DiMillo's Restaurant in Portland. This year's event promises to be bigger and better than ever! Stay tuned for more details... |
This Week's Speaker - Amy Schram, Better Business BureauAmy Schram, Community Relations Manager |
This week's speaker: Meghan Carey, Co-AmplifyOur speaker this week - Meghan Carey, Chief Executive of Co-Amplify |
Casa Maine |
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New Members!At today's meeting we welcomed not one, not two, but three new members! A very warm welcome to (l to r) Kath Hall, Liliane Ruvakubusa & Katie Soule.  |
Back Cove Sunrise 5K 2017!
Our 2nd Annual Back Cove Sunrise 5K was a great success - beautiful weather and a strong turnout. Congrats to our winners: Female:
Male:
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Back Cove Sunrise 5K - it's nearly here!
Only six days to go to the 2017 Back Cove Portland Sunrise 5K! The weather forecast is great and we have some excellent prizes again this year courtesy of Galeyrie in Falmouth - see pic below! See you at the Back Cove!  |
Back Cove Sunrise 5K 2017!
The Back Cove Sunrise 5K is back for its second year! This race on a waterfront trail around Portland's scenic Back Cove raises funds for Rotary's efforts to end Polio worldwide and Portland Sunrise Rotary's service projects in our local community. The starting line for the race will be to the left of the main parking lot across from Hannaford. Register online today! http://running4free.com/ |
Interact Pizza Party!
Celebrating our Interact Club of Casco Bay High School! These students work so hard in and out of the classroom and we are so proud of them!
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1st Annual Back Cove Sunrise 5K |
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Speak Clearly Accent Reduction |
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 After a winter spent chasing the sun, your president is back in Portland. While in Mexico, I visited the Chapala Sunrise Rotary Club and exchanged banners. To the right I'm seen with with President John Gonzales. The club is less than a year old but made up of expats and business people from the Guadalajara area. In a short time, the club of about 30 members has accomplished a truly amazing amount of work. One of their most notable projects was construction of a dormitory for a local childrens home.
Also visited in Mexico was the silver mining city of Guanajuato. Colorful homes stacked against the mountainside in a city that has all vehicles running in tunnels under the city made for a most beautiful scene. It's definitely a beautiful city worth visiting if you ever have a chance.
Then off to Galveston and our new little home. Six weeks of crazy toil and we were done with a place we can truly call our own. Next winter y'all come on down!
It's good to be back in Maine. I've received great reports on how smoothly all went in my absence. Two pizza fundraisers and our annual wine social and auction for Maine Children's Cancer took place while I was gone. And now we are headed for the home stretch. Coming up in June will be the Old Port Festival. More about that later in this newsletter. I look forward to seeing you all and rolling up my sleeves to join you in some great projects!
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Brings the Future to 7780 District Conference |
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Jim Brennan, COO & Co-Founder of PS It Matters Jim Brennan, COO and Co-founder of PS It Matters, a company based in York, Maine was the November 6 speaker. Jim has a diverse business experience that includes large corporation, entrepreneurial ventures and a support of non-profits that has spanned his entire career. After living in Europe for seven years, he returned in 2008 with a commitment to develop and build socially focused for-profit businesses that would create monthly reoccurring revenue streams to support their missions. The elimination of hunger in our communities by way of creating business with a "double bottom line"...profitability and donations to Food Banks/Pantries from every purchase...is his sole focus. He remains a director and advisor in a number of entrepreneurial ventures.Jim spoke at many venues and began to realize that while food banks and pantries would indeed remain beneficiaries of their work, the original company, Meals 4 Ohers could help others fund their passions by changing the business profile. Starting in December of this year 15% of the cost of any purchase will be donated to the purchaser's designated charity. The buyer chooses and Jim's company writes the check. What a fabulous idea for corporate gift buyers AND any of us looking to give unusual gifts at a personal level.
Ordering is available online at the website or you can shop at their retail store on Route 1 in York.
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Another Paul Harris!!!.jpg) Pat Knudsen was honored on October 23rd as our 5th Paul Harris of the year. Pat is the person who always keeps us on track with our community services projects. She is responsible for scheduling many of our service commitments and has always been a champion of both our American Red Cross Blood Drives and our Guest Chef participation at Ronald McDonald House. Pat is a multiple Paul Harris recipient and her new pin sports a lovely sapphire. Pat is shown here, left, with President Sally Pachulski. Congratulations and a huge thank you for your generous gifts to the Rotary Foundation.
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Patient Airlift Services Annie Beaulieu, Maine Outreach Coordinator for PALS, was our featured speaker on August 28th. PALS is a volunteer organization that flies patients to medical appointments all over the East Coast. Many of these patients struggle to find the money to afford transportation to or from the airport so without PALS, they would not be able to see the necessary specialists. Annie described a typical day of being at the airport before 5:00 AM to do preflight before hopping off to Aroostook to begin picking up patients. Many stops later, the plane may be in Portland for pickup and dropoff and then on to Boston and even points beyond. At the end of the day the pilot and crew are there to pick up the patients and deliver them to their home airports, finally arriving home late in the evening. This job is truly a labor of love!
The clientele includes many children and their parents. Burn victims, cancer sufferers and more. Adults are also passengers. The organization tries hard to never turn anyone away.
More information about PALS is available at http://www.palservices.org/
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Amazing Paul Harris Fellows The month of August 2014 should go down in history for our club. Four of our twenty members, 20%!!! of our membership, received Paul Harris Fellowship Awards this month. Dave Walsh and Mary Jo Cross each received their Paul Harris plus 1 award. This award is presented to donors who have received a previous award and given a sufficient amount over time to qualify for a second award.
Ed Powell and Jim Schmidt qualified for their first Paul Harris. A special thanks should go out to these selfless individuals who are giving others, strangers across the world, access to a better life through their gifts.
L to R - Ed Powell, Mary Jo Cross, Dave Walsh, Jim Schmidt
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Human Trafficking in Maine Amy Volk is the State Representative for House District 127, which includes part of Scarborough in Cumberland County. This year her bill, which helps victims of human trafficking, was signed into law. She spoke about how many people are sold over and over and really have no choice regarding entering a life of prostitution. The new law makes sex trafficking an affirmative defense to the charge of prostitution, preventing victims of trafficking from being branded with a criminal conviction. The measure also fines perpetrators of sex trafficking $500-$1,000 in addition to existing penalties and allows victims to draw from the Victims' Compensation Fund.
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Foundation for Women - Liberia
The outbreak of ebola in Liberia and several other West African nations has been horrifying to watch as it quickly spreads due to lack of proper sanitation. Although the outbreak CAN be stopped with proper safeguards taken, many basic supplies such as bleach, rubber gloves and hand sanitizer are in short supply. Foundation for Women, a group that has successfully been doing micro credit lending to change the lives of the people, has organized a drive to bring basic medical and cleaning supplies to the country. Tracy Eames spoke with us last week about the need and how her Rotarian friend, Deborah Lindholm, founder and CEO of Foundation for Women, has left the country for a bit but is organizing the collection and shipment from California. The club voted to make a donation and many members expressed a wish to help out on a personal level. Here is a link to the site for more information. http://www.foundationforwomen.org/index.php
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Physicians for Social Responsibility Doug Dransfield, MD, a retired pediatrician formerly with Maine Medical spoke to us about the need for global nuclear disarmament. Doug is on the board of the Maine Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a Nobel Peace Prize winning international organization focusing on preventing the use or spread of nuclear weapons; slowing, stopping and reversing global warming and stopping the toxic degradation of our environment. Doug's presentation dealt with the impact of nuclear weapons on the world and the threat which they pose. His presentation sparked many questions. Many thanks for a very informative talk. |
Compass Project Cardboard Boat RegattaJuly 19, 2014 was a fun day for the Portland Sunrise Sailing Crew. We didn't sink!!! Thanks Commodore Michael, First Mate John, Dave, Jim and Ed! Great job!! If a slide show doesn't show up, please click the story headline and you will be taken to a page where you can view some highlights from the day.
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Ronald McDonald House
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Wrap a Smile
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What is CoWorking?
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Portland Food Co-op
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Shannon Moss Makes a VisitShannon Moss, Producer and Host of "Split Screen with Shannon Moss" was a recent speaker at the club. She's shown here with our own Michael Nazemetz.
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Operation Warm |
Food Drive Benefitting Preble St. Resource Center
Christine Byrne and new Rotarian Kathi Adams at our food drive to benefit Preble St. Resource Center. We filled the trailer and raised over $100.00 in cash donations!! |
PDG Marty Helman Presents Banner to Past President Sam Heck
Past President Sam Heck accepts a banner from Past District Governor Marty Helman |
Steve Weigle of the Portland Public Library Bookmobile loves his work!! |
The Governor Visits
Carolyn Johnson, 7780 District Governor was our speaker today. She began her presentation with the premise that everyone has a story. And everyone has a Rotary story. She shared some of her special Rotary stories, one that took place in Yarmouth and one in a rural mountain village in Guatemala.
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GoodwillAnna Eleanor Roosevelt, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England gave the club a most informative presentation regarding Goodwill, how it works and who benefits. The credo at Goodwill is "nothing wasted" and Anna brought us through the donation process and where all that "stuff" ends up. Each Goodwill is operated separately and the Northern New England chapter is cutting edge.
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What a Meeting!
August 29th proved to be a triple header! First, we received an award from the American Red Cross for our work holding blood drives twice a year. We also talked about our upcoming blood drive on September 20th from 7AM to 2PM.
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Portland ConnectED
Mike Dixon, Executive Director, Portland ConnectED
Our August 15, 2013 Speaker was Mike Dixon, Executive Director of Portland ConnectED, a collaboration of organizations aiming to build and sustain citywide culture dedicated to supporting highly effective education for Portland's youth, for Portland families and for the Portland Community at large.
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Mark Your Calendars!Save the date! Join us on Monday June 10th at the Falmouth Country Club for the 20th Annual Rotary Club of Casco Bay Sunrise Golf Tournament!
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GSE Team Visit
GSE Team visits Portland Head Light on a foggy morning. |
A Future RotarianInspired by our own Ann Lee Hussey, this young man is now an inspiration to us all! http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130713/GJNEWS_01/130719671 |
Changing of the Guard
June 27th marked our changeover with a packed house welcoming our new president, John Henninges as he took over the leadership role from Sam Heck. |
Ronald McDonald HouseDevin, Sally, Dennis, Ed and John cooked up a daring spaghetti dinner for the guests at the Ronald McDonald House in Portland. A fun time!
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Please join us for Party with a Purpose presented by the Portland Sunrise Rotary Club to benefit the Maine Children's Cancer Program. 
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Saying goodbye to a club member is always hard and it was a bittersweet meeting today as we bid farewell to Dianne Procida. Dianne has been a dynamic force within our club and she will be sorely missed. Dianne is leaving us to accompany her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren to Italy where she will live for several years. We look forward to keeping up with Dianne's exciting new adventure and hope to see her in the future!
Our speaker May 14 was Josh Corbin from On Belay. The organization works with children whose lives have been touched by cancer, usually a parent or sibling who has or is being treated for the disease. Through adventure based programs, On Belay teaches these children that they do have power and that they can be resilient. It was a powerful message from a growing and important organization. More information is available at 
Jennifer Archer is an attorney who works with ILAP. The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) provides free and low-cost immigration information and legal assistance to low-income Maine residents. She explained some of the types of cases she has worked on, and drove home the importance of the work that ILAP does. Many immigrants served have suffered terribly in their native countries and arrive in the US with nothing. They have sometimes had to leave under threat of death or unjust imprisonment. Due to their state of poverty here, they may be victimized again.
June 13 is our next night to cook at Ronald McDonald House. Joining our team will be District Governor Carolyn Johnson. If you have never volunteered at RMH, you are in for a treat. Parents with seriously ill children are so grateful for what you do. Interested? Sign up to help with Jim or Pat. Next year we are serving as Guest Chefs once a month. The dates are on the calendar on the website. Speak with Pat or Honoré if you wish to cook one night later in the year.
Terry Hodskins, President-Elect of the Wells Rotary Club, told us today about the hobby she turned into a gift for children worldwide who are the recipients of surgery through Rotary. Wanting to do something to help out Rotoplast which performs cleft palate surgery to children in need around the world, she asked if she could send a quilt with the team to give to a child having surgery. Then she asked how many surgeries would be performed. She decided then to meet the challenge and had quilt groups start making and donating quilts. Her effort, Wrap a Smile, is now just shy of 20,000 donated quilts! Thanks, Terry, for showing how a hobby can sometimes change into something beneficial to people far away.
Need an office space for a month? Three months? Patrick Roche, Owner and Director of Think Tank CoWorking, gave us a look into the small business office of the future, a place where entrepreneurs can work and exchange ideas in an open workspace. With two locations, Portland and Yarmouth, Patrick provides the area with space to grow small business. His Portland space provides 6000 square feet of open, dynamic workspace plus dedicated offices while Yarmouth offers 2500 square feet of open space and six offices. The concept of CoWorking is fairly new and Patrick gave us a great introduction to the work environment of the future.
