Lawrence Central Rotary

Category: News

District 5710 and 9200 GSE/VTT Exchange 2013 Visit Lawrence Central May 15th

Group Study Exchange is Rotary’s International Exchange Program for Young Professionals. The GSE team will visited District 5710 April 28 – May 28, 2013, and visited the Central Lawrence Rotary at our May 15th Lunch Meeting. The team is from East Africa and all are medical professionals and their leader Caroline Abeja Apunyo is Medical Doctor from Uganda working as a public health consultant. She is also Past President for Rotary Club Kampala South and Past Assistant Gov D9200.

District 9200 comprises the six East African countries Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The geographical variation ranges from beautiful coastal beaches (both in Kenya and Tanzania), to Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and Lake Victoria, the largest fresh water lake in Africa. The Big Five – lion,

leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo – still roam our vast savannahs and bush land. The equator passes through Kenya and Uganda. The total population of all five countries is about 130 million in an area of 3,139,000 sq kms.

Kate Campbell and GSE/VTT Team Leader Caroline Abeja Apunyo

Caroline Abeja Apunyo, Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team Leader from Rotary District 9200, poses with her Lawrence Central

Rotary host Kate Campbell during the team’s visit in Lawrence in mid-May.

Apunyo is medical doctor with a specialization in Public Health in Kampala, Uganda. Since 2010, she has run her own business, ABJA Consulting Services, providing public health consulting services in Uganda and neighboring countries. She has been a Rotarian since 1996.

While in Lawrence, the GSE team of five medical professionals shadowed physicians at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and toured Health Care Access, Heartland Community Health Center, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, and the Lawrence/Douglas County Health Department.

Below are scans of the Rotary trading banners the team exchanged with our club.

May 16, 2013
Lawrence Central Cleans Up on Awards At 12-13 District Conference

Rotary District 5710’s annual conference club president Bob Swan was on hand to receive two awards on behalf of the club.

The first award is the 2012-2013 Peace Through Service Presidential Citation. The Presidential Citation recognizes Rotary clubs for achieving an array of accomplishments that help them become stronger, deliver more effective service, and enhance their public image. By qualifying for the Presidential Citation, clubs contribute to Rotary’s organizational goals and multiply the impact of their good work through the collective focus of 34,000 Rotary clubs worldwide.

In order to qualify Clubs were asked to assess their accomplishments this Rotary year. In order to qualify for a citation, clubs must meet the Presidential Challenge and complete one required activity, along with at least three additional activities, in each of the three categories listed. All activities had to be undertaken and completed between 1 July and 31 March of the 2012-13 Rotary year.

We’re proud to say we accomplished these tasks and we are a better club for it!

The second award Lawrence Central was for being a District 5710 Eastern Kansas Rotary Star Club for 2012-2013. District 5710 recognizes as a STAR CLUB every club whose annual contribution to the Annual Program Fund averages $100 or more per member.
(Per capita calculation based on APF giving.)

In order for a club to receive STAR CLUB designation, and be recognized at the District Conference, the club MUST turn in its Annual Fund contributions by March 31 each year. This will allow enough time to determine which clubs will be recognized at the annual District Conference.

Lawrence Central is proud to continue our designation as one of the District 5710 Star Clubs that achieved this annual level of support for our Rotary Foundation.

May 10, 2013
LCR May 8th Speaker is Jeremy Farmer, Executive Director of Just Food

Jeremy Farmer will be at our meeting on May 8th update update Lawrence Central about Just Food’s work in Douglas County.

Just Food’s mission is to serve as the central food distribution facility in Douglas County and to directly provide food assistance for those in need and to coordinate with and support efforts of partner agencies that maintain community food pantries.

Their vision is to be an innovative leader in alleviating the problem of hunger. In collaboration with our partner agencies, as well as government and community leaders, we work together to build the public will to ensure that no one in Douglas County, Kansas goes hungry.

They envision a day when everyone in our community has access to nutritious food through an efficient and sustainable acquisition and distribution network.

If you’d like to know more about Just Food or Lawrence Central stop by the Eldridge for lunch with us from Noon to 1pm!

May 7, 2013
Lawrence/Douglass Co Metro Planning Org Needs Your Input!
Do you walk, bike, drive, or use the T in Lawrence or Douglass County? A public open house will be held on Wednesday, June 5 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot (402 N. 2nd Street) in Lawrence. Members of the project team will be at the meeting to discuss the three elements of the multimodal planning studies. An online, interactive-mapping tool (additional information provided below) will be available at the open house to allow attendees an opportunity to identify deficiencies, gaps, and other mobility issues. Click Here to download the Open House Flyer.

If you have any questions regarding the public open house please contact:
- Todd Girdler, Senior Transportation Planner, Lawrence-Douglas County MPO, at (785) 832-3155 or email tgirdler@lawrenceks.org
- Jessica Mortinger, Transportation Planner, Lawrence-Douglas County MPO, at (785) 832-3165 or email jmortinger@lawrenceks.org
Can’t Attend? Use the Online Interactive Maps to Provide Your Comments.

The project team is currently collecting and analyzing data for the three multimodal planning studies and we need your help. Please take a few minutes to use the online, interactive-maps to identify deficiencies, gaps, and other mobility issues within the region. An online map has been developed for each of the three multimodal planning elements which you can access by clicking on the following links. Once you have accessed the first map, you will be able to access the other maps within the program, or you can return to this page to access the other maps.
- Countywide Bikeway System Plan: http://tinyurl.com/DouglasCoBike
- Fixed-Route Transit & Pedestrian Accessibility Study: http://tinyurl.com/TransitPedAccess
- Commuter Park & Ride Study: http://tinyurl.com/DouglasCoPark-Ride
We encourage you to provide as much information as possible. Feel free to complete one, two, or all three of the maps. You can also return at any time to add comments or review comments that other people have provided. The online, interactive-mapping tool will also be available at the public open house.
May 3, 2013
Want to Learn About Rotary? Stop By Weds 4/24 from 5:15 – 6:30
Feeling the urge to help your local community and the outside world from right here in Lawrence?

Lawrence Central Rotary is having a after work meeting at the Eldridge Weds 4/24 for you to come check out.

This event will be a great way for people to find out about Rotary and how our club helps the the local area and the the outside world.
- Weekly lunch meetings with local and international programs – Got that.
- Donations of volunteer time and financial support to local charities – Indeed.
- RideLawrence.com – That’s us.
- Multiple Shelter Boxes to areas of disaster – Check.
- Lawrence Community Bike Ride – Us too.
- And so much more!
Stop by, say hello, and talk to our members. And no – you won’t need to wear a funny hat (unless you want to! – and seriously, we get that question sometimes!)

When: Wednesday 4/24 from 5:15pm until 6:30pm

Where: Crystal Ballroom of the Eldridge Hotel. 701 Massachusetts, Lawrence, Kansas
April 22, 2013