Club Meeting, Featuring: Karen Vega Bonanno - Executive Director of Livonia Save Our Youth Coalition

Our meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an Invocation by Mike Ladwig and Happy Bucks by Sharon Pommerville.

We received an update with the very good news that Victoria Haltom is recovering nicely from surgery.

A report by Wayne Kinney about the Wine Tasting event revealed that the club generated a profit of $1,100, including proceeds from online ticket sales and 50/50 ticket sales. Also, an immense help toward our profit was the donated Wine and the discounted catering. The 50/50 sale brought in just under $400.

Both Livonia Rotary clubs received a grant of $ 500 each from the Livonia Spree, which will be used towards the Rotary Park Pavilion effort. The club decided to temporarily suspend advertising for donations to rebuild the Pavilion until after August 5, to avoid any confusion with the Livonia Build Bond.

Bob Carris updated us on the delivery of the club-sponsored Ultrasound machine to Cameroon, which had arrived there and was awaiting delivery to the village of Bawok. The club also discussed the upcoming Touch-A-Truck event and the need for more trucks for the event and several people to contact to help in that endeavor.  

We briefly touched on the annual Good Old Fashioned Neighborhood Corn Roast, and District Governor Linda Morrow's official visit in September.

Our Speaker for today, Karen Vega Bonanno from Livonia Save Our Youth Coalition, was introduced by President Nancy Darga.

The Livonia Save Our Youth Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Karen first shared a little about herself and her training with us. She then gave us an overview on how the Coalition was first formed by a collaboration between the public schools, various community groups, parents, and the local police department. Its mission is to prevent substance abuse among young people and also raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol, drugs, and vaping. She does this in several ways, such as resource tables at Parent open houses, presentations on Vaping and its dangers, and a social media campaign for Parents.

This year’s theme is Vaping Cessation. Vape manufacturers are not regulated just as social media isn’t. Data shows youth in 5th and 6th grades are already addicted to nicotine, and there has been an urgency in schools the last few years to set up educational programs. 

There is a new development in Wayne County which is privately funded, called “Thrive up Pathways”, with plans to expand to other areas. It will offer alternatives to school suspension with a focus on prevention and education ,and it will also have its own website.  The goal is to get residents from each community to serve on their committees.

The biggest fundraiser for the Livonia Save Our Youth Coalition is the annual “Run 2 Save Our Youth” event. It is a 5k run/walk co-sponsored with the Livonia Police Department.

President Nancy Darga then presented Karen with our 4-Way-Test Soccer Ball.

Greg Greene ended the meeting with a couple of his famous and hilarious “dad” jokes. Meeting was then adjourned.

Marlene Katafias