Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club
Best Darn Club in the World
You are all invited to a special BBRC September Third Thursday!
When: 3rd Thursday (duh!), September 19th, 4:30 to 6:30 PM.
Where: The lake front home of Chris & Pam Monger, 304 W. Lake Sammamish Parkway NE in Bellevue.
Bring: A beverage to enjoy and perhaps an appetizer.
Note: both speedo and thong bathing attire is discouraged.
RSVP to Robin Callan or Chris Monger if you will attend.
Colleen Turner and the Pedersen clan were able to visit Elk Run Farm this past Saturday and get a first-hand look at a remarkable example of Rotary action right here in our area. Elk Run Farm, built on a former golf course, now grows and distributes vegetables for distribution to hungry families and individuals through the 12 members of the South King County Food Coalition.
After Elk Run Golf Course closed in 2014, Elk Run Farm was born on 4.5 acres of the former golf course. The urban farm project broke ground in October 2015 with support from South-end Rotary clubs and Rotary District 5030. Rotary First Harvest, through its Harvest Against Hunger program, has placed AmeriCorps VISTA and National Civilian Community Corps resources to develop the farm. The farm started harvesting vegetables in September 2016 and continues to operate its mission, while providing these benefits:
• Produce and distribute roughly 60,000 lbs. of fresh, organic produce to the South King County emergency food system, increasing the food security of some of our region’s most vulnerable residents.
• Host a field trip program and introduce thousands of pre-k through high school students to hands on organic farming and gardening, nutrition, and environmental stewardship.
• Host employment training programs for youth, elders, immigrant and refugee communities, and other groups with higher than average barriers to employment or those experiencing food insecurity.
• Introduce elements of local food system economic growth into Kentlake, Kentwood, and the future Tahoma High Schools as well as the community learning center campus planned for the land across the street from the potential farm site.
• Improve the public safety of the area in which the farm is located through community stewardship, increased eyes on the property, and community connection with the land.
The farm has become a showcase for organic, community based farming, and recently received an award from the King Conservation District and King County Executive (and fellow Rotarian) Dow Constantine for its work. To learn more about the farm and opportunities to support this endeavor please click on the yellow button to be taken to their Facebook page.
Rotating the Wheels
The BBRC House Band started the evening with a going-away serenade to Sayoko Kuwahara, our erstwhile club administrator with a rousing rendition of “Club Administrator” to the Beatles
tune Paperback Writer.
Sayoko assured the club that Spider Monkey and the Fairy Godmother would be back from time to time, even though she was leaving the club administrator post.
The House Band then broke into “Johnny Martinka” to the tune of Lady Madonna, complete with a rousing club accompaniment of kazoos.
Wendi Fisher, the mistress of ceremonies for the event, introduced Doug Cameron for the invocation and pledge.
Special Guest Speaker Cordell Josiah of the Rotary Club of Antigua spoke about the cooperation between our club and
those in Antigua in delivering computers, dictionaries and sewing machines. To date, our club has been responsible for 1000 computers, 8000 dictionaries, 46 computer labs and four industrial sewing machines, which have been used to better the lives of Antiguan women. [Read more…] about Rotating the Wheels Dinner