Posted by Dora Dye on Jan 20, 2021
To celebrate the inauguration of a new U.S. President and to welcome a new chapter in our country's history, President JT Forbus (Accounting | Bogdan & Frasco) played Bruce Springsteen's song, Born in the USA. He then ushered everyone virtually to Crissy Field for a picnic lunch.
 
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
In today's audience were Csongor Czezar, Salvador Farfan (a former Rotarian from Long Beach, CA), Sangita Seshadri from the Rotary Club of Saratoga, Harmony Ma of the Action Leadership Program with Students (ALPS), and today's speaker, Leslie Frates.
 
ALPS Update
Harmony gave an update on the current ALPS projects shown in this map.
 
She invited everyone to register and attend the Second Annual ALPS Gala. One exciting activity at the Gala will be a silent auction with fabulous prizes.
 
A Report from the Ending Human Trafficking Committee
President-Elect Mary Liu (Real Estate: Sales | JM Real Estate Group | Vanguard Properties) gave an update on the activities of the Ending Human Trafficking Committee and thanked those responsible for creating and serving on this Committee. She reminded members to attend this event on January 20, 2021 at 12:30 p.m.  
 
Your Rotary Moment
President JT introduced the audience to the 2021-22 Rotary International President, Shekhar Mehta of the Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, West Bengal, India. We watched a video on Mehta's journey and accomplishments personally, professionally, and in Rotary.
 
Service Project with TogetherSF
President JT reported on our Club's recent service project - partnering with TogetherSF to load Vesta food boxes for delivery to churches to feed those in need. In addition, our Club donated dictionaries in print for distribution to children who could not afford electronic devices to use for educational purposes. Today, 150 dictionaries were delivered to De Marillac Academy.
 
Maureen O'Shea (Governmental Relations | Retired) led this service project with the help of Robin Azevedo (Retail: Mattresses | McRoskey Mattress Company), Emily Borland (Engineering, Architecture, and Construction | Emily Borland Specifications), Ann Daugherty (Financial Services: Private Trading | IBN Financial Services}, and the Poppens: Bill (Banking: Management | MUFG Union Bank) and Rhonda (Grant Writing | GRANTdog). Before the service project, Christopher Davies (Real Estate: Property Management | Self-employed) and Csongor Czezar had transported the dictionaries to this site.
 
(Pictured from left to right are Rhonda Poppen, Bill Poppen, JT Forbus, Robin Azevedo, Emily Borland, Ann Daugherty, and Maureen O'Shea).
 
A Breakout Sesh!
President JT broke the audience into small groups to discuss one or both of the following topics:
 
 
$20 for Twenty Seconds
John Hoch (Financial Services: Advising;| Retired) donated to celebrate our most recent Rotarian of the Month, Harold Hoogasian. Emily Borland donated to announce that Harold Hoogasian (Retail: Florist | Hoogasian Flowers) had recovered from illness and was back at work!
 
Rhonda Poppen donated to thank Michael Petricca (Education Management | Academy of Art) for referring to her a client in need of grant writing services. Rotary does indeed mean business!

Christopher Wiseman (Event Planning | Glaucoma Research Foundation) donated to thank colleagues for helping to organize this year's virtual Glaucoma 360 Gala and invited everyone to attend the Gala. Tom Brunner (Nonprofit Management | Glaucoma Research Foundation) donated as well to echo Christopher's invitation to attend this year's Glaucoma 360 Gala.
 
Kaushal Chokshi (Management Consulting | Scaale Inc.) (pictured) donated to thank the Club for the virtual hair he was able to grow during today's breakout sesh. Growing hair had been a challenge for Kaushal until today.
 
Today's Speaker
Anita Stangl (Medical Services | Alliance for Smiles) introduced today's speaker, who was Leslie Frates (pictured), five-day champion of the game show Jeopardy! and winner of several Jeopardy! tournaments. She discussed the history of this iconic game show and her fascination with the game since childhood. Leslie would rush home from school to watch the show. Then, she explained how she became a contestant and described her experience, her memories of host Alex Trebek, and the prizes she had won. President JT thanked Leslie and announced that 100 children would be inoculated against polio in her name.