Submitted by: Past District Governor Herb Schmidt, District 5580 Rotary Foundation Chair
Fellow District 5580 Rotarians:
This month we are sharing updates about World Polio Day, Foundation Month, and the Wilderness Discovery Project.
World Polio Day and Foundation month:
WORLD POLIO DAY is almost here! World Polio Day is Oct.24. Has your club planned a special event to celebrate our progress toward eliminating this virus from our world? This is also the day to rededicate ourselves toward continuing the fight to eliminate polio from the last two endemic countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Just this summer Nigeria was declared Polio free. The Rotary website provides excellent information and tools on how to do a FUNraising event to celebrate World Polio Day.
For the past twelve years our district has donated 20% of its DDF (District Designated Funds) toward the Polio eradication effort. This year Governor Bob wants to double that thru club contributions. If 75% of clubs can come up with $20,000 (in total) by Oct 24 Governor Bob will wear a purple wig (covers his shiny head) for all his meetings the rest of the month and I will dye my white mustache purple for the rest of the month. The significance of purple is every child that is immunized against polio has its pinky finger dipped in a purple dye that shows it has been immunized. So, please do something fun (and/or dumb) to help celebrate our success. And please remember, we are 99.9% toward our goal of eliminating polio from this world. BUT, we need to be 100%! Your continued support is needed and invaluable!
And don’t forget – November is Foundation month! The Rotary Foundation is the heart and soul of everything we do to provide opportunities for those not as fortunate as us. It gives us the opportunity to leverage our resources, thru the matching grants program, to help make our communities more inviting places to live. Clean water, medical aid, educational opportunities, all provide the more under-privileged around the world a chance for a better life in a more peaceful world. The Rotary website gives excellent ideas on how to support The Rotary Foundation. Please include a FUNraising event in your November planning.
WILDERNESS DISCOVERY PROJECT
Currently the project is planning on applying for a Rotary Global Grant of US$150,000 to provide a handicapped accessibility ramp from the main lodge to the lake shore. The Nipigon, Ontario club is the host club for this project and has been working to obtain partners for this project. If your club wants to support a really great project through donations and/or serving as the host club please contact Dan Brown, Ph: 807-372-0243, email: danbo195120@yahoo.ca. For information about host club responsibilities please contact Herb Schmidt, Ph: 701-361-0547, email: hjs2107@gmail.com.
See the link below for more details about this facility and project.
Happy Polio Day and don’t forget Foundation month!
Yours in Rotary Service,
Herb Schmidt
District 5580 Foundation Chair