Sunrise Rotary donates funds from ‘Not So Newlywed Game’

The Rotary Club of Marco Island Sunrise recently announced a donation of $2,000 to the American Cancer Society and an additional $2,000 to the Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (the CART Fund).

The American Cancer Society check was presented to Sue Olszak, executive director of American Cancer Society at the club’s weekly breakfast meeting. The donation to the American Cancer Society is in addition to the club’s previous $2,500 donation.

Presentation of the check was made on behalf of the club by the chairs of the Not So Newlywed Game, Bill Morris, Deb Shanahan and Wanda Day.

CART was started by a South Carolina Rotary Club, and has expanded to include Rotary Clubs throughout the United States. CART is dedicated to raising funds to provide seed money for cutting edge high impact research in hopes of finding a cure and prevention for Alzheimer’s disease. The Club’s donation to CART will be increased by an anonymous donor supporting CART in the local Rotary District, so that the actual donation will increase to $3,000.

The Not So Newlywed Game fundraiser was a dinner at the JW Marriott on March 8. Five local couples, George and Cindy Abounader, Keith and Barbara Dameron, Larry and Lisa Honig, Jimmy and Dale Downey, and Curt and Jacquie Koon were the contestants. They were asked questions by emcee Chief Mike Murphy and, in the words of Co-Chair Bill Morris, “raised funds with a good time to boot.”

Marco Island Sunrise Rotary is a leadership organization made up of local businesses, professionals and civic leaders. It meets at Stonewalls on Tuesdays at 7 a.m. for breakfast, fellowship and community service. The Club engages in a wide variety of community service and fundraising endeavors including scholarships for college students, Marco Island’s Annual Seafood and Music Festival, Meals of Hope and sponsors the Interact Program at Marco Island Academy. The Club welcomes guests and potential members at its meetings.

For more information about the Marco Island Sunrise Rotary and its activities, visit the Club’s website at marcosunriserotary.org.