AJ Bocchini has been rescheduled to February 6 due to inclement weather.
From crashing wheelchairs to national championships, this is the story of how AJ Bocchini rolls through life.
Born two months early and weighing a mere 3 pounds 14 ounces, AJ was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age. His many adventures began when he was introduced to his first wheelchair. Raised in the small village of Kohler, Wisconsin, it was here that AJ’s love for sports developed and flourished as football and basketball manager for the high school programs.
He took his passion for basketball to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, earning his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and his master’s in athletic administration. AJ became the student manager for the men’s basketball team and was an integral part of two national championships.
As you read AJ’s humorous and insightful stories, hopefully you will be inspired and also challenged to overcome all that is before
After coaching stints at St. Catherines and Kohler High schools and then working for Fiserv (Milwaukee Bucks), AJ now resides in Mequon, bringing his energy to various teams and organizations:
Homestead High School: Assistant Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach
Mel’s Charity’s of Ozaukee County
Daily Sports Show Podcast Cedarburg Library Radio
Chinooks Baseball: Concession Stand
Inspirational/Motivational Speaker to any/all schools/organizations and businesses.
• For more information on the book FINISH please check out:
Today's inspiration came from the in-person version of Peterson Apfelbach. It was inspiring to see him!
With an update from Ellen:
Peterson was at our meeting today. He told his story as his Inspiration and thanked everyone who sent texts, cards, and emails or called. He described his chemo fatigue and how he is fighting to get his strength back.
The moral of his story is: put out good into the community. You never know when or how it may return to help you.
TriCon offers an opportunity to gather together for a weekend to share ideas, learn from numerous speakers, connect with others from across the state, and yes, GET INSPIRED!
You know "WHY" you are a Rotarian, but brainstorming and learning new ways to answer the "HOW" can be transforming.
At TriCon, you will hear Rotarians from all over the globe share their stories, see how other Rotarians accomplish their goals, brainstorm with individuals, make new friends and have tons of fun in the process! That is the beauty of Rotary and the power of three districts coming together for a weekend.
Visit our website at rotarywglconf.org to see what the weekend in Packer Country has to offer! Check out the details, and while you're at it, look in the upper right corner for that REGISTER NOW button and get yourself registered!
The Mequon-Thiensville Sunrise Rotary Club and the City of Mequon are excited to partner again for the fourth year, offering a Candlelight “Walk-In-The-Woods” at Pukaite Woods in Rotary Park.
The event will take place on Saturday, February 17, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event is free to the public. The public restrooms will be open, and volunteers from the Rotary Club will serve hot cocoa and cider with bonfire stations positioned throughout the park. This year will feature a “Winter Beer Garden.” The 1840 Brewing Company will have a beer truck on site with beverages for purchase. Bring your furry friend, as dogs on leashes are welcome!
Learn more about how you can assist with the environmental sustainability of the woods at the event.
We need volunteers for Frost Fest 2024 at the War Memorial Center on Saturday, February 3. For further information, contact James Counsellor, jimjennycounsellor@gmail.com, (262) 573-6410.
Join our President (and Friends of the Domes Board Member) for an elegant night at the Milwaukee Domes. Doors open at 5:30PM, with a cocktail hour featuring hors d’oeuvres, drinks and a signature cocktail sponsored by Zilli Hospitality Group. Next, travel across the world, enjoying cuisine that is themed after each dome. Throughout the facility, enjoy fun opportunities to win prizes and bid on one-of-a-kind items and experiences, all while enjoying our selection of live music. Finally, end the evening in the starlit greenhouse where you will be served dessert and coffee.
Rotary clubs in the ski resort towns of Park City, Utah, and Breckenridge, Colorado, have a friendly rivalry for the longest “shot ski” — a ski affixed to shot glasses that people raise together to down whiskey at the same time. In October, the Rotary Club of Park City Sunrise recaptured the crown as 1,363 people lined a street to drink rye whiskey (or apple cider) in unison from hundreds of shot skis held end to end. The event raised more than $43,000 for grants to assist community organizations, club member Connie Nelson says. She concedes that she and fellow club member Mike Luers were inspired by the Colorado club during a “reconnaissance” tour of successful winter resorts. “Their main street was closed for a festival. I looked at Mike and he looked at me and we said, ‘We can beat that,’” she says. The festive affair is “branding for our Rotary club,” Nelson adds. “We not only sell out but we have people on a waiting list to try to get on the line. It’s not just to sample the alcohol. It’s about the getting together, the unique community sharing.”
Honduras
Nearly 40 percent of adolescents are not in secondary school in Honduras, where educational achievement scores are low. The Rotary clubs of Tegucigalpa Sur and Peterborough, Ontario, teamed up to address the issue. In 2018 the clubs, which have collaborated on projects before, constructed a teacher training center in the municipality of Lepaterique and supplied books and other learning materials. Most recently, the clubs partnered with a nonprofit organization and the country’s Ministry of Education to provide literacy training to primary school teachers. “Sixteen-hour workshops are being held on a rotating basis with 160 teachers” representing 62 schools, says Marie Press, a member of the Peterborough club. “The feedback has been incredibly positive.”
England
For its centennial project, the Rotary Club of Halifax built a scenic overlook above the town on an ancient road and footpath known as the Magna Via. Illustrated panels identify landmarks such as Wainhouse Tower, Borough Market, Square Church spire, the Halifax gibbet (a replica of the 16th century precursor to the guillotine), and the Town Hall, designed by Sir Charles Barry, architect of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. QR codes link to descriptions of the landmarks on the club website. “The views are magnificent and span the horizon,” says Ken Robertshaw, a past governor of District 1040. The $25,000 project, dedicated in late June, was funded by sponsoring businesses and individual donors, including Robertshaw, who contributed in honor of his late wife, Pauline. The Town Council agreed to maintain the overlook. “Given the history of the site, it seemed like an appropriate place for us to build something that celebrates the rich heritage of the town,” Robertshaw says.
Sri Lanka
All the world’s a stage for young Sri Lankan thespians who, with their Rotarian supporters, take their Shakespeare seriously. For nearly five decades, tens of thousands of them have participated in the All Island Inter-School Shakespeare Drama Competition. Known as the “Shakes,” last year’s contest, held in September and organized by the Rotary Club of Colombo North and the Colombo YMCA, included more than 1,000 students. The ensembles performed 30-minute scenes that organizers chose from eight plays. “They are judged mainly on acting, and marks are also allocated for direction, teamwork, and effects,” Club President Lasika Jayamaha says. Rotaractors assisted with front of house and backstage roles. “The competition has been a springboard for thousands of young people across the island” to careers in acting, directing, and media, Jayamaha says. Adding to the shine, the coveted rotating trophy is a silver bust of Shakespeare that was a gift from the mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the Bard.
Senegal
The Rotary Clubs of Dakar-Soleil and West Chester, Pennsylvania, celebrated a milestone last year in their project to drill for water in three villages in Senegal. Despite delays during the pandemic and “several difficult months searching for water on the part of the construction company,” productive boreholes were drilled in July and August in the southeastern Kédougou region, reports Samuel Lowry, a member of the Rotary Club of Greater Huntsville, Alabama, who assisted with the project. Three of five planned pumps are now in use providing potable water, Lowry says. A $130,000 global grant supported the project. Funds were also raised online during the pandemic. A project Facebook page yielded contributions as well as comments like “How can we get one of these where we are?”
This story originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of Rotary magazine.
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