In this photo, a young child receives an oral polio vaccine.  Saturday, October 24 is World Polio Day.  Jonas Salk, the developer of the first effective polio vaccine, was born 95 years ago this month.  In honor of Jonas Salk and World Polio Day, Rotarians from all parts of the globe are joining the fight to eradicate this disease.  To find out how you can contribute to the fight to end polio, click here.

Rotarians are ramping up aid to victims left homeless by a series of disasters that struck areas in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. A devastating tsunami that hit American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga; earthquakes in Indonesia; two typhoons in the Philippines; and flooding in India have left thousands dead and millions displaced. Rotarians are focusing on distributing relief goods, including food, water, medicine, clothing, and shelter. Rotary clubs from districts in Australia and New Zealand are leading efforts to bring emergency response kits to victims of the tsunami that wiped out several...

The Great Rotary Duck Race was held last Saturday at Alton Baker Park.  In this photo, the ducks can be seen floating down the Willamette River on their way to the finish line.  To take a look at more photos from the 2009 Duck Race, click here.

Eight Namibian men walk through the desert.  In the radiating heat, four of the men hoist an injured man up on a stretcher.  The remaining four men walk alongside the stretcher waiting for the first four to get tired.  Once the men are near collapsing, they switch off, and continue along the unpaved road. This is the way Namibians living in rural towns travel to a hospital.  These people have neither access to transportation nor enough income to charter private vehicles; however, recently, things have changed. Today Namibians are able to reach health care facilities from the most isolated places –...

There is no better way to kick off Fall than to become a volunteer for Rotary!  The Rotary Volunteers Program fosters active volunteer participation at home and abroad, drawing upon the spirit of the community and global service that lies at the heart of Rotary International’s (RI) mission.  Rotarians volunteer to utilize their individual, professional skills, and to share their expertise wherever help is needed locally or worldwide. The program increases awareness of the many volunteer opportunities.  Rotary clubs can register their projects or themselves as world volunteers with Rotary International. For...

Peter Seenan, a 2007-08 Ambassadorial Scholar in Delhi, India, says his favorite part of his experience was “giving presentations to numerous Rotary clubs and being invited to be a part of their incredible work, undertaken across the vast city of 17 million inhabitants.” The project provided packages of supplies donated by Rotarians to children at a school founded and supported by local Rotary clubs. Each child received a package that contained a sweater, packet of biscuits, and a candle. The boy in this photo is receiving one of the packages. To read more about the project and the...

The tsunami that hit Sri Lanka in 2004 damaged or destroyed more than 187 coastal schools.  District 3220 raised more than US $12 million to build 25 new schools.  The district received aid from The Rotary Foundation, Rotary clubs from around the world, and other organizations.  “My school is a beautiful place,” says Imesha Udari de Zoyza of her newly built school.  More than 22 schools are back in service, which provides for about 12,000 children who were affected by the tsunami.  To read more about the project and the original article from Rotary International visit: Reclaiming Schools...

Local Artist and Rotarian Hanna Hagen will be holding a ceramic painting event from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2009 to support the Rotary Volunteer Service Team to Africa in Jan. 2010. The event will be $10 a person, which covers a ceramic bowl, refreshments, and much more fun! Location: Hanna Hagen’s Studio 87893 Green Hill Road, Eugene 97402 For more information about the event view the event’s invitation:

On Friday, Sept. 4 – Sunday Sept. 6, 2009, hot rods, roadsters, cars, motorcycles, 4×4s, and rock crawlers are gathering in Junction City to celebrate the Labor Day weekend.  The first annual Big Boys Toys Show in Junction City will consist of concerts, such as Johnny Limbo and the Lugnuts, cars show ‘n shine, and motorcycle show ‘n shine.  The 4×4 tough truck competitions, rock crawler competitions, 4×4 and truck show ‘n shine, and RC Crawler competitions will be held in Harrisburg.   Eugene Airport Rotary will be taking part in the festivities by serving beer at the show in Junction...

Sam Clifton, a Missouri Rotarian, takes the lead on the hit reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. More than 600 skilled laborers volunteered to help build a 3,300-square-foot home in just six days starting July 14. As the co-owner of Millstone Custom Homes with his wife, Michelle, Clifton believes that a project this size, which included building a barn, chicken coop, and greenhouse, would normally take a crew of 50 about six months. Chris and Niki Hampton and their six children were selected from a group of families in need.  Their 800-square-foot home in Ash Grove was replaced with a...