July 28, 2009

IN THIS ISSUE:

Cara Rudd, Miss Tahoma, 2009, and Miss Washington Runner-Up, "Olive Crest: Securing Safe, Loving Families For Foster Children" | Cocktail Party at the Herzberg Home | Rotary Fall Golf Event | Calling All Bellevue Rotary Photogs! | More Cowbell for Rotary! | Fellowship Opportunity: Wicked!       

PLEASE NOTE: If the regular parking garage is full and you are turned away or redirected, please go to the Harbor Club parking lot.

Cara Rudd, Miss Tahoma, 2009, and Miss Washington Runner-Up
"Olive Crest: Securing Safe, Loving Families For Foster Children"

Cara Rudd is currently the Associate Development Director with Olive Crest, a non-profit organization serving at-risk children and families through services like private foster care. Prior to coming to Olive Crest, Cara performed in musicals at the 5th Avenue, Village and ACT Theatres.

Cara grew up in Federal Way and graduated first in her class at Tacoma School of the Arts, before earning a duel degree in Marketing and Communications from Seattle Pacific University.

Cara is currently serving as Miss Tahoma 2009, an official local title to the Miss Washington and Miss America organizations. At the beginning of July, Cara received the honor of being 3rd-Runner up to Miss Washington. During her year of service as Miss Tahoma, Cara will be advocating and educating for Olive Crest in the hopes of increasing the number of licensed foster homes in Western Washington.

Cocktail Party at the Herzberg Home
Rich Herzberg

Our Rotary Club has great fellowship options, but sometimes we just don’t get time to enjoy an evening together without speeches, an auctioneer, or a performance. So, Marilyn and I would like to invite you to a summer Rotary party where we promise no speeches, no fundraising — just a chance to enjoy a summer evening together.

Please feel free to bring your spouse or partner, or come on your own.

Valet parking has been donated. Drinks and lots of hors d’oeuvres will be served.

WHEN?
Thursday, August 6, 6:00pm – 9:00pm

WHERE?
Our home in Hunts Point

COST?
Our Fellowship Committee hasn’t set the final price, but expect it will be similar to our last Oktoberfest.

SIGN-UPS?
Please e-mail our Fellowship Chair TJ Woosley.

Calling All Bellevue Rotary Photogs!
Leslie Lloyd

We’re taking extra effort to document our activities for the coming year – and for posterity!

Please submit your photos from fellowship or service activities, such as Camp Goodtimes, President’s Celebration, Rotary First Harvest, Fireside, golf outings – any and all events of the Bellevue Rotary Club. We will use them for the District Assembly in Portland next year, and they will also be preserved for all time by our resident historian, Stu Vander Hoek.

It’s simple: all you have to do is email your digital images to:

photos@bellevuerotary.net

Be sure to include the names of all the people in each photo.

If you’d prefer, you can copy your photos to a CD or thumb drive and give them to Leslie Lloyd at a Rotary meeting.

With your help, the BRC will have a rich display of club activities for next year’s conference – and for all time.

More Cowbell for Rotary!

This year’s Sergeant at Arms is taking a cue from one of the most popular Saturday Night Live skits of all time: Christopher Walken and Will Farrell, respectively, demanding and delivering “More cowbell!” So, when you see a fellow club member’s name in a publication or doing something that’s worthy of note, think “That’s worth 'more cowbell' for Rotary!” and inform the Sergeant at Arms.

Fellowship Opportunity: Wicked!  

Join us at the Paramount Theater on October 1, at 7:30 PM, for "Wicked." We have excellent seats in the Loge, section A, rows A, B & C. Event price is $164 per person, which includes the pre-function.

Please contact Lynn Jones as soon as possible if you are interested in purchasing tickets.

History of RotaCare 

RotaCare was founded in 1989, when a family physician in Santa Clara, California, was asked to treat a homeless person. He did so and asked his Rotary Club for financial assistance. Their support became a District Project.     

There are now approximately 15 RotaCare clinics in the Bay Area, one on Colorado and one in New York. Bellevue RotaCare was the first clinic to open in Washington, after a year of planning, beginning in 1996. RotaCare International, Inc., is the parent corporation for regional RotaCare corporations that oversee the individual clinics. Regional corporations are directly responsible to state licensing agencies for the provision of quality medical care. They provide legal governance for clinics within their geographical area.

The RotaCare Puget Sound Board oversees the three RotaCare Free Clinics in Bellevue, Renton, and Lake City. An Administrative Council directs the day-to-day clinic operations. 

Ken Graham, a former member of the Bellevue Rotary Club, was the First Executive Director of RotaCare International and brought the concept to Bellevue. Beginning in the basement of the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, the clinic moved in January 2000 to its current location at Hopelink, which is located at 14812 Main Street, Bellevue, Washington. A second clinic opened in Renton in 2003, and a third, in Lake City, each supported by local Rotary Clubs. 

The mission of RotaCare is to provide free medical care for the relief of pain and suffering to those with the greatest need and the least access to health care resources.  

RotaCare is a volunteer driven coalition of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, interpreters, administrative and support staff, all dedicated to serve the underinsured and uninsured in our community. 

In Bellevue, approximately 75 volunteers rotate to staff the RotaCare Free Clinic, including 30 physicians and nurse practitioners. The Bellevue clinic is open on Saturday mornings from 9:30 AM—11:30 AM and serves between 13 and 21 patients each week, with as many as 28 patients served on a clinic day. Clinic services include:

• On site urgent care for basic primary medical problems such as sprains, infections, rashes and minor injuries, as well as the diagnosis of chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, for which initial treatment is provided and community referrals made to supporting agencies, community health centers and hospitals such as Overlake Hospital Medical Center.
• For the Bellevue Clinic, area medical subspecialists and surgical specialists offer pro bono consultations.
• Laboratory support provided by Overlake Hospital Medical Center; diagnostic and x-ray services provided by Washington Imaging and Bellevue Medical Imaging
• Prescriptions
• Immunizations
• Social services referrals for services such as counseling, transportation, federal and state aid programs, shelters, food assistance, drug and alcohol programs, pregnancy and family planning

Currently the majority of the clinic's cost goes to purchase medications for patients, which are billed to us at the DSHS level. Our annual cost is around $10,000, but if all volunteer services were purchased, it would cost about $280,000 per year! 

Bellevue Rotary, through its generosity, is the primary supporter of the RotaCare district project, in addition to District 5030. RotaCare will celebrate its 12th anniversary on September 20, 2009. 

The dedication of RotaCare volunteers allow the delivery of quality care and service to those most in need in our community. On behalf of those who need our services the most, a special thanks to Bellevue Rotary!