President's Message
 
It’s hard to believe that we are in the last month of ’21 and I have to say I am very proud to be part of a group that continues to thrive and make a difference during this challenging year. I want to send out a huge congratulation to all the members of our club as we have made some great contributions to our community.
 
This year's Thanksgiving Turkey Drive, led by Mike Hammes, exceeded the goal and raised a total of $32,000. This provided over 2000 turkeys to families in need through the Bellingham food bank. Do you realize that Bellingham Bay Rotary Club has made this contribution to the food bank for the past 15 years?
 
I also want to extend a huge thank you to our members' donations at our  November 22 meeting. During our Bucks in the Bay we raised $2,000 to donate to the Whatcom Community Foundation for flood relief for Whatcom County citizens. The club’s generosity was matched with a donation of $5000 from the Bellingham Bay Rotary Foundation to the Whatcom Community Foundation for flood relief. 
 
As a reminder, December 14 will be the last club virtual meeting for 2021, since we are meeting on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays while virtual.
As of 2022 we will be moving to in person meetings at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel beginning January 11 and back to weekly meetings. We will have a new RSVP process and payment system, so watch for additional details in an upcoming email.
 
I want to thank everybody for all they’ve done to make this Rotary year work as best as it can be and to continue to contribute to our community. I wish you and your family a wonderful and relaxing holiday season.