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Governor's Message

We are Rotarians because we dare to imagine a world free of polio, a world where peace is possible.

We imagine communities with access to clean water, and children surviving the scourge of malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. We imagine all children having access to education and opportunities for productive work as adults. More than that, we don’t just imagine these things, we join together with leaders, exchange ideas and take action to make them possible.

We have had an outstanding year of service and celebrated the many achievements and accomplishments at our District Conference in Wilmington. Please take a moment to thank your club President for his or her leadership this year. We are all volunteers, and it takes the contributions of each and every Rotarian to make the change we seek possible.

This Rotary year, here’s how we changed lives in our communities and around the world:

Backpack Buddies: 70 Rotarians from 5 clubs raised $57,800 to pack 3,090 backpacks

Adopt a Highway: 60 Rotarians from 4 clubs cleared 30 miles

Meal Packaging: 120 Rotarians from 17 clubs raised $39,500 to package 177,400 meals

Supporting Veterans: 34 Rotarians from 4 clubs volunteered to support veterans

Supporting Seniors: 140 Rotarians from 13 clubs raised $13,236 to support senior citizens

Serving Meals: 399 Rotarians from 14 clubs volunteered to serve 5,272 meals and raised $44,068 to provide meals

Supporting Teachers: Rotarians from 15 clubs provided $187,053 in school supplies to teachers and supported 993 local teachers

Salvation Army Bell Ringing: 640 Rotarians from 15 clubs raised $81,761 for the Salvation Army

Scholarships: 21 clubs provided $156,300 in scholarship to 85 high school students

Boys & Girls Home: 11 clubs supported 974 youth and raised $15,900

Rotarians Against Drugs: 6 clubs sponsored 9 outstanding students

Rotary Day at the United Nations: 12 clubs contributed $6,700 to sponsor 25 youth to attend the Rotary Day at the United Nations in New York.

Rotary Youth Leadership Award: 37 clubs contributed $33,000 to support leadership training for 105 high school juniors and 12 senior peer counselors.

Interact: 30 clubs sponsor 31 Interact clubs

May 2016

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Rotaract: 10 clubs sponsor 5 Rotaract clubs

Take-A-Kid to the Ballgame: Clubs contributed $8,010 to sponsor over 400 youth to attend a baseball game with 130 Rotarians at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park

Santiago Project: 27 Rotarians and friends from 15 clubs travelled to the Dominican Republic to build latrines, improve homes, provide vocational training and install a community playground for the children. The team also planted 500 mahogany trees as part of Plan Sierra, a watershed development project in the Dominican Republic, a reforestation plan that will ensure the future water supply for the region. Clubs contributed over $21,000 to support the project.

Acts of Service: 160 Rotarians from the Durham club provided 3,035 acts of service to 55 local organizations to celebrate their Centennial Year.

Fundraisers: 29 clubs raised $856,481 in 64 fundraisers this Rotary year

District Grants: 80% of D7710 clubs participated in District Grants, leveraging $79,035 in DDF to have a total funding impact of $223,342.

Global Grants: D7710 clubs leveraged $77,112.80 in DDF to have a total funding impact of $730,138.

Measuring Our Progress

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Table of Contents Governor's Message ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Measuring Our Progress ........................................................................................................................... 2

Governor's Five Star Awards ..................................................................................................................... 4

District Events ............................................................................................................................................... 5

Governor's Installation Banquet ............................................................................................................... 5

District Conference ................................................................................................................................... 6

District 7710 Best Club .............................................................................................................................. 8

12 Things that Transformed the RTP Club ................................................................................................ 8

Global Scholarships ................................................................................................................................... 9

Cary-Kildare Enters Video Contest ............................................................................................................ 9

Rotary International Conference - Atlanta ............................................................................................. 10

District 7710 comes to the aid of Fort McMurray .................................................................................. 15

CART Fund ............................................................................................................................................... 15

Polio Update - New Vaccine, Renewed Hope ......................................................................................... 16

Child’s Cup Full ........................................................................................................................................ 16

Council of Legislation .............................................................................................................................. 18

DUKE- UNC Peace Fellow Promotes WaSH ............................................................................................. 20

Rotarians and Peace Fellows Meet ......................................................................................................... 21

Rotary Friendship Exchange from Sweden Districts 2350 and 2360 ...................................................... 21

Club Activities .............................................................................................................................................. 22

Peak City Pig Fest .................................................................................................................................... 22

East Wake High Interact Club earns Rotary’s Presidential Citation ........................................................ 23

Apex Sunrise Donation to Alzheimer's .................................................................................................... 24

"Rotarians at Work" ................................................................................................................................ 24

Cary Page’s Blum nominated for Ageless Hero award ........................................................................... 25

Ethics Workshop Cancelled ..................................................................................................................... 25

Pig Pickin' in the Park .............................................................................................................................. 26

New Member Makes Difference ............................................................................................................. 26

From the Editor's Desk ............................................................................................................................ 26

Rotary Calendar ...................................................................................................................................... 27

District Leadership .................................................................................................................................. 27

District 7710 - Club Meetings .................................................................................................................. 28

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Governor's Five Star Awards

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District Events

Governor's Installation Banquet

You are cordially invited to the Installation Banquet, which will celebrate the installation of District Governor Rusine Mitchell Sinclair, District Officers, Assistant Governors, and Club Presidents. The evening will also give us an opportunity to salute 2015-2016 District Governor Newman Aguiar.

The event will be held: Wednesday, June 22, 2016 North Ridge Country Club, 6612 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh

The evening begins with a Reception, including cash bar, at 6:00 PM followed by Dinner and Installation Ceremony from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Dress for the evening is Business Attire. You can register for the event at the District 7710 website by accessing the calendar. The event is $51.00 per attendee. Registration closes on June 15, 2016.

If you have any questions or need assistance in registering, please contact District 7710 Executive Secretary Sharon Lassiter at 919.868.0212 or by email at executivesecretary@rotary7710.org .

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District Conference

The Joint 7710 and 7730 District Conference, Wilmington was an excellent event that highlighted the many achievements of Rotary International and especially the numerous activities in our District.

While a lot of people are involved in making the Conference a success, much of the credit goes to the Organizing Committee of Arthur Rogers (Durham), Bill McLaurin (Raleigh) and Joyce McKinney (Southwest Durham).

Ed Shearin (Morrisville) and Rachelle Malit (E-Club) did an excellent job in capturing photos of the various different activities. You can go to the following Flickr link to view the different albums.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/130790144@N07/albums.

Many awards were presented during the three days of the conference, including Presidential Citations, Public Image Citations and the Governor's Club Awards.

District Governor Newman Aguiar highlighted the nominees and winners for the top awards in a series of videos.

Community Betterment Project

Runners-up Johnston County Music and Memory East Chapel Hill Teacher's Supply Store Emergency Food Boxes Durham 100 Acts of Service Winner MLK Day of Service Meal Packaging Event

Community Betterment Facebook Video

International Project

Runners-up Dominican Republic Project Hope Academy Fence Enclosure Water System Upgrade for Girl's School Computers for Kids in Costa Rica Winner Zimbabwe Eye Project International Project Facebook Video

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Unique Fundraiser

Runners-up Fostering Bright Futures Golf Tournament Triangle Oktoberfest Clayton Shindig Wake Forest Comedy Night Winners Angier Festival of Trees Garner Bling Gala Unique Fundraiser Facebook Video

District Governor Newman Aguiar did an excellent job creating a video that captured the activities in the District, however more importantly, he indicated the impact locally and internationally.

District 7710 - Doing Good in the World Facebook Video

Other highlights of the conference were:

the humorous speeches by Rotary Peace Fellow graduate, Derran Moss and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Jean Irwin, who left us with a strong impression of the important work that Rotary sponsors

the inspirational messages from Rotary International President's Representative, Elias Thomas

in a spirited live auction Marie and David Howard, Oxford, paying $5,200 to The Rotary Foundation for a rare signed End Polio Now banner which included a used polio vaccine vial

having the appearance of Sir Walter Raleigh to encourage District 7710 Rotarians to attend the 2017 District Conference in Raleigh on April 7 and 8, 2017

hearing young professionals from our District participate in a panel to provide ideas on how to encourage young people to get involved as Rotarians

being involved in the service project to clean up and restock the shelves of Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a Wilmington non-profit that feeds the hungry

having Barry and Diana Phillips (Hillsborough) recognized for contributing over $1.5 Million to The Rotary Foundation, which is equivalent to 10 million doses of Polio vaccine

getting the opportunity to learn from Rotarians in another district on their successful ventures, and

the social times to enjoy the company of fellow Rotarians and their families in beautiful Wilmington

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District 7710 Best Club

One of the most prestigious awards in the District is being awarded the Best Club in the District. This year the honor went to the Research Triangle Park club.

Over the past year, under the leadership of President Andrew Kerr the club has been transformed. Last year, there was consideration of folding the club, but since then the club has seen a 100% increase in enrollment, become very involved in service projects and has become a lot more visible in the community.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Research Triangle Park Club.

12 Things that Transformed the RTP Club Andrew Kerr shared with those at the Convention the 12 things he attributes to the club's transformation.

Leadership

Think Differently

Reframed to "Reboot"

The Why or The Compelling Vision of the Future

Strategic Plan

Constant Course Correction

Get Great Speakers

Membership Process - Attract & Recruit

Membership Tiers

Change the Meeting

Be Seen

Be Easy to Find

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Global Scholarships

We are getting close to the deadline for submissions for clubs to sponsor a Global Scholar.

Please send a hard copy of the completed Global Scholar Application including transcripts and three (3) recommendation forms, transcripts and your club's endorsement to Bob Melone, 425 Eyam Hall Lane, Apex 27502 no later than May 31st.

Please be reminded of the following:

Appoint a sponsor Rotarian counselor to serve as a link between the scholar and the sponsoring Rotary Club.

Select a candidate with a study field in one of Rotary's six Humanitarian Areas of Focus.

Provide several opportunities for the applicant to appreciate the goals of Rotary by attending Rotary meetings, etc.

Review the Global Scholarship Manual found on the District webpage under "The Rotary Foundation" drop down. Review the "Rules of Eligibility" especially.

Verify that the candidate has thoroughly researched the proposed study institutions and have goals that are well defined about their study field and their university choices.

A complete application includes: 1. Complete responses to all questions 2. Transcripts from ALL post secondary institutions attended 3. A 200 word essay summarizing qualifications for the scholarship 4. Three (3) recommendation forms from instructors, employers and/or supervisors 5. Defined budget for the scholarship period

If you have any questions please contact Bob Melone at 919-605-0588.

Cary-Kildare Enters Video Contest

This year the Zone 33/34 Public Image committee decided to encourage clubs to submit a video promoting their clubs activities.

Cary- Kildaire is the only club from the District to enter the competition. Use the following link to vote for the best video.

Zone 33/3 Video Contest

You can vote every day until the competition ends.

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Rotary International Conference - Atlanta

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District 7710 comes to the aid of Fort McMurray

Wildfires in the Canadian province of Alberta continue to grow furiously leaving in their wake thousands of burned homes, cars and communities. Over 1,000 firefighters are working to bring the blaze under control with the help of helicopters and air tankers. Rotarian Richard McCleery with the Hillsborough Club has extended family living in Canada who are professional fire fighters working to extinguish the blaze.

Rotarians in District 5370 have established a fund to assist in the rebuilding of the city of Fort McMurray after the blaze has been controlled. Our District is collecting contributions from concerned Rotarians and will send a single check on behalf of our District.

Thanks to iPDG Matthew Kane and PDG Rick Carnagua for coordinating this effort.

CART Fund

This year the Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust (CART) awarded five grants totaling $600,000 to researchers.

This is the largest amount of grants that the Fund has awarded.

Rick Carnagua, District CART Chair, went with Rusine Mitchell Sinclair, DG Elect and Shafi Parekh, DG Nominee to the grant ceremony.

At the District Conference, Rick Carnagua awarded the top CART Donating Clubs.

Per Capita Donations Cary Central $ 135.99 Lillington $ 118.30 Cary-Kildaire $ 98.98

Total Giving by Club Cary-Kildaire $ 4,850.00 Cary Central $ 3,807.62 Durham $ 3,104.08

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Polio Update - New Vaccine, Renewed Hope By Joseph Reardon

As of May 2016, we are celebrating a new milestone in polio history: the synchronized rollout of a new polio vaccine targeting Type 1 and Type 3 poliovirus. This new vaccine should eliminate the threat of vaccine-derived polio. As of May 2016, 98% of countries have rolled out the new vaccine. Few times in history has a new innovation reached nearly all people worldwide so quickly.

There have only been 14 cases of polio worldwide this year, down from 23 this time last year. All cases are in Pakistan and Afghanistan but the polio program’s surveillance work continues to support public health infrastructure in countries worldwide.

Our District still has a long way to go to keep up with the top giving districts in our zone. Have you donated to PolioPlus on Rotary Direct this year?

Child’s Cup Full

A children’s toy brand: creating jobs for talented refugee women artisans in the West Bank

Cayley Pater was RYLA participant at Chapel Hill High School in 2003 and a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship finalist through the NC Oxford Rotary Club in 2010. After finishing her Master’s Degree in Women’s and Gender Studies at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, she is now the Assistant Director of Child’s Cup Full, a non-profit social enterprise serving refugee and low-income communities in the West Bank.

In the West Bank, limited access to the global marketplace prevents many talented Palestinian refugee women from building careers with their craft and design skills. Dr. Janette Habashi, Associate Professor in educational psychology at the University of Oklahoma, and I are determined to create business opportunities for these women right here in the US. Our objective is to train and employ women to make high quality, handmade children’s toys and accessories that are marketable in the US and to sell our products online and through retail stores across the country. We believe that instead of creating a charity model of support for these women, we can establish a self-sustaining business that will generate more opportunities for years to come.

Many families lack a stable income in the West Bank because of precarious employment opportunities. We have several women who are the primary breadwinners of their families for long periods, which contributes to their social standing in the community. Nowadays, we’ve seen increasingly more organizations and US government agencies talking about the power of the artisan sector: “Behind agriculture, artisan activity is the second largest employer in the developing world,” Alliance for Artisan Enterprise, partner of the US State

The statue outside the Rotary International Headquarters, Evanston, Illinois, represents polio vaccine delivery to the world's children.

Photo by Barry Phillips

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Department for the Global Campaign for Artisans. We are so excited to be part of this global movement to empower the artisan sector in the West Bank, where access to global business opportunity is severely limited.

We have had several artisans tell us that with a full-time job, their husbands and their family members give them more respect, including Abeer, who has been making children’s toys at the Child’s Cup Full artisan center since 2012:

“Women need to work; not stay home… They need to go out and obtain their own salary and help their families. We now have so many expenses to educate our children, pay for rent, transportation, and food…I came to Child’s Cup Full almost two years ago not knowing how to do anything tatreez (embroidery) and now I am able to make toys for kids.”

As a non-profit social enterprise, Child’s Cup Full uses the funds generated from product sales to support its training and employment programs in hard-to-reach communities in the West Bank. CCF aims to grow its own artisan center, and to train and employ women in artisan collectives across the region, including Ramallah, Hebron and Beit Jala, to manufacture products for the Child's Cup Full brand.

Right now, we are trying to raise funds to expand our reach across the West Bank region. In order to create positive, lasting change in the West Bank in 2016, and in years to come, I invite the Rotarian community to help us grow our artisan center so that we can create more training and employment opportunities in the Zababdeh community, in and vulnerable communities across the West Bank. On our Indiegogo campaign, you can learn more about our initiative, our goals for 2016, and the funds we are trying to raise to increase our impact:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/child-s-cup-full#/

For each donation, you’ll receive a handmade gift from our artisan center in Zababdeh! Thank you for your support!

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Council of Legislation By Barry Phillips

The 2016 Council on Legislation may well be remembered as one of the most progressive in Rotary history.

Quick overview

Not only did this Council grant clubs more freedom in determining their meeting schedule and membership, it also approved an increase in per capita dues of $4 a year for three years. The increase will be used to enhance Rotary’s website, improve online tools, and add programs and services to help clubs increase membership.

The tone for this year was set early, when the RI Board put forth two proposals that increase flexibility. The first measure allows clubs to decide to vary their meeting times, whether to meet online or in person, and when to cancel a meeting, as long as they meet at least twice a month. The second allows clubs flexibility in choosing their membership rules and requirements. Both passed

What is the Council of Legislation?

The Council is an essential element of Rotary’s governance. Every three years, members from around the world gather in Chicago to consider proposed changes to the policies that govern the organization and its member clubs. Measures that were adopted will take effect 1st July, 2016.

Monday 11th April 2016

The Council on Legislation approved two key measures that would give clubs greater flexibility in their meetings and membership. Both were backed by the RI Board of Directors and passed overwhelmingly after lively debate. The first measure gives clubs greater leeway in when and how often they meet, how often they cancel meetings, and what constitutes a meeting, as long as they meet at least twice a month. The second measure grants clubs flexibility to experiment with membership models. Proponents argued that clubs need the enhanced freedom in order to determine what works best in their communities, noting that "one size does not fit all."

The distinction between e-clubs and traditional clubs will be eliminated. The council recognized that clubs have been meeting in a number of ways, and given this flexibility, the distinction was no longer meaningful. Clubs that have “e-club” in their names can keep it, however.

The reference to admission fees will be removed from the bylaws. Proponents argued that the mention of admission fees does not advance a modern image of Rotary.

Tuesday 12th April 2016

On Tuesday, the Council on Legislation, continuing the theme of flexibility, agreed to simplify the qualifications for membership in a Rotary club. The measure removes six membership criteria from the RI Constitution, replacing them with the simple requirement that a member be a person of good character who has a good reputation in their business or community and is willing to serve the community. Proponents argued that the change will give power back to clubs to "choose their own members without a checklist" and encourage membership growth.

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Wednesday 13th April 2016

On Wednesday, citing a need to provide programs and services that allow Rotary clubs to flourish, the Council on Legislation approved three $4 increases in the annual per capita dues that clubs pay to Rotary International. RI Treasurer Per Høyen, speaking in favor of the request, said, "Hearing that 9 out of 10 Rotarians have asked Rotary to provide more services, the Board does not want to decrease the services to the clubs and districts. Now is the time to invest in our future and make it possible to move forward and achieve a strong future for Rotary." The increase sets the dues at $60 in 2017-18, $64 in 2018-19, and $68 in 2019-20.

The $4 per year dues increase was based on a five-year financial forecast that predicted that if Rotary didn’t either raise dues or make drastic cuts, its reserves would dip below mandated levels by 2020. The yearly per capita dues that clubs pay to RI will be $60 in 2017-18, $64 in 2018-19, and $68 in 2019-20. The next council will establish the rate after that.

“We are at a moment in time when we must think beyond the status quo,” said RI Vice President Greg E. Podd. “We must think about our future.”

Podd said the dues increase will allow RI to improve My Rotary, develop resources so clubs can offer a better membership experience, simplify club and district reporting, improve website access for Rotaractors, and update systems to keep Rotary in compliance with changing global regulations.

Thursday 14th April 2016

On Thursday, Council members approved the creation of a Council on Resolutions, a separate governing body that will meet online every year. It will propose resolutions to the RI Board, leaving the triennial Council on Legislation to deal exclusively with enactments, which change Rotary's governing documents. Proponents argued that the change could save up to $300,000 by shortening the Council on Legislation by a day. They also pointed out that the new Council would establish a channel of communication between clubs and the RI Board. Representatives also voted to allow Rotaractors to simultaneously be members of Rotary clubs. Proponents argued that too few Rotaractors (around 5 percent) join Rotary. Sometimes it’s because they don’t want to leave their Rotaract clubs before they have to, upon reaching age 30. It’s hoped that giving them more options will boost the numbers of qualified young leaders in Rotary.

The Council also voted to postpone consideration indefinitely, a proposal to create a new membership type - associate membership.

A standing committee on membership was established, in recognition that membership is a top priority of the organization, and polio eradication was also reaffirmed to be a goal of the highest order

Vanity names revisited

The council revisited a vote from earlier in the week on allowing vanity names for districts (technically a motion to reconsider). This time, the proposal failed. But the hitch is, districts can already do this on their own. It essentially boiled down to whether the new measure would require the RI Board to act on each request, for something districts can already do on their own without explicit permission.

RI Director Jennifer Jones took a moment to assess this year's council, moments after the closing bell. "I think this has been a historic council, probably one of the most progressive, evolutionary councils that we

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ever have seen. I think there was a sense of collegiality and a sense of doing what is right for the future of the organization"

"The effects of your decisions will ripple to every corner of the world for years, decades, even centuries to come," RI President Ravi Ravindran.

DUKE- UNC Peace Fellow Promotes WaSH

Hai-Ryung Sung comes from Jecheon City, South Korea. Jecheon is called the “healing city,” a fitting hometown for Sung, who, despite earning an undergraduate degree in computer science, has devoted her career to advancing public health.

Sung’s interest in health affairs began earlier, during her first year of college, when she joined Rotaract and provided care to children with mental and physical disabilities.

Her relationship with Rotary International would eventually bring her to Chapel Hill, where she earned her master’s degree at the Duke-UNC Rotary Peace Center. Today, Sung is a doctoral student at the Water Institute of UNC in the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Sung’s current project, improving maternal and child health through better WaSH (water, sanitation and hygiene) in health care facilities in Siem Reap, Cambodia, addresses the impact water and sanitation deficiencies have on child and maternal health in rural Cambodia.

“Through this project,” Sung explained, “we can reduce morbidity and mortality associated with poor drinking water in an especially vulnerable population—children under age five.”

While at UNC, Sung presented to Rotary clubs in Research Triangle Park, Durham, Chapel Hill and Roxboro, North Carolina.

This summer, after the better health through WaSH initiative is formally launched in Seoul, Sung will travel back to Siem Reap. Her first step will be to identify a local non-governmental organization (NGO) to partner with. Building a project that’s sustainable in the long-term will depend a lot on this decision. Of course, Sung already knows how important relationships are to the success of her work.

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Rotarians and Peace Fellows Meet

Rotary Friendship Exchange from Sweden Districts 2350 and 2360

One of the great programs open to all Rotarians is the Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) where 5 or so Rotarians, and their spouses, visit another country and stay in the homes of other Rotarians. Thereafter, a like number of Rotarians from the first host District come and stay with Rotarians from the District that visited them. One of the benefits is you often get to see places and take part in events that are just not available to the ordinary tourist.

On the return visit you get the chance to show the visitors some of the culture, history and hospitality for which North Carolina is famous

Past District Governor Raymond Raedy, formerly from District 7620, planned and led the exchange to the western coast of Sweden, Gothenburg, and the surrounding area (Rotary District 2360) in May 2015. Past District Governor Barry Phillips led a team to Stockholm and Uppsala in August/September 2015

Now we are in the early stages pf planning the return visit by a Swedish team. The visit will be from September 23 to October 3, 2016. We will probably break the 10 days into 3 sections, basing the Swedes in three different parts of our district with some joint activities and some local activities – building in some free time for them to spend time with their hosts. Possible groupings could be: Cary area; Raleigh area and a third larger area to take in the more northern parts of our district

Even if you were unable to be part of the trips to Sweden, you still have the opportunity to host one of the visitors in your home for 3 or 4 days. Generally, all a host family needs to do is provide a room, meals for a couple of days with one night reserved for good conversation.

This is a marvelous opportunity we have, as Rotarians, to learn about other countries, host other Rotarians in our homes, get to know them and their culture, and now, with our connected world, become friends on social media and keep in touch long after their visit ends!

If you would like to be involved with, please contact Barry at barryphillips1314@gmail.com

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Club Activities

Peak City Pig Fest

Get ready for the 2016 Bone Suckin’ Sauce Peak City Pig

Fest, coming in June. That’s the official name now that

Raleigh-based Bone Suckin’Sauce has signed on as the

event’s title sponsor in a multi-year deal. This will be the 5th

annual event, presented by the Apex Sunrise Rotary

Foundation. The Bone Suckin’ Sauce Peak City Pig Fest

will be held June 17-18 in Historic Downtown Apex, North

Carolina.

“This partnership makes perfect sense for Bone Suckin’

Sauce,” said Patrick Ford, of Ford’s Gourmet Foods. “The

Peak City Pig Fest has established itself as one of the

premiere barbecue competitions in North Carolina, and we

are proud to be the title sponsor of this great event.”

“We are excited to have Bone Suckin’ Sauce come on board as our

title sponsor,” said Lisa Higginbotham, president of the Apex Sunrise

Rotary Club. “It is great to have the Ford family and their team join our

Pig Fest family. We look forward to a long relationship.”

The 2016 Peak City Pig Fest will be bigger, and will offer the public

more chances to eat with the addition of an expanded food truck rodeo

and the opportunity to again purchase competition barbecue.

The Peak City Pig Fest will also have its People’s Choice Awards, the

Anything Butt Contest, pig races and a street full of vendors featuring

food, sauces, grills and other BBQ related items.

As a result of the success of last year’s event, the Apex Sunrise Rotary Foundation was able to donate

$10,000 to Western Wake Crisis Ministry of Apex. The foundation also supported other area charities with

the proceeds from last year’s event.

The Peak City Pig Fest has been proclaimed a State Championship by Governor Pat McCrory. That means

the Grand Champion qualifies for the American Royal Invitational in Kansas City and has a chance to

compete in the Jack Daniels International representing the entire state. This year it is also a qualifying event

for the World Food Championships.

For more information on the Peak City Pig Fest, or to volunteer, visit www.peakcitypigfest.com.

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East Wake High Interact Club earns Rotary’s Presidential Citation BY AARON MOODY

Members of the East Wake High School Interact Club have a new appreciation for the word citation – a term that doesn’t always denote referencing sources for an essay.

The club recently received a Presidential Citation issued by K.R. Ravindran, the president of Rotary International. The recognition is bestowed upon Rotary, Rotaract clubs and Interact clubs that meet prescribed goals like building Rotary awareness in a community, growing club membership, and establishing ongoing service projects.

East Wake’s Interact club has grown considerably – to 27 members – since senior and two-year club president Emily Pitt Whitfield joined Interact as a freshman. It has also been particularly active this year.

“It’s really gratifying to me and the rest of the club to see this accomplished this year and see we are stepping forward and being active with the club,” Whitfield said. “We’ve done a lot of service projects this year and it has kept us pretty busy, but I’d rather us be busy and progressing than just having meetings to say we’re in a club. Clubs don’t mean a lot if you’re not doing anything with them.”

Interact, a branch of the Rotary civic organization, pairs fun with service projects for students. It retains Rotary’s “Service Above Self” motto, one the East Wake club has lived up to.

Members of the group partnered with Wendell Rotarians to collect and deliver Thanksgiving dinners to four families in November and collect donations for the Salvation Army at the Knightdale Walmart in December. They also participated in Operation Christmas Child in December.

In February, they took part in a career fair that featured more than 40 businesses at the school. For a school project, club members were involved during the recent Teacher Appreciation Week, and they participated in a children’s carnival at East Wake on Friday.

“Interact club is a valuable resource and great opportunity for students to give unselfishly to people in their community and internationally,” said East Wake Interact advisor Katie Coble, who is also the school’s career development coordinator. “Altruism really shines. (The students) are thinking of others first and their needs, and that is a theme of Interact.”

East Wake High School Interact Club members partnered with Wendell

Rotarians to collect and deliver Thanksgiving dinners to local families on Nov.

24, 2015. Pictured are, from left, Haley Vaughan, Julia Wrenn, Ryan Worley,

Noelys Montilla, Patricia Bledsoe, Mazzy Boyd, Bishop Hill, Ameerah Godwin,

Pitt Whitfield and Connie Velasquez. Johnny Whitfield

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Ultimately, the club met the minimum of five of eight optional activities needed to qualify for the citation. East Wake’s unit joins Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, Harnett Central and Orange high schools, N.C. School of Science and Math, and Roxboro Community School on the list of Interact clubs in the local Rotary district that earned the distinction this year.

Whitfield said it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Wendell and Zebulon Rotary Clubs, and the advisors and administration at East Wake.

Coble hopes the club can continue to earn the citation in future years, and doesn’t see that being an issue as the club seeks to expand its involvement.

“I’m looking forward to it growing – that’s what is going to be exciting about next year,” she said. “With increased participation from students, the club can only grow.”

Apex Sunrise Donation to Alzheimer's

Rotarians at Work ?

The Rotary Club of Angier's annual plant sale held Mothers' Day weekend is always fun and a great opportunity to spruce up your yard or grab that last minute gift.

Proceeds are used to fund our smaller community projects. The event also engages the help of the local Boy Scouts who are rewarded with a monetary contribution in turn for their efforts.

From the proceeds of the Triangle

Oktoberfest the Apex Sunrise club

donated $3,000 to the Alzheimer's

North Carolina.

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Cary Page’s Blum nominated for Ageless Hero award

Cary Page past President Brian Blum has been nominated for the Ageless Hero award, given by SearStone retirement community, for his work to organize a monthly dinner-and-entertainment event for Cary seniors with dementia and their caregivers.

Blum marshalled the resources of Cary’s five Rotary clubs three years ago to buy food and organize volunteers to staff a Memory Café once a month at the town’s Senior Center. The event has grown to accommodate more than 50 participant families and volunteers, breaking bread together.

Volunteers from the five clubs serve in a variety of roles, including seating guests, serving meals, engaging folks in conversation and helping with cleanup. Rotarians also have been known to mention join in on the entertainment when it involves music and dancing.

Memory Café is just one of Blum’s regular volunteer activities, which include serving breakfast at the Chapel Hill Ronald McDonald house and tutoring disadvantaged youngsters at Read-and-Feed. He also raised money for cancer research by running the 26-mile Boston Marathon this year.

Also nominated for this year’s award are:

Thirteen-year-old Unika Boyce-Cooley, for volunteer work at Preston Pointe senior living community.

Jeanette Lee, for providing a visiting hairstyling service for seniors.

Dr. William Dunlap, a retired oncology/ internal medicine specialist who founded Hospice of Wake County.

Silver Connections, started by Laura Kay House nine years ago, for its work in bringing together isolated seniors for opportunities to socialize.

SearStone, a continuing care community located at High House Road and Davis Drive in Cary, will celebrate winners of the Ageless Hero awards at a May 17 banquet.

Ethics Workshop Cancelled

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Pig Pickin' in the Park

New Member Makes Difference

Wayne Baker joined Cleveland School club in November and since then has recruited a new member.

At a recent meeting he was awarded with a Governor's Award at the same time as being presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship by Barry Phillips.

Wayne has participated in every service project since he joined (including, rumor has it, singing Christmas songs while ringing the Salvation Army bell at Lowe’s Foods)

From the Editor's Desk

Deadline for submitting articles to the Newsletter is the 10th day of the month.

How do we make the District Newsletter better? Let us know the answers to the following questions:

1) What are two things you like about the Newsletter? 2) What are three things we should eliminate or improve? 3) What is one thing we should add? 4) Other comments, suggestions or input

You can contact Terri Black and Ian Rumbles by sending information on your club fundraisers, achievements, and notable events to District7710News@gmail.com

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Rotary Calendar

May – Youth Service Month

Take the Bus to Atlanta June 10-14, 2017

Register on-line May 15, 2016 – May 1, 2017

Rotary International Convention Seoul, Korea

May 28 – Jun 01

June – Rotary Fellowship Month

30th Annual Pig Pickin’ in the Park Bond Park Senior Center High House Road, Cary

Sat Jun 4 4:30 – 7:30 pm

11 th Annual Old Dominion Rotary Golf Tournament for the Boys and Girls Home Mid-Pines Inn & Golf, Southern Pines

Mon Jun 6

District Council Meeting Cary Chamber of Commerce 307 North Academy St., Cary

Mon Jun 13 5:30 pm

Governor’s Installation Banquet North Ridge Country Club, Raleigh

Wed Jun 22 6:00 pm

Rotary 33 Training Seminar Embassy Suites, Durham

Fri Jun 24 – Sat Jun 25

July – Start of New Rotary Year

Rotary International has changed the theme for each month:

July Be a Gift to the World

August Membership

September Basic Education and Literacy

October Economic and Community Development

November The Rotary Foundation

December Disease Prevention and Treatment

January Vocational Service

February Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution

March Water and Sanitation

April Maternal and Child Health

May Youth Services

June Fellowship

District Leadership

Newman Aguiar District Governor Rusine Mitchell Sinclair District Gov-Elect Shafi Parekh District Gov-Nominee Veronica Bent District Secretary Sharon Lassiter Executive Secretary Randy Walker District Treasurer Matthew Kane iPast Dist Governor Tim Mannix College of Governors Barry Phillips Rotary Foundation

Assistant Governors Area 1 – 5 Clubs Marie Howard Area 2 – 4 Clubs Susan Martin Area 3 – 4 Clubs Larry Snipes Area 4 – 5 Clubs Stewart McLeod Area 5 – 4 Clubs Jennifer Piekarz Area 6 – 4 Clubs David Stuckey Area 7 – 5 Clubs Joyce McKinney Area 8 – 5 Clubs John Sperath Area 9 – 5 Clubs Donna Peffley Area 10 – 6 Clubs David Hayden

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District 7710 - Club Meetings

Angier Angier United Methodist Church Friday at 8:00 AM Apex Carrabba's Italian Grill Thursday at 12:30 PM Apex Sunrise Perkins Restaurant Tuesday at 7:15 AM Capital City - Raleigh North Hills Club Tuesday at 7:30 AM Cary MacGregor Downs Country Club Tuesday at 12:30 PM Cary Central The Matthews House Monday at 7:00 AM Cary MacGregor MacGregor Downs Country Club Wednesday at 12:30 PM Cary-Kildaire The Matthews House Thursday at 6:15 PM Cary-Page Woodland Terrace Friday at 7:00 AM Central Johnston County Johnston Hospital Medical Mall, Suite 1404, Smithfield Thursday at 12:00 PM Chapel Hill Chapel Hill Country Club Tuesday at 6:15 PM Chapel Hill-Carrboro Sunrise Weathervane Café, University Mall Tuesday at 7:15 AM Clayton Mid-Day Cleveland Draft House, Clayton Tuesday at 12:00 PM Clayton Rotary Club Rainbow Lanes Family Fun Center Thursday at 7:00 AM Cleveland School Cleveland Draft House, 40 /42 Tuesday at 7:00 am Crabtree Brio Tuscan Grille Thursday at 12:30 PM Dunn Triangle South Enterprise Center Thursday at 12:00 PM Dunn-Erwin Blackmon's Catering Wednesday at 12:00 PM

Durham Durham Convention Center Monday at 12:30 PM Durham Sunrise Saladelia Cafe Wednesday at 7:00 AM E-Club Tuesday at 8:00 PM Online-GoToMeeting East Chapel Hill Hotel Sheraton Friday at 1:00 PM Fuquay-Varina Golden Corral Restaurant Thursday at 12:30 PM Fuquay-Varina Downtown The Meeting Corner Wednesday at 7:30 AM Garner Lord of Life Lutheran Church Wednesday at 7:00 AM Garner Mid-Day Logan’s Roadhouse Tuesday at 12:30 PM Henderson Henderson Country Club Tuesday at 6:30 PM Hillsborough UNC Hospital – Hillsborough Campus Thursday at 7:00 AM Holly Springs Devils Ridge Golf Club Wednesday at 7:30 AM Lillington The County Seat Thursday at 6:30 PM Morrisville Prestonwood Country Club Tuesday at 12:00 PM North Raleigh Sertoma Arts Center Wednesday at 12:30 PM Oxford The House of Ribeyes Thursday at 12:00 PM Raleigh City Club Raleigh Monday at 12:15 PM Raleigh MidTown St. Timothy's Episcopal Church 1st and 3rd Monday at 5:30 PM Research Triangle Park The Frontier-RTP Monday at 11:45 AM

Roxboro The Gathering Place Thursday at 12:00 PM South Granville County El Corral Restaurant Tuesday at 6:30 PM Southwest Durham Hope Valley Country Club Thursday at 12:30 PM Wake Forest The FORKS Cafeteria Monday at 6:30 PM Wakefield / Wake Forest Heritage Club Thursday at 8:00 AM Warrenton Jacob Holt House Tuesday at 6:30 PM Wendell Wendell Country Club Tuesday at 12:00 PM West Raleigh NCSU University Club Friday at 12:30 PM Zebulon Rotary/Club Building Thursday at 12:00 PM

Using their talents,

expertise, and

leadership, Rotary

members worldwide

are asked by President

Rotary International

K.R. Ravidran to be

gifts to the world this

2015-16 Rotary year.