Rotary Magazine Features West U's Polio Efforts
Posted by Jon R. McKinnie
on Jan 05, 2009
Rotary Int'l magazine, Rotary World, is a great source for international activities and feel good stories. This month's edition features a story "Club Foundations Help Meet Rotary's Challenge for Polio" spotlighting our own West U Rotary Club.
Click on Rotary World to access the magazine.
Click on Rotary World to access the magazine.
Club Foundations Help Meet Rotary's Challenge for Polio
Rotary club and district foundations can play a key role in funding Rotary's US$100 Million Challenge and helping to eradicate polio worldwide.
"In the past, The Rotary Foundation has sometimes viewed these entities as competitors for Rotarian contributions, but I would like to change that perspective," Foundation Trustee Chair Jonathan Majiyagbe said at the 2008 International Assembly. "I would like to see our relationship move from that of competitors to partners."
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, took that partnership approach when its Niagara Falls Rotary Foundation contributed C$25,000 to Rotary's challenge in June. In announcing the donation, club member Ron Mergl, also a member of the District 7090 (New York, USA; Ontario, Canada) polio eradication committee, challenged his club to match it over the next three years.
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Wooster, Ohio, USA, the Wooster Rotary Foundation also contributed to the challenge with a gift of US$4,845 in April. A foundation auction netted that amount from the sale of a car donated by James Staub, a local polio survivor.
Another donation came from the Rotary Club of West U (Houston), Texas, USA, which raised $19,836 for Rotary's challenge in 2007-08, including a $5,000 match from its West U Rotary Club Foundation.
"It started as a small effort to raise a few hundred dollars, but as our members were made aware of the matching availability from our club, our club foundation and the Rotary Foundation (through PolioPlus Partners), it really caught fire," says Terry Ziegler, District 5890 PolioPlus Subcommittee Chair.
Rotary club and district foundations can play a key role in funding Rotary's US$100 Million Challenge and helping to eradicate polio worldwide.
"In the past, The Rotary Foundation has sometimes viewed these entities as competitors for Rotarian contributions, but I would like to change that perspective," Foundation Trustee Chair Jonathan Majiyagbe said at the 2008 International Assembly. "I would like to see our relationship move from that of competitors to partners."
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, took that partnership approach when its Niagara Falls Rotary Foundation contributed C$25,000 to Rotary's challenge in June. In announcing the donation, club member Ron Mergl, also a member of the District 7090 (New York, USA; Ontario, Canada) polio eradication committee, challenged his club to match it over the next three years.
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Wooster, Ohio, USA, the Wooster Rotary Foundation also contributed to the challenge with a gift of US$4,845 in April. A foundation auction netted that amount from the sale of a car donated by James Staub, a local polio survivor.
Another donation came from the Rotary Club of West U (Houston), Texas, USA, which raised $19,836 for Rotary's challenge in 2007-08, including a $5,000 match from its West U Rotary Club Foundation.
"It started as a small effort to raise a few hundred dollars, but as our members were made aware of the matching availability from our club, our club foundation and the Rotary Foundation (through PolioPlus Partners), it really caught fire," says Terry Ziegler, District 5890 PolioPlus Subcommittee Chair.