banner
Stories
NO MEETING TODAY JULY 24
Instead of lunch today, how about a picnic tomorrow?  The annual Rotary Family Picnic will kick off at 5:30 with social hour and games for the kids at the beautiful Rotary Reserve north of Cedar Falls.
 
5:30 games and social (kid's inflatables bouncy houses, tattoos, bubbles, etc.)
6:15 welcome remarks
6:30 dinner (chicken, beans, sweet corn, watermelon & ice cream)
Come and go as you want
Bring your own tableware, We are providing lemonade, water, and milk for the kids. 
BYOB - anything else you might wish to bring to drink. 

Dinner menu – fried chicken, coleslaw, baked beans, watermelon, and ice cream.

$20/family –bring kids, neighbors, etc.

You can pay at the door or Waterloo Rotary Club can send you an invoice

We are joining forces with the Cedar Falls and Waverly clubs this year, so this is sure to be a very memorable event!! 
 

To RSVP:

Email Katelyn @ ktungland@jaeasterniowa.org

Call Katelyn 319-274-0760

 
 
 
Interactor combats a deadly online game
Horrified by stories about an online suicide game called Blue Whale, Gabriel Kenji of Brazil decided to create a game to counter the dangerous online trend, and hopefully, save lives. 
The Blue Whale Challenge is a chilling suicide game allegedly run by a social media group. The game preys on vulnerable adolescents and teenagers, who are instructed to complete a set of challenges over a 50-day period. The tasks begin harmlessly but become increasingly more dangerous, including self-punishing, and end with the teenager being urged to take their own life. 
 

The game may have originated in Russia where more than 130 suicides have been allegedly linked to the game. The online trend has caused significant concern in Western Europe and South America, particularly in Brazil, where alleged suicide attempts from the game have cropped up in at least eight states. At least two suicide casesin the U.S. have been linked to the online fad. The title is said to refer to blue whales that beach themselves purposefully to die. 

While no one can prove the existence of the game or identify who is behind these suicidal challenges, what is clear is that young people are ending their lives and documenting it on social media. 

So Kenji decided to do something about it. He devised a social media game that he named White Whale to help boost self-esteem, self-worth, and peaceful interactions among young people. 

Challenges include forgiving yourself for mistakes, exercising daily, discovering new facts about people in your life, participating in volunteer activities, and posting positive messages on social media. 

Click here to read the rest of the story on the Rotary International website.

 

 

 

Read more...
Program for July 31
Remember there is NO MEETING JULY 24th
 
Laura Hoy will join us July 31st, she is a connector and catalyst for holistic neighborhood development based out of the Walnut Neighborhood in Waterloo.  She has been instrumental in the founding of Link Christian Community Development, a faith-based nonprofit that acts as a hub for a growing network of friends and organizations dedicated to cultivating a community of flourishing for all involved.  Link CCD aims at being a witness to Christ's hope and healing through youth development, jobs, and neighborhood strengthening.  Youth Art Team (www.youthartteam.org) and Try Pie (www.trypie.org) are two initiatives that spawned out of Link CCD.  Link CCD is currently working within a Walnut Housing Coalition to create a model of mixed income housing and increased affordable home ownership to the neighborhood. You can learn more at www.linkccd.org .
 
 
 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
Sage
ClubRunner