A century of doing good in the World
An update from our story earlier in the year. Join us to celebrate.The Rotary Foundation is about to mark a century of Doing Good in the World through
humanitarian projects, scholarships, professional training and exchanges, and its remarkable
campaign for a polio-free world.
In 2016-17, Rotary clubs throughout the world will organize Rotary Days to celebrate this milestone
by showcasing the Foundation’s rich history and good work.
humanitarian projects, scholarships, professional training and exchanges, and its remarkable
campaign for a polio-free world.
In 2016-17, Rotary clubs throughout the world will organize Rotary Days to celebrate this milestone
by showcasing the Foundation’s rich history and good work.
We’re suggesting a few ways that your club can join the party, but feel free to adapt any of these ideas, combine them, or come up with an idea of your own. Or pool your resources with neighboring clubs to organize a larger event.This centennial year is the perfect time to tell your community about The Rotary Foundation. As you mark the occasion, be sure to prominently display your club name and The Rotary Foundation centennial logo on any signage. In addition, share your photos and stories on your social media pages using #TRF100.
CELEBRATE 100 years of doing good by sponsoring a Rotary Day event focused on the Foundation:
• Throw a birthday party with a cake in the shape of a Rotary wheel and light 100 candles. Invite community members and local media.
• Sponsor a centennial walk/run or bicycle race and open it to local participants.
• Organize a centennial concert featuring local talent and music representing each decade of the past 100 years.
• Attempt to earn a place in the Guinness World Records — for example, by serving up the world’s largest birthday cake.
• Spotlight the Foundation’s international impact by sponsoring a Rotary Day with area ethnic restaurants. Donate a percentage of proceeds to The Rotary Foundation and to a local food bank.
• At a local festival, sponsor a Taste of Rotary booth featuring foods from various Rotary countries. Decorate the booth with the countries’ flags and provide information about Rotary and its Foundation.
• Organize a Foundation alumni reunion, inviting past Rotary Scholars and Group Study Exchange and vocational training team members. Recognize the alum from the earliest participation year.
• Coordinate a scavenger hunt for Rotaractors and Interactors, having them visit Rotarians’ places of business to find a clue or an item related to Rotary and its Foundation.
INFORM club members and your entire community about The Rotary Foundation’s track record of improving life in communities worldwide:
• Organize a seminar with local experts discussing one or more of Rotary’s six areas of focus.
• At a community event, sell or distribute bottled water bearing a label promoting Rotary’s water and sanitation efforts. Contribute proceeds to the Foundation’s Annual Fund to support water and sanitation global grant projects.
• Sponsor a Rotary information booth or table at a local event and share The Rotary Foundation story with everyone who stops by.
• Organize a book club for members and their families and read the new Rotary centennial book, “Doing Good in the World: The Inspiring Story of The Rotary Foundation’s First 100 Years.” Order copies at shop.rotary.org.
IMPROVE your community by sponsoring a Foundation centennial event and inviting the public to participate:
• Organize a drive to collect 100 items related to Rotary’s areas of focus — for example, books, water-treatment kits, first aid supplies — and donate them to local community based organizations at a centennial event.
• Plant a grove of 100 trees to protect the environment, or create a Rotary Foundation community garden.
• Hold a 100-hour service marathon, encouraging Rotarians and their families and local schoolchildren to volunteer.
• Conduct a needs assessment in your community and use the results to develop a centennial district grant project, such as tutoring at-risk students, promoting vaccinations, or developing anti-bullying programs.
• Organize a Rotary Day community cleanup in a local park and encourage community volunteers to help.
RAISE MONEY for PolioPlus, the Rotary Peace Centers, or your club’s global grant projects with fun events in your community:
• Hold a rubber-duck race on a local river.
• Organize a Chilly Golf tournament, a nine-hole winter event in the snow.
• Sponsor a dance-a-thon, walk-a-thon, or bike-a-thon.
• Hold a raffle among club members for a leather-bound copy of “Doing Good in the World: The Inspiring Story of The Rotary Foundation’s First 100 Years.”
• Organize a talent contest or karaoke competition.
• Sponsor a polar plunge, a quick jump into — and out of — icy waters.