2nd Annual Skeet Shoot, a sporting clays competition, was held October 2 at the Covey Rise Lodge. Four-man teams competed for team prizes. A barbecue and jambalaya dinner was provided during the event, with awards and a raffle drawing for a shotgun following. Proceeds were donated to four local charities benefiting Slidell youth - a camp for obese children sponsored by Slidell Memorial Hospital, Cop Camp sponsored by Slidell Police Department, Juvenile Drug Court sponsored by Slidell City Court, and the teenage suicide prevention program sponsored by St. Tammany Outreach to Prevent Suicide (STOPS).

Silver Anniversary Project commemorating the club's 25th anniversary was a clock plaza, installed in Olde Towne Slidell near the new City Hall Complex recently reopened. The dedication reception and unveiling ceremony took place March 27, 2009. The project was a partnership with the City of Slidell, which installed the clock and maintains it, the Leadership Slidell Northshore Alumni Association, and Olde Towne Task Force. Michelle Partridge, Eleanor Cumbow, and Lauren Gibson served on the Silver Anniversary Committee.

Adopt-a-Street is a city-wide program designed to clean up Slidell's most heavily traveled roadways. The two Slidell Rotary Clubs have joined forces to adopt Robert Blvd. between Gause and Audubon. The adopting organization is expected to clean up their area at least four times a year. Our most recent cleanup was on October 19 in conjunction with the city-wide street cleanup sponsored by Keep Slidell Beautiful.

Third Grade Dictionaries is RCSN's literacy project, coordinated by Lydia Alford. In March dictionaries were distributed to third graders in the Slidell and Pearl River areas. Five schools participated. Rotarians showed the students how to use the books to improve their reading and writing skills.

Sweet Potato and Rice Sales is a fall fundraiser the club has done for a number of years to support local and international charities. This year the proceeds will contribute toward the world-wide eradication of polio as well as benefit local charities based in the St. Tammany area.

Rotary Rebuilds Slidell, Inc. is Rotary's response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. In October, 2005, the Rotary Clubs of Slidell and Slidell Northshore joined forces to rebuild the infrastructure for Slidell non-profits. RRS, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt corporation, has restored the following 12 facilities to service:

Rainbow Child Care Center provides pre-kindergarten care and instruction for children of less fortunate single parents who are employed or in school. Lunches are provided. Approximately 90 children are enrolled. The facility was completely rebuilt by Rotary.

Safe Harbor provides shelter, care, and a secure environment for battered and abused women. Rotary provided funds to reopen Safe Harbor after the hurricane, and rebuild the facility's kitchen.

The Boys and Girls Club took four feet of water inside their facility and required a total rebuild funded and managed by Rotary. On a daily basis the club provides education, athletic, and peer support for over 500 children.

K Bar B Youth Ranch is a wooded campus providing housing, counseling, and safe living environment for troubled teen age children. The facility had multiple structures damaged. Rotary provided funding and project management.

Slidell Area Schools received one of the first loads of school supplies through a Rotary-sponsored program. Over $30,000 was donated to Slidell schools for equipment and supplies.

Community Christian Concern was the recipient of a Rotary matching grant in which 17 clubs from 5 nations contributed. CCC replaced computers and furniture and purchased a delivery truck to assist it in its mission of providing for the needy.

East St. Tammany Mental Association received Rotary funds to restart its operations. The association's mission has grown significantly after the storm. A Rotary Foundation grant enabled residents of Sunshine Village, the housing facility of the association, to replace washing machines, dryers and stoves in their apartments.

STARC Adult Day Care Center provides day care for mentally and physically challenged adults, especially the elderly. After being flooded by the hurricane, the facility was rebuilt and expanded with Rotary funds.

Mount Olive Food Kitchen provides meals to over 300 indigents daily. About half of the meals are delivered to shut-ins. Rotary donated delivery vans for the meals-on-wheels program and built a totally new 4,000 sq. ft. kitchen to replace the one that had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Habitat for Humanity provides inexpensive housing for families who could not afford home ownership otherwise. The Rotary Clubs and the Habitat for Humanity organization in Geauga County, Ohio, donated six pre-fabricated houses. Rotarians assisted with the construction.

The Caring Center provides shelter and security for women. The facility operates in conjunction with Safe Harbor. In the aftermath of Katrina, cases of battered women increased significantly. Rotary built an expansion to the facility.

Peace Lutheran Kitchen is part of a facility used to house out-of-town volunteers who are rebuilding Slidell. These volunteers have assisted with five Rotary projects. Rotary built a kitchen to improve living conditions for the volunteers.

The Senior Citizens Center, a thirteenth project undertaken by Rotary Rebuilds Slidell, has been placed on hold, pending successful negotiations between FEMA and local governmental officials. The photo shows the center in operation before Hurricane Katrina.