Thanks to all who could join us at our meeting on November 4. And to those unable to attend, please know we missed you and that all indications are that those in attendance enjoyed our speakers and were touched by the well-deserved tribute to our Veterans. At the risk of missing somebody, let me start by thanking the following people who helped make the meeting successful:
- Paul Malinowski did an excellent job presenting brief histories of each Armed Services branch and securing the Gaither ROTC to present the colors.
- Vito Parado could not be in attendance but was kind enough in advance to download the Star Spangled Banner and each of the Service hymns for the presentation.
- Gabe Linder was invaluable in helping us with our technology needs.
- My daughter Amy also helped with the downloads and did a great job decorating the hall, which created a festive atmosphere.
- Larry Bane, Alan Brown, John Roskovensky, Al Marano, and Kevin Kingery cooked a great American dinner and cleaned up afterward.
- Joe Glenn, Larry Quigley, Al Marano, and Fernando Santayana manned the registration tables.
- Doug Funsch and Andy Altieri also provided excellent introductions for our speakers.
Pat Simmons of Bikes 4 Christ presented a nice background on his ministry and provided some great examples of how it is helping the less fortunate. If anybody would like to inquire about assisting them with bikes or making a monetary donation, his email is [email protected].
And Tom Gates was an excellent choice for a Veteran’s Day speaker as he is an American hero. And I know many of you thought his presentation was interesting and funny. And finally, his call to us to never stop giving was a great reminder and made me recall the words of Dr. Jonas Salk, who said, “The greatest reward for giving is the opportunity to give more.” In that regard, if any of you can spare an hour or two of your time this Saturday to help with the holiday boutique, it would be much appreciated. They are still looking for 3 people to set up tables and tents from 7-8:30 (thanks to Fernando for signing up), two people to answer vendor questions from 7:00 to 8:30 (thanks to Jeff Strouse for signing up), and five people to break down and set up tables for coffee and donuts the next day from 3-5 pm.
Please remember that the Usher ministry is recruiting volunteers. If you are interested in serving, please see John Roskovensky.
We continue to do our best to help the community and other ministries. Since our last meeting, we have donated to the following causes:
- Revive and Restore
- Parish Library
- Special Operations Warriors
- Mother Teresa Golf Tournament
- USF (via four basketball tickets)
Father Anthony will be our primary speaker at our December meeting. In the interim, on behalf of the Board, I wish each of you a blessed, joyous, and healthy Thanksgiving holiday. We truly have much for which to be grateful!
View all our meetings here… Current and past!
