Donations to this year’s Polar Plunge are being directly made through the donate button in MyRotary or through your club’s Foundation Chair. Once a club has donated a minimum of $1500 it qualifies them to receive the End Polio Now Certificate from Rotary International. Last year only four clubs in our district reached that benchmark. I’m pleased to say that the top four clubs below have already surpassed that level. Let’s try to get our District back to more participation throughout the clubs. The “Official” Polar Plunge has been scheduled for April 2nd and is being sponsored by the Gloucester Club. Again we will meet at the beach at the Cape Ann Motor Inn. More information on whom to contact in the Gloucester Club to apprise them how many people will be joining them, and information on how to make reservations at the Cape Ann Motor Inn will be forthcoming. The list below includes all donations made to PolioPlus from July 1, 2021, as of January 14, 2022. Year to date we have raised $24,906.01 of our $100,000 goal.
1. Marblehead
2. Rockport
3. Reading
4. Arlington
5. Lynn
6. Chelsea
7. Swampscott
8. Amesbury
9. Wakefield
10. Boston #7
Seven Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor rang in 2022 by cooking and serving a New Year’s Eve dinner to over sixty clients and staff members at Lifebridge, a shelter in the center of Salem, MA. The menu included baked glazed ham, sweet potato, roasted vegetables, and rolls...But the best was left for last...brownie sundaes with homemade chocolate sauce.
Because the Coronavirus and its variants have again become more active, I have moved the next two district events back to Zoom. 
The Swampscott Senior Center approached Swampscott Rotary in early November and asked if we could offer some support so they could send out some meals at Thanksgiving. We donated $300 which was the entire cost of the meals they distributed. 
The Belle Isle Rotary typically donates Market Basket gift cards during the Christmas season. Working collaboratively within our community, this year, we decided instead to give five (5) $100 Target gift cards to the Revere High School guidance department and five (5) $100 Target gift cards to the Revere Seacoast Alternative High School guidance departments to be disbursed based upon the needs of their students/families.
Each year Reading Rotary partners with the community for the Adopt-a-Family project for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Christmas distribution day was December 22. Rotary works with the local organization ReadingCares and the Town to coordinate this long-standing community giving program. Receiving families are matched anonymously with donor families and/or groups to provide meal and gifts at Christmas. Donors drop off in the first shift, then recipient families pick up their food and gifts during a later shift. 
Despite the gray weather, everyone had a festive time on Saturday as the Ipswich community celebrated the annual arrival of Santa Claus. The Jolly Elf arrived at town wharf at 11 am and was escorted by children of all ages, and by the host Ipswich High School Interact elves, along Water Street to Santa’s Village at Town Hall.
Beverly's beloved Rotarian Jack Good passed away last year. The project of bell ringing for the Salvation Army was his baby. The tradition carries on and we know that Jack is with us. Rotarians were stationed at two Stop ’n Shops and a Walgreen’s in Beverly. There were shifts throughout the day, organized by Alan Temkin, who has assumed Jack’s job for this project. Some Rotarians wore costumes and were chatting with all the customers going in and out of these businesses. Needless to say, we are a merry group! The question now remains: which location collected the most money......? Time will tell. Thanks to all of our Beverly Rotarians who were part of this project!!!! Happy Holidays! .png)
