The Program from March 10th was... a handful of past presidents.
The Foundation Rotarians Are Building
Steve Amend, Shauna Lorenzen, Paul O Rear and Randy Seelye are experienced partners in Sunrise Rotary's role in growing The Rotary Foundation.
Shauna Lorenzen is Sunrise' current Club Board Director for The Rotary Foundation. Her role is to inspire and manage member support for Foundation activities. Becoming a Paul Harris Fellow is the path members follow in reaching their first $1,000 contribution level to The Rotary Foundation.
Since Sunrise inception in 1986, $525,000 has been generated to The Rotary Foundation. Susan Glowacki recently pushed us over that goal. Sunrise has presented 389 Paul Harris Fellows, and members may continue their support well beyond the initial $1,000 level.
Our club's reach locally and internationally has benefitted from the structure of the foundation. Portions of funds generated in each District are returned in a three year cycle. These funds may be used for local grants and Global Grants. The matching leveraging benefit multiplies donations nearly 3:1. Local projects include a bunny and goat barn at Elsie Allen High School,
and enhancements to their Theater Arts.
and a saxophone in their music department.
In addition, Global Grants foster collaboration between countries and in Sunrise' case made possible the construction and equipping of a 2,000 sq. foot surgical center in Nicaragua.
Rotary changes lives ~ for the better.
Paul O Rear composed the PowerPoint presentation for the program today. He also received his Paul Harris Fellow plus five recognizing his foundation support at the $6,000 level.
Steve Amend presented an historic recap of Sunrise' Rotary Foundation support and the Global Polio Initiative. His summary recalled the Polio Plus initiative dating back to 1988. Through collaboration with the World Health Organization, United States Centers for Disease Control and Rotarians around the world, the steady march now with additional support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has reduced the peril of Polio cases from 35,000 in 1988 to 1 reported last year.
Steve added a very inspiring personal note: His brother-in-law Bobby, Kathleen's brother lived with the physical limitations of polio. Both Bobby and Kathleen and another sibling contracted the disease in 1955. While Kathleen recovered her mobility, Bobby endured iron-lung treatment and spinal fusion. He persevered with life and ran his own Bookkeeping business into his forties before succumbing at age 48. Steve spoke of Bobby as a brother.
Randy Seelye has served multiple terms as Club Director for The Rotary Foundation. Our club currently has 51 of its' 64 members Paul Harris Fellows. 48 have reached multiple levels. During Steve Amend's Presidential year, 2002-3 and Steve Worthen in 2004-5 Sunrise achieved 100% Paul Harris Fellow status. Since then Sunrise has been a District leader in support to The Rotary Foundation. As of January we are at 79% of our goal.
The Rotary Foundation really emphasizes the INTERNATIONAL scope of Rotary. Santa Rosa Sunrise continues to project Service Above Self beyond our District, and partner in ways and in places we could not do alone.
For more about The Rotary Foundation, check out the Rotary website http://www.Rotary.org
