2019-2020 Activities of the Rotary Club of League City
The Rotary Club of League City seeks to improve and build healthier communities in our own community as well as across the globe. This is accomplished through several activities.
Fund Raisers
Polar Bear Plunge
The Rotary Club of League City sponsors a Polar Bear Plunge each December in League City, Texas. Rotarians and community individuals collect pledges to help fund the eradication of polio across the globe. The actual event and collection of pledges takes about 2 hours. There are no expenses for this event. Plungers raised $4,026 this year.
Brews N More
Brews N More is the largest fundraiser of The Rotary Club of League City. Our Club partners with South Shore Harbour Resort to hold a craft beer tasting event in League City, Texas. Rotarians sell tickets and sponsorships, collect silent auction prizes, sell door prize tickets, work registration and assist at the various booths. Approximately 30% of funds raised provide for the expenses of the event. Net funds raised through this event are deposited in the Rotary Club of League City Foundation to support the outreach projects of the Rotary Club of League City. Approximately 20% of our time is allocated to this project. This year’s event had to be rescheduled to October 22, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adult Team Spelling Bee
The Adult Team Spelling Bee is the second fund raiser for the Rotary Club of League City. Rotarians sell tickets and sponsorships, enlist teams of three for participation, work registration, and promote the event. Approximately 30% of funds raised provide for the expenses of the event. Net funds raised through this event are deposited in the Rotary Club of League City Foundation to support outreach projects of the Rotary Club of League City. Approximately 20% of our time is allocated to this project. This year’s event netted $5,338.00
District Grant Rotary Reads
Rotary Reads is an outreach program to promote literacy at League City Elementary School in League City, Texas. Rotarians read to six 2nd grade classrooms and explained the 4-Way test. Rotarians collected and distributed books to the 2nd grade classroom libraries and the school library. During the Annual Scholastic Book Fair, Rotarians assisted and paid for a book for every child in the school. Funds for this event came from a grant from Rotary District 5910 and matching funds from our Rotary Club of League City Foundation. Approximately 15% of our time is allocated for this project.
Activities
Mobile Food Pantry
Rotary Club of League City partners with Galveston County Food Bank and the City of League City to provide a monthly mobile food distribution in League City, Texas. Rotarians from our club as well as volunteers from the community come together to package and distribute food to those in need. The project is funded from our Rotary Club of League City Foundation or through outside sponsors. The food distribution is held the second Thursday of each month from noon to 3:00 p.m. Approximately 3 hours a month is devoted to this project.
Influenza Clinics
The Rotary Club of League City partners each fall with CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinic and Clear Creek ISD to provide free influenza vaccines to four different communities in League City, Webster and Kemah Texas. Rotarians provide assistance with registration, crowd control, language interpretation, record keeping for the site and assisting the medical professionals. Four clinics of approximately two hours each are held at four elementary schools within Clear Creek ISD to provide the surrounding communities with free influenza vaccines. CHRISTUS Healthy Living Mobile Clinic provides the vaccines with no cost to the club or individuals.
RYLA
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is a scholarship program for local Rotary Clubs to provide high school juniors in attending a leadership weekend camp during the month of January at the Pineywoods Baptist Encampment in Woodlake, Texas. The RYLA Camp is designed to encourage and train students in leadership, citizenship, teamwork, and personal growth. The Rotary Club of League City sponsors 8-12 students each year. Funding comes from the Rotary Club of League City Foundation through our fund raising events. Approximately 5% of our time is allocated for this project.
Teacher of the Year
The Rotary Clubs of League City, Seabrook and Space Center partner to provide a luncheon to celebrate the Teacher of the Year from each of the schools within Clear Creek ISD. Representatives of each club as well as members from the Administration from Clear Creek ISD, meet to select and interview candidates to award one secondary and one elementary teacher of the year from the school district.
This year, due to the COVIC-19 pandemic, the six finalists were interviewed by a committee via Zoom. Instead of a luncheon, teachers were surprised by a parade to celebrate the finalists and the two winners. Funding for the luncheon and prize awards are shared by the three Rotary Clubs. Approximately 5% of our time is allocated for this project.
Galveston County Hearing and Sight Impaired Field Day
The Rotary Club of League City donated $700 to help fund a Field Day for students in Galveston County school districts who are unable to participate in the traditional Field Days at their local school due to hearing and sight impairment. Rotarians were to volunteer at the event, but due to COVID-19 closing of in school learning, the Field Day was cancelled. The donation will be used to fund 2020-2021 Field Day.
Clear Creek ISD Adaptive Field Day
The Rotary Club of League City donated $500 to help fund a Field Day for students in Clear Creek ISD schools who are unable to participate in traditional Field Days at their schools due to physical impairments. Due to COVID-19 closing of in school learning, the Field Day was cancelled. The donation will be used to fund 2020-2021 Field Day.
Lighthouse Christian Ministries
A donation of $500 was given to help fund Kidz Dazs at Lighthouse Christian Ministries. Kidz Dayz is a summer day camp for kids.
4-Way Test Speech Competition
The first 4-Way Test Speech Competition was held this year. High School students from Clear Springs and Friendswood competed in a speech contest about Rotary's 4-Way test. Winners at the school level advanced to the semi-final round and the top three winners advanced to Rotary District 5910 District Conference Competition. Due to COVID-19, the semi-final competition was cancelled. All winners from the schools competed via Zoom at the Rotary District 5910 Conference and were awarded cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. It is hoped that the 4-Way Test Speech Competition will become an annual event and more Rotary Clubs in District 5910 will participate. Funding for this event came from funds raised through events.
SOME PAST ROTARY CLUB PROJECTS
Service Projects
Devereaux Treatment Center – Rotarians volunteered to help renovate the children’s waiting room and play therapy room.
Hope Village Residential Care Facility – Rotarians assisted in landscaping at Hope Village.
League City Elementary Garden Project – Rotarians volunteered in rehabilitating the garden at League City Elementary.
Holiday Parade Float - League City Rotary entered a float in the annual Holiday in the Park parade. League City came in 2nd in the service organization category at the 2008 parade.
EarlyAct - The Club sponsored an EarlyAct club at League City Elementary. EarlyAct is a Rotary Club for elementary school children. The kids would meet twice a month and work on both a local and an international service project. A Rotarian attended most EarlyAct meeting.
Interact - League City Rotary sponsors an Interact Club at Clear Falls and Clear Springs High Schools. Interact is a Rotary Club for high school teens. The kids meet twice a month and work on both a local and an international service project. A Rotarian attends most Interact meetings.
YMCA Water Wise - The Club teamed with the YMCA to sponsor their Water Wise swimming lessons for children, held at low-to moderate income apartment complex pools. Approximately 30 kids participated at the Club's sponsored site in 2012. The Club has a Water Wise piggy bank on a table at their meetings to help the YMCA pay for swimsuits and googles.
Hurricane Awareness Forum - The Club volunteers at the City of League City's public outreach and education forum every year just before hurricane season.
Foreign Exchange Student - The Club sponsors a foreign exchange student through Rotary International's Youth Exchange program. Past students came from Germany, France, Thailand and Spain. Students attend schools within Clear Creek ISD and are hosted by three Rotary families who take turns having the student live in their home.
Group Study Exchange - Rotary Club of League City hosts a team of five business professionals traveling abroad every spring for 4-5 days. Rotary District 5910 sends a team to a foreign country and receives a team from that same country. The team travels through the district, receiving vocational training, experiencing our culture, attending club meetings and events, and staying in Rotarian's homes.
Kiva International - The Club budgeted to invest $3,000 in micro-loans through the Kiva International, a non-profit microlending institution. Club funds will provide numerous small loans to business entrepreneurs in third world countries.
Heifer International - League City Rotary budgeted a donation of $1,400 dollars to Heifer International, a non-profit company that provides animals to families in third world countries. The one-time donation is sustainable; the animals and their offspring will provide for many years.
