Ang Magiting - The Official Web Site of Rotary Club Makati North

Looking Forward to the Cabaret

Before anything else, allow to greet you all a belated Happy Easter. Also, welcome back after a week without Rotary and the Lenten break.

Many of you probably feel energized after the long holiday, which is good because our club needs your help in the final push of our upcoming 36th anniversary celebration next month. We are just a little bit over a month to that day, when we are also hosting a cabaret show for a cause.

You will be happy to know that our hardworking anniversary chairman, Director Christophe Bellinger, will have good news to report today. Many pieces are falling into place, but as he said before the break, “It aint over ‘til the fat lady sings.”

Two major tasks remain ahead of us: First, we need your help selling the tickets. To be more specific, we need you to provide names of potential ticket buyers, and the club – through yours truly – will send them a letter asking them to support our benefit by buying tickets. Of course, those who are willing to sell tickets are most definitely welcome.

Second, we still need help getting sponsors and donors who can give either a door prizes (or giveaways) and stuff that we can auction at the show. In this regard, any item or service is welcome. We have an Orlina sculpture, as well as an Ostrich egg sculpture from our very own Rotarian Danny Rayos del Sol; beautiful Persian carpets; airline tickets; among other things. The more stuff we can auction, the more fun it will be – and the more money we can raise for our primary beneficiary – Operation Smile Philippines.

If you recall, we chose Operation Smile because of the radical change it offers people with unfortunate birth defects but cannot afford simple surgery. Plus Operation Smile has an established track record of good work here and abroad.

So, please tell all your friends about our exciting anniversary. For a mere P2,5000 a ticket “donation,” they get to make a major contribution to change someone’s life – plus, a fantastic show put on by the MMQ theater group, dinner at the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and, of course, the pleasant company of all you fine men.

Over the break

Speaking of anniversaries, I’m pleased to report that our club was well represented in the 55th founding anniversary of our sister club in Hong Kong, the Rotary Club of HK Island East. Our group of 15 delegates – counting spouses and my son – comprised the biggest foreign delegation that also included Rotary clubs in Japan and Los Angeles.

As you know, our partnership with the Hong Kong sister club dates back 18 years. Their donation helped RCMN develop a drinking-water system – designed (and hopefully patented) by our good Past President Joe “The Man” Reaño – that supplies the residents our housing project with Gawad Kalinga, the Ave Maria Village in Tanay, Rizal province.

And as usual, that club’s representatives are again expected at the installation of President-Elect Vic Austria. Incidentally, he was in Hong Kong is full force, that is, with Ann Lot and their kids.

And finally, thanks to all those to were part to the delegation to Hong Kong: Immediate Past District Gov. Ato Magadia and Inner Wheel National President Vicky; PP Joe and better half Choi; PP Ric dela Torre and Ann Daisy; PP Bert Lingad and Ann Tonie; PP Pabling Calma and Ann Maribel; and PE Vic and Lot Austria.