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Slippery Rock Has a Busy February
Our Rotary club sponsored a Blood Drive on Wednesday, February 4, collecting a total of 22 units of whole blood and 10 units of Power Red Blood (only red blood cells, no white platelettes) for a total of 32 units of blood collected. Held at Slippery Rock’s Center Presbyterian Church, a total of 29 donors participated in the event, including 4 first-time donors. The February event surpassed both donor and unit numbers for the club’s event this past December.
To date, 20 people have already registered for the next Rotary sponsored drive on April 1, 2026, at the Center Presbyterian Church. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit https://rcblood.org/donate and enter Slippery Rock in the Location Field to schedule an appointment for the April event.
Brittany Gilfillan, Clinical Supervisor from the Butler County Bureau of Aging, spoke to Slippery Rock Rotarians during their noon meeting on Tuesday, February 2. The agency is in its 42nd year of operation and serves over 28,000 residents aged 60 and above (and their families) residing in Butler County said Gilfillan. She explained that the organization’s goal is to assist county seniors to be safe and healthy within their communities and allow them to remain as independent as possible with the supports they need. During her presentation, Gilfillan detailed the purposes of the agency’s various programs and services as well as financial qualifications for each.
She explained that the agency will conduct individual assessments to make seniors aware of specific PA Department of Public Welfare Programs for which they may qualify as well as the PA Department of Aging (PDA) Medicaid Waiver Program. Gilfillan also discussed the agency’s Family Caregiver SupportProgram, Health & Wellness Programs and Legal Referral Program. Also, Senior Protective Services and the seven area Butler County Senior Centers.
Gilfillan is featured weekly on WISR 680 AM Radio on “Senior Voice” a program addressing issues of
concern for Butler area Seniors.
On Monday, February 8, Jeff Knoblespease of Troy-Alan Chevrolet Buick GMC, Slippery Rock, addressed Rotarians regarding current trends in the automobile industry. Senior Sales Consultant and Truck Specialist, Knoblespease gave a brief history of his organization from its beginning as Cheeseman Fleeger Automotive to today’s current owner, Troy-Alan. He then discussed the evolution of the auto industry from gasoline to hybrid to all electric-powered vehicles. “Electric cars are here to stay,” Knoblespease stated. “The technology is getting better and better. Batteries are lasting longer and getting lighter.”
He concluded his presentation by explaining future developments in the auto industry, including autonomous driving technology and Google Mobile Applications that list charging stations in specific geographic areas for drivers.
Work continues on a new website for the Slippery Rock club. Rotarian Steven Plavny, working together with Pam Ball Designs, is developing an interactive site designed for seasoned Rotary members as well as younger members and those interested in joining the organization. During the club’s morning meeting on Monday, February 22, Plavny walked members through the online site architecture and “live” content pages. One of the nice features of the new site is that members will be able to use it to Zoom into meetings when they can’t attend in person and replay recorded meetings as well. Also, a page is being dedicated to recruiting both local project volunteers and recruiting new members, as well as Blog pages for both the Harrisville Satellite Club and Rotaract at Slippery Rock University. The site is scheduled to be in Beta Test no later than the beginning of this April.
