Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Lord,
We all have special voices and gifts. As this Optimist year comes to a close, we take time to appreciate the varied voices and gifts of those we serve and those we serve alongside, each unique and special due to ages, experiences, and backgrounds. It is truly a gift. Each voice influences the way in which we view our world, live our lives, and serve others. Help us to remember our voices and gifts matter. Sharing them matters. Listening and appreciating them in others matters. We are all beloved children of God. Let our voices be heard, but more importantly, let us take the time to listen to the voices of others.
Amen.
Announcements
Build-a-Bear for Children with Sickle Cell
Nancy Lehren announced that the next Build-a-Bear will be on September 28, 2024, at 1:30pm at the Kroc Center for children with Sickle Cell. Sign up online using the Member Calendar.
Haunted Trail Volunteers Needed
Gail Aiken announced that the Haunted Trail will be held on October 15th and 16th. They need lots of volunteers. They will need extra help for tear down this year as fewer high schoolers will be able to help on that day. Sign up online using the Member Calendar.
Tri-Star Soccer Volunteers Needed
Chris McAlpine announced that Tri-Star Soccer Punt Pass Kick competition at the Magsig soccer field will be on September 27, 2024, between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM. You do not need to know anything about soccer or have any athletic skills to be a big help. The high school players do the physical work, and other volunteers help with registration, scoring and to tell people about our club. Sign up online using the Member Calendar.
Tri-Star Soccer New Committee Chairs Needed
Chris McAlpine announced that he and Greg Wasmund are stepping down as co-chairs of Tri-Star Soccer after the event on September 27, 2024. Let them know if you would like to step up to the task of running this very popular program.
Adopt-a-Family 2024
Christy Gariety and Sue Jessee announced that Adopt-a-Family signups are now available. The school has given CNO a list of 50 families to help. Sign up online for one or more children using the Member Calendar and the wish lists will be distributed in November.
Tom Frazier Tee Off for Youth Golf Classic Recap
Mike Bevis presented the recap for the 32nd Annual Tom Frazier Tee Off for Youth Golf Classic held on July 15, 2024. Mike said that there were 148 golfers this year. Mike asked, “Why do we work six months each year for this fundraiser? We do it for the results. How do we give back to the community? By raising $50,000. I would like to give a big thank you to all those involved.”
Special Thanks for Golf Outing Work
Mike gave special thanks to some committee members:
- Steve Rau for taking over the coordination of volunteers for day of tasks
- Karen Charnesky for handling registration of golfers and administrative tasks
- Val Huff and Vida McDowell for running the silent auction and having a record-breaking year
- Erin Laurito for bringing in a lot of sponsors
- Fran Sheehan for data entry and hosting the thank you party for the committee members
- Don Stafford for being very involved in a bunch of areas.
Major Sponsors for the Golf Fundraiser
Mike listed the major Sponsors:
- Miami Valley Chevy Dealers Association
- Secure Future Advisors
- Winsupply
- Voss Auto Network
- Archadeck Outdoor Living
- St Leonard
- Van Martin Roofing
- Buckeye Pools
- First Financial Bank
- Houser Asphalt & Concrete
Children’s Hospital Representatives
Mike introduced Adam Blanchard (Director of Donor Engagement) and Kate Barrett (Nurse Manager for Hematology/Oncology), who came today to accept the $17,000 donation to Dayton Children’s Hospital Hematology and Oncology department.
Adam Blanchard, Director of Donor Engagement at Dayton Children’s
Adam Blanchard recently joined us to share some exciting updates. He expressed his pleasure at visiting and thanked everyone for being wonderful partners over the past 22 years—a partnership that has resulted in over $240,000 in lifetime giving. He was particularly appreciative of Erin Dickerson’s opening prayer, which highlighted the power of gifts.
Adam is enthusiastic about our new Youth Mental Health Initiative, emphasizing its critical importance. He looks forward to continuing our collaboration to evolve this vital work. In South Montgomery County, specifically Springboro, his team is leading the way in mental health awareness and addressing the challenges that families face.
He also announced their “Envision More: So All Ships Rise” comprehensive philanthropic campaign, which our funding supports. This campaign encompasses all the hospital’s initiatives, with a primary focus on elevating mental health services. As part of this effort, the Mathile family of Iams fame—Clay and Mary Ann, along with the second and third generations—has made a historic, multigenerational gift. This includes a $3 million Community Challenge Grant and the naming of the new mental health facility at the Children’s Hospital on their main campus. The facility is slated to open in the spring of 2025, with keys expected in April and patients beginning to receive care in June and July of 2025.
Adam highlighted that our partnership not only contributes to impactful work in the Hematology-Oncology space but also enables the organization to reach more children and families, making a real difference in their lives. He expressed deep gratitude for our ongoing partnership and looks forward to exploring how we can continue to grow together.
Kate Barrett, Nurse Manager for Hematology/Oncology at Dayton Children’s
Kate Barrett spoke about the importance of the funds raised through our annual golf outing. She explained that the money helps support the hospital’s “Travel Away Fund,” which provides $1,000 to families needing to travel for medical treatments, regardless of their financial situation. This assistance covers expenses like hotel stays, gas, food, and other lodging needs, easing the burden on families who must travel for care. Barrett mentioned that some families travel to nearby hospitals, like Cincinnati or Nationwide Children’s, while others need to travel several states away for specialized treatment.
Last year alone, Dayton Children’s used around $80,000 from the Travel Away Fund to support families. She emphasized how fortunate the hospital is to have partnerships like ours, as not every hospital can offer this level of assistance.
Kate also highlighted some of the hospital’s current projects, including their work with bone marrow transplants and gene therapy, particularly for patients with sickle cell and those undergoing oncology treatments. She noted that because of the support the hospital receives, they can help patients return home sooner and ensure they get the best care possible.
In closing, she expressed her gratitude for everything our club does for Dayton Children’s.
Haunted Trail
Gail Aiken, the chair of the Haunted Trail Committee, was wearing a witch’s hat when she went over the annual CNO Community event. The event is free to our community. In 2024, the event will be held on October 15 and 16.
Check out the photo montage video here created by Greg Griffin.
Fright Stations and Characters
- Grim Reaper
- Vicious Vampires
- Goblin Graveyard
- Nursery Nightmare
- Witches and Black Cats (one by CHS Drama students and another by Magsig students)
- Scary School
- Circus of Horror
- Death Hospital
- Scientists Gone Mad
- Execution Inmates
- Creepy Campout
- Spooky Spider Tunnel
- Shipwreck Pirates
- Zany Zombies
- Ghosts
- Boo Bog (Swamp Creatures)
- Jason with a Chainsaw
- Gilly Monster with air horns
- Surprises on the trail
Haunted Trail Trivia Contest
Rare and fabulous prizes were given to the winner of the Haunted Trail Trivia Contest. For example, Bill Williams won a fake plastic hand for getting the most correct answers. Read the questions and answers to learn about the CNO Haunted Trail.
- What year did the Haunted Trail start? – 1990
- Where was the location for the first Haunted Trail? – Grant Park
- In the first years of the haunted trail, who stored the props in their garage? – Bill Williams
- Who was the Grim Reaper at Grant Park because they had back surgery and couldn’t walk the Haunted Trail as a guide? – Gail Aiken
- How many years was Bill Williams in charge of the Haunted Trail? – 13 years
- What woman decorated the spider station by herself? – Mary Madden
- Who rode a real horse as the headless horseman? – Karen Novak (Tom Novak’s daughter)
- What year did Gary Miller take over the Haunted Trail? – 2017
- What was the location of the Haunted Trail when Gary Miller was the chair? – Forest Field
- What is the best date for a can? – Expiration Date
- What year did the Haunted Trail move to the Rec Center? – 2019
- How many fright stations are there? – 16
- How long is the Haunted Trail? 1 mile
New Sets and Additions Designed and Built by CHS Students
Mike Cordonnier, CNO Member and the technical theater teacher at CHS, wearing a Dinosaur costume, updated us on the new sets his CHS students are building for the Haunted Trail.
- They have designed and built a new version of the graveyard to make it easier to transport and set up. The previous set is much heavier.
- They are adding to the scary school.
- There will be a brand-new area called the Bloody Barnyard.
- They have built a box that that looks like stacked pumpkins to accept monetary donations. The pumpkins eat the money as it is inserted.
- They have new signs to help people know where donated canned food items can be dropped off.
Volunteer Types Needed for the Haunted Trail
Join in on the fun! You will have a Howling good time! Sign up online using the Member Calendar.
- Setup and Tear down on October 14 and 17
- Trail Guides
- Chaperones for the fright stations
- Witches at the Bonfire
These jobs are already filled by Students this year:
- People to wear the Gilly Suit
- Grim Reapers
- People to wear the Jason mask and run the gas chainsaw (The chainsaw has no chain on it, it is just loud)
New Head Witch for Haunted Trail 2025
Gail Aiken announced that Debe Dockins, who was dressed in full witch regalia, will be the Co-Chair of the Haunted Trail committee starting with 2025. Gail said the position is also known as the Head Witch of the Haunted Trail. Thank you, Debe, for taking on this important and challenging job.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Adam Blanchard | Golf Committee |
| Arline Danial | Bob Glavin |
| Dave Patrick | Mike Bevis |
| Jon Powell | Chris McAlpine |
| Kate Barrett | Golf Committee |
| Kathy Cook | Kelly Stone |
| Steve Bitonti | Tom Novak |
| Steve Parker | Tom Novak |
| Tony Danial | Bob Glavin |
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Arline Danial | Bob Glavin | 3rd Reading |
| Tony Danial | Bob Glavin | 3rd Reading |
Happy Bucks
No time for Happy Bucks this week
Sergeants at Arms
No time for Sergeants this week
Club Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Bill Williams | September 20, 1993 | 31 |
| Denny Cottle | September 20, 2015 | 9 |
| Sue Brubaker | September 23, 2008 | 16 |
| Mike Wall | September 26, 1995 | 29 |
| Mike Cordonnier | September 26, 2018 | 6 |
| Dana Dring | September 26, 2018 | 6 |
| Steve Linder | September 26, 2018 | 6 |
| Carolyn Taylor | September 26, 2018 | 6 |
| Stephen Walker | September 28, 1998 | 26 |
| John Powell | September 29, 1999 | 25 |
| Pat Behn | September 29, 2003 | 21 |
| Rebekah Buck | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Marjorie Cattawi | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Karen Collins | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Betsy Hoobler | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Shirley Kuhn | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Gay Miller | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Joy Mindling | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Karen Moseynski | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Peggy Tarnowieckyi | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Marjie Young | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Ruth Young | September 29, 2023 | 1 |
| Brooks Compton | September 30, 1994 | 30 |
| Denise O’Neil | September 30, 1994 | 30 |
Birthdays
| Harry Bossey | September 22 |
| Jon Werts | September 22 |
| Carol Smerz | September 22 |
| Mark Karns | September 23 |
| Dan Thalheimer | September 24 |
| Evelyn Griffin | September 26 |
| Diane Arehart | September 26 |
| Casey Dixon | September 26 |
| Jeff Kujawa | September 27 |
CNO Donations – Since 2013
Click here to see a summary of donations the club has made since 2013
Thank You Notes Received
No Thank You Notes received this week
Links to PowerPoint and Pictures
CLICK HERE to see the PowerPoint Slides from this week’s meeting