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Club News
Hudson Rotary Thriving After 90 Years of Community Service

The year 2020 has presented the ultimate challenge to the Rotary Club of Hudson, testing its strengths in engaging its members, attracting new members, presenting meaningful weekly speaker programs, raising funds for community needs, serving local youth and planning for the future.

The club reports it had a successful 90th year in most regards including an evolving strategic plan for the coming years. Some of the areas embraced by the club’s membership include the following:

Weekly meetings:

Using Zoom technology, a meeting has been held every week since the pandemic “stay at home” order featuring many of the typical topics from past years. Speakers from a variety of professions, businesses and institutions provided engaging, enlightening and useful presentations that got high marks from Club members. Major topics included medical/psychological guidance, summer fun parks and activities, educator advice, local foundation focuses, major league sports insights, candidates for office debates, local business success stories and panels of our own members sharing ideas. Typical on-line weekly attendance has averaged 35 members and guests. 

New members:

The club lost a few longtime contributing members, but gained some participants from various professions including: John Adams, finance; Phil Butto, HHS administration; Chris Foster, Hudson Councilman; Bill Libby, veteran Cleveland Club Rotarian; Pete Spacagna, General Manager auto dealership; Jane Howington, City Manager; Keith Viers, banking; Chuck Nnabuife, home healthcare finance; and Bill McClure, retired. All have committed to becoming involved in a chosen service area of the Club. 

 

Fundraisers:

Even though the club had to cancel its Annual Gala from which generates a majority of its funds to support local causes, the club in conjunction with the Clock Tower Rotary and EMS Outreach Hudson raised over $25,000 from the public and internally to purchase personal protective equipment for Hudson EMS and Fire Departments. The Gala will return in 2021 honoring our past presidents many of whom are still active with the club.

The group also successfully solicited contributions from club members this fall, in lieu of the annual roses and popcorn sale, to bolster its Hudson High School college scholarship program.

The Hudson Rotary Foundation continues to contribute to community causes even though, understandably, less foundation funding has occurred this year. However, over the past 20 years, the Foundation has granted over $750,000 for Hudson area community needs.

Youth Education support activities:

The Rotary Club of Hudson continues to be involved with Hudson High School and Western Reserve Academy educational programs.

The Service Learning class at HHS has long been supported by Rotary with funds and club member participation. In turn, the Service Learning students participate in our weekly meetings as speakers. Many club members join in Service Learning class exercises at the high school and local camps.

A Rotary Interact Club was recently established at WRA with the students choosing service projects in line with Rotary guidance. Both HHS and WRA participate in the Rotary Four Way Test speech contest providing entertainment and enlightenment for Rotary Club members.

Each year, multiple $3000 scholarships are granted to college bound students selected by an interviewing process involving Rotary members.

Scouting is also very important to the Rotary Club of Hudson who built the original log cabin on Main Street in 1931 and continues to support Scouting activities in Hudson and at Camp Manatoc. Scouts regularly appear at Rotary meetings to report on their activities and assist with fundraising events.

Strategic Planning:

The Covid-19 pandemic has altered life in the community and in the Rotary Club of Hudson. Consequently, it was decided to develop a strategic plan for the next 3-5 years that would anticipate the club’s challenges and opportunities going forward. A strategic planning committee has been meeting since August and has examined all facets of programming, membership, fund raising and community involvement. Recommendations for the future will embrace its sustainability, leadership, new member recruiting, fund raising and community commitments. A major high profile community project will probably be in the club's future.

All who are interested in the work the club does and the community and school involvement it is involved in are invited to examine the website www.rotaryhudson.org. 

Hudson Rotary, EMS Outreach exceeds fire department PPE funds goal
Hudson Fire/EMS Chief, Jerry Varnes needed $25,000 to purchase a 90 day supply of Personal Protective Equipment for Fire/EMS personnel. The Rotary Club of Hudson, the Rotary Clocktower Club and EMS Outreach of Hudson successfully campaigned to raise that sum, and more, in approximately 90 days.
 
Major Rotary Club of Hudson donors include Akron Children’s Hospital, Northwest Bank, University Hospital Portage Medical Center and the Tobin Family Foundation. Significant donations were provided by individual Hudson citizens through EMS Outreach totaling over $3000. This campaign is an example of how various community organizations can work together for the common good, each reaching varied public and private sectors. The Hudson community as a whole desperately needed this support and will now benefit by better equipped Fire/EMS services.
 
The Hudson Clocktower Rotary Club is currently undertaking a fundraiser in support of the Fire/EMS Department by selling facemasks featuring the Hudson Clocktower that can be ordered online at www.rdpsports.com. Both the Rotary Club of Hudson and EMS Outreach will also continue the campaign. Donations can be mailed to EMS Outreach Hudson at 118 W. Streetsboro St. Suite 209, Hudson 44236.
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https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfHudson/
Speakers
Upcoming Speakers
Sarah R. Adams, M.D., Akron Children's
Feb 24, 2021 7:30 AM
Covid and It's Effects on Your Kid/Grandkids
Covid and It's Effects on Your Kid/Grandkids
Howard Bender, Executive Director
Mar 03, 2021 7:30 AM
Apollo's Fire
Seema Rao, Chief Experience Officer
Mar 10, 2021 7:30 AM
Akron Art Museum
Chris Meyers and Ali Miller
Mar 17, 2021 7:30 AM
Cleveland Playhouse Square
Dahia Fisher, Director of External Relations
Mar 24, 2021 7:30 AM
Maltz Museum of Jewish heritage
Past Speakers
Rob McGregor, M.D. Chief Medical Officer
Feb 17, 2021 7:30 AM
Akron Children's Hospital
View entire list...
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