Mike Polasek, 7210 District Governor 2021-22 (Aired July 4, 2021)

The 2021-22 Governor for Rotary District 7210, the eight counties of the Mid-Hudson region, Mike Polasek, started his term on July 1, but like all District Governors he had two years of training for the becoming the administrative head of the district. Unlike many other new District Governors, however, he has been part of an active team of District leaders working together to improve the District. Past District Governors Cindie Kish (2019-20) and Tony Marmo (2020-21) developed plans for the activities and events together with DG Polasek, including the District Service Days, which take place each quarter. DG Polasek will lead service days on addiction prevention and recovery, food security, and the environment. This Rotary Year will see the return of many in-person events, starting with RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and including the return to the Youth Exchange program admissions. Continuing programs include the Million Mask Challenge, End Polio Now, and ShelterBox.

Learn more:
Rotary Districts 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Rotary Club of Lagrange: https://lagrangerotaryny.org/
Million Mask Challenge: https://blog.rotary.org/2020/12/30/million-mask-challenge-displays-power-of-rotary-network/
Polio and Rotary: https://www.endpolio.org/
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/

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7210 District Governor 2020-21 Report (Aired on June 27, 2021)

Rotary District Governor (DG), Toni Marmo (Highland Rotary), visited RadioRotary and described some of the highlights of his 2020-21 tenure. A District Governor is a well-trained leader, overseeing the 56 clubs in the 8- country district from July 1 to June 30, usually visiting each club in person during that year. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, DG Marmo joined many Zoom meetings, but somehow managed 63 in person visits—most clubs twice, counting online meetings. One Covid-related charitable work during the year was participation in the Million Mask Challenge, with District clubs passing out about 275,000 masks to local community organizations. Another highlight has been the increase in membership after several years of decline, adding a net of about 60 members to the 1,600—DG Marmo has agreed to be the District Membership Chair for 2021-22, continuing his work in this important area. He has not ignored his home club during the year, either. Highland’s big project for years has been Ribfest, but because of Covid restrictions, in 2020 and 2021 the Ribfest has been replaced by Rotary’s Ribfest & Restaurant Revival, helping local restaurants survive the various lockdowns and other problems associated with the pandemic. There is much more of interest in this interview.

Learn more:
Rotary Districts 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Highland, NY Rotary Club: https://highlandrotaryclub.com/
Rotary’s Ribfest & Restaurant Revival: https://rrrr.rocks/
Million Mask Challenge: https://blog.rotary.org/2020/12/30/million-mask-challenge-displays-power-of-rotary-network/

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District 7210 & Million Mask Challenge (Aired on January 24, 2021)

Highland Rotarian and District 7210 President (2020-21) Tony Marmo is the guest on this RadioRotary program. His District of 56 Rotary clubs (including the brand-new Passport Rotary Club) is participating in the Million Mask Challenge, a program started by a Connecticut Rotarian that is designed to provide face masks to organizations. Face masks have been called the best way to stop the spread of the covid-19 pandemic, especially important because of slow progress in vaccinations against the disease. As part of this program 37 District Rotary clubs managed to distribute 137,000 face masks (mostly surgical masks, but also some masks for children and N95 masks for health-care workers). These have been given to such organizations as senior-citizen centers, food pantries, fire departments, and more. Tony Marmo, when not engaged in Rotary activities, is president and owner of Normann Staffing, a source of temporary workers and an employment agency in Kingston, NY.

Learn more:
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/
Million Mask Challenge: https://millionmaskchallenge.com/
District 7210 Million Mask Challenge: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/stories/rotary-million-mask-challenge-(take-2-)
District 7210 Passport Club: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/clubinfo/district-7210-passport
Normann Staffing: https://www.normannstaffing.com/

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January 30, 2021 · Posted in Health, Rotary District 7210  

Vassar-Haiti Project during the Pandemic (Aired on September 20, 2020)

For twenty years, the Vassar-Haiti Project (VHP) has improved the lives of Haitians in the remote mountaintop Haitian village of Chermaitre and its surroundings, raising funds primarily by selling Haitian paintings and crafts. As a result of these efforts, Chermaitre and the surrounding area is served by a 300- student school, a clinic that treats 3,000 patients annually, and clean water, the last from a Rotary Global Grant sponsored by the Poughkeepsie-Arlington Rotary. But with the Covid-19 situation in 2020, an in-person art sale would be too dangerous, so VHP mounted an on-line auction and other virtual events. RadioRotary is helping promote the sale with an interview with Lila Meade, Executive Director of VHP, and two active students from Vassar, Alice Fan and Sam O’Keefe. VHP is partly operated by Vassar’s Rotaract Club and has close connections with 14 Rotary Clubs, District 7210, and The Rotary Foundation. The current efforts include setting up an $86,500 solar-power system to bring much needed electricity to the clinic, for which 14 Rotary Clubs and Rotary District 7210 have contributed $66,000.

Learn more:
The Vassar Haiti Project: http://www.thehaitiproject.org/
The Rotary Foundation Global Grants: https://my.rotary.org/en/take-action/apply-grants/global-grants
Rotaract: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/rotaract-clubs
Rotary District 7210: https://rotarydistrict7210.org/

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