Governor's Message

Welcome to the Rotary District 5180 website.

During the 2020-21 Rotary year, our district goal is to help strengthen our clubs by connecting our members and their communities so that we are all inspired to do better things in our communities both locally and internationally.

In addition, through education and other district events, we will create an environment that is fun and social so members can increase friendships and vocational opportunities.

Our theme this year is "Rotary is FFF'n Amazing" - with the three F's standing for Family, Friendship and Foundation. It's these three key elements of Rotary have that kept me and my family committed to the Rotary life for many years

Please join us for a wonderful year of Service Above Self.

 

Brent Hastey

2020-21 Rotary 5180 District Governor

 

District 5180 News

Blood Donations Needed
Vitalant, our local blood provider, shares a message that blood donation is an essential public health action, even during a pandemic! Thousands of Vitalant blood drives have been canceled due to COVID-19. With schools and businesses no longer hosting blood drives, we Rotarians can do our part by scheduling an appointment to donate soon.
 
The need for blood donations continues for people injured in serious motor vehicle accidents, diagnosed with cancer or living with blood disorders. Blood is needed for moms with serious post-childbirth complications and for premature babies whose blood systems need a bit of help to get started.
 
Vitalant follows rigorous safety precautions in the era of COVID-19 including mask requirements for donors and staff, temperature checks upon arrival, social distancing and frequent sanitizing. Of course, you must be healthy to donate blood and appointments are strongly encouraged! Visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-257-4825).

Million Dollar Panel: Featuring Sacramento Fempreneurs
In honor of Women's History Month, Midtown Sacramento Rotary Club has partnered with the National Association of Women Business Owners (Sacramento Valley) to host a fun virtual event on March 18. Please see below:
 
Million Dollar Panel: Featuring Sacramento Fempreneurs
When: Thursday, March 18 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 
 
Panelists will be from varying sectors, such as technology, food/ag and more. These amazing fempreneurs will be sharing their experiences, journeys, and insights to their success!
 
Register for free and attend live for a chance to win raffle prizes! Guests are welcome, too!

A Vaccination for Polarization
Posted by Lynette Andersen
February was Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month. On February 20, 2021, the D5180 Peace Committee sponsored a very special program on Zoom: a Braver Angels Fishbowl. If you missed it, you are in luck. We recorded the entire event. You can watch it here. 
 
Just as masks, social distancing, and vaccinations comprise our toolbox to combat COVID, Braver Angels is one of many strategies to inoculate us against political polarization. We are painfully aware that political polarization and divisiveness threaten our democracy, not to mention our personal relationships. Few among us have not suffered an estranged relationship or two, or three, from friends, associates and, even family members.
Polarization occurs when people refuse to associate with others who do not share their values, opinions beliefs and political views. The consequences of political polarization are misinformation, disinformation, governmental dysfunction, and violence.
Read more...

Festival of Learning 
Are you ready to 'Serve to Change Lives’ in 2021-2022? District Governor-elect Desirée Wilson and your district’s training team are ready to serve you!
 
Join the fun with us at the Festival of Learning! Embrace flexibility with beverage in hand, comfy sweats on and your mind open! In place of the traditional in-person Saturday morning training, formerly known as the District Assembly, the Festival of Learning will take place over the entire month of April. From April 6 through May 1, each week of the festival will focus on various topics. And, kicking off our sessions on April 6 at 5:30 p.m. will be Vicki Puliz, incoming Rotary International Director, as our keynote speaker. 
 
The sessions will be held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings throughout the month. Each session will be easy to attend with in-depth information in a live, interactive 45-minute timeframe. 
 
Desirée says, “We’re going to spotlight new Rotary initiatives, explore district and Rotary programs and resources for all members, as well as equip club leaders for their roles in the upcoming Rotary year. Plus, it will introduce us to robust, relevant content while showcasing the talent and expertise of knowledgeable Rotarians during real-time virtual break-out sessions.”
 
“We believe making the most of this time will accomplish our training goals,” said Festival of Learning Chair, Rob Saxe. “These goals will strengthen all those invaluable lessons in leadership we learn in Rotary, so we’ll use them even more in our clubs, our careers, other public service and at home.”
 
Click this link to see the full schedule of classes, and mark out the time in your schedule now. Then come back on March 22 and you'll be able to register for any of the classes you want. 
 
Start your Rotary year off with the Festival of Learning on your to-do list.

We are FFF'n Flexible
2021 is turning out to require as much patience and flexibility as 2020 did, but at least there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. Our conference planning committee has made the decision that we just can't be sure it will be safe (or legal) for us to gather in May for the District Conference, so we are changing gears and planning full-speed ahead for a virtual gathering. There is so much good stuff being packed into four hours of fun. I am optimistic that this format will allow many people who wouldn't have travelled for it to attend. And the goodie box we're planning for people who register is FFF'n amazing, worth the price of admission! More details to follow in the coming days and weeks, but registration is now open on our website, so sign up today! And check out this creative song my daughter, Beth, made to announce the change to virtual.
 
February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month, and it certainly seems like the world could use a little more of that. The District 5180 Peace Committee has a very special program planned on February 20 that specifically addresses conflict resolution and how to put civility back into our civil discourse. I encourage you to register for this "Braver Angels Fishbowl" event. This video gives you an idea what this conversation is about and why it's so important. You can register to participate here, and then as Rotarians, hopefully we can all lead the way back to civility. 
 
Stay flexible, friends! 
 
Peace, 
 
DG Brent 

Register Now! 2021 District Conference

There is so much excitement planned for your 2021 virtual District Conference, you don't want to miss this! We'll spend a couple of hours each day sharing, learning, and connecting. We'll hear from incredible keynote speakers, watch the virtual Derby Car races, enjoy the club commercial contest, and much, much more! And believe me, the goody bag you'll get for registering is well worth the low price of admission! 

Click here to go to the registration page

District Giving Challenge
Many of you may have received stimulus checks from the federal government, and there may very well be another one coming your way in the weeks ahead. One of our Rotary families has very generously decided to give their stimulus check to the Rotary Foundation. Kathy and Dave Clemens tell us that they would, of course, love to spend that money on home improvements or maybe even a vacation someday, but they've decided to share it with others and thought that donating it to the Rotary Foundation would be a way to ensure it could be magnified into doing the most good. 
 
"We would like to ask others in our D5180’s Rotary clubs to consider giving any portion, large or small, as they feel comfortable to the Rotary Foundation as well," the Clemens wrote in a letter to district leadership. "We intend to give a portion to help eradicate polio world-wide and the remainder to help with WASH (Water and Sanitation Hygiene) in countries that struggle to find/have the same pure water that we take for granted in our country. Please consider giving to TRF in whatever manner is appropriate and comfortable for you."
 
Save the Date!
April 6 - May 1
Registration coming soon!
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News from Rotary International
Catherine Coleman Flowers reveals Americas dirty secret

Flowers discusses the inadequate management of wastewater in rural communities, bridging partisan divides, the ways those two topics intersect — and how Rotarians can be part of the solution

Water for Peace

The Supurunda Water Supply Project in Papua New Guinea has been a successful example of how Rotary is advancing peace and providing clean water and sanitation.

Club innovation: The expat experience

For the Rotary Club of Chiang Mai International, Thailand, virtual meetings were a lifeline.

Former soccer star leaves it all on the field to improve education in Tanzania

Here’s how joining a Rotary club helped enhance Ashley Holmer’s work

How we got there: WHO African region is certified free of wild poliovirus

In a challenging time, Rotary members and partners have shown drive in overcoming challenges.

Click Above
Our 2020-21 Rotary International Theme: