banner
February Foundation Greeting
 
 

Can you believe that it’s February already? It’s been an exciting start to our 100th year of the Rotary Foundation.  I can’t thank you enough for the pace you are setting for a record breaking year! It’s no too late to meet your goals if you haven’t yet. If you need ideas, please reach out to me or Don Meyer at donald.meyer@wartburg.edu and we’d be glad to brainstorm with you!

No fooling, Grant Management Seminars (GMS) begin on April 1st. GMS are a REQUIREMENT for your club to apply for a District or Global Grant for the 2017-2018 Rotary year. There is no cost for this class. There will be a second set of classes offered on April 8th in Webster City. These courses will be offered in person or online. If you attended a training last year you are eligible to attend the Re-Certification Seminars.

See more information at: http://district5970.org/event/grant-managment-seminar/#sthash.tiKu0xo4.dpuf.

 

Yours in Service,

Michelle Bell DRFCC

 

Foundation 101 - Rotary's Finest Hour
Chapter 8
 
In the 40's and 50's polio was a dreaded disease, feared in much of the developed world. Approximately one out of ten who contracted polio would die, while two or three were paralyzed for life.  In 1955, after a wide spread test of almost 2 million children, the polio vaccine, invented by Dr. Jonas Salk, was pronounced "safe and effective."
 
When Dr. Carlos Canseco became RI President in 1984, he wasted no time in forming a committee called Polio 2005; the beginnings of a worldwide polio eradication campaign.  Canseco was advocating for mass immunizations, rather than the current method of gradually administering doses through a network of health providers.  Together with his new committee and UNICEF, they calculated that eradication of 100 million newborn children in the 125 polio-endemic countries would need six doses of oral vaccine for five consecutive years.  At this, the estimated price tag was $120 million.  Rotary had never fund-raised 1/10th the amount.  But the Polio 2005 Committee approved the twenty year plan.  When it was presented at the 1984 RI convention in Birmingham, England, UNICEF leader James Grant spoke to attendees saying, "This is an historic moment for all civilization.  Polio 2005 will rank among the great 'people' revolutions of all time.  And the character of this revolution will not be violence and upheaval; it will be health, stability and realization of the full potential of millions of human beings.  The challenge is yours... the world's children - our most precious heritage for the future - need you."  
 
Planning evolved and the Committee was renamed.  It would now be known as PolioPlus.  Committee members grew impatient with the long term of the plan and forged ahead to "do it now."  They decided to make the RI convention of 1988 their goal.  At the end of it - the United States alone had raised $119,186,869, with an additional $127 million from around the globe.  The results were stunning.  No doubt remained as to the commitment that Rotary was able to deliver to humankind.  Then RI President, Charles Keller called it Rotary's "finest hour."
Monticello District Grant 
 
 
Rotarians helped to raise funds, design, and provided some of the labor with this project.  The park fills a void that was left when a few buildings were demolished and not rebuilt.  It sits adjacent to a brand new interiors store that was rebuilt after a fire.  They were able to incorporate some historic bricks that came as a result of a street resurfacing project, so there is a lot of history.  They were also able to involve some of the third graders in the form of a donor art wall.  The park has been used for some community gatherings, hosted Santa Claus this Christmas, and has even served as a great place to sit down for a picnic lunch.
Outpouring for Polio
 
 
"Outpouring for Polio" is a craft beer and wine tasting event to be held at the Isle Hotel and Casino in Waterloo on March 25th at 6pm.  In the spirit of the Four Way Test, "Is It Fair to all Concerned?", each club that chooses to participate and sell tickets will get credit for the net proceeds as Foundation contributions.  
 
We will also be selling advertising for the program to help underwrite the costs of the event, the Isle has already agreed to comp the ballroom.  There is potential that your club could receive credit for the full ticket price! For more information on how your club can help, please contact Kurt Quam at 641-420-2971 or Kurt.quam@smofmc.com.
Yours in Rotary service,
 
Michelle Bell
District 5970 Rotary Foundation Chair