Serve to Change Lives

Serve to Change Lives is Rotary International’s mantra for 2021/2022. Although January is typically a slow month, the Rotary Club of Avalon Park was busy working behind the scenes for two of our largest Spring fundraising events: Poker Tournament and Craft Beer Festival. Both events are well attended by our local community, so thank you for your ongoing support!

If you are interested in Joining Rotary, please join us. We meet each Wednesday morning @7:30 at the Pavilion at 13401 Tanja King Blvd. Each week we have local organizations or charities address our club. On January 19th, Stephanie Bowman, Founder of One Heart for Women and Children addressed our club. What an inspiring story Stephanie shared about her life’s struggles and turning her misfortunes into an organization helping homeless and impoverished Women and Children turn their lives around. A member of the Rotary Club of College Park, Stephanie truly Serves to Change Lives!

On January 29th our club served to change lives through two service projects on the same day. We sponsored our own Dan Ashby founder of BBQ50 at Fire in the Park Chili Cook Off to Cure. This event raises money for Advent Health for Children Pediatric Oncology. A special shoutout to our own Joe Filice, President of Avalon Insurance Service for putting up prize money for the winning Chili Cook. Thank you to Maria Rodammer of Cypress Bank & Trust for spearheading Forster a Ride supporting the Orange County Legal Aid Society — Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program. This program is gathering gently used bicycles and helmets of all shapes and sizes to donate to those children in need. Currently, there are over 1,300 children in foster care in Orange County alone, ranging in age from infancy to 21 years old. We can all be proud of how our club lives the Serve to Change Lives mantra. Dan, Joe and Maria are all Avalon residents.

Look for other events sponsored by the Rotary Club, such as The Second Chance Foundation Poker Tournament, founded by Avalon resident Bill Umansky (Umansky Law Firm.) THE Craft Beer Festival is always one of our most popular events, raises funds for local charities. I guess you can say that Avalonians also Serve to Change Lives. We look forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming events!

Yours in Rotary Service! Jim McQueeney | President