April, 2006 My Fellow Rotarians - Rotary's Global History Fellowship

District 6440 Histories 2005
Des Plaines River prompted volunteer labor and donations by club. Shared hosting Group Study
Exchange Team from Federal Republic of Germany with three other district clubs. Special gifts to
CRIS, a radio reading service for the blind, and to the newly established Community Teen Center.
Continuing support of community agencies with gifts over $2,300.
1987-88 - Shared in hosting visiting Rotarians with other clubs in district. Raised over $10,000 in annual
fundraiser for distribution in community and over $42,000 for PolioPlus program.
1988-89 - More interest, camaraderie, and fund were instilled during the year. Club members not only
attended with better interest but also stayed after the meetings in conversation. Membership included
club’s first woman Rotarian. Increased the results of annual fundraiser to $115,000 for distribution
through our Foundation.
1990-91 - Raised over $23,000 in annual fundraiser for distribution to the community. Participated in
hosting GSE team. Continuing vocational scholarships along with the Bob Barker scholarships. Cosponsored
tent sale with Lions Club. Sponsored a recycling booth at Octoberfest.
1991-92 - Thirtieth Anniversary year - special dinner held commemorating the event. A twenty-eightpage
news magazine celebrating the club’s anniversary as well as providing information to our
community was published. A new World Community Service Project was launched in Papau, New
Guinea with assistance from District 644 and Rotary International matching grants to purchase
textbooks, educational materials, and supplies for school system in Wau Valley. Co-sponsored a tent
sale with Park Ridge Kiwanis with proceeds benefiting the Park Ridge Youth Campus; expanded the
Speakers Bureau/Shadowing program to include all local schools in our community. Undertook the
largest community service project in Park Ridge Rotary history - providing playground equipment
accessible to children with disabilities. Annual fundraiser netted over $32,000.00 with proceeds used
toward the purchase of equipment for the playground as well as continuing support to local community
Service Agencies.
1992-93 - Bob Black – President. In joint effort with the 20th Century (now Park Ridge) Juniors, a total
of nearly $90,000 was raised and added to a grant from the State of Illinois to bring the amount to
$120,000 to complete the universally-accessible playground at Maine Park, so as to provide a state of
the art experience for all children and a fishing area at Maine Lake. The club moved its meeting location
to the Park Ridge Country Club from Summit Square. Membership was maintained in the 80's and
attendance percentages remained very high. We earmarked the proceeds from the fundraiser. The club
also sponsored a new Boy Scout Troop (I believe it was #288 out of Carpenter School), which soon was
folded in with Troop 50 at the Presbyterian Church.
1993-94 - Anthony J. (Tony) Tolbert III - President. The installation was held at the O'Hare Marriott
with the Three Saints and a Sinner providing the entertainment (Rev. Paris Donehoo's group). The
annual fundraiser was a dinner/auction held at the O'Hare Marriott. We raised $25,000. Our principal
gift was to WINGS. Ed McCabe gave a house on Touhy Avenue to WINGS; and our money was used
to buy furniture and refinish the house with new carpet, paint, and kitchen appliances. The year became
known as "The Year of the Pig." Our club cooperated with the South Park Carnival and we held Pig
Races as a second fundraiser. The year concluded with a pig roast at the Park Ridge Youth Campus for
the changeover dinner when R.I. President Bill Huntley swore in Ray Carlsen. The club raised over
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