Photo of the Day - Ed Silva and Michael Kesti deliver on safety - providing much needed face masks to our area first responders.

A much needed donation - looking out for our first responders. Palmetto Bay resident and past Village Manager Ed Silva and long-time resident and Rotary member Michael Kesti deliver personal donations of much needed protective masks to Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and Miami-Dade County Police Units. The masks were delivered on Friday, March 27, 2020. (and keeping their social distance!).

This good news story gets better as you consider that Ed Silva and Michael Kesti were ahead of the curve by providing masks to the Village in advance of the CDC recommendation. This allowed our officers to have the masks on hand on day one for use when the recommendation was released.

Great news here in Palmetto Bay!

Thank you Ed Silva and Michael Kesti for being there for our Palmetto Bay community.

Ed Silva is a long time Palmetto Bay resident, local businessperson and served the Village as Building Official and Village Manager.

Michael Kesti is a long time Palmetto Bay resident, member of the Palmetto Bay business community and officer - both regionally and with the local Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay. Michael is the incoming Governor for 2022-23 for Rotary International District 6990 (South Florida and Grand Bahama Islands). He is Past-President and proud member of The Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay. 

More Hurricane Heroes – Rotarians are hard at work in service of those suffering the impact of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Pics/more info provided

Rotarians Maria & Andrea

A Rotary consigned container ship was filled and departed for the Bahamas at 2:00 AM Saturday morning (9/7/2019).  Thank you Rotarians. Thank you to the hundreds of people behind the scenes who been hard at work collecting, sorting, packing, palletizing, performing inventory of donations and loading them onto the ship on its way to Grand Bahama.

Palmetto Bay is blessed to be home to The Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay CLICK HERE to view the official club website, including Maria Kesti (pictured to the right), who is the current Area Governor and District 6990 Polio Chair.  Her husband, Michael Kesti currently serves on the Disaster Committee.

The photos posted to this blog document the tremendous volume of much needed materials shipped to the Bahamas.  Rotary is far from declaring mission accomplished. To the contrary, work continues on receiving donations. There will be additional packing events so check their website for ongoing announcements. www.rotary6990.org

 

Information below taken from the official Rotary District 6990 website (CLICK HERE).

Grand Bahama Island has 5 Rotary clubs and is a valued part of Rotary District 6990. We will do everything possible to help them recover from the devastation.  Rotary International District 6990 has secured a 181-foot ship and begun the efforts to fill four (4) 20-foot containers with needed supplies to aid in the Hurricane Dorian Relief Efforts. The local Rotary Clubs will be collecting items and packing them for the first shipment by this weekend. 

Items being collected are Cleaning Supplies, Tarps, Toiletries, Diapers, Gloves, First Aid, Sunscreen, Clean Towels and Rags, Flashlights, Batteries, Building & Repair Supplies, Canned Food Goods (non-perishable), Garbage Bags, and others.  For a complete list of items, see list below. 

Currently, items are being collected at the following locations :

Broward County

• SpareZ Bowling –  5325 S University Dr, Davie / 9:00am to 1:00am, seven days a week
• Weston Hills Country Club, 2600 Country Club Way, Weston /  Tuesday, Sept. 3–Friday, Sept. 6. 7 am–10 pm
• International Montessory Kids Center, 602 Anderson Circle, Deerfield Beach / Wednesday and Thursday 9am – 8pm
• The City of Hallandale Beach Cultural Community Center, 410 SE 3rd Street, Hallandale Beach

Miami-Dade County

• Florida Blue Center (The Falls) – 8895 SW 136th Street, Miami / Hours: M-F 9am-7pm & Sat 9am-4pm
• Coral Gables Fire Station 1 (Headquarters) 2815 Salzedo Street
• Coral Gables Fire Station 2, 525 South Dixie Highway
• Coral Gables Fire Station 3, 11911 Old Cutler Road

 

Great news reported in the Miami Herald. Palmetto Bay resident Maria Kesti participating in the Rotary International NID Program

Palmetto Bay resident Maria Kesti spent weeks in India, participating in the Rotary International NID Program. Maria Kesti is a past president of the Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay and an active member/volunteer in our Palmetto Bay community and beyond.

See Miami Herald: Miami Rotarians travel to India to administer polio vaccines, by Christina Mayo

As reported in the Herald:

The trip was initiated by members of the Rotary Club to continue support of the major world project of Rotary International —eliminating polio from the world. They raised funds to support the “Immunization Days,” and helped pay some of the costs of travel.

The volunteers also visited a hospital for those suffering from polio, schools, temples, mosques, the headquarters of the Indian World Health Organization, and Rotary Clubs in India.

For her dedication in continuing the efforts of the campaign “End Polio Now” Kesti has been named the Polio Chair for Rotary International District 6990, which includes South Florida and Grand Bahama Island.

Congratulations Palmetto Bay resident Maria Kesti!

 

Thank you Members of The Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay. Tree Planting ceremony held at West Perrine Park

The Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay continues its work to make a difference.  Here is another update on their service.

I am very proud of the community service provided through the members of The Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay. I was honored to participate in the tree dedication ceremony held on Saturday, May 19, 2018, along with County Commissioner Dennis Moss. This project dovetails with the Miami County Million Trees effort.

The Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay has donated over $10,000 to programs at West Perrine Park as well as making it one of the locations for the Rotary International Tree Planting Challenge.  Rotary International President Ian Riseley challenged all 1.2 million Rotarians to plant trees, one for all 1.2 million members of Rotary International. 

35 trees were donated/planted by the Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay in West Perrine Park.

Thank you Members of The Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay.