By Rotary International

By Norah Webster, Rotary staff

I love riding my bike. I don’t own a car, so I ride for transportation. I also ride for exercise, to explore, and to spend time with friends. My bike has allowed me to see parts of Chicago and surrounding communities that people never see from the highway.

As long as I’ve been riding, I’ve been raising funds, too — from pedaling around my hometown of Galena, Illinois, for children’s cancer research when I was 9, to raising $2,500 by riding from Minneapolis to Chicago in the Heartland AIDS Ride. This year, I look forward to cycling for a new cause.

For 11 years, it’s been part of my job to support Rotary’s polio eradication efforts by supporting members at the Rotary International Convention and other events. I’ve been paid to be part of that enormous team — which also includes the World Health Organization, CDC, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and our 1.3 million members.

Being on the Miles to End Polio team with colleagues and Rotary volunteers riding in El Tour de Tucson on 21 November gives me a chance to take the battle away from my desk. We’re tasked with raising over $3 million. …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Students in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley display the backpacks they received from members of the Rotaract Club of Jhang Saddar.

By Talha Mushtaq, Rotaract Club of Jhang Saddar, Punjab, Pakistan

Many nonprofits are working hard to increase social welfare programs. Being unified in their approach, some may focus on one issue, such as improving the literacy rate, while others concentrate on employment. Our Rotaract Club of Jhang Saddar has made a name for itself in our community by being multifaceted.

One of over 8,000 Rotaract clubs around the world supported by Rotary, we are committed to not only supporting education but to other efforts, including the fight to eradicate polio. These efforts have won the hearts of community members and improved the positive image of Rotary.

Recently, 13 members of our club traveled 800 kilometers from Jhang to Kashmir to provide services to the poor. The Rotaractors made their way into the mountains of Kashmir carrying suitcases full of books and backpacks to give to more than 300 students. Five new libraries were inaugurated, and we delivered essential supplies like stationery, books, and snack items to five schools. The project would have been impossible without the leadership and motivation of our club trainer, M. Talha …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Participants in the young professional summit held in Berkeley, California, USA.

By Katie Coard

This summer in Berkeley, California, I joined a group of Rotary young professionals and district leaders from the western United States and Canada at a summit to discuss the future of Rotary. Reflecting one of Rotary’s strengths, this event brought together many diverse perspectives to focus on what younger Rotarians are looking for in Rotary.

I’ve been a part of the Rotary family since joining Rotaract in 2010, and it has changed my life in many ways. I am a founder and co-president of a provisional Rotary club in my hometown of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Rotary taught me how to lead, engage, and manage groups of people, projects, and events. These are skills I use in my daily work.

When I talk to people about why they need to be part of Rotary, I emphasize how all-encompassing it is. Where else can you make lifelong friendships, network with professionals, learn life skills, volunteer, and make a difference in communities all over the world?

Every Rotary conference tries to think out of the box, but this was one of the best I’ve experienced. Organizers had designed a dynamic, interactive, and engaging …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Last year’s team mugs for the camera.

By John Hewko, Rotary International General Secretary

On 21 November, Rotary staff members and I will join Arizona Rotary members to bike up to 104 miles in El Tour de Tucson to raise funds for polio eradication.

The event is one of the top cycling events in the U.S., attracting more than 9,000 cyclists each year. We are aiming to raise $3.4 million, which will be tripled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a total of more than $10 million for the fight to end polio.

We recently marked one year without polio in Africa. While this progress is momentous, we haven’t finished the job of eradicating polio yet. Now, more than ever, we need to redouble our efforts to help Pakistan and Afghanistan, and retain strong immunization coverage globally.

Meet the team. Learn more about each team member, follow them as they train, and add your support by donating to their ride. Team members will be sharing their training experiences here on our blog as the event draws near.

Would you like to join the team? Take part in the Indoor Ride to End Polio! Ride a stationary bike at your local gym or …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Participants in last year’s International Day of Peace celebration form a peace circle.

By Wendy Coulson Catalán

Upon landing in Mexico in late April, I hit the ground running. I was asked to share my amazing experience as a recent graduate of the Rotary Peace Center in Bangkok at a peace conference organized by our local Rotary club and Camino de la Paz. Soon after, I was invited to participate on the organizing committee for International Peace Day.

There is a huge imperative in the world, and in our little community in Central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende, to create peace among our citizens on both sides of a huge social and economic divide. Two years ago, a concerned group of community members came together to promote peace by acting as an umbrella group for all the peace initiatives in town. The group, which includes several Rotary members, calls itself Camino de la Paz — The Way, or Path, of Peace.

The group organized a short conference with staff from Rotary International who talked about Rotary’s efforts to promote peace and held a celebration last year on the International Day of Peace that attracted over 800 people.

Continuing its success, Camino de la Paz …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog