This month’s DG message continues to focus on DG visits, but we also had a very successful month supporting our End Polio Now efforts. World Polio Day was on October 24th and we celebrated this month with several club events that not only brought awareness that Polio still exists but also how we as D5840 are doing our part to raise funds to close the gap and eradicate Polio.
I begin with a DG visit to Blanco, TX visiting with the RC of Blanco County and RC of Canyon Lake. There was great fellowship from both clubs as they talked about their upcoming fundraisers. A potential new member was also in attendance showing that it’s never too early to get involved. Thank you AG Joyce for coordinating.
I continued to Poteet, TX for the DG visit with the RC of Poteet, RC of Pearsall, and RC of Jourdanton. They held an anti-bullying event at the Poteet Strawberry Festival grounds. The community came together to educate students and parents about anti-bullying programs. Thank you AG Chris for helping coordinate.
On October 14th, I had the most unique DG visit during the eclipse where 8 clubs in San Antonio came together to watch the eclipse and raise funds to eradicate Polio. Huge thanks to AG Dan Clark and AG Jan King for coordinating such a memorable experience. It was a beautiful day at the park for fellowship while taking part in a historical event.
I also had the opportunity to attend the Pints for Polio event in Fredericksburg, TX. All three Rotary clubs came together as part of the DG visit while raising funds for Polio eradication. Each club spoke about how they support their community and how the community supports them. Rotary has a great presence in Fredericksburg and it’s all because of these three successful Rotary clubs. Thank you AG Sarah for helping coordinate my visit.
And for those that don’t know, Pints for Polio started in 2010 in San Antonio, TX when a few of us were preparing to travel to northern India to participate on a National Immunization Day. We wanted to raise money to eradicate Polio but also to support our sponsoring club in India. I’m so proud to see that 13 years later D5840 has so many Pints for Polio events to support our efforts to #EndPolioNow.
Finally, I must mention our World Polio Day Challenge where each member of the club was encouraged to donate $25 online towards the PolioPlus fund so that the club with most members participating would win $1000. Even with the website glitches a few experienced throughout the day we still had a great turnout. We hit a record for most contributions on a single day. Winning club will be announced soon. November is Foundation month and I look forward to our continued support for our Rotary Foundation.