FLORENCE – No one was surprised when Mark Staggs turned attention at the Florence Rotary Citizen of the Year ceremony to Special Olympics volunteers. The Rotarians honored Mark and Debbie Staggs as 2017 Citizens of the Year for their 27 years of leadership of the Special Olympics of Northern Kentucky at a luncheon on Monday, Aug. 14. The Staggs have…
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Family Promise of Northern Kentucky Celebrated First Anniversary
FLORENCE – Family Promise of Northern Kentucky celebrated the first anniversary of its reopening with a perfect record for keeping its promises. The homeless sheltering program served 12 families in its first year, which ended July 18. All 12 “graduated,” according to Executive Director Amanda Speier. “We had a 100 percent success rate,” she told members of the Florence Rotary…
Read MoreWeinberg Introduces Ronald McDonald House to Rotarians
FLORENCE – Mike Weinberg says the Ronald McDonald House is much more than an affordable place to stay for family members with critically injured youngsters at Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “We’re not just a shelter,” Weinberg said. “We provide all the things people are missing from home. “It’s important to us that the families feel comfortable and happy … that…
Read MoreRotarian’s Welcome Irish Heritage Center
FLORENCE – Maureen Kennedy and Kent Covey are “awakening the Irish” in Greater Cincinnati. They founded the Irish Heritage Center (IHC) of Greater Cincinnati eight years ago. They are transforming a late 19th century school building on the east side of the Queen City into a museum, theater, library, tea room, pub and music and arts venue. The center currently…
Read MoreLincoln Grant Scholar House
FLORENCE – The results are in for the first semester for Lincoln Grant Scholar House students, and the grades are good … very good. Lincoln Grant Scholar House, which opened in Covington earlier this year, provides affordable housing and family services for 45 single parents enrolled in post-secondary education. “The exciting thing is the high GPAs at the end of…
Read MoreHost Families Needed – Youth Exchange
Update from James Glass via Jack McAllister District 6740 has 4 Youth Exchange Students scheduled for our district this this coming 2017 – 2018 school year. We are urgently looking for host families. If you or someone you know may be interested in hosting a student (remember, they do not have to be Rotarians), then please let me know as…
Read MoreAviatra Accelerators Visits Rotary
Florence, Ky. – What’s in a name? The change in name from Bad Girl Ventures to Aviatra Accelerators personifies a new growth strategy for the seven-year-old women’s business accelerator in Northern Kentucky. The name change signals an expanded emphasis on attracting new clients, opening new markets and “encapsulating who we are,” said Angela Ozar, the organization’s market manager. “Our mission…
Read MoreLiveWell Campaign Comes to Rotary
FLORENCE – Nancy Costello and Lea Beck are trying to raise an army in Northern Kentucky to combat a tenacious public enemy. The enemy? Poor health habits. Kentucky stands No. 47 of 50 states in overall health, according to their recruiting literature for LiveWell NKY. And, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks the Commonwealth No. 1 in the…
Read MoreBray Brings Animal Shelter Awareness to Rotarians
FLORENCE – Hedgehogs can be a problem. They are a bit prickly to handle. Cats can be a problem, too. They tend to proliferate. That’s the assessment of Colleen Bray, field sergeant for the Boone County Animal Shelter in Burlington. “Cats are our biggest challenge, especially in the spring and summer,” Bray said. “We get kittens all year long.” Bray…
Read MoreInteract Students Share Dominican Republic Experience
FLORENCE – Last year, the video produced by the Interact Club of Boone County to document a trip to the Dominican Republic highlighted the students’ activities. This year, their video focused on the people they helped … and their smiles. “This trip was just as amazing as the first time,” said Alex King, who returned with the Interact Club for…
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