Rotary District Governor Greg Owen Speaks to Irvine Rotary Members Sept. 21, 2011

District Governor Greg Owen and his wife Valerie.

District Governor Greg Owen reminded us of the power of Rotarians locally, nationally and internationally as he reminded us it's Rotary's 100th anniversary.

Projects cover sanitation, book drives and wider visions. If you are a rotary member, you know that your passion for the underserved, needed or a good cause can get great support through the power of rotary. No other organization offers wide avenues of service.

Rotary's finest moment has been to help eradicate polio. Rotarians have given $1Billion to eradicate polio and teamed with Bill Gates and The Gates Foundation, who provided $355 million to complete our goal. We are expecting to meet our goal of eradicating polio off the face of the earth by the end of 2012. Rotary clubs around the world have the power to put the infrastructure in place to roll this out, and rotarians have participated in providing more than 30 million vaccinations, each kid needs 3-6 doses of vaccine to be protected.

You'll soon be seeing big tractor trailers with Eradicate Polio signs. Greg's company has allowed rotary to wrap his tractors which travel around the country. We have the opportunity to have a tractor at an event.

The Rotary Foundation goal is $200 per capital per year. Irvine Rotary Club meets and exceeds this goal. The IRC foundation is one of the top fundraising foundations in OC.

Do you contribute $1,000 during the year to rotary? If so, become a recognized donor, and half of all contriubted income comes back to our district. Currently $50,000 annually comes back to the OC district to contribute back in our community to nonprofit projects.

Dean Irwin is the speaker this year at the Foundation Dinner, plan to attend, information is being distributed to members.

Ways to Get Involved:
Makeup meetings can be done online thru the EClub, it's available 7/24. You can makeup meetings at home or during business. This online club is very appealing to those who have restructions and are unable to make meetings.

RYLA-kids leave the safety of their family and go for a long weekend to learn about leadership in the mountains in Idllywild, once a year. When they get back they don't want to get off the bus, they've made lifelong friends in a short time.

The International Rotary Convention next year takes place in Bangkok, Thailand. If you have the resources to attend, it is an amazing trip.

FUN ON THE LANES BOWLATHON NOV.13 AT FOREST LANES, SIGN UP NOW

FUN ON THE LANES BOWLATHON FUNDRAISER
NOV. 13 AT FOREST LANES, LAKE FOREST BENEFITS MANY COMMUNITY NON-PROFITS

Irvine, CA, September 24, 2011….The second annual Fun on The Lanes Bowlathon sponsored by The Irvine Rotary Foundation will again benefit many community non-profit organizations. Bowlers, bowling teams, and supporters of rotary’s great work to support non-profit organizations, are invited to participate on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, 11 am-2pm.

According to Diane Braasch, Irvine Rotarian and Bowlathon organizer, family, friends and everyone is invited to participate, cost is $30 per adult, $25 for children 10 and under and includes three games of bowling and shoe rental. Company and Rotary Club teams are encouraged, five bowlers per team. Sponsorship lane banners are available.

A silent auction featuring baskets for dining out, bowler gear, wine and more are also part of the fundraising day.

The Irvine Rotary Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is sponsoring this fun and fantastic bowling fundraiser. All proceeds benefit Irvine Rotary Club projects. Past projects include: SMILES dental clinics inCalifornia, Mexico and Haiti; Irvine Senior Center, Juvenile Diabetes Foudnation, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund, ALS Society, StoveTeam International, Boys & Girls Club, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Boy Scouts of America, and Irvine Valley College.

For more information register to bowl with Fun On the Lanes please contact Diane Braasch (494) 458-5940.

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The Incredible Egg-Irvine Rotary Club Meeting Notes, Wed., Sept. 14, 2011

Discussing the importance of animal welfare and innovative technology in modern agriculture, Brandy Gamoning of Hidden Villa Ranch presented information about the production and processing of eggs to the Rotary Club of Irvine. The presentation took the group through a virtual tour of an egg ranch—from production to processing. She also answered the groups many questions about different label claims such as and the healthfulness of eggs.

Hidden Villa Ranch is a national shell and liquid egg production, distribution, and marketing company based in Fullerton, California. Their ranches in Southern California and across the country produce both conventional and specialty eggs including organic, cage free, omega-3 and other nutrient fortified eggs.

They are committed to providing American consumers with safe, quality, affordable food. This mission relies on humane treatment of their hens and the use of innovative processing technology.

For more information on Hidden Villa Ranch’s products and services, visit www.hiddenvilla.com.

Irvine Rotary Club Meeting Notes-Wed., Sept. 7, 2011

IRVINE SOLAR INCENTIVE PROGRAM ADDS VALUE TO RESIDENTS ON TOP OF THE STATE REBATE AND FEDERAL TAX CREDIT

Citywide Solar Program Supports the Creation of a Strong Solar Community

Business owner Daniel Sullivan has a vision of creating a strong solar community out of Irvine by offering incentives to all residential, commercial and municipal properties with a Irvine solar program. The innovative program allows residents to go solar for little to no upfront cost and receive substantial cash-back awards for their involvement.

Sullivan Solar Power, who has an office in Irvine, today launched the comprehensive solar advocacy program to inspire residents to declare energy independence and make a longstanding impact on the community. Participants will receive cash-back incentives in addition to the already substantial State rebate and Federal tax credit through November 18, 2011.

“In just one hour, the sun casts enough energy upon the Earth’s surface to provide the entire world with power for one year, yet less than 1% of our electricity is generated from solar,” said Sullivan. “We need to harness this resource for the benefit of our future generations and this is our company’s way of contributing to our children’s children.”

The community solar program includes all residential and commercial Irvine properties and the early adopters will receive the largest incentives. The program also incentivizes residents to encourage their neighbors, groups and friends to go solar. Homeowners that participate in the program will be able to go solar for less than their current electric bill while strengthening the local and national economy, according to the company’s director of community relations, Erica Johnson.

“We designed Irvine’s Solar Program in a manner that will create a critical mass and encourage as many residents as possible to go solar, and hopefully, lead a solar energy revolution where we shift our dependence on fossil fuels to renewable resources,” said Sullivan.

There will be an educational solar luncheon for property owners on Saturday, October 15th at 11am at the Irvine City Hall (1 Civic Center Plaza). The presentation will inform residents about solar technology, rebates and incentives and the Irvine Solar Program.

JOIN THE SOLAR ENERGY REVOLUTION
- Be a part of America’s Energy Solution
- Receive incentives two times the State rebate
- Help your planet, help your neighbor, help your community, help yourself

Participate in the Irvine Solar Program
Launched August 15 2011, this Program has been created to encourage the creation of a strong solar community within the City of Irvine. Participants are able to go solar for as little as $0 upfront with a monthly payment equal to or less than current electric bill rates. In order to create a critical mass, businesses and homeowners who partake will receive substantial cash-back incentives in addition to the State rebate and Federal Tax Credit.

The Irvine Solar Program is exclusive to residential and commercial projects within the City of Irvine. The program will expire on November 18, 2011. The Irvine Solar Program is designed to encourage as many residents as possible to go solar. Those who sign up first will receive the greatest community incentives. There are three incentive phases and a bonus:

 The first 50,000 Watts (~10 Homes) = 7% Cash-Back Incentive
 The next 50,000 Watts (~10 homes) = 5% Cash-Back Incentive
 The next 100,000 Watts (~20 homes) = 3% Cash-Back Incentive

If residents commit to install 200,000 Watts or more, all participants will receive an additional 3% cash-back incentive bonus.

A series of educational solar community presentations are taking place to inform residents in Irvine about solar technology, rebates and incentives, and the Irvine Solar Program. Solar luncheons will be taking place on Saturday, August 27th and October 15th at 11am in the Irvine City Hall.

Additional information on the program can be found by calling 1-800-SULLIVAN or by visiting www.IrvineSolarProgram.org.

About Sullivan Solar Power
Sullivan Solar Power is a turnkey solar design-build firm. The company has installed over 6,000,000 watts of solar power ranging from small-scale residential to large-scale commercial and municipal systems. Sullivan Solar Power services all of Southern California and has been ranked as one of the fastest growing energy companies in the nation by Inc. Magazine. Regardless of project size and scope, Sullivan is committed to delivering the best products and the most qualified professionals to its customers. Please visit www.sullivansolarpower.com for more information.

LIGA, Flying Doctors of Mercy-Club Meeting notes Aug. 30, 2011

LIGA, Flying Doctors of Mercy's mission, since its beginning in 1930, has been to provide free healthcare, including medical, dental, surgical and other specialties, and health education to medically underserved children and adults in rural areas of Mexico. Fifteen years ago kids had holes in their hearts, blue babies, valve problems, those illnesses are now treated by LIGA.

Dr. Wilner, a physician and medical teacher, who has been a member of LIGA for 20 years, and Jackie Hansen, talked about the program's three clinics in Northern Sinaloa where they've treated 686 (record) surgeries for kids. Before kids died of many treatable illnesses.

Physicians, dentists, pilots and other healthcare volunteers are needed to provide for the growing number of children and adults needing treatment. Medical personnel are usually flown by volunteer pilots in privately owned airplanes, carrying four to six passengers each. These dedicated men and women bring vital and urgent care to those most in need. For every $1,000 in donations, LIGA provides over $100,000 in medical services. Almost all surgeries are successful and kids now live a normal life. The average case costs $6,000, and they do 8-10 cases per year. Kids come from anywhere in Mexico for treatment. The medical clinic where the surgeries are provided in an outpatient clinics, is located in the City of Obregon. The kids stay a week after the surgery. On average kids will take 5-6 hours to get to their surgery. Where kids could hardly walk into the clinic, months after their surgery, they will be active and normal. Most kids that come to LIGA for treatment are triaged and treated. Their lives are saved, and says the doctors, "It's very satifying volunteer work."

A typical clinic trip will see 14 to 18 small planes departing from Southern California carrying 50 to 80 volunteers to three clinics where they will see 800 to 1,000 patients. Patients receive a wide range of free medical treatment. LIGA works closely with Mexican medical personnel and volunteers to assure cooperation, education and training.

Liga also provides an opportunity for American medical students, interns and residents to enhance their medical education by visiting the interior of Mexico and participating in clinics.

Liga clinics have been supported by Rotary donations!

The Irvine Animal Care Center Scoop at Irvine Rotary Club

When you rescue a shelter pet they Know! If you have adopted a dog or cat or other animal from a shelter you understand the true meaning of this saying.

The Irvine Rotary Club proudly provides support to this award-winning program,we should all be proud of. Ron Edwards, Animal Care Administrator and Christine Franco, Program Coordinator of the Irvine Animal Care Center provided an overview of our most unique city run shelter which services the entire Irvine community, and beyond. Their low euthanasia rate, high level of donors,volunteers and supporters make this an animal shelter many other cities are envious of.

In this economy in other communities, many animals get overlooked, but not at this center. It costs $6.50 per day per animal to keep them in the shelter. Fundraising and donations is an important part of operating the shelter, but the city sure does contribute. Three outstanding programs include:
1- Extended Care-if an animal is not reclaimed within 30 days, the city pays for care of the animal for the first 45 days. And the goal is if the animal is adoptable, they will work to get it adopted.
2-Enhanced program-they fundraise for the medical funding needed to pay for injured animals including fractures, mange and more. Full time medical staff are employed to provide excellent care. Anyone wishing to adopt one of the 2,200 animals annually adopted from the center are screened first before allowed to adopt an animal.
3- Third Chance Program-This is a huge area of needed not just locally but across the country. Because the Irvine shelter is so blessed with resources, as space allows, they go to other shelters from as far away as Escondido, Inland Empire and Los Angeles to rescue animals that are adoptable and bring them locally. Irvine truly save lives from beyond our community. There is a big demand from other shelters for help and Irvine shelter heeds the call. And our Irvine community has a big demand to adopt shelter animals.
You can participate by becoming a volunteer (ages 17+)and walking a dog or petting a cat, attending the Super Pet Adoption Day where you can adopt a Certified Pet, and their annual fundraiser Casino Night! Specials include Senior Pets for Senior People, a special low fee.

Adopt a Pre-Loved Pet Today! Visit www.IrvineShelter.org.

August 16, 2011 Meeting Notes

Sports is a part of our American way. Whether you are able or disabled, most of us have a desire to play with the team!

David Armendariz, Regional Director of the Special Olympics, Southern California, enlightened our rotary club about the breadth and depth of the organization. 3.1 million SA athletes compete in 195 countries around the globe. This effective organization provides kids and adults with disabilities with an opportunity everyday to maximize their potential in sports. Ethel Kennedy created the organization almost 50years ago. There are many volunteer opportunities to work with SA, meet and get to know the disabled and see them in action.

SA is a sports traiing and competition organization for the disabled athletes. They are able to develop their skills thru sports. At one time this group was forgotten, now they are center stage, around the world. Athletes learn to compete, be a good team mate, communicate, and build skills.

They want to win, like any athlete. SA compete in 12 sports. The minimum age is 8, and seniors age 70-87 participate. SA athletes are five times more likely to be employed, than their peers.

Ralphs Market grand reopening

In celebration of the ribbon cutting ceremony of Ralphs at Walnut and Culver, Irvine Rotary coordinated with Irvine Eagles Special Olympics of Southern California, Orange County Region team, and Boy Scouts Troop 691, to attend the event. The collaborative participation, was to jointly promote self confidence and self esteem through participation in sports and scouting. And that, sporting and scouting are for all, regardless of any physical limitation.

Each non-profit entity, Special Olympics and Boy Scouts Trooop 691, will receive a monetary grant from Ralph's Foundation to recognize the work they do for youth in Irvine Community. The grant will be used to fund future sporting and scouting projects.

The Ralphs Foundation gave the Irvine Eagles a $2,500 grant to help to underwrite sports during the upcoming Fall season. The grant will also help double the number of athletes participating in the Irvine Eagles bowling program.

Special Olympics provides a year-round sports training and competition program for men, women and children with an intellectual disability. Through the power of sports, the athletes gain important life skills and experiences that enhance self-confidence and self-esteem.

Irvine Rotary Club supports the activities of Irvine Eagles through sports uniform donations, volunteering at Special Olympics games, and joined baseball game attendance over the years.




Irvine Boy Scout Troop 691, received a $500 grant to help fund the 40th Anniversary Celebration of Troop 691 and Eagles Reunion this December 19, 2011.

Established in 2006, Irvine Rotary Foundation is the charitable arm of the Irvine Rotary Club. The Foundation has its own Board of Directors and Officers separate from the Rotary club, with the elected Officers and Directors drawn from the members of the Irvine Rotary Club. The Foundation has tax-exempt status under IRS code 501(c)(3), Charitable Corporation.

The Foundation raises money and makes charitable contributions in accordance with the following guidelines:

Contributions to schools for educational scholarships;

Charitable contributions for youth activities and to youth organizations within, or substantially benefiting, the Irvine area and/or California;

Other charitable organizations within, or substantially benefiting, the Irvine area and/or California;

Charitable organizations which help alleviate suffering in a time of crisis, wherever situated; and

Other charitable organizations approved by a majority of the Members of the Foundation.

Irvine Public Safety Partnership Awards

Mody Gorsky of the Irvine Rotary Club presents the Irvine Public Safety Partnership award to Anthony Johnson of Universal Protection Service for his invaluable assistance to the
Irvine Police Department in solving a series of recent vehicle break-ins at The Market Place. Assisting in the presentation are Irvine Police Chief David Maggard and Detective John Condon.

Irvine Rotary supports Irvine Adult Day Health Care

Kris Khurana and Cisca Stellhorn present Kimberly Beesom (center) with a $1,000 check to support the Irvine Adult Day Health Center. The IADHC was one of the casualties of the Governor Jerry Brown's decision to take away funding for community programs in an attempt to balance the California budget.