On Saturday night, June 21, at Side Hustle Brewery we had an exclusive presentation of Phantom of the Opera celebrating our outgoing President, Mike Tripka, and welcoming our incoming President, Charlie Wetmore.
We also announced our scholarship winner for 2025: Genesis Hernandez Cabrera, A Bluffton High School Graduate, headed to Northwestern University. Congratulations Genesis!
On 30 March 2025 our Satellite Club donated 20 boxes of hydration packs to the volunteer firefighters that were battling the Table Rock Complex Fire in Pickens and Greenville County. Total of approximately $500 worth of packs.
On 14 May 2025 our Satellite Club was discussing any new business and a member had a request for the satellite club to sponsor a young student from River Ridge Academy that has special needs to attend a summer camp on HHI so he can continue to foster his social and communication skills. We raised $600 that day at the meeting which covers 6 weeks of the summer camp.
Members of the Bluffton Rotary Club attended the Rotary International Convention in Calgary last week. Attendees included David Tirard, Susan Tirard, Dot & Gary Jeger. Total attendance was over 15,000, including those from 140 countries.
The speaker roster was headed by Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman who is a Yemeni Journalist.
During the meeting Microsoft Founder Bill Gates announced his foundation will continue the 2 for 1 matching gifts for the eradication of Polio and committed $450 Million over the next 4 years. Rotary remains committed to completing the goal of eradicating Polio. There are 12 known cases this year.
For the June 11th Satellite Club meeting Pam Toney, Executive Director of the Bluffton- Jasper Volunteers in Medicine discussed the work of her organization, which served over 7400 patients last year, while providing free medical care to a diverse population of adults without health insurance.
Patients are treated in general medicine, as well as many medical specialties such as cardiology, OBGYN, mental health, vision and dental. There is also a fully functioning pharmacy on site. 58% of the clients are employed, so evening hours are also available.
BJVIM works closely with Bluffton Self Help, to provide food, clothing and housing. Volunteer opportunities are available at VIM, especially for those with a medical or dental background.
VIM on Hilton Head Island was started by Dr. Jack McConnell in 1992. BJVIM was started in 2011 and a second clinic in Ridgeland was opened in 2016.
Regardless of issue, please let us know if something is going on to prevent you from attending our meetings. We have many members who can help, pray, or just call to lift your spirits.
Club Dues Invoices - please submit payment at your earliest convenience. Several Rotarians have outstanding balances from prior invoices - if you are unsure of who you are, please reach out to Don Kensey, Rotary Club of Bluffton Treasurer.
Do you worry about Alzheimer’s? We do not have a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but we must find one. Finding a cure starts with you. Every year the CART (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust) Fund gives research grants focused on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Have you given to the CART Fund this year? The CART Fund is dedicated to raising funds to provide “seed” money for cutting edge, high impact research in hopes of finding a cure/prevention for Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of the CART Fund is to encourage exploratory and developmental Alzheimer’s disease research projects within the United States. This is accomplished by providing financial support for the early and conceptual plans of those projects that may not yet be supported by extensive preliminary data but have the potential to substantially advance biomedical research. These projects should be distinct from those designed to increase knowledge in a well-established area unless they intend to extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications.
If you would you like to donate to the C.A.R.T. fund, please scan the code below:
The Bluffton Rotary Club has a YouTube Channel! You will find previous guest speakers and other fun videos, so be on the lookout for more content in the future. All you have to do is create a YouTube account and subscribe...with 80+ current members, we can do better than eight subscriber's!! Link:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8TYzr9_xUE8Jfy-lniTt1A
Did you know ClubRunner is now available on your mobile device app store for FREE?!? Once downloaded, use your ClubRunner log-in. This will give you instant access to our member directory, events, news and other important information. Here is a video that highlights some of the features: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFLu08meAHI&t=12s
.png)
