How Will Your Club Observe World Polio Day on October 24 ?
Read on for three EASY ways to promote World Polio Day within your Rotary Club:
1. Celebrate World Polio Day on October 24 by hosting an event in your community! Go to endpolio.org/worldpolioday to get started. Register your event, and download resources (event planner, press release template, proclamation template, social media resources and more) to help you plan, promote and execute your club's World Polio Day. Remember to share pictures of your event on social media using #endpolio and in our monthly district e-newsletter.
2. The Fifth Annual World Polio Day event, co-hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be held on World Polio Day on October 24. The program will stream live from Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington to bring together more than 50,000 viewers around the world. Encourage your members to join in as global health experts and celebrities share our progress on the road to polio eradication.
3. El Tour de Tucson is on November 11. Any club with an interest in raising funds for PolioPlus and having a fun cycling event during the week of November 11-16 can join in. There are two ways to do this: host an indoor cycling event with club members at a local athletic club/gym or have an outdoor event with club members agreeing on a route and length that fits them. It is also a fantastic way to involve friends and supporters from outside of the club (and attract new members too!). More information on how to sign up, gather pledges and record the results may be found at ridetoendpolio.org. Call Pam at 520-907-5671 or Lynn at 520-400-4966 if you need help or more information.
Posted by DG Abbas Rajabi (Denver Southeast) DGAbbas2017.18@rotary5450.org
I am thrilled to be beginning my year as the Governor of one of the most dynamic and enthusiastic Rotary Districts in the nation, if not the world! As we embark on this year, it is my honor to follow in the legacy of those who have led our district before me, and to inject my passion and enthusiasm into Rotary in new and interesting ways. I am excited to be here serving all of you Rotarians, as well as the broader community Rotary serves.
Rotary, at the core of what it stands for and what it does for the community, is truly an organization for the young and the young at heart. We are a powerful and multi-dimensional organization that is a powerhouse when it comes to fundraising, and even more so when it comes to on the ground service and action, not to mention the way we enjoy bountiful fellowship during it all! Given the passion that encompasses all of what Rotary does, it is often confounding to us as Rotarians why we don’t have more young members. The average age of our membership (based on Rotarian magazine readership) is 61 years old. Recently, Rotarian magazine’s Bureau of Circulation published demographics highlighting that Rotarians are a highly educated and highly successful group, thus giving us great power as an organization, to make change in our world.
Rotarians are an action oriented group involved in many professions and many among us are established business leaders who are passionate about changing the world for the better. Many are a part of the baby-boomer generation with a disposable income that allows them to spend on service to others, family, travel, entertainment, and plenty of hobbies. We can and should tap into this great group, in order to build a strong network thus fulfilling the legacy of Rotary: an organization that was founded to provide Service Above Self and build networks.
We at Rotary International provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace all across the globe and we have an ability, with our resources, the most powerful of which being our members, to go further and reach higher when it comes to global service.
A new Rotary year is full of promise, and I want to begin this year with a call to action. Let us inspire current and new members, particularly young people to give in whatever way they can by inspiring them with our service. Young people, as an underrepresented demographic in Rotary, have opportunities to give in so many ways, with their time, with their membership, with their money, but most of all with the passion they bring and the ideas they carry, as well as the goodness in their hearts. We have an uncanny ability to bring young people into the joy that is Rotary by bringing our work into the community, outside of the walls of our clubs, and the confines of our projects. Let’s invite future young members to see Rotary for what it is, and what it is created to be: a network of well-connected, passionate folks, giving to the world while having a great time! Let us show that Rotary indeed is made of people of action. Invite family members, coworkers or our neighbors so they can share in all that Rotary is alongside our membership. I challenge all of us to bring at least one guest each month - that would be 36,000 guests this Rotary year! And even if only 5% of them join the clubs, we have then created a great infrastructure to provide a much higher level of service and network of very capable Rotarians.
In my home club, Denver Southeast, we recently held roundtable discussions to brainstorm another big fundraiser that will build our community profile, we came up with a lot of great ideas that would engage people of all ages, bridge generational divides, raise money for important Rotary projects, and give Rotary exposure across communities. I would encourage every club to have a similar brain storming session, and maybe invite some young volunteers from a local college or a group of young professionals to weigh in on your ideas! Ask your neighbors your children your colleagues and your spouses that we do need their ideas and respect their input, let us own what we do and do it with all of our love and passion.
I was invigorated by what I saw in Atlanta, when RI President Germ announced that Rotary will raise $150M towards the ongoing eradication of Polio. The generosity of Rotarians was matched by Bill Gates, the WHO, and even the Canadian government. All and all, over $1.2B was committed, when I heard the news I was so excited I could not hold back my tears of joy. Think about the power we have in Rotary, think about the beauty of this world that each of you make more beautiful by the day, you, as Rotarians, are amazing. My hats off to you!
I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve you, the Rotary membership, and my district, as well as the world through my new role. I hope to make you proud with my passion and commitment and to inspire in you a love of Rotary that burns brightly.
PS: I need your commitment to help us with selection of speakers for the district conference and the format that you would think would be most effective. After all, the District Conference is a celebration of our achievement for the year that we showcase for the world to see. We need to promote and showcase all that you do, we need to tell the world we are Rotarians and we are people of Action.
Posted by Lee Mulberry (Highlands Ranch) rlmulberry@gmail.com
Rotaraction (www.rotaraction.org) is a new type of Rotary Club, it is an online club for 18 to 30-year-old people. The structure of Rotaraction differs significantly from Rotaract. Firstly, it is entirely online, secondly the primary communication tool is a smart phone app. Thirdly, all Rotaraction members will be full Rotarians.
Rotaract Clubs will not be impacted as their value proposition is quite different and still valid. Rotaract is geographically bound just as Rotary Clubs are, Rotaraction, by being online, will not have geographic boundaries nor regular meeting times.
Rotaraction was formed to fill a need - a way to get/keep young people involved in Rotary, especially since Rotary currently has a limited value proposition for this demographic. The online meetings will consist of “Blog” posts and discussions, each member will have responsibility for writing blogs and responding. In addition, each member will be required to do a minimum number of hours of community service during the quarter. We will encourage them to create a relationship with a local Rotary Club.
Our research has shown that this demographic has very little desire to spend time in meetings, they want to communicate quickly, easily and at their own convenience. They much prefer to engage in service projects. Many are in college and even if there is a Rotaract club, attending meetings can be too time consuming.
In addition to the time issue, belonging to most traditional Rotary Clubs is cost prohibitive. Our college members face many costs and often have little opportunity to earn money. Our working young adults also tend to have limited disposable income. Therefore, the club dues are just enough to cover District and RI dues.
Posted by Debi Bush (Denver Cherry Creek) membership@rotary5450.org
We had a very successful and productive Membership Boot Camp on June 3rd. Thanks to all who participated. Thanks to my DMT for doing all the hard work while I was gone for much of May! Participants who ventured out on a beautiful Saturday morning including two Rotarians who drove 1.5 hours each way made for a morning for membership insights.
And, a special cheer and shout-out to the 3 clubs who received recognition for Exemplary Growth (at least 20% growth over 12 months): Boulder Flatirons, Clear Creek County 2000 and Mead.
At the Boot Camp, we included details about the Bring A Friend (BAF) district-wide initiative that is taking place the weeks of July 17 and July 24th. Since PETS training, we have been providing information and kits for the BAF membership drive were emailed to President-Elects (your now current club president). IF for some reason your club does not have the details and how-to readily available, contact me ASAP. And, please understand that if your club partakes in the BAF, we will always encourage our clubs to always be prospecting and bringing in friends to see what Rotary is all about. The prospecting phase that includes welcoming and following up with guests is the most important and probably hardest aspect of growing a club.
Speaking of growing and strengthening your club, please check out these four resources to learn about online tools from RI, two great stories of clubs in Texas (who are part of our paired Zones 21B and 27), and how to create your personal story (the replacement for the worn out Rotary elevator pitch):
Posted by Mike Litzau (Arvada Sunrise) mlitzau@soopercu.org
The Arvada Sunrise Rotary Club is looking for the fastest Rotary Club in District 5450. ASR will have its first annual Race 4 Rotary on Sunday, August 6, 2017 from 1 to 5 pm. Each Rotary club in the District is invited to participate in this fun, fast-moving and exciting event at Unser Karting at US 36 and I-25 (www.unserkarting.com). A traveling trophy will be awarded to the club that is determined to be the Fastest in the District!
In addition to kart racing there is ping pong, pool and bowling. The event includes dinner from Famous Dave’s Barbecue. The cost is $75 for racers, $25 for spectators and a four pack of racers for $250. Details and registration are available at www.race4rotary.com.
Posted by Rick Clark (Littleton) rick@littletonrotary.org
Four Rotarians who lead in the Rotary Peak naming project are arranging a Rotary Peak Hike onSaturday, August 5, 2017, inviting all Rotarians , Rotaractors, Interactors, and friends to join the hike to Rotary Peak starting at 9 am from the parking area at the top of Loveland Pass the. The route traces the Continental Divide, with spectacular scenery in all directions. Distance to the summit is approximately 1.5 miles with less than 500 feet elevation gain. Hikers need to be at the trailhead 30 minutes before, or 8:30. Car-pooling is strongly recommended as there is limited parking.
Commemorative “I Climbed Rotary Peak” buttons will be given to those who complete the hike.
Click here for the public information flyer includes a trail map, hiking safety tips and trail etiquette rules, and basic information on Rotary International and our Rotary District 5450. The Trail Stewards will be wearing special Rotary vests.
The Rotary Peak Project is asking Rotary Clubs to donate a minimum of $100 or more to defray the cost of such promotional and public service activities. Funds expended thus far have fallen directly on the four Rotarians leading this project and your Club’s financial support will enable the project to continue to completion. The Littleton Rotary Foundation is acting as the clearing house/banker for funding of this effort.
Please submit any donation by issuing a check to the LittletonRotaryFoundationInc., PO Box 143, Littleton, CO 80160. Please make certain to, Memo: “The Rotary Peak Project”.
ROTARY PEAK - THE REST OF THE STORY
Dave Muller has been trekking in the Colorado high country for the past 46 years. He has written eight outdoor guidebooks and for seventeen years wrote a weekly “Hike of the Week” column in The Denver Post. Recently retired from a successful career as a psychiatrist in private practice, the octogenarian is currently working on his ninth guidebook.
One of the hikes described in his book, Colorado Easy & Scenic Hikes, is titled “Peak 12,479” referencing its altitude. Dave had long wondered why the popular trail leading to a summit just west of the top of Loveland Pass was un-named.
Posted by Mary Jean Ewing (Boulder Flatirons) maryjeanewing@earthlink.net
From Syria, 17 new cases of circulating vaccine derived polio virus (cVDPV2) have been confirmed in the last few months. Worldwide, to date, there have been 6 cases of wild polio virus reported (17 in 2016) and 21 cVDPV type2 cases (3 in 2016). The outbreak in Syria demonstrates the reason for the switch in April 2016 from tri-valent to bi-valent oral polio vaccine - an effort to diminish the risk of cVDPV2. Syria, since the war, has a population with low vaccination rates that have made it vulnerable. Current polio information is available through GPEI: http://www.polioeradication.org.
RI's International Convention in Atlanta just weeks ago, was exciting for all. We heard an update of the Polio picture around the world from Bill Gates and others. The Gates Foundation has extended its pledge to match polio dollars two to one, totaling up to $450 million annually through 2020. We also heard from many countries, individuals and businesses which have pledged a total of $1.2 billion of the needed $1.5 billion. Rotary has increased its pledge to $150 million for each of the coming three years.
Our District good news: we raised $125,000 for Polio Plus the past year. Add to that our pledge of $22,000 in DDF. With the Gates match, this means $441,000! Thank you to all the clubs and individuals who helped. Your hard work has brought us to new heights.
Posted by Gail Lehrmann (Parker) glehrmann@aol.com
Noting Rotary’s unique ability to bring together committed professionals to achieve remarkable goals, RI President John F. Germ set his annual theme of “Rotary Serving Humanity” for 2016-17. When he took office a year ago, he stated that “now is the time to capitalize on our success as we complete the eradication of polio and catapult Rotary forward to be an even greater force for good in the world.”
Rotarian volunteers that work on behalf of the District 5450 Foundation want to thank our Rotary Clubs, each club president, and all the club representatives who have worked to make Rotary year 2016-17 a successful year of serving humanity by way of a remarkable fundraising year! Your Annual Fund and PolioPlus efforts have demonstrated that District 5450 was committed to achieving President Germ theme, making his theme a reality for many people locally and around the world.
Final fundraising results for each club and for the District will be available sometime in late July after The Rotary Foundation documents all of the 2016-17 contributions it has received. Final reports will be shared with clubs through their respective Assistant Governors.
Posted by Bob Steiert (Denver Tech Center) rsteiert@comcast.net
The DTC Rotary Club will hold the Second Annual Water Toy Race on September 23 on Chatfield Reservoir. Last year, sixty four fun loving, hearty souls were met with a hot breakfast, refreshing water and a sunny day. The racers were primarily Interact and RYLA students from six different schools, but also included college students, families and adults of all ages. Costumed participants raced through a goofy, creative and very wet obstacle course using inflatable kayaks, paddle boards and inner tubes, sometimes lashed together. No experience was necessary.
All District 5450 Rotary and Interact clubs are invited to attend. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes, fastest team, and most fun to watch. Registration for a four person team is $200, and includes breakfast and the use of all water toys. The race is a tremendous team building event and a good way to kick off the school year. Proceeds will support RYLA scholarships, literacy projects, our Peaceful Schools Program, and college scholarships for students who practice “Service Above Self.”
Sponsorship opportunities are available at levels from $250 to $2,500. Already, Colorado Water Sports, Renaissance Adventure Guides, and Victoria Sailing School have agreed to donate thousands of dollars in site and equipment rentals. For more information, go to http://www.dtcrotary.org/.
Posted by Lynn Perez-Hewitt (Littleton) perezhewitt@hceonline.com
Rotary Club of Littleton Presents Very Special Awards
Special people deserve special awards. Cole Hancock is at the beginning of his conservation journey and Dave Muller is nearer the end. It’s time for both to be honored for their work and to be recognized for their love of Colorado’s outdoors. At the June 13, 2017 noon lunch meeting of the Rotary Club of Littleton these two local men will receive Paul Harris Fellow awards, named for the founder of Rotary International.
Rotarians may designate a Paul Harris Fellow as a tribute to a person who demonstrate Rotary’s values and motto: Service Above Self. It is rare for Littleton Rotarians to make these awards to non-Rotarians, which makes these presentations even more special.
Posted by Barbara Stratton (Westminster 7:10) cbstratton@aol.com
Drop it Like It's Hot for ShelterBox was the title and theme of a fund-raiser conducted by The Interact Club of Crown Pointe Academy, in Westminster, Colorado on May 7, 2017. More precisely, it was a fund-raiser for ShelterBox conducted by three eighth grade boys, Asher Aragon, “Moose” Gomez and Jaden Cornett. Over the course of about three months, they designed, organized and implemented this golf-ball-drop raffle. They visited Rotary Clubs, making their presentation and selling golf balls; arranged for student assemblies at their school, including a display of a ShelterBox tent; they solicited the families of their school through daily announcements and the distribution of flyers; and hosted the event at their school where the local fire department provided a ladder truck for the dropping of the golf balls.
The goal of these three young men was to raise enough money for the purchase of two ShelterBoxes. They were extraordinarily successful in raising a total of $2,350.00, $1000.00 which can be used for a ShelterBox for future disasters, and $1,350.00 for deployment essentials.
The event day was a tremendous success and a fun day for about 50 attendees.
Posted by Brian Hall (Westminster 7:10) BHall@valleybankandtrust.com
Young environmentalists from Azerbaijan visit the Continental Divide (June 2017)
In June, five young environmentalists from Baku, Azerbaijan traveled on an Open World program focusing on Environmental Campaigns. The delegation was accompanied by an Open World-trained facilitator, who assists in cross-cultural understanding and logistics. During their orientation in Washington, D.C., the group met with staff from the office of Rep. Ed Perlmutter, where they discussed the environmental situation in Colorado.
The delegation was then hosted in Westminster by the Westminster 7:10 Rotary Club from June 3- June 11 where they were generously home-hosted by local families from across the area.
In Colorado the delegation spent their days traversing both Denver and the surrounding cities for meetings covering pertinent environmental issues, while also learning about how the federal, state, and local governments regulate these issues. The delegates also enjoyed a tour into the Rocky Mountains to better understand the environment of Colorado.
Notable meeting included:
Colorado State Rep. Faith Winter
Denver Regional Council of Governments
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Boulder County Recycling Center
Xcel Energy
The delegation from Azerbaijan was not only deeply touched by the generosity in which they were welcomed in Colorado, but also by the care that went in to their professional programming.
Stories like these are what the Open World program is all about. Forging meaningful connections across borders to promote the exchange of ideas are the hallmarks of the program. The Open World Leadership Center is a catalyst of cooperation and friendship between Members of Congress, their constituents, and young leaders from strategically located emerging democracies.
The delegation received a proclamation from the Mayor and City Council Members of Westminster. (June 2017)
Members of Congress, through a bicameral, bipartisan initiative 16 years ago, founded the Open World Leadership Center (Open World) to serve the national interest by supporting Congress in the conduct of its foreign policy oversight duties. Leveraging the energy of Members and their constituents,Open World profoundly influences rising foreign leaders through intense ten-day programs in communities throughout the United States. For more information about the Open World Leadership Center, please contact Congressional Relations Specialist Maura Shelden at mshelden@openworld.gov.
Posted by Bill Farrow (Boulder Valley) bfarrow@comcast.net
This project was honored to receive the 2017 World Community Service Award sponsored by the Denver Mile High Rotary Club.It is a great example of what dedicated Rotarians and their partners can accomplish. Thanks to all who were involved in making such a positive impact of so many.
The building of this gravity fed water system involved climbing steep mountains where no vehicle could reach. All concrete, metal piping, heavy tools, etc. had to be carried up on the backs of village inhabitants. Excavating for a new dam and the burying of pipes was done with picks and shovels. All physical work was organized and executed by those who now enjoy the delivery of clean water to their individual homes.
Nicaragua Facts:
Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere behind Haiti. Over 50% of the population earns less than $3 per day. That includes the 28% who earn less than $2 a day. The population is roughly six million, more than half are under age 15.
The Need:
El Trapiche’s water system was installed 27 years ago with a total service for only 93 of their 375 families. The pipes are in poor condition and break easily, the dimensions of the pipes are not suitable to supply a large number of houses and water must be rationed. The storage tanks are inadequate.
Project Objective and Scope:
In conjunction with our Cooperating Organization, Boulder Friendship City Projects (FCP), finance the building/reconstruction of a sustainable, gravity fed water system to provide potable water to this growing community.
The attached reportshows Annual Fund and Polio Plus goals entered by each club into Rotary Club Central, and the numbers and per capita achieved by each club (arranged by Area.) The District 5450 goal is to have an increase in Membership, and for Every Rotarian to give something Every Year (EREY).
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