Submitted by: PDG Herb Schmidt, District Foundation Chair
Already! Half of the Rotary year is gone! Many good things have happened in our district the past six months. Among them are the great projects our clubs have worked on to improve people’s lives in our communities, and communities around the world. With help from the Rotary Foundation through global matching grants our district is sponsoring two Global Scholars, helping fund a project to treat children with chronic heart disease in Sri Lanka, cooperating on a project in Thailand treating cervical cancer and promoting and supporting a small business development program in northern Ethiopia. These projects total $387,731 for which our district has committed $72,042. With help from district matching grants our clubs are doing projects such as park improvements, a water filtration project in Haiti, an all abilities playground and a natural playground, a childhood literacy program in Ghana and supporting a technology lab for kids. District funding for these projects comes through the Rotary Foundation SHARE program. This year $70,808 was available for these projects.
The matching grant funding for all these projects comes from Rotarians supporting the Rotary Foundation annual fund. This year we are encouraging all Rotarians and clubs in our district to join the Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) program. To participate, every Rotarian in a club needs to donate at least $25 to the Rotary Foundation annual fund. To be an EREY club every Rotarian in a club needs to donate at least $25 to the Rotary Foundation annual fund AND the average giving to the Rotary Foundation annual fund needs to be at least $100 per Rotarian.
If you are not yet contributing to the Rotary Foundation annual fund please consider doing so. The Rotary Foundation is the best in the world. Ninety two percent of your contributions go directly to projects improving peoples lives around the world. As an incentive to contribute the district is offering matching recognition points to those wanting to advance to the next Paul Harris Society level. For further information please contact your club Foundation Chair or feel free to contact me directly at 701-361-0547 or hjs2107@gmail.com.
The best to all of you in 2021 and the last half of the 2020-21 Rotary year!
In Rotary Service,
Herb