It’s that time of year again. Our thoughts turn to Spring and a warm Sunday in the park. Picture it….The birds are chirping; townspeople are gathered far and wide and there, over the horizon, are a thousand runners who are jockeying for position. Leading the way is our very own Doug Merritt. He’s once again riding a tricked out Electric Bicycle accessorized by a sleek yet understated “PW Herman” model bicycle helmet!
Run with Rotary on Earth Day will be held on May 3rd this year. We are collaborating for the third time with the Montgomery Environmental Commission which means, Recycling; Vendors; Food Trucks: Entertainment: Exhibits and yes….Rizzo’s Reptiles! As I’ve mentioned in 2019, we’ve put in a request for alligator wrestling on the north lawn. Last year Zoltan Nagy had secured an outline from an expert on “How to Properly Wrestle a Gator.” I found it to be both inspiring and thought provoking (I couldn’t put it down).
Our 50-50s have been distributed and even more are available. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to our foundation and will pay for a box truck for Bentley Community Services. Yay!!! We need every member to step up and help! Special thanks to Ed “50-50” Zimmerman for once again leading the charge. He’s already sold over $1000 worth of tickets and is eager to help all of us sell ours!
The tickets are $20 for one, or a book of 6 for $100. The tickets are relatively easy to sell. Here’s why….. The prize money! We offer a 1st place prize that pays 35% of the gross tickets sold. 2nd prize pays 10% and the third prize pays 5%. To create excitement, it’s recommended that we mention the amount of last year’s prize money when we’re offering someone a chance to buy tickets. If my calculations are correct, last year’s 50-50 winners were paid:
$10400 for 1st prize (35%)
$2900 for 2nd prize (10%)
$1400 for 3rd prize (5%)
Not too shabby! There’s a chance for someone to win real money for a modest investment. With everyone’s help, this year’s prize and charitable money will be even greater! Here’s the real prize; the feeling that we get by helping others. As Rotarians, we can all do our part and make a difference….
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ~Desmond Tutu
Here’s to overwhelming the world and making a difference! …
Yours in Rotary,
Tony Parziale