Our World Peace and Understanding Event on February 26 featured an incredibly inspirational talk by John Nanni.  John is a Rotarian from Middletown-Odessa, Delaware and is one of 20 million polio survivors.  John contracted polio at 10 months just before the Salk vaccine became available.  He was paralyzed from the neck down for six months.

 

Thanks to physical therapy to keep his muscles from atrophying, he was able to walk and appeared to have recovered completely.  He played sports as a child.  At around 40 he began suffering effects of post-polio syndrome:  muscle weakness, joint pain and extreme fatigue.  In post-polio syndrome, survivors have used other muscles to compensate for damaged muscles and it caused those muscles to weaken.  

 

Have you made your contribution to The Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund-SHARE this year?

 

Last week, Rotary Club of Woburn presented the Woburn Fire Dept. with Smoke/CO detectors. Fire Prevention Lt. Mark Smith and Rosa Lococo Head Clerk of the Fire Dept. were on hand to accept the donation by Rotary President Bill Balboni, along with Marie Lingblom COA Director of the Woburn Senior Center.

Rotary Club of Woburn works closely with both the Fire Dept. and Senior Center to identify Smoke Detector needs in the city.

The Wakefield Rotary Club recently hosted its second Rotary’s So Sweet Swap in honor of Valentine's Day. Members and guests were invited to bring a wrapped "sweet" treat. Club Members Jay Curley and Amy Luckiewicz led an interactive, and unpredictable, “sweet swap”. Some directions included to "Swap with a club Past President," "Swap with someone who can recite the 4-Way Test," and other Rotary-related instructions.

Everyone in attendance took home an item at the end of the meeting. Some favorite “sweets” included homemade Italian cookies, muffins from the Gingerbread Construction Company, and a container of cotton candy!

 

Pictured above Vice President/President-Elect Kathy Boyle and Club President Wendy Maguire came to the swap dressed for the theme.