Our speaker was Easton Rotarian Gordon Bigelow who is serving as Foundation Coordinator for Area 2 in District 7430. It is fully expected that the prime focus of Easton Rotarians will be on our Club Foundation and related community-based projects. This should still leave room for involvement in the larger world of Rotary and support of the Foundation of Rotary International.
The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. The mission is to help Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. Think about it. This is an incredibly ambitious goal and yet it has been working! Millions of people around the world are leading better lives thanks to the projects founded by our Foundation.
There is, of course, a catch. The only way for this success to continue is through the support of the individual members of Rotary Clubs. To that end. Rotary has adopted a goal of EREY - “Every Rotarian Every Year”. The hope is that all of the 1.2 million Rotarians will be able to make at least a small contribution at some point during each year. Gordon suggests that we all consider a modest goal of $25/year.
Some of this money will eventually land in foreign countries enabling countless people to change their lives for the better. Currently there are five international grants funded in part by donations from our District. There are projects in Zambia, Haiti, Rwanda, and India. Some of the money will wind up back here in District 7430. Easton Rotary has received money to help fund projects in each of the last two years. Rotarians who wish to contribute can do so easily through the links at Rotary.org.
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