PITTSFIELD ROTARY CLUB District 6460 8-2-06

Birthdays this month: Carole Bradshaw, Tom Moore, Jim Filbert, Ron Short and Carolyn Casteel

Make-up: Dawson Dean on a cruise, July 25....Dan Mefford in Buffalo, Montana on a napkin (furnished by Wally????)

Thank You received Crystal Prater, Pike Land Unit 10, who received a Rotary Scholarship wrote a very eloquent note of Thanks.

Emily Smith, who received a scholarship to IAJHSA Leadership camp from Rotary wrote a nice Thank you for the educational experience. Her teacher, Kay Sealock, also wrote a thank you for Rotary sponsoring her.

President Anna is going to be gone....she has appointed Joe Dierker to lead us in her absence....(there’s no joy in Mudville... but we expect him to do extremely well..)

Dr. Ron Short hit half a century last Tuesday.... He’s now past 50.....We... Happy Birthday Ron....

Program: Debbie Dugan brought Ann Moffitt and Cathy Ervin to our club to talk about ‘Miles for Myeloma’

Cathy Ervin was diagnosed with Myeloma, a little known cancer form about 5 years ago. Little known, but this particular disease is 2^nd most prevalent of the blood cancers. MM is actually a cancer of the bone marrow (where blood is produced). It actually attacks and destroys the bone. It is one of the top 10 leading causes of cancer deaths...

Thalilomide, which caused big problems in pregnant women and their resultant deformed children in the 60's, apparently does work on reducing the effects of this disease....

While currently there is no cure for this disease, research is opening doors to new therapies with promising results.....

The local group has a mission to raise money to help in research for this disease....and 94 percent of the money raised will go directly to research (excellent odds in current fund raising).

There will be a Walk-Run at the Pittsfield City Lake on September 9. It is a 5 K...(3.1 miles for the uninformed). Entry fee is $20.00 in advance, $25.00 for that day... with T-Shirt and water furnished...

There will be a $100.00 prize for first male and female contestants....plus medals.....lots of age groups, and if you can’t run, there is a non-competitive 5K walk....(designed for the casual person...you could even saunter, if you so desire)

Goal is $10,000.00...... if you can’t run or walk, you CAN sponsor or donate...... They already have a grant from Illini Foundation, and there will be challenge funds.......

They also will have a ‘Lap Quilt’ raffle... It’s on display on the WEST side of the square....(Seek and Ye shall find....)....

Ann Moffitt filled in a lot of details....but the important thing is Cathy is still with us, thanks to what has been learned about this disease....and she is trying to help seek a cure for it.....

Let’s give her some real HELP!!!!!