President Mark Killingsworth presided over today’s meeting. Mark provided the opening prayer. Denny Bubrig led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mark led us in the Four-Way Test. The meeting was held at the Holiday Inn North and on Zoom. Joe Bost thanked those who helped with today’s meeting. There were no guests.
Mark then introduced today’s guest speaker, Rebecca Silba, Annual Giving Officer of the Rotary Foundation for our region of the country. Rebecca thanked club members for their recent contributions to the Foundation and for the work that our club and others are doing locally and around the world.
The Foundation focuses its efforts in a variety of ways including providing clean drinking water around the world, fighting diseases, promoting education, and protecting the environment. There are five ways a person or club can give to Rotary:
- Gifts to the Annual Fund Share program support the Foundations mission but also much of the donations to the Annual fund come back to the district and local clubs.
- There is also a World Fund. Contributions made to that fund support global projects through grants and programs.
- There is the Polio Plus Fund which has the eradication of Polio as its top priority. Recently it was reported that the Foundation has assisted in the administration of 25 billion polio vaccines around the world. There were only two cases of polio reported in the world so far this year.
- There is also the Disaster Response Fund. Contributions made to that fund are used in disaster response and recovery efforts.
- Finally, there is the Endowment Fund. Earnings from contributions made to that fund are used to support many programs both locally and worldwide.
The Foundation is reporting a 102% increase in the number of approved local grants while seeing a 6% growth in contributions. Our district has received grants for 70 projects, including filling backpacks so children would have food for the weekend, providing holiday meals for those who need them, and building a home through Habitat for Humanity.
One of the global grants approved last year opened a YMCA in India. A club in Ames, IA, partnered with a club in Tanzania and through a global grant provided safe drinking water for an area of that country.
Rebecca ended her presentation by thanking club members for what they do and for their generosity. Mark thanked her for the presentation and presented a $1,000 check to the Foundation.
Mark thanked members for their support throughout this very challenging year. He asked that we show that same support to Lynn Walton as she begins her new presidency.
There being no further business to come before the club, Mark adjourned the meeting with our motto, “Service Above Self.”