E-RaceStigma 5k Run & Fluency Friends Presentations

E-RaceStigma 5k Run Presentation: President Mary introduced the first of two mini-presentation, Greg Adams who gave members a recap of the EraceStigma 5k Run. He said that the race really wasn’t a fundraiser but a race to raise awareness. Of the total proceeds raised that morning, $7,000 went to the United Way in a grant that will go to provide YMCA memberships to children who could not otherwise afford to do that in addition to counseling for families in need; another $7,000, Greg announced, would be used to provide exercise equipment and healthy food so people can live healthier life styles. Another $4,000 went to ProMedica so they can conduct health assessments on children across Lenawee County. Greg thanked everyone who helped out make this race the huge success that it was. Greg said that 370 registered for the run of which 300 actually participated in addition to 30 children with over 600 people downtown to watch the event. Next year’s event planning is already underway, Greg said. It will be even bigger than the first on, he said. The link you’ll want to pull up on YouTube and click on appears below. It will show highlights of the race itself along with various people who were interviewed the day of the event: https://youtu.be/WMLKAFAkvGw Greta job, Greg!

 

Fluency Friends Presentation: President Mary shared with the audience how the concept of the Fluency Friends program all came about one year ago at the District Conference on Mackinac Island and a conversation she had with Tiffany Olsaver, Mike’s wife, who is a staff member at Michener Elementary. Tiffany suggested that anything our club could do to support or impact “reading support” would be great. President Mary was just beginning her year as President when she wrote a submitted a grant to the district requesting funds to support this program and it was approved! All the rest, of course, is history!

 

President Mary then introduced Kathy Sielsky, Reading Specialist, and Deb Risner, principal, of Michener Elementary School. Kathy presented a recap of this highly successful Rotary-supported Fluency Friends program. Kathy told members that Michener has many kids who struggle with literacy and reading. Fluency Friends certainly filled that need, she said. The program ran from October 20 to May 29. Some 21 Rotary volunteers visited the school once a week and gave of their time so that students (51 in total) could read to them. Each volunteer would be read to by two students during each visit for 15 minutes each. As important as the reading was, Kathy pointed out, was the opportunity the kids had to establish relationships with adults.

 

Fluency Friends provided an additional 172 hours of reading practice for these youngsters! Kathy said that close to 80% of the students who participated reached their growth goal but for the sizeable donation that allowed the school to purchase close to 400 books that were either given to the kids participating (every child got 2) or went to start up the Fluency Friends Library at Michener Elementary. A sticker with the Rotary log was placed in each of the books purchased. Kathy closed by reading a number of comments from the volunteers as well as the children and they were all very positive.