Stories

Recently, we were presented with an update from Hailey, VP of Publicity for the Interact Club at Whitehall High School.  The Interact Club members logged 303 hours of volunteer service, the most of any club in the High School! 

 

We are so impressed with their service, and the breadth of organizations they have touched and projects they have supported - the Whitehall Food Pantry, Fellowship Community, The Nyonblee Cares Foundation, breast cancer awareness and our own Jingle Bell Run - just to name a few.

To these students and People of Action, keep up the good work serving our community and beyond!

Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. We are privileged to sponsor Interact Clubs at both Catasauqua High School and Whitehall High School.

 

Whitehall Rotary was pleased to sponsor a Whitehall High School junior to attend Camp Neidig, located near Boyertown, PA.  Camp Neidig is a 4-day overnight camp offering a unique leadership development program.

We were pleased to welcome Jose to our monthly breakfast meeting to share takeaways from his recent experience at Camp Neidig.  This "Camper of the Year" learned to trust in himself, that you need to push yourself to accomplish great things, and that the world needs more kindness.

Camp Neidig is a program sponsored by the Rotary Clubs in the Rotary District 7430 (Southeastern Pennsylvania). Its purpose is to provide exceptional young men and women with the opportunity to live, work, and socialize together in a dynamic leadership environment.

In mid-March five Whitehall High School students participated in our annual 4-Way Test speech contest with topics ranging from the mental health crisis in children and accessibility of college tuition to transgender athletes and the effectiveness of the prison system.

All high school students, grades 9 through 12 are eligible to participate in the contest.  Each contestant chooses the topic of his/her speech. The purpose of the speech is to persuade others while applying the principles of the Rotary 4-Way Test.  The 4-Way Test asks the following four questions of the things we think, say or do:
1.           Is it the TRUTH?
2.           Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3.           Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4.           Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
 
Their stellar entries made it difficult, but ultimately the judges selected Isabella B. as the winner.  Her moving and persuasive speech focused on the restrictiveness of the minimum wage system.

Isabella went on to represent Whitehall High School and our Club at the Regional Contest on April 6th, where she placed third.

The Club appreciates the support the community shows in participating in our fundraising events, including our upcoming 8th Annual Jingle Bell 8K Run/5K Walk on Saturday, December 7, 2024. All ages and running abilities are welcome, and the course is dog-friendly. 

 

For more information about the event, please visit https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Coplay/JINGLEBELL8KRUN5KWALK, or go to the Events section of our Facebook page, @whitehallcoplayrotary.  Registration will open on August 15th. Don’t worry - if you are not a runner, we welcome the entire community to participate in the event’s Basket Raffle.  This is a major event for our Club, as it helps to fund community projects and initiatives throughout the year.

Held annually in December, the Jingle Bell run is the Club's largest fundraiser.  The 7th Annual event raised $11,698 in 2023, attracting more than 150 runners, walkers, bikers and their four-legged friends.

The Club received a District 7430 Grant for a bike repair station to be placed at the Whitehall Trailhead of the Ironton Rail Trail, as an enhancement for the many cyclists who utilize the trail. The station includes all the tools necessary to perform basic bike repairs and maintenance, from changing a flat to adjusting brakes and derailleurs.
 
Previous District Grants allowed the Club to gift raised bed planters to Fellowship Community, equipment for the Whitehall Middle School Life Skills Cafe and a freezer for St. Stephen’s food pantry.

For years, Angalia Bianca had slept in abandoned buildings throughout Chicago. She stole. She did drugs. She spent time in and out of jail for forgery, theft, trespassing, and possession of narcotics. But after she landed in prison for the seventh time, something changed -- Bianca knew she wanted a better life. She just didn’t know how to make it happen.

 

After serving her time, Bianca sought help from a local homeless organization, A Safe Haven, and moved to its shelter in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Bianca followed the program closely -- she attended all the required meetings, passed drug tests, and volunteered at every opportunity.

What is it like taking a large team to Africa?  It has probably been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. In mid February, I began leading Rotary members from all over the East Coast of the United States through Ghana. I’ve tried to give the team a warm Ghanaian welcome like I’ve received on my earlier trips. A large trip is a real blessing because each person sees Ghana and our work in a different way.

A highlight for the team was greeting the chief of Sagadugu. The team got excited about buying goats and food for children in the villages where I support eight churches. It was good to see the pastors of most of the eight churches, and I had to explain that we were just passing through on our way to Bolgatanga.

Throughout India and around the world, Rotary clubs are celebrating a major milestone: India has gone three years without a new case of polio. The last reported case was a two-year-old girl in West Bengal on 13 January 2011. To mark this historic triumph, Rotary clubs illuminated landmarks and iconic structures throughout the country with four simple but powerful words, "India is polio free."

 

The three-year achievement sets the stage for polio-free certification of the entire Southeast Asia region by the World Health Organization. The Indian government also plans to convene a polio summit in February to commemorate this victory in the global effort to eradicate polio.