For only US $100, you can help give the gift of hearing to a deaf child in Pakistan. Imagine the joy of hearing a parent's voice for the first time or the laughter of other children. Over the years, The Rotary Foundation of RI has changed thousands of lives for the better. The Foundation is Rotary's vehicle for enabling dreams to become reality.
During the 2002-03 Rotary Year, Rotarians contributed $55.8 million to the Annual Programs Fund for humanitarian projects and educational programs. In my travels around the world, I have seen Rotarians construct low-cost shelters for the homeless, install water wells in remote communities, volunteer at club-sponsored AIDS clinics and provide books for low-income youngsters. At these times, I am truly proud to call myself a Rotarians.
In January, I presided over the Presidential Celebration in Manila, Philippines, site of the first day Rotary club established in Asia (1919). The Philippines is also the site of Rotary's first polio immunization project, which eventually led to our greatest service opportunity - the PolioPlus program. In tribute to the Filipino Rotarians, I am shown this month wearing a barong, a shirt donned on formal occasions.
rotary's next century promises even greater opportunities for service. But we are also facing many challenges. In recent years, contributions to The Rotary Foundation have not kept pace with the steady growth in programs. This shortfall has resulted in scaling back Group Study Exchanges and approving fewer humanitarian grants.
Many Rotarians believe that their commitment ends once they contribute $1,000 for Paul Harris Fellow Recognition. But that gesture of generosity should be just the beginning. It should serve as a springboard to a lifetime of continuous giving.
If every Rotarian were to donate $100 or more every year, we would nearly double our efforts to help people around the world. The 2001 Council on Legislation unanimously passed a resolution approving the goal of $100 per capita by 2005. I am counting on all Rotarians to rise to this challenge so that we can make a difference in the world.
Your contribution makes an impact in very real human terms. For example, a $100 gift to the Annual Programs Fund can help provide one of the following: four new wells for rural villages in Zimbabwe, three cataract eye operations in India, mosquito netting for 35 homes in Bangladesh, or nutrition for 20 severely undernourished children in the Philippines.
Each gift to The Rotary Foundation is a gift of hope to someone less fortunate. We can make a monumental difference with our Every Rotarian, Every Year effort. As journalist and former Ambassadorial Scholar Bill Moyers once said: "What we do is touch other people... open the horizon to them... and say "You matter".
Rotarians can serve as the torchbearers of hope, ready to Lend a Hand. Please join me in contributing a gift of $100 or more every year in support of the Annual Programs Fund. Together, we can successfully meet the challenges of Rotary's second century of service.
