Rotary projects around the globe
United States
After New Orleans signed a sister cities agreement with its French namesake, Orléans, in 2018, Rotary clubs in the two cities forged their own international ties. Looking to celebrate the connection, the New Orleans club discovered that both cities have Joan of Arc festivities and select a high school student to represent the French national heroine in parades and events, says Gayle Dellinger, a member of the Louisiana club. In true Rotary fashion, the clubs decided to create an exchange opportunity for their cities’ “Joans.” In June, the American “Joan,” Marley Marsalis, a member of the legendary jazz family and a pianist herself, visited Orléans as a guest of French Rotarians. This month, the American Rotarians will host the French “Joan,” Maÿlis Boët. The Joans ride in each other’s parade and visit historical sites. “It gives you hope for the future and gets you excited,” New Orleans club member Sarah Dickerson says. “It’s so uniting for absolutely everybody involved.”
Canada
Since 2020 the Rotary Club of Toronto has supported the Toronto Wildlife Centre, which rehabilitates 300 species of sick and injured animals. The club has donated more than $18,000 to construct enclosures for bats, mourning doves, woodpeckers, water birds, squirrels, and groundhogs. Hammers and drills in hand, club members Kurt Kroesen, Stuart Muirhead, and Michele Guy joined other volunteers and employees in October to assemble a structure for red squirrels. Nathalie Karvonen, the organization’s founder and executive director, lauds the Rotarians for their devotion. “Their generosity is giving hundreds of wild patients each year a safe space in which to prepare for a healthy life back in the wild,” she says.
England
A cavalcade of 120 vintage vehicles, including tractors, steam lorries, and penny-farthing bicycles, rolled into the Mortimer Fairground in June for a fundraiser of the Rotary Club of Reading Matins. The Transport Through the Ages event drew about 4,000 people and raised more than $13,000 for charities. The idea came from similar shows held during celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III. “We are delighted at the success of the event and the amount of money raised for the charities we feel so passionate about,” says Club President Valerie Robinson. The resulting fanfare has encouraged the Rotarians to reprise the fundraiser in the future, says club member Carrie Wise.
India
After heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides in India’s northeastern state of Tripura in August, the Rotary Club of Agartala City and the Rotaract clubs of Agartala City and Agartala Central mobilized to help. The clubs set up relief camps providing food, clothing, health care, and medicines in Agartala, reaching 400 people. During a second phase, club members distributed groceries and sanitary pads among 125 families in a remote village that was devastated by the floods. “Villagers lost all their belongings. Farms and agricultural crops were destroyed,” says Agartala Rotary club member Anannya Das. Rotary members also organized clinics in the region where patients could see pediatricians, eye specialists, dermatologists, and general practitioners, including Rotarian doctors.
Philippines
Members of the Rotaract Club of Calumpit are passionate about supporting young people with disabilities through skill development and advocacy. As part of their Breaking Barriers initiative, they’ve recorded podcasts on the rights and challenges of people with disabilities. In August, Rotaractors and members of the Rotary Club of Calumpit visited an elementary school, offering hygiene kits, medicine, and school supplies to 160 students with disabilities, as well as mentoring in reading, writing, and art. “The event was met with overwhelming positive feedback from participants, who appreciated the thoughtful activities and valuable resources provided,” says Rotaract Club President Daniel Balingit. A session for caregivers was especially well received, he says. “It offered a safe space for mothers to share their experiences and gain insights into managing the mental health and psychological needs of their children.”
This story originally appeared in the January 2025 issue of Rotary magazine.
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