Connecting The Dots

By:  Sarah MacGillivray, Secretary and Public Image Coordinator, District Foundation Committee, RC of Bath Sunrise
 
November is Foundation Month! This month’s article practically wrote itself; it couldn’t be a better example of Connecting the Dots!  As it was time for me to start writing, the news came in that our District had been awarded a $25,000 special disaster relief grant for a Ukraine project. We received full approval three business days after submission!  Explained in the simplest terms and please forgive me for breaking it down to bare basics, there are more steps, but here are the important ones:
 
  • District Rotarians gave more to the special Ukraine relief fund: more than $66,000 last spring (thank you);
  • Championed by Carol Marcotte, the Saco Bay Sunset Club began to build bridges to a club in Poland;
  • Working with Rotarians in Ukraine, Carol and the teams prepared a grant application;
  • The money will now fund repairs to a convent housing refugees from Eastern Ukraine.
You helped to make this possible.
 
Almost half the donations made to the Annual Share Fund of The Rotary Foundation become available to our District in three years.  So, the money you and I donate really does come back to US to use and put to good work in our community and around the world!
 
When Covid hit and shut Club and District activities down, it was so hard to not be together for planning purposes, but also for fellowship!  That is why the Foundation Committee is so excited about the upcoming Foundation Celebration, this Friday, November 4 at Halo at the Point in Portland.  There MAY still be a few spots available to join us, click here to check the registration, and for more details.  We cannot wait to recognize the District Rotarians who are the doers of the projects as well as those who are donating to the Rotary Foundation, chances are you are among them.  We are excited to include the inaugural awarding of the Dr. Susan Black Champion of Service Award.  Don’t miss it!
 
Last month we celebrated World Polio Day, and it was exciting to see what events clubs around the District planned to raise awareness.  It was encouraging to also see how clubs are planning to promote the District’s year long Raise for Rotary platform for Polio Plus, and the District 7780 Imagine Polio Plus Challenge. As I write this article, we have heard from a number of clubs, but still haven’t heard from everyone.  Our goal is 100% participation, and we know we can get there, thanks to all of the wonderful Rotarians in District 7780!
 
Now, there may be some folks who still have questions about how OUR Rotary Foundation works and what the District 7780 Foundation Committee does, and who is here to help you.  In honor of Foundation month, here are some links I hope you will find helpful:
Now that you know more about TRF, who is available locally to answer any other questions you might have?
With what other information can our District’s Foundation Committee help?
  • Rotary Peace Scholars
  • Which clubs in our District were awarded District Grants this year
  • Read the Foundation Committee final report for last year, prepared by Dave Underhill, our District’s Foundation Chair.
  • Need a speaker for a meeting? Reach out to anyone on the committee roster!  If they are not in your area, they will help coordinate someone who can be there when needed.
  • As always, I am also available to answer any questions about OUR Rotary Foundation, help promote a Polio Plus event by creating flyers or social media posts or help with press releases. Contact me here.
If you need help with other things, please don’t hesitate to reach out. OUR Rotary Foundation does not exist without all of us making our donations, nor do our District Grants or Global Grants.  Let’s keep “Connecting the Dots” to keep the possibilities of good work being done all around the world.