Stopping the Virus; Carrying on Scholarships

 

Rotarians Kristen Stanley (of Malta Sunrise) and Sue Austin (of Schenectady East) distributed face shields recently to Ballston Spa High School. This was part of a program discussed by District Governor Rich Griesche at our Oct. 29 meeting.

It is also part of our club's Stop the Virus campaign, which has included distribution of face masks; and, most recently, 8-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer in cartons of 12. One of our members, Glenn Rockwood, donated 100 cartons of hand sanitizer to the club. While six were taken to Shelters of Saratoga, the great majority of cartons and bottles have been given to people within the town of Malta, especially seniors. The last batch of 10 cartons will be brought Thursday to Chango Elementary School with our weekly Bountiful Backpacks drop-off.

Speaking of schools, our scholarship program is cranking up for another year.

The Malta Sunrise Rotary Club expects to award two scholarships in 2021 to two graduating high school seniors. The first-place selected student will be awarded a one-time scholarship of $1,000. Additionally, a one-time $500 scholarship may be awarded to the runner-up scholarship finalist.

Applicants should demonstrate strong involvement in community service and excellence in their core curriculum education as shown by a minimum 90 high school GPA. Consideration will be given to financial need as shown by the expected family contribution on the FAFSA. 

The applicants must reside in the Town of Malta, including the Village of Round Lake. This may include students enrolled at Ballston Spa High School, Shenendehowa Central Schools, any accredited private or parochial schools, and students participating in an accredited home-school program as long as their legal residence is within the Town of Malta. Postal addresses within the Town of Malta vary. School district officials and officials at Malta Town Hall may be able to assist you if you are uncertain about whether you qualify as a Malta resident.

The applicants should plan to attend any accredited university, college, community college or vocational/technical institute beginning in the fall of 2021.

Payment will be made directly to the student upon receipt of the award or disbursed in a manner in compliance with the student’s school district policies.

Applications are available in school counseling offices and/or by inquiry to Malta Sunrise Rotary Scholarship Chair Paul Phillips: (518) 584-4625 or email paulandjeanp@yahoo.com .

To Shelters

 

At Thursday's meeting, Cynthia Young brought along boxes of hand sanitizer donated as a fund-raiser by our member Glenn Rockwood. Each box contains 12 bottles. Some members paid $24 per box for six to be donated to Shelters of Saratoga, which were brought there after the meeting by Bob and Barbara Conner. Other boxes may be bought by members and donated, or the bottles may be resold as a Rotary fund-raiser. 

Larrys and Other Business

 

Larry Bailey, right, from the Twin Bridges Rotary Club, presented our president, Larry Levine, with the new "Rotary Opens Opportunities" banner, and gave pins to our members, at this morning's business meeting. He is also looking for members willing to serve on a nominating committee to designate a future governor for Rotary District 7190.

We donated $100 to Seeds for Peace, and plan to schedule a work day to help the local nonprofit sort and pack seeds for distribution to needy communities around the world.

We discussed an offered donation of hand sanitizer bottles from our member Glen Rockwood, and selling them for $2 each as a fund-raiser.

Seeds for Peace

 

Linda LeTendre, the speaker at yesterday's meeting, is shown with Kristen Stanley in background, along with Mike Williams on Zoom screen and a few other Malta Rotarians in mirror.

Linda, a member of the Burnt Hills Ballston Lake Rotary Club, spoke about Seeds for Peace, a local nonprofit which donates seeds to people who need them in places ranging from Bosnia to Haiti, multiple countries in Africa, and the United States. The organization is looking for new volunteers, for tasks ranging from sorting and packing to serving on the board. It also can use cash donations.

Paul Phillips, a Malta Rotarian who has for many years done volunteer work in Uganda, said gardens have become increasingly important for food supply there with much of the economy shut down because of the Covid pandemic. Seeds for Peace, he said, was a great help in supplying the garden of a school in northern Uganda which is sponsored by AOET.

Also at the meeting was District 7190 Governor Rich Griesche, who told us he and Sue Austin are working to distribute donated plastic face shields to institutions such as schools, where band members, for example, can play instruments with them whereas they could not while wearing masks. 

Rich is also planning a November 24 evening fund-raiser on Zoom for the Rotary Foundation, with participation from Jennifer Jones, who is slated to become the first female president of Rotary International in 2022-23.

Cleanup Crew (with Helen behind Camera)

 

This morning's crew for our Dunning Street cleanup included, from left, Larry Levine, Miles Cornthwaite, Bob Conner, Kristen Stanley and Dave Kruczlnicki. Also working was Helen Endres, who took the photo.

Ask for a Mask in Malta (Updated with Video)

 

We have spent $300 of club money, and are applying for additional grant funding from the GlobalFoundries-Town of Malta Foundation, to acquire face masks for Malta businesses in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Rotarians are now contacting businesses in town to encourage them to participate in the program, supplying each with free emergency masks for potential customers or clients who left home without one. 

Rotarian and former town Supervisor Paul Sausville, who is spearheading the effort, said "The masks are a three-ply, high density layered screening system." Posters (see above; they also have information on the back) are being distributed to businesses willing to display them. 

The current Malta supervisor, Darren O'Connor, said in an email: "Thanks very much for taking the initiative members!!! Great work. I'm copying the Town Board."

Also involved in the effort are former Saratoga County Public Health Director Helen Endres, a Rotary member, and club President Larry Levine. For more information, contact Sausville (engineer@nycap.rr.com; 518-885-4533) or Levine (llevinepe@gmail).

In other recent business, we allocated $200 for a Schuylerville family whose uninsured home was destroyed by fire, after being contacted by a relative who is a former member and president of our club. 

And we got an update from a Lesotho project which we have helped support. One of our members at Thursday's meeting said she noticed an improvement in the writing of a student from that African country with whom she has corresponded.

Here's NBC affiliate Channel 13's take on the story.

Diner, Blood, Backpacks

 We are moving our meetings away from the Shenantaha Park and back to the Malta Diner, starting tomorrow, Thursday October 1, at 7:15 a.m. However, because of the ongoing Covid pandemic, several members will attend from home via Zoom. Any member who has not received the Zoom link via email and wants it should get in touch with Mike Williams or another Rotarian.

The September 22 Red Cross blood drive at the Malta Community Center coordinated by Mike was a success, collecting 50 units -- 15 more than the goal.

We will be resuming our assistance to the Bountiful Backpacks program in the Shenendehowa School District, delivering food to qualified students at Chango Elementary in Malta.