The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Rotary Club honors citizen, civic organization
Rotary recognizes citizen, civic organization
The Rotary Club of Willoughby will recognize Dan Ruminski and Ryan Eubank and his Gang for Good for their community service efforts during the club’s Distinguished Awards Luncheon on Jan. 29.
The Rotary has been handing out these awards for about 15 years. Prior to that they were awarded by the former Willoughby Area Chamber of Commerce.
The recipients of the two awards: The James K. Collins Jr. Distinguished Citizen of the Year, which has been given out since 1956; and Distinguished Civic Organization, awarded since 1989; is decided by an awards committee comprised of Jim Collins, William Crosier, Dale H. Fellows, Gary Merhar, Bob Riggin, Sue Roseum, Rick Stenger and John E. Tigue Jr.
Ruminski, president of Martinson-Nicholls Inc. and Cleveland History Storyteller, has been attending the awards luncheon for many years.
“I see people that get this award and I have left and thought about all they do and was so envious and so proud, but I never put myself in that category,” he said. “I would walk away envious of the good deeds these people did.”
Ruminski, a Vietnam veteran, was born in Cleveland and raised in Pepper Pike. Prior to joining the Army, he received a bachelor of arts in political science from John Carroll University.
After returning from Vietnam, he coached basketball and taught at Gilmour Academy.
He left teaching to buy Martinson-Nicholls Inc., a floor mat distribution company, for which he has been president for the last 25 years.
Ruminski has seen many successes in his years as president, including: new products such as electric mats to melt snow and ice, recipient of the 2009 Manny award, Ohio Entrepreneur Award in 2006 and designer of anti-slip deck pads for more than 70 Coast Guard ships. He is currently working on designing floor mats to meet the special requirements of the presidential helicopter fleet.
Outside of business, Ruminski also participates in community service through his Cleveland History Lessons as the Cleveland History Storyteller.
“I have always loved Cleveland in the Gilded Age, Euclid Avenue and Millionaires’ Row, and I loved the great estates of Gates Mills, Hunting Valley and Wickliffe,” he said.
In 2008, his passion for Cleveland history led him to the Gates Mills Library to do research. While there, a librarian approached Ruminski and suggested that he give a presentation, telling him people would be interested in hearing what he knew.
According to Ruminski, about 100 people attended the first storytelling session, while only 40 were expected. He decided afterward to do another one.
After eight years, with more than 600 presentations to about 40,000 people, Ruminski is still telling the stories of Cleveland’s history.
“We are trying to make Greater Clevelanders more proud of their city through this marvelous history,” he said. “There was a lot of negativity about Cleveland, none of the sports teams were winning and we were a national joke and that upset me. Since then, it has vastly improved and we are in a nice situation, and that is why I did what I did.”
Ruminski feels “The Storyteller” is now a brand so he decided to team up with a number of different charities and use The Storyteller brand to raise money. The Storyteller has assisted more than 20 different charities and raised thousands of dollars, Ruminski said.
“I am thrilled and respect all the folks that are on the (awards) committee. I am a little overwhelmed, it hasn’t settled in yet. I’m overjoyed and I’m very proud to be receiving it,” he said of the award. “I’ll probably receive it on behalf of all the folks who have helped me do the work I do. I realize one doesn’t work in a vacuum, it takes helps accomplishing good deeds.”
Eubank, a welding instructor previously with Willoughby-Eastlake Schools, started the Gang for Good with students in his welding class in 2010. The group adopted the motto “We are the community, helping the community, making it stronger. We are the future, we are the leaders, we are the Gang for Good.”
Eubank’s former students, while in his class, were required to do community service work.
According to a news release from Roseum, “Each year, the students perform thousands of hours of community service in the community.”
The Gang for Good is described as a peer-to-peer mentoring group where former students come back and work with current students on community service projects.
Each project the group takes on, the students are the ones responsible for conducting meetings, asking for donations, setting timelines and coordinating large projects.
“Many of the members of the Gang for Good admit that without this peer mentoring, they would have taken a different path in life,” Roseum said. “Instead, they are a group of young men and women that are making a difference in our community one project at a time.”
Eubank, who is now a welding instructor with the Lake Shore Compact, said he thinks it’s great that the group is getting recognized for the hard work and effort the students have put into the communities.
“It’s really awesome that they are getting recognized for their accomplishments,”Eubank said. “The students have made the communities better and it’s made the students better people. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Ruminski and Eubank will accept the awards during the luncheon, which starts at 11:30 a.m. at Pine Ridge Country Club, 30601 Ridge Road in Wickliffe.
“It’s really awesome that they are getting recognized for their accomplishments. The students have made the communities better and it’s made the students better people. It’s a win-win for everyone.” — Ryan Eubank, who will be honored with his Gang for Good
The event is open to the public and tickets are $20 a person. Reservations are required and can be made be contacting the Merhar Agency at 440-946-2040.