During this festive holiday season, Club members, friends and guests gathered on Wednesday 18 December, at the Castle Royale in Yonkers for the traditional annual holiday gathering. One of the highlights of this year's gathering was the presentation of the 2019 President's Spirit of Service Award.The first recipient of this new service award was Community Leader Pedro Alvarez, who was recognized for his "Outstanding Devotion and Service to the Latin American Youth of Yonkers" and his dedication to the ideals of Rotary.
Another highlight of the gathering was the distribution of toys for young children. Attendees were asked to bring in unwrapped toys that were then distributed to deserving Yonkers children.
At Thanksgiving, we are thankful for all the blessings we have received. Yet there are also those who do not have a square meal. Our Club joined in with our new sister Club - the Rotary e-Club of Heritage New York, to bring a little Thanksgiving joy to some families. This year our Club provided 13 turkeys, and the HeritageNY Club added 5 more to donate a total of 18 turkeys to the families of underprivileged children at the Eugenia Maria de Hostos Micro-Society School in Yonkers. Treasurer Barbara Hanna purchased the Club's 13 turkeys, funded by donations from Club members and the Club. On Wednesday she delivered all 18 to the School. The recipients of the turkeys were chosen by the teachers and designated as "winners" in a turkey raffle. These turkeys will provide the recipient families with a Thanksgiving meal and perhaps a few more leftover meals too.
The Yonkers-East Yonkers Club's Global Grant project of building a Basketball court and organizing the Anti-bullying program for underprivileged kids secured the cover story and a 6-page center story of the November issue of the Rotarian Magazine. The story is also featured in the RSS Feed from MyRotary. The story's byline notes "In Yonkers, New York, a new basketball court four years in the making provides valuable life lessons to the community's kids - and its adults."
Known throughout the District and beyond for his passion and zeal in Rotary's fight against Polio, Centennial President of the Yonkers-East Yonkers Club,and District Polio Plus Committee Co-Chair Shaw Latif suddenly passed away today, 9 October. A kind, gentle and generous soul, Shaw was a Major Donor Level 2 to The Rotary Foundation. He joined Rotary in May 2004 and this was his second stint as Club President. Shaw has been District Polio Plus Committee Chair for a number of years and organized a large fundraiser for Polio Plus in April 2018. He was deeply involved in the planning of his Club's April 2020 centennial observance, as well as a fundraising gala for Polio Plus this November. Shaw loved wearing his numerous Rotary pins with his bow ties and was seen at many Rotary events with his camera snapping pictures of almost everyone present. One of his last District appearances was with his District Polio Plus Committee Co-Chair Eileen Gallagher at the Chappaqua Club on Tuesday, speaking passionately about the importance of the complete eradication of Polio. On Wednesday, he was presiding over the Club's Regular meeting, when he felt unwell and left the meeting.. Minutes after he left the meeting, he suddenly passed out. He was rushed to the White Plains Hospital, where all efforts to revive him failed. 
