Twenty six Rotarians and guests met at the Pond House Cafe on Monday the 23rd for a regular meeting.  Guests included 3 Rotarians from the Midland, TX club, guest speaker Rico Dence and his guest Wendy Pollak, and Maxine Fisher from Fern Street Community Kitchen. 
 
Key notes:
  • Bennett Forrest discussed the upcoming 'Rotary Means Business' event which will be held on Nov 9th in Glastonbury.
  • The club donated $8000 to Rotary clubs in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico for Hurricane relief and received another $9400 in donations from Rotarians and West Hartford residents which was added to the donation.
Maxine Fisher from Fern Street Community Kitchen discussed their effort.  They feed ~ 300 people per week, as well as running a backpack program in local schools so kids have food on weekends.  They are hosting a breakfast event on Saturday 11 Nov at 9am at the Universalist Church.
 
Guest speaker Rico Dence discussed the organization 'Up Cancer' he founded to support youth with cancer.  He emphasized the need for bone marrow donors - link here.  Note that they prefer donors between 18 and 44; those 45-60 need to pay a $100 fee to join the registry, and those 61 and older are not eligible.