Copy of Copy of Bristol Rotary Club COG, August 26, 2025 (Sep 09, 2025)

Above, Blaise was honored to present the Paul Harris award to “Towney”.

Do you know someone—a friend or neighbor—who could use a little more connection and purpose in their life? Invite them to join us!
We’re always happy to welcome new members into our club. As one of the few morning groups in the district, we meet every Tuesday from 8–9 AM at Parkside Café—a warm and welcoming spot to start the day with great conversation and community.

Blaise led the meeting, beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Rotary four-way test + quote by Lor Deschene

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Townsend Mink is being honored with the Paul Harris Award in recognition of his remarkable 70 years of service to the Bristol Rotary Club. A dedicated Rotarian since 1954, Townsend has been part of the club nearly as long as it's existed. At around 99 years old, his energy, humility, and sharp sense of humor continue to inspire those around him.

The award, one of Rotary’s highest honors, celebrates individuals who go above and beyond in their commitment to service—a standard Townsend has exemplified for decades. As one speaker noted, recognizing Townsend in this way is the biggest honor they’ve had as club president.

Looking back to when Townsend first joined, 1954 was a year marked by the historic rollout of the polio vaccine—a cause closely tied to Rotary’s global mission. His long-standing dedication to the organization and to his community serves as a shining example of Rotary’s values in action.

Congratulations, Townsend, and thank you for a lifetime of service.

Énora is a nine-month exchange student who has been here for just over three weeks. Though she's not naturally a runner, she joined the cross country team—the only sport available at the time—and has been giving it her best effort. Her first meet was tough; she got sick and finished last, but she powered through and showed great determination. Despite the language barrier, she's slowly starting to speak more, relying on a translation app while gradually building confidence, especially with her peers.

She's made a few friends, including one who speaks French, which helps bridge the communication gap. Énora has started to adapt to her new environment, even making extra trips to TJ Maxx for clothes she actually likes. Brooke kindly offered Énora full access to her closet while away at college—though they don’t share shoe sizes!

ALL hands on deck for the Mum-A-Thon!

🌸 Mum-A-Thon Updates – Rotary Club

Event Promotion:
The event is on Facebook. Please share the posts when you see them—look for the “share” button at the bottom right. That’s one of the best ways to spread the word!
Big Wooden Signs:
The large wooden signs are ready to be placed this weekend. They're delicate and oversized, so they’ll need two people and a truck—they won’t fit in a regular car or SUV.

We’re working on placing a total of seven signs, so please email Blaise suggestions for new high-visibility locations.

Sponsorship & Donations:
We still need gift cards—especially from local pizzerias—for prizes or raffles. This might be the main job for the week, so if you have a connection, please help out!

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Story Time by Mario

Mario update: 🎉 There was a big revolt the year before I started! Our club had two women leaders, and we became the MM Club. Before I joined, Mary Ellen was president, and Molly Hayes was also around. At that time, I was one of the younger members—everyone else was older! 👴👵

Back then, our fundraisers included a golf tournament ⛳️, which eventually became a mini-golf tournament 🏌️‍♂️. Later, they switched to doing a run 🏃‍♂️, which replaced the golf event. That’s how the whole process evolved.

One thing I’ve been proud of all along—and why I’m still here—is the Scholarship program 🎓. When we started, Paul Kelly, a few others, and I gave out just one $3,000 scholarship 💵. That was a big deal at the time!

Then we found out that Mr. Schwartz came to Bristol long ago and left a generous fund 💰. Thanks to him and a few Rotarians, we got the first big amount—over $1 million! 💸 And with his trust continuing, the fund grew even more.

Now, we’ve awarded over $3 million, $5.6 million, and counting—all from that one small start! 🌟To the left is Mario's surprise breakfast created just for him!

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Happy & Sad Bucks Update

(A little love, laughter, and empathy in every buck )

Jen, happy for Town + Les
Judi Ann — happy for the Mum-A-Thon
Terry — big group today!
Mary — happy/sad, ran a couple of elusive races on Saturday + Sunday - completed 142 out of 169 runs!🏆

Les — Back to the Future vibes ⏳
Mario and Town

Town — Sad buck for Whit, “I got you.” Giants lost, happy for Paul Harris award and breakfast 🍳

Lee - happy for Town — 670 bike miles for Polio Plus 🚴‍♂️

Phylis, happy to see Les Kish and thankful for Kiss a Pig donations

Tom, happy for Town, Les, Ken — recovery, Mum race going well 🏅, good to be back here again, great vacation 🌞

Dave, good to see Les again, Town — made it here, Laura, Mom again, Mum-A-Thon progress, orange signs 🍊, beautiful day, Hartford golf ⛳️

John - Pleasure to have Town + Les here, Chris — living with 5 women 😅, Mum-A-Thon Saturday pouring rain ☔️, lightning ⚡️(below) , shocked son on phone, no cable internet TV, everyone lost something 😬Dave played golf well yesterday🏌️, consistency, 60 plus, 4th place, 9 under par, Hartford Golf Club ⛳️