Part of our team Shown starting left: June Doy, Erik Jorgensborg, Judy Neveau, President Lionel Ruhman, Piedad Robertson, Tish Tisherman, PP Dee Menzies, and Nat Trives
An advance team of Club President Lionel Ruhman, team
co-captains Judy Neveau and Tish Tisherman, past president Dee Menzies, club
secretary June Doy and all-round good-guy Rotarian Erik Jorgensborg arrived
early on Saturday morning at Corsair Field to prepare the campsite.
A cozy tent, a large canopy for shade, several chairs, an
ice chest full of drinks and most importantly a prominent Rotary banner on
sturdy stakes, all helped to transform the allotted site to a true “Rotary
Home away from Home”.
After an opening ceremony featuring greetings of several
honored guests including Rotarians Piedad Robertson, Nat Trives and James Butts,
the “Survivors Lap” provided a moving and inspirational beginning to the
24-hour event. All those present who had survived cancer took a lap around the
track and received medallions at the finish line.
Then everyone else joined in and the 24-hour event began.
At various times as scheduled, a number of members of the Rotary Club of Santa
Monica and their spouses and children and friends came and did their laps,
stopping at the “Rotary Rockets” campsite to rest, have a cold drink, a
slice of watermelon, or just for fellowship.
Walking with our fellow Rotarians offered us new
opportunities to get to know each other better, an additional bonus on top of
raising money for a good cause and getting fresh air and exercise. Three hardy
souls, Dee, June and Judy, brought sleeping bags and stayed through the night,
getting some – if not high quality – sleep. Being served hot coffee and
breakfast by Troop 2 was a welcome morning bonus!
Somewhere along about the middle of the night Finding
Nemo and Shreck were screened on the infield for the late owls, and free
kettle corn distributed. Char Lawrence brought everyone her freshly baked warm
cookies to keep the spirits up and the feet walking.
Spotted sometime between midnight and dawn were die-hard
night owl walkers Dick and Char Lawrence, Judy Neveau, Kathy Crookston, Spyros
Dellaportas, Jillian Alexander, Clyde Smith, June Doy and Dee Menzies.
Chipper dawn additions were Steve Alexis, Shirley Dowling,
and Tom Loo, among others.
The following Rotarians were part of our “Rotary
Rockets” team”:
Lionel Ruhman, Erik Jorgensborg, Tish and Skip Tisherman,
Judy Neveau, Dee and Jim Menzies, June Doy, Nat Trives, Michael Cates, Mark
Harrier, Sue Hartenbaum, Mary Mathews and son Connor Gil, Tom and Karon Larmore,
Kathy and Bill Crookston, Tom Loo, Shirley Dowling, Miles Pritchard and his son,
Steve Alexis, Clyde Smith, Joe Pundyk (snappy in Boy Scout uniform, serving
breakfast as part of Troop 2), Dick and Char Lawrence, Blair Brandenburg,
Jillian Alexander, Spyros Dellaportas, Paul Leoni, Joe Metoyer, and Santa Monica
College Rotaract members Maria Richardson, Chris Fortschneider, and Byrann
Flores.
By 9 a.m. the closing ceremonies wrapped up the successful
24-hours. The “Rotary Rockets” were proud to be part of a phenomenally
successful event, raising over $4,500 for the event, which took in well over
$155,000, far beyond its optimistic 2004 target of $102,000.
Congratulations to everyone for showing the Rotary Spirit
to the community!
Judy Neveau
7/29/04
| Our own World famous construction Contractor and our President Lionel Ruhman shows the proper technique in tent assembly. |
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Shirley Dowling and President Elect Paul Leoni. They show good form as to the correct walking procedure. |
| Shown proudly standing in front of our banner - starting left: June Doy, Rotaract members Bryann Flores and Maria Richardson, Tish Tisherman, and Myles Prichard |
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Eldercare Insurance Expert Susan Hartenbaum |
| Blair, Judy, Skip, and Tish shown relaxing after completing 20 laps. |
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Kathy Crookston, Judy Neveau and Blair Brandenburg |
| Tish Tisherman and Chris Fortschneider |
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I can almost hear the theme song for "Rocky" playing as Tom Loo sprints around the track. |
| Mary Mathews and her son Connor Gil. |
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Mark Herrier (left) and Michael Cates. Our hidden microphones heard Mark protesting (to gymnastic expert Mike) that the judges should have awarded him a 10 on his previous lap. |
| What is Clyde Smith doing?
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Our own real estate expert attorney Tom Larmore is caught racing around the field. I guess no one told Tom that he was not required to run. |
| Starting left: Judy Neveau, Steve Alexis, Clyde Smith, Jillian Alexander, June Doy, PP Dee Menzies, and Joe Pundyk (looking snappy in Boy Scout uniform) |
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PP Dee, PP Dick and Char Lawrence |
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Guess which Rotarian stayed up all night! |
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