provided to The Santiva Chronicle
This past week we have had the honor of recognizing more of our members as Paul Harris Fellows! Presenting a Paul Harris Fellow Award is the Rotary Foundation’s way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programs. It is named for our Rotary founder, a Chicago attorney, who, with three of his business associates, started the Rotary movement in 1905. The Rotary Foundation, founded at the suggestion of Arch Klumph in 1917, has distributed over 4 billion dollars through the years. The Rotary Foundation (TRF) allows Rotarians to address humanitarian needs by means of District Grants, Global Grants and its Polio Plus program. Our club has contributed more than $640,000 since our inception.
For each $1000 one contributes cumulatively, they are awarded a Paul Harris Fellow award. Currently, our club has 52 Paul Harris Fellow awardees. With cumulative donations, members can achieve multiple Paul Harris Fellow awards such as +2, +3 up to +9. After the +9, you become a Major Donor with contributions of $10,000 cumulatively, of which we have 4 members with this status. We have 2 members of the Bequest Society, contributing $10,000 or more in your will or estate plan to TRF. And finally we have one member, Eldon Bohrofen who is an Arch Klumph Society member who has donated $250,000 or more, cumulatively, to The Rotary Foundation.
Paul Harris Fellow recipients who were present at last week’s meeting to receive recognition were John Danner +4, Barb Ellis +2, Don McDonald +3, Roger Grogman +4, Bill Harkey, Major Donor Level 2, Eldon Bohrofen, Arch Klumph Society and John Henshaw +8. Recipients not pictured were Cindy Carter Lee +1, John White +2, Gary Dyer +3, and Bill Letendre +3.
Funds distributed by the Foundation in the form of Grants, reflect the stated goals of Rotary including child and maternal health, environmental concerns, community and economic development, illness and disease prevention, peace building and conflict resolution, water related concerns and literacy and education. Within District 6960, Rotary Clubs have used District Grants to fund hurricane recovery, food pantries, school literacy programs, Josh the Otter swimming safety training, among many others.
The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s number one means of financially reaching out to the world and the Foundation consistently scores four stars on Charity Navigator, a feat we are very proud of.
Congratulations to all—and to the club itself for its consistent and generous commitment and support of the Foundation.
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