Oh, What a Night! Lobster Fest 2010

Lobster Fest 2010 was a roaring success! Held on Saturday, August 28th at Shully’s Cuisine in Thiensville this year, the nearly 300 in attendance were treated to a beautiful evening, a lovely dinner, and some great music from the Agape Jazz Quartet. The Silent Auction had some very nice items .. and we want to send special thanks to the Donors and Sponsors who helped make the evening such a success.

This year marked a first for us. Eight local businesses stepped forward as sponsors. Their generosity is so welcome to the operation of our grants and donations program in the coming months.

And let's not forget the generosity that so many of you demonstrated! Lobster Fest is our club's major fundraiser. This year, for the first time, in addition to the Silent and live auctions that raise funds for our on-going grants and donations program, special Fund-A-Cause opportunities were available for our guests. The causes were the Rotary ShelterBox program that provides emergency supplies for disaster stricken areas around the world, the Huiras Clinic at Columbia St. Mary's that provides medical care for the under- and uninsured population in Ozaukee County, and the Rotary Polio Plus program, where every $30 donation inoculates 100 children in threatened countries against polio. We will provide more information in the future.

With the funds raised through efforts such as Lobster Fest, our Club works to improve the quality of life here and elsewhere in the world by assisting community services with financial and volunteer support.  Thank you for your continued support over the years.  

Mark your calendars! Next year Lobster Fest will be on Saturday, August 27, 2011. See you then!

Curious About Who We Are?

We've been a part of the Mequon-Thiensville scene for over 20 years now, ever since the club was chartered by Rotary International in 1990 as a spin-off from the Thiensville-Mequon Noon Club. As a volunteer organization of business and professional leaders, we strive to serve our community, both local and global, with a balanced program of projects and scholarships that address today's challenges while encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations. Over the years our projects have given members the opportunity to work to combat illiteracy, disease, poverty, and abuse, as well as to advance restoration, beautification, and accessibility projects that enhance the quality of life.

In addition to raising over $250,000 for worthwhile projects since 1996, our members have a long history of working hard on their projects. Thousands of hours of "sweat equity" have been devoted to helping projects like the restoration and maintenance of Pukaite Woods in Rotary Park, painting and decorating at Kathy's House, book drives for literacy projects, support and maintenance of an Ozaukee domestic abuse shelter .. and far too many others to list here!

Members have routinely stepped up to bring their specialized skills to bear in emergencies, too, such as flying in to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina for rescue work, and both working on wild fires and training others in effective fire management. Projects that have engaged members have included health, blankets, and clean water efforts in Africa, medical relief and scholarships in Guatemala, as well as relief efforts in Haiti.

As of July 1st, the Changing of the Guard took place, with Sharon Pechiva taking over as President from Tom Johnson. As the new administration under Sharon moves forward, we are looking forward to laying the groundwork for our next decade of service.

Join us at one of our regular meetings! The club meets every Friday morning from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM. For the summer, we are meeting at the Reuter Pavilion in Rotary Park, on Highland Road, Mequon every Friday except August 13. On August 13th we will be at River Barn Park on Cedarburg Road.

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Guatemala Medical Relief Project 2010-2011

Even with the focus on the devastation in Haiti, the Guatemala Medical Relief Project (GMRP 2010) team moved forward with their planned visit to the remote southern Guatemala village of Oliveros. The visit continued their work providing medical care for the under-served population in the region.

On their return the team reported that even more people were seen this year than last. Check back later for more information on the work accomplished in 2010.

The GMRP 2011 team is now hard at work planning to return next year, the seventh to the Oliveras community. The team consists of not only the individuals who travel to Guatemala, but many here in the US spending seemingly countless hours to ensure that all of the details come together. 

Click here for the Volunteer Agreement for 2011.

Click here for the Volunteer Application for 2011.

Click here to browse the bookmarked GMRP 2009 presentation with details and pictures from the 2009 visit.

Guatemala Scholarships

If you are interested in more information on the GMRP Scholarship program for the children in Oliveras, click here to send an email. We can also be contacted by mail at our local address:

Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise Rotary Club
Attn: GMRP Scholarships
6079 Mequon Rd., PMB 123
Mequon, WI 53092