This week’s photo features Maria Magdalena Gonzalez, a mother of two from the Dominican Republic, and her eight-month-old daughter, Hilary. Because of a bio-sand filter Gonzalez received from a Rotary Foundation Matching grant, Hilary is able to drink clean, purified water and use it for bathing, cleaning, cooking and more. Maria and Hilary’s story is just one of many. People and communities all over the world have been positively affected by the work of Rotary International. Read the February letter from RI President John Kenny and learn more about what Rotary is and the work Rotarians...

The holidays are long over, but the Rotary clubs in our district have lots of exciting events on the horizon. The Eugene Airport Rotary belongs to Rotary District 5110, which includes the southern two-thirds of Oregon and the northernmost part of California. If you don’t live near Eugene but are still within the District 5110 area, you are welcome to attend some of these events and support the work these clubs do in their communities: • Jefferson County Cherry Tree Celebration, Feb 20, Kah-Nee-Ta. Dinner, Auction. Contact johncurnutt@msn.com • Greater Bend Rotary Club (GBRC) is holding...

This picture might be talking about a different forecast, but if you’re looking to learn what economists are forecasting for the upcoming year, you’ll want to attend the Mid-Valley Rotary Club of Eugene’s of an Economic Review and Forecast. The presentation will be held at noon on February 3 at the Valley River Inn. The forecast has been proven to be one of the country’s most accurate and will cover events of the past year and the economic events predicted for the coming year. While this will be a great opportunity to learn more about the coming year’s economic forecast,...

Applications for Rotary Peace Fellowships beginning in 2011 are available now. If you have an interest in peace or peace and conflict studies, and dedicating a year to pursuing that interest, you may want to consider applying for one of these opportunities. To learn more, read the segment below which comes from the Rotary International website: Rotary Peace Fellows are leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and the successful resolution of conflict throughout their lives, in their careers, and through service activities. Fellows can earn either a master’s degree in international...

In this week’s featured photo, Rotary International President-Elect Ray Klinginsmith presents the 2010-2011 Rotary International theme at the Rotary International Assembly earlier this week.  ”Building Communities – Bridging Continents” is the theme for the upcoming year in Rotary.  The theme aims to reach both current Rotarians and non-Rotarians who may not know of the work Rotary does to build up and support its communities and build international connections among those communities. To read the full story of RI President-Elect Klinginsmith’s announcement of the...

Are you connected with Rotary International online? Maybe you tweet or you love to use Facebook. Regardless of your social network of choice, Rotary International provides a number of ways to connect with other Rotarians and community members, learn about the work of various Rotary clubs and get the latest Rotary news. Here’s where you can find Rotary International online. Click on the links to check out Rotary’s updates from Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and more: RI on Facebook RI on LinkedIn RI on Twitter RI on YouTube RI on Flickr Another way many of us are connected today is through...

The Rotary Foundation has established the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund for U.S. Rotarians who want to donate toward recovery efforts after a powerful earthquake rocked Haiti on January 12. The Haitian Red Cross is estimating that more than 50,000 people are dead and millions more injured after the quake, the impoverished nation’s strongest in 200 years, crumbled government buildings, hospitals, schools, and shantytowns. Most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is in ruins. A ShelterBox response team of two U.S. Rotarians and one from the United Kingdom has already mobilized to deliver 500 containers...

If you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to give back more to your community or even the world, or even if you’re simply interested in joining Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide, Rotary International is making it easier to accomplish your goals.  If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make a small but important donation, look no further than your cell phone. Use your cell phone to make a one-time US$5 donation to help End Polio Now. Proceeds will go toward Rotary’s US$200 Million Challenge . As of October 1, 2009, almost $4,000 has been raised...

One week ago, the eyes of the nation were on Pasadena, California and the Rose Parade.  Dozens of floats traveled the parade route and were seen by millions watching in Pasadena and on television.  One of those floats was titled “Service Above the Rest,” and that was Rotary International’s addition to the Rose Parade lineup, pictured at left. Over 200 million people in 300 countries witnessed the float and Rotary’s message of service on New Year’s Day.  The fact that the float was even featured in the parade is the direct result of Rotarians’ generosity; the...

In January, Rotary International observes Rotary Awareness Month.  Throughout January, Rotary aims to increase awareness about its work locally, nationally and all around the world. RI President John Kenny sees Rotary Awareness Month as a chance to expand the work of Rotary and increase the number of people who benefit from Rotary’s efforts.  “Every year, every day, each of us chooses to continue the task we have begun, and to continue to put Service Above Self. It is not always the easy path, but I know it is the right one,” President Kenny said in a statement about Rotary Awareness...