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February 24, 2009
Today’s
Program Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Matt Silverman
As
President of the Tampa Bay Rays, Matt Silverman is responsible for
leading the organization’s daily operations. He became team President in
October of 2005.
Prior to
joining the Rays full-time, Silverman worked closely with Stuart
Sternberg to orchestrate Sternberg’s purchase of a controlling interest
in the franchise.
Silverman’s previous experience includes several years at the Goldman
Sachs Group, Inc., in the Merchant Banking Division and Firmwide
Strategy Group. During this period, in which he first worked with
Sternberg, Silverman worked on a variety of merger and acquisition
opportunities across diversified industries. While with the firm,
Silverman also co-founded and served as CFO for a real estate software
company.
A lifelong
baseball fan, Silverman also enjoys running and writing in his free
time. He received a bachelor of economics degree from Harvard
University. A native of Dallas, he currently resides in Tampa. He is a
member of the board of Pinellas Education Foundation and the
Hillsborough Education Foundation and serves as the Rays board member
for the Tampa Bay Partnership.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day,
Kathy Condon, began her introduction of Dr. Ann Steele by presenting her
with a $2,000 donation from the club's Young Children Priority One fund
to help underwrite research for the coming year.
Dr. Steele accepted the
check with a hug, noting that she's usually not speechless - but was at
a loss for words to describe her gratitude. "This really is a miracle
for us," said Steele. Three more children are listed and waiting for
heart transplants at All Children’s Hospital and this funding will
ensure their enrollment in Dr. Steele's project.
She went on to update
the club on progress in her work as a hospital-based Stem Cell Scientist
at All Children's Hospital. In previous talks, Dr. Steele has described
how she became one of the first three scientists worldwide to identify a
cardiac stem cell. She devised a way to coax stem cells to grow from
biopsied tissue obtained from the discarded hearts of children
undergoing heart transplantation at All Children's Hospital. Her team is
now in the process of demonstrating these cardiac stem cells potential
to repair damage by transplanting them into laboratory mice with
malfunctioning hearts. In fact, a young boy that received a new heart
with stem cells from a mouse asked Dr. Steele to show him his old heart
and the mouse that helped save his life, which she was more than happy
to do.
Funding from Kiwanis
has allowed Dr. Steele's team to identify and track the chemical
"messaging" present when heart tissue produces cardiac stem cells. It
has also enabled the establishment of a first-ever "cardiac stem cell
bank”, where stem cell samples generated from each of the study's 20
pediatric patients can be kept in a frozen state for any potential
future use.
What’s Happening
Blues Festival Volunteers
Bob
Piplitz announced that again this year volunteers are needed for the
Blues Festival. The event is March 20, 21, & 22 this year. The line up
is great! Some of the stars
include The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Delbert McClinton, and Irma Thomas.
Many volunteers are needed and no one will be turned away.
Special Olympics Volunteers
Pinellas
County Special Olympics will be on Saturday, March 14, 2009, at Lakewood
High School in St. Petersburg. Volunteer (13 yrs and older)
opportunities include timing runs/walks, measuring field events,
assisting with awards, scorekeeping for tennis, soccer, and volleyball,
assisting on the bocce courts, distributing lunches, helping direct and
stage athletes and many others.
All
volunteers are asked to register in advance. Volunteers will need to
stay all day and their lunch will be provided.
Anyone
wishing to volunteer, please sign the sheet being passed at meetings, or
see Jane Baldwin to volunteer. Remember, Special Olympics have always
relied on volunteers, and they need you.
Kiwanis International Meeting
The
Kiwanis International meeting will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, this
year on June 26 and June 27.
The Lithuanian Open
Al
Karnavicius announced that the Lithuanian Open is back …… into its ninth
year of fun and success. The proceeds go to the children of Lithuania
for computers and summer camps. Call Al to sign up for the tournament
(March 5-9, 2009).
Thank You from Clothes to Kids
Dear Mr.
Baker,
My thanks
to you and everyone at the Kiwanis Club of St. Petersburg for inviting
me to speak to your group about Clothes to Kids. I am absolutely
thrilled with the response already – dozens of calls and emails with
offers of support for our St. Pete store opening!
I am so
impressed with your group’s commitment to our community and look forward
to perhaps partnering with the Kiwanis Club of St. Petersburg in the
future to serve the children of our community.
Again,
thanks to all of you for your time and support!
Yours,
Jennifer
Silva
A note:
Key Club volunteers from St. Pete High and Shorecrest will be helping
with Clothes to Kids.
Happy Workers Kindergarten
Susan Doll
reported that a check for $1,000 was presented to officials of the Happy
Workers Kindergarten. They were most grateful and hope to use the money
when financing has been secured to build a new building in the future.
New Member
Tom Nelson
introduced new member, Jerry Little. Look to sign Jerry’s apron in
coming weeks. Welcome to the club Jerry.
Gift Recieved
Margaret
Hayes, a friend of Steve Hahn from Rochester, New York has given a gift
to the Jim Fischer/Skip Carr Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of
Stephen Hahn, “America’s oldest teenager”.
Today’s Quiz
-
What is the birthplace of Harley Davidson?
- Which state are
LeSeuer peas canned?
- What is the former
name of Thailand?
- What fish is eaten
the most in the US?
Last Week’s Quiz
1. The Sevens Wonders of the Ancient
World include:
·
Great Pyramid of Giza
·
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
·
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
·
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
·
Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
·
Colossus of Rhodes
·
Lighthouse of Alexandria
2. The Sevens Sins described in the
movie “Seven” are: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride
3.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest
coral reef system in the
world, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands
stretching for 2,600 kilometers (1,600 mi) over an area of
approximately 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 sq mi). The reef is
located in the
Coral Sea, off the coast of
Queensland in northeast
Australia.
4. The March of
Dimes was founded in 1938 as the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt to defeat the epidemic disease
polio.
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