Skillful Presenters and Writers Cover Weighty topics using the 4-Way Test

June 2, 2024June 1, 2024 / jinnyn

The 4-Way Test is an ethical problem-solving tool, the subject of which area middle school students write essays and area high school students write speeches for presentation. Ben Hodge, Superintendent of Avon Local Schools and North Coast Rotary’s Speech and Essay Contest Chair, coordinates both programs with the assistance of Avon, Avon Lake and Brookside teachers. 2024 marked the 12^th year for North Coast Rotary’s Speech Contest and the 8^th year for the Essay Contest.

This year, Max Wojtus, Avon High School, won North Coast Rotary’s 4-Way Test Speech Contest and went on to compete with 15 other speech contest winners in the recent District competition. Avon High School junior Anika Singh placed second in North Coast Rotary’s contest; Avon Lake’s Kamryn Hess placed third and Avon Lake’s Tyler Birk and Brookside’s Bree Fawley placed fourth. Speech topics included: Why Smoking Cigarettes Should be Banned; Money Can’t Buy Happiness; Child Abuse; Hypermasculinity; and Being a Woman in STEM.

Twelve students, six each, from Avon’s and Avon Lake’s middle school participated in the 4-Way Test Essay contest. They were the top twelve of many submissions. Six won cash awards and all students were recognized with certificates. “Embracing Uniqueness” the essay written by an Avon Lake Student; won first place overall and first place for Avon Lake. Avon Student’s submission “AI in the Art Community” placed second overall and placed first for Avon; and Avon Lake student’s essay “Honesty is the Best Policy” placed 3^rdoverall and second place for Avon Lake. Three other Student’s essays won cash awards.

We commend those students who participate in these competitions; they invest extra time and effort to understand and apply ethical decision-making tools like the 4-Way test. North Coast Rotary also recognizes and thanks the teachers, and speech and essay judges who assist us in these programs.

Rotary supports CRS Easter Brunch Bags

April 2, 2024 / jinnyn

Mindy Penn at CRS accepted North Coast Rotary’s donation of 60 dozen eggs for the Community Resource Services’ Easter brunch bags for families in need.

Volunteers from New Westsiders supplied an additional 30 dozen eggs for a successful Easter Brunch Bag project.

On May 14th, Rotarians will help CRS sort and stock donations from the “Stamp Out Hunger” campaign.

Community Support is important to us; thank you to CRS for providing these opportunities to help!

Welcome New Members!

December 5, 2023December 4, 2023 / jinnyn

North Coast Rotary enthusiastically welcomed three valued additions to our membership: Avon Lake City Schools Superintendent Joelle Magyar, Main Event Sales Manager Diamonds Holsey and French Creek Family Y Membership Director Taylor Robinson.

They have already made a difference in our club and foundation.

In spite of their busy schedules, Superintendent Magyar and Asst. Supt. Jack Dibbee (alternate Rotarian) involved themselves in Rotary’s Pizza Bake-Off Fundraiser at the Avon Lake High School to ensure its success!

Main Event Manager Diamonds Holsey has donated game passes to the Students of the Month from Avon, Avon Lake and Brookside High Schools, and recently hosted Rotarians for a tour and meeting.

Membership Director Taylor Robinson is the Y’s liaison, helping North Coast Rotary with the Blankets for Beds collection, Rotary Garden at the French Creek Family Y and our weekly meetings.

North Coast Rotary has 30 members from various locales with a range of expertise, and all with a commitment to helping our communities, regions and the world to be a better place now and in the future.

Join Rotary

Parent Assistance Programs through Local Schools

December 3, 2023December 2, 2023 / jinnyn

North Coast Rotary is supporting local schools with their efforts to help families with a variety of parent assistance programs. With Supt. Ben Hodge’s support Rotarians are helping with Avon City School’s SOAR Through Parenting programs with topics geared towards children age kindergarten through 5^th grade. In October, parents attended the interactive program and discussion on “Teaching Social Skills & Responding to Bullying”, presented by school social workers Lauren Eigenbrod and Rebekah Bryson. The November program was “Raising well-adjusted children and improving their self-esteem.” Parents engaged with the Social Workers and each other and were appreciative of written and emailed resource material. Rotarians donated the refreshments and helped as needed.

Two more sessions are planned in Avon to include “Distinguishing between generalized anxiety and stressful situations” and “How to teach appropriate use of screen time and social media.” Please reach out to Lauren or Beka if you need more information: eigenbrodl@avoneagles.org or brysonr@avoneagles.org

Adopt-A-Bed The LCADA Way

November 12, 2023 / jinnyn

North Coast Rotary Foundation presented The LCADA Way Key with a check for $600 to Adopt-A-Bed for women in recovery. Adopt A Bed is a one-year sponsorship to support one bed area at The Key Women’s Center. The donation provides a welcome basket filled with toiletries including face and body towels, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and other sundries and supports each Infant/Child with diapers and formula. This is North Coast Rotary’s third year sponsoring a bed-area. Learn more about the program here:

/https://thelcadaway.org/adopt-a-bed/

Empty Bowls by the Lake Event at Avon Lake High School

October 25, 2023October 22, 2023 / jinnyn

With many other volunteers Rotarians picked up soup, checked in guests, served soup and helped clean up at the 12^th annual Empty Bowls by the Lake event this past weekend. This is the second year that Rotarians have volunteered. Find out more about the non-profit here: emptybowlsbythelake.org

NWS Volunteers partner on Blankets for Beds Project

October 23, 2023October 22, 2023 / jinnyn

Over the past several months Rotary obtained hundreds of imperfect blankets vacuum sealed in bags of 5 – 8 blankets each. They were donated by a Groveport, Ohio manufacturer. New Westsider Club-Volunteers joined Rotarians on four different occasions to unpack, sort for cleaning, sewing or good for the animal shelter. All the immediately usable ones were rewrapped to be distributed to organizations helping those in need. Dozens of imperfect blankets required hours of additional sewing repair and again volunteers from New Westsiders accepted the challenge.

Sixty-five blankets were distributed at the Homeless Stand Down at Sacred Heart Church in South Lorain last week. “Thank you for the blankets, they were wonderful. All of them were gone before the end of the Stand Down!” wrote an organizer of the Lorain County Taskforce for the Homeless (it’s 10th annual event).

We couldn’t have done this without the help of New Westsider volunteers – Thank you!

Rotarians at CRS

October 21, 2023 / jinnyn

On a Tuesday evening, Rotarians were able to support CRS by checking donated products, sorting them and stocking shelves. “You accomplished a lot,” said the CRS Executive Director. We look forward to helping at CRS again.

In continued support of people in need, we will be picking up soup and serving soup at Empty Bowls by the Lake on Saturday October 21^st. That’s today – hope to see you there!

Great Pizza and Fun at ALHS Bake-Off in Support of Rotary’s Youth and Community Initiatives

September 25, 2023 / jinnyn

North Coast Rotary thanks our community supporters, Avon Lake City Schools, Lorain County Community College, Avon Lake Public Library, First Federal of Lakewood, a host of sponsors and our pizzerias for a very successful fundraiser!

Rotarians, Interactors, Key Club, Emcees Jack Dibee and Joelle Magyar made the evening flow smoothly. The pictures say it all. Thank you!