RadioRotary

Thom Johnson, author and historian, discusses the fascinating history of Bannerman’s Castle, a dramatic ruin located on an island in the Hudson River in the Hudson Highlands State Park. Travelers on Hudson Line trains are familiar with the view of the remaining portions of the imitation Scottish castle, built in 1901. The nonprofit Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc. is restoring the castle as well as its exquisite original gardens. The Trust is dedicated to preserving Bannerman Castle as an educational, cultural, historical, and recreational facility that promotes heritage tourism in the Hudson Valley. Several ports along the river provide enjoyable, informative cruise tours to the castle by kayak or passenger boat. Mr. Johnson relates many interesting little known facts about the history of it island and castle as well as bonus information about the Catskill Mountain Railroad.

Sharon Irving and Lisa-Marie Birdsall of Cortlandt Manor Rotary (District 7230) discuss their club’s sponsorship of a Rotary Community Corps (RCC) at the Keon center in Peeksill, NY. A Rotary Community Corps is an organization for non-Rotarian men and women who share Rotary’s commitment to service. Although the Cortlandt Manor Rotary is less than a year old, with Sharon Irving as its founder and first president, it has been able to start the RCC at Keon. Cortlandt Manor Rotary and the RCC of Keon work on projects together. For example, Ms. Birdsall discusses how the RCC team helps her rescue-dog adoption program, which has placed over 1,600 dogs in 18 months, and Ms. Irving discusses how the RCC helps the Salvation Army with food distribution.

Habitat for Humanity builds and restores homes for low-income families. Steve Biolsi, Project Manager of Putnam County’s Habitat for Humanity, tells of how the organization is supported by local Rotary clubs and other community organizations. Mr. Biolsi also corrects misinformation about Habitat for Humanity. Their projects are not free handouts but help low-income families build, own, and maintain simple, decent, affordable homes–families pay for their homes with zero-interest mortgages and hours of sweat equity.

Dr. Manoj Abraham (plastic surgeon) with Dana Buffin (New Milford, CT Rotary), Executive Director of Healing the Children, and Kathy Kruger, RN, (Rotary District 7210’s Rotaplast Chair, Pleasant Valley Rotary tell the uplifting stories of how children and adults are helped by corrective surgery, performed by volunteers who donate their time, skills, and finances. These medical teams set up an operating room abroad or in the United States where they can correct cleft palates and other disfiguring conditions in children as young as 2 months old and people as old as 70+ who either don’t have access to or cannot afford treatment.

Martha Underwood discusses the enormous benefits to everyone, not only those with special needs, that she has witnessed during her years as a riding instructor with the non-profit Winslow Therapeutic Center located since 1974 in Warwick, New York. Ms. Underwood describes how horseback riding improves the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well being of children and adults when working with the Center’s well trained, caring staff and volunteers.

Rotary District 7210’s PolioPlus Chair, Bunnee Webb (Congers/Valley Cottage Rotary Club), provides us with the most current detailed information about progress by Rotary and the United Nations in eradicating polio worldwide. She also discusses her personal heartfelt experiences inoculating children against polio in India, and she ends with a very moving poem about Rotary’s promise to the children of the world. A special interview, for sure!

Two of Rotary District 7210’s Past District Governors, Jim Yarmus and Jeffrey Keahon, describe recent successful clean water projects implemented by District 7210 clubs in Central America. These are already saving countless lives from water-borne diseases. They discuss how Rotarians provide on-site technical expertise with professional engineers, such as Dr. Yarmus, and actively facilitate other projects, such as a school roof project, to improve the quality of life in communities around the world.

Ms. Fredlee Ann Kaplan (Chairman’s Council, Gift of Life International) and Mr. Bill Currie (International President, Gift of Life International), both members of The Rotary Club of New York, discuss how Gift of Life has saved more than ten thousand children’s lives by addressing the medical needs of children who suffer from congenital heart defects and other similar conditions. Starting with heart surgery on one girl from Uganda in 1975, supported by the Rotary Club of Manhasset in New York, the program grew to become Gift of Life International in 2003. The Gift of Life International is still largely run through the efforts of Rotary clubs throughout the world, such as The Rotary Club of New York, with help from humanitarian foundations and much of the worldwide medical community.

RadioRotary host Jonah Triebwasser interviews Rotary’s humanitarians from around the world at Rotary International’s 2010 Convention in Montreal, Canada. Among the many featured guests are Rotarians from the Jaipur Limb Project, which provides inexpensive and long-lasting leg prostheses, and ShelterBox Founder Rotarian Tom Henderson.

Eva Corredor, Emeritus Professor of French and German and a Rotarian since 1989, discusses how her involvement in Rotary’s international service programs provides an opportunity to work towards world peace and understanding. A member of The Rotary Club of New York, Professor Corredor explains why she joined Rotary and describes the many international projects with which she has been engaged, including Youth Exchange, Group Study Exchange, and Gift of Life.

Manuela Roosevelt discusses the humanitarian organization called Soroptimist International, a worldwide organization for women in management and professions, who work through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. Most recently, Soroptimist International has placed special emphasis on clean water projects, a Rotary International effort as well.

Kevin Voisin, an 8th generation Louisiana oysterman and Terrebonne Parish Councilman, discusses current events concerning the Gulf oil-spill and fishing situation, false impressions about the Gulf and its seafood, and his optimism about the future, despite the setback caused by the man-made spill.

Toronto Rotary International Convention, Part 1 (Aired on July 7 and 8, 2018) Each year RadioRotary takes its microphone to the Rotary International Convention, which in 2018 is in Toronto, Ontario. Some 24,000 Rotarians are in attendance and RadioRotary gets as many of the great stories as it can. One of the interviews in this show is with […]

District Governor 2018-19 Christine Giangrasso (Aired on June 23 and 24, 2018) A long-standing tradition of RadioRotary is the interview with each incoming District Governor (DG) of District 7210, the person who will lead the 55 clubs in 8 counties that make up the District. From July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2018, that person will be Christine (“Chrissy […]

Prevention of Child Abuse (Aired on June 30 and Jul 1, 2018) RadioRotary interviews Kimberly Kochen, Executive Director of The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, located in Poughkeepsie, N, the nonprofit agency dedicated to the reduction of child maltreatment since 1973. Among their programs are outreach to elementary schools for educating children and […]