"Because it is the sense of community that makes the good times sweeter for the sharing and the hard times more bearable for knowing we are not alone. " -Jess Wilson
Laughter erupted throughout the hall. One that was so rich it made your heart sing and weep at the same time. It didn’t matter whether it was a formal event or a regular Rotary meeting; this man certainly knew how to do it-- break the ice, disperse tension, remind us all that we do need to get out of our heads once in a while and see what a joy life is. His trademark mustache added flavor to the slew of comical anecdotes he never fails to give in every gathering. He calls every Rotarian, “My friend”.
And so it was that on a fine Saturday afternoon, September 19, 2015, friends and family gathered, this time to give back what he has given us so generously, so heartily—laughter, poignant reminders to choose joy and a sense of community. The Rotary Club of Ormoc organized “Zumba for My Friend”, Zumba for 90 minutes and “Lift Up Calvin”, barbell deadlifts, to raise funds for RCO Past President Calvin Rosellosa, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.
Why this form of fundraising? One might ask. Well, what better way to honor a friend battling the kind of hurdle he is fighting right now than one that unequivocally shows the pursuit of health and wellness?
But the bigger question remains: "Why not?"
As in why not call for a coming together to lift up a friend? Why not for family?
Above and beyond the call to service, service above self, is it not true that we need not look very far to extend a hand, to lift somebody up from the depths of need? Is it not true that we have to realize that those who stand beside us in the everyday grind need our love as well and perhaps even more so? Those whom we know from our very core are more than the labels of Past President, Rotary member or simply friend, but really in all essence, family?
Family is defined by Merriam-Webster as a group of individuals related to each other by blood, living under one roof. This is a definition we all know too well. But we know too this is pure semantics. Perhaps the following definition is a more relevant one:
"A group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation : fellowship."
This is what our dear friend, Calvin has brought us countless times-- fellowship, community, a bond united by joy. A relationship wielded by the one true thing that is the root of service above self and that has conquered barriers since time immemorial-- love. And this is what we gave back and will continue giving back.
"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love, " Mother Teresa once said. As Rotarians, with the magnanimous service we contribute to the community, let us not forget the small, often nameless things that equally and perhaps more pressingly need our attention-- the needs of one of our own.
For you, our friend, dear Calvin, especially now that you have come back exuberant and alive more than ever, this we assure you, we will do all things with great love and jubilant joy, with mustaches on if we have to.
And so it was that on a fine Saturday afternoon, September 19, 2015, friends and family gathered, this time to give back what he has given us so generously, so heartily—laughter, poignant reminders to choose joy and a sense of community. The Rotary Club of Ormoc organized “Zumba for My Friend”, Zumba for 90 minutes and “Lift Up Calvin”, barbell deadlifts, to raise funds for RCO Past President Calvin Rosellosa, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.
Why this form of fundraising? One might ask. Well, what better way to honor a friend battling the kind of hurdle he is fighting right now than one that unequivocally shows the pursuit of health and wellness?
As in why not call for a coming together to lift up a friend? Why not for family?
Above and beyond the call to service, service above self, is it not true that we need not look very far to extend a hand, to lift somebody up from the depths of need? Is it not true that we have to realize that those who stand beside us in the everyday grind need our love as well and perhaps even more so? Those whom we know from our very core are more than the labels of Past President, Rotary member or simply friend, but really in all essence, family?
Family is defined by Merriam-Webster as a group of individuals related to each other by blood, living under one roof. This is a definition we all know too well. But we know too this is pure semantics. Perhaps the following definition is a more relevant one:
"A group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation : fellowship."
This is what our dear friend, Calvin has brought us countless times-- fellowship, community, a bond united by joy. A relationship wielded by the one true thing that is the root of service above self and that has conquered barriers since time immemorial-- love. And this is what we gave back and will continue giving back.
"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love, " Mother Teresa once said. As Rotarians, with the magnanimous service we contribute to the community, let us not forget the small, often nameless things that equally and perhaps more pressingly need our attention-- the needs of one of our own.
For you, our friend, dear Calvin, especially now that you have come back exuberant and alive more than ever, this we assure you, we will do all things with great love and jubilant joy, with mustaches on if we have to.
“Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." - Anthony Brandt
