It’s week 35 and that means we only have 4 months left in the Rotary year. It certainly goes by fast.
Rotary of Ukraine, District 2232, we the Rotarians of District 6970 stand by you!
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In the last few days, I have had many Rotarians reach out to me and ask what we can do to support the many displaced and otherwise adversely affected people of Ukraine. I am working with our Disaster Relief Committee as well as a contact we have made through DGN John Tabor with the President of a Rotary Club in Lviv, who happened to have grown up in Clay County right here in District 6970. I have also sent correspondence to their District Governor, Volodymyr Bondarenko, asking how we could help best.
Additionally, The Rotary International Board of Directors has formed a committee to help facilitate and coordinate the most effective way to get aid where it’s needed. We are working through many avenues to find the best way for our district to support the people affected in Ukraine.
Rotary in Ukraine:
The first Rotary Clubs of what is now Ukraine were chartered pre-WWII in Uzhgorod in 1929, Cherniftsi in 1932 and Lviv in 1935. During WWII and subsequently, while Ukraine was part of the USSR, there was not a Rotary presence in the region. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Rotary returned to Ukraine and today there are over 50 clubs and more than 1,000 Rotarians.
I hope to be able to update all of you later this week with more information on how we can support our Rotarian brothers and sisters in the Ukraine.
Wild Polio Virus found in Malawi
Regrettably, it has been confirmed that a case of type 1 wild poliovirus (WPV1) was found in a child in Malawi suffering from paralysis. Malawi is a landlocked country in East Africa, between Malawi and Mozambique. The virus in this case has been genetically linked to WPV1 that had circulated in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is supporting health authorities in Malawi to conduct a thorough assessment and begin immunization and monitoring activities to shut this down before it can spread.
Since this is an imported case from Pakistan, this will not affect Africa’s World Health Organization Polio Free Status. This case in a certified polio free region, underscores the importance of our continued efforts to battle polio world-wide. We are in it until the end!
Presidents Elect
I’m looking forward to seeing all of our President Elects at PETS Florida, this upcoming week. It should be a great program this year, full of education and inspiration. BTW, if you are looking for me, I suggest you check near the hospitality suite….
Upcoming Events in our District
Save the date! The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra would like you to join them on May 22nd for their 8th Annual Rubber Ducky Regatta.
Follow the link for more information. www.dacdb.com/
Pic of the Week
Baker County is the place to be…. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit The Rotary Club of Baker County in Macclenny, Florida, to honor Lisa Hulett, Manager of the local Winn Dixie grocery store. During the presentation, it was noted that Lisa is constantly asked to support every charitable organization in their community and she always says yes. Thank you Lisa for all you do! Thank you, President John Blanchard for the invite!
Service Above Self,
Coop