The Avalon Rotary Club installed its new officers on July 1 for the 2013-2014 year at the M Restaurant.
Chamber of Commerce President Wayne Griffin presided over the ceremony of outgoing president Lourdes Thoricht, passing the gavel to the incoming president, Autumn Reifensnyder. Attendees enjoyed a spectacular meal put together by Chef Kathleen Bombard and party planner Cinde Cassidy.
The Avalon Rotary Club installed its new officers on July 1 for the 2013-2014 year at the M Restaurant.
Chamber of Commerce President Wayne Griffin presided over the ceremony of outgoing president Lourdes Thoricht, passing the gavel to the incoming president, Autumn Reifensnyder. Attendees enjoyed a spectacular meal put together by Chef Kathleen Bombard and party planner Cinde Cassidy.
The Rotarian of the Year award was given to Rita Whitaker. Whitaker is the first person from Santa Catalina Island to work with the 45 Rotary clubs in the District of Southern California as an assistant governor.
Whitaker has a busy career as a nurse for both the Catalina Island Medical Center and Sharp Hospital in San Diego.
However, she always makes time to keep her commitments to Rotary.
The Citizen of the Year was awarded to Dr. Richard Denney for going above and beyond with his expertise and bottomless concern for the health and well being of Catalina pets and wildlife.
He exemplifies the ideal of the Rotary motto: “Service Above Self.”
The Interact Student of the Year award went to Jordan Williams. Both Lourdes Thoricht and Karin Hague praised her leadership in this important program for the high school students of Avalon.
Seven members of the club received recognition for giving at least a thousand dollars to the Rotary International Foundation this year.
Rotary is one of the top rated charities in the world and is close to the finish line in eradicating the crippling disease polio.
Incoming President Autumn Reifensnyder just returned from the Rotary International Convention in Portugal where she met up with Rita and Kelly Whitaker.
Reifensnyder said that being in the company of 20,000 people bent on doing good in the world was indescribable.
It was a massive expo of global humanitarian and environmental projects. Reifensnyder said she is inspired and excited to get to work with her fellow Rotarians, on a local level, to help improve the quality of life and our ecological footprint. Reifensnyder introduced the new Board of Directors: President Elect Brian Sponberg, Secretary Wayne Griffin, Treasurer Cinde Cassidy, Sergeant at Arms Kelly Whitaker, Past President Lourdes Thoricht, Membership and Service Chair Karin Hague, Fundraising Chair Chuck Liddell, Foundation Chair Christy Lins, and Public Relations Chair Rita Whitaker.
Avalon Rotary has weekly lunch meetings at M Restaurant, on Wednesdays, at 12:15 p.m. Rotarians enjoy fellowship, extraordinary food, brainstorm about where to focus our service projects, and then broaden our horizons with a presentation by a guest speaker. Presentations this year included self defense techniques, horseback riding, falconry and marine ecology. If you are interested in joining, contact any of the people in this article.
