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The mission of all Rotary clubs is to perform community improvement projects, to provide scholarships, and to fund other local needs. The Milford Rotary Club raises funds for charitable distribution primarily through three projects. In mid-summer the club, in conjunction with other local Rotary clubs, sponsors a unique golf tournament called "100 Holes of Golf in a Day." The club recruits avid golfers (who else but an avid golfer would play 100 holes of golf in one day?) to solicit sponsorships to compete in this marathon tournament. The club also sponsors a community-wide pancake breakfast held on the Sunday following Labor Day. And, during the weeks preceding Christmas, club members take turns selling Christmas trees. These three projects collectively raise about $70,000, all of which is returned to the community in the form of youth scholarships and grants to schools, fire departments, local arts and other community organizations, and to individuals in need. In August 2004, the club awarded one of its largest grants ever, to the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club, to assist in their move to a larger permanent space.
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The Milford Rotary Club also sponsors an annual regional youth swim meet that attracts about 800 swimmers in July and an annual chicken barbecue for senior citizens that serves 300 people in October. Ongoing educational programs sponsored by RI and administered locally include international education exchanges for high school students, Group Study Exchanges (for young professionals who want to spend a month in another country), and ambassadorial scholarships (for college level study abroad).
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The Milford Rotary Club is part of District 7870 of Rotary International. RI, now the largest service organization in world, was founded in 1905 by Paul Harris, a native of Wallingford, VT. The goals of of Rotary include improving business ethics and promoting education and world peace. There are now over 28,000 Rotary clubs in 166 countries with total membership in excess of 1.2 million individuals. RI sponsors many programs in developing countries to provide better educational opportunities, clean water, and better nutrition for those with severely limited resources. The largest Rotary International program to date, and indeed the largest service club sponsored philanthropy effort ever, is an ongoing project called Polio Plus. This project, run in conjunction with the World Health Organization, has raised over 250 million dollars, with the goal of eliminating polio worldwide.
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