july 20, 2010

Meets the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pmTick Tock Restaurant 8123 Fourth Street North, St. Petersburg (727) 498-8563

Interim Editor: Sharon Dennany, telephone 919-274-1311 or email: [email protected]

TodayTodayTodayToday’’’’s meeting at Tick s meeting at Tick s meeting at Tick s meeting at Tick Tock…I do not have anything to report about the meeting on July 6th other than the rain and the Rays game kept a lot of people from attending. I understand there were only 5 who do make it to the meeting. July has been a slow month with many members away for the summer or summer vacations.

Instead of having a regular meeting on July 20th, five members volunteered to go to the Ronald McDonald House to feed the families.

A periodic newsletter of the St. Petersburg - Downtown Optimist ClubNorth Florida District, Zone 9, Club #60447

July 20, 2010

Downtown Optimist ClubDowntown Optimist Club

Ronald McDonald HouseRonald McDonald HouseRonald McDonald HouseRonald McDonald House…Rick and Jean Rutan, Lee and Judy Warnock and myself volunteered at the RMH. There was plenty of food, even though the dinner hour seemed a little slow. The kitchen counter was loaded with lots of pizza, pasta salads, baked beans, deserts, and drinks. I got misty eyed when Rick offered to say a prayer for one of the parents. Her baby was born 8 weeks premature and weighed only 1 pound. Now the baby is up to 3 pounds.

Ronald McDonald House continuedRonald McDonald House continuedRonald McDonald House continuedRonald McDonald House continued…


Many families travel far from home to get treatment for their seriously ill or injured children. The treatment may last a day, a month, or even longer. It's a long time to be away from home, or to divide a family.

Ronald McDonald Houses around the world offer families a way to stay together, in proximity to the treatment hospital, and be comfortable and cared for during their stay.

Allow Families to Face the Weight of Illness Together

Families are stronger when they are together, which helps in the healing process. By staying at a Ronald McDonald House, parents also can better communicate with their child’s medicalteam and keep up with complicated treatmentplans when needed.

Allow Children to Get the Best Care

When your child is sick, you want the best care possible - even if it is hundreds or thousands of miles away. The Ronald McDonald House allows families to access specialized medical treatment by providing a place to stay at little or sometimes no cost.

Services for Families

At every House, families can enjoy:

�Home-cooked meals �Private bedrooms �Playrooms for children �Depending on the House, these services may also be available:�Special suites for children with suppressed immune systems �Accredited education programs �Recreational activities �Non-clinical support services �Sibling support services

Ronald McDonald House Ronald McDonald House Ronald McDonald House Ronald McDonald House continuedcontinuedcontinuedcontinued…

The generosity of volunteers and donors make it all possible. In return, families either stay at no cost or are asked to make a donation up to $25 per day, depending on the house. The RMHC Global Policy is that families are never turned away; if its not possible to pay, the fee is waived.

At Ronald McDonald House Charities, we owe our continued success to the tireless work of volunteers and the countless contributions from our donors. Because of you, we’ve been helping improve the lives of children and their families for 35 years.

Here are some of the historic milestones* that you have made possible.

1974

The first Ronald McDonald House opens in Philadelphia thanks to Dr. Audrey Evans, Philadelphia Eagles’ player Fred Hill (whose daughter, Kim, had leukemia), Jim Murray, the Eagles’ general manager and Ed Rensi, the McDonald’s regional manager.

The McDonald’s owner/operators in Philadelphia made the House possible, donating proceeds from the sale of Shamrock Shakes.


1984

Ronald McDonald House Charities is officially established in memory of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, a strong advocate for children.

1994

Ronald McDonald Houses open in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Auckland, New Zealand, bringing the total number of Houses to 164 in 12 countries.

2004

Twenty more Ronald McDonald Family Rooms open, bringing the number to 80 Family Rooms in 10 countries.

Twenty-three Ronald McDonald Care Mobile programs operate in the United Statesand Argentina.


2008

RMHC Italy opens a 31-bedroom Ronald McDonald House on Vatican property. The House sits on a private beach, providing serenity for families whose children are receiving care at Bambini Gesu Children’s Hospital.

Atlanta’s 50-room Ronald McDonald House is the second built to Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) specifications. The House includes a dedicated wing with 10 private, two-bedroom suites for families of children who are recovering from bone marrow, heart, liver or kidney transplants.

RMHC is located in 52 countries and regions, with the newest being a Chapter in Latvia.

Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles are newly operating in Thailand, New Orleans and Colorado Springs.

*This is only a sampling of their historySource: rmhc.org

Downtown Optimist Club of St. Petersburg3558 100th TerracePinellas Park, FL 33782-4100

The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself -To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

CLUB OFFICERS

President Gardner Harshman. . . . . . . . . . . 592-0243Vice Pres. Scott Kaplan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535-6939Vice Pres. Vi Hayworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527-2656Sec/Treas. Lee Warnock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577-7159Sgt-At-Arms Jim Sirrianna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392-2718Chaplain Rick Rutan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .522-6143

DIRECTORS

Jim Sirrianna (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392-2718Viki Pena (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421-3721Chuck Hayworth (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .527-2656Jean Rutan (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522-6143Rick Rutan (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 522-6143Judy Warnock (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458-8278

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Oratorical Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee WarnockEssay Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jean RutanPrograms/Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick RutanFellowship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vi Hayworth/Viki PenaPoster Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jean RutanO.I. Foundation Rep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jane RidingsRespect for Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gardner HarshmanYouth Appreciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee WarnockNew Community Dev. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vi HayworthGet Away Raffle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Easter Egg Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Scott KaplanBell Ringing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vi HayworthFirst Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lee Warnock

july 20, 2010

Education

bedroom ronald mcdonald

ronald mcdonald houses

house possible

ronald mcdonald care

families of children

continued success

world offer families

injured children