What does a party on the USS Hornet have to do with micro-credit projects in a developing country? I’ll bet that you have never put the thought of these two disparate items together. Leave it to Rotary, and Our Rotary Foundation to provide the connection. Notice, I say Our Rotary Foundation, not The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
Here’s the connection: When you donate to TRF, in 3 years almost half of your donation (47.5%) is returned to our district. Think about that. If you donate to The American ****** Association, they thank you for your donation and then determine where the funds are spent. When you donate to TRF? We thank you for your donation, TRF invests half of those funds throughout the world of service that Rotary International provides, and TRF returns the rest of the funds to our district. Our district pushes that to the clubs – and you, the Rotarian, determine how to make lives better for others by where you invest your donations. Your club chooses District Grants, or Global Grants. PolioPlus or Endowment Fund. You decide. Your club? Your projects.
USS Hornet and micro-credit – still not clear, right? The USS Hornet event on October 12 is a party to celebrate every single Rotarian and your incredible generosity to our Rotary Foundation. Because of your giving, we can return those funds to your clubs – and your clubs? You can decide to support a Global Grant for Micro-credit anywhere in the world. October is the month that Rotary highlights Economic and Community Development, which micro-credit falls under. And that is how, because of your Annual Fund Donations – Every Rotarian Every Year – EREY – that is how a great big party and micro-credit can share equal billing. You – the individual Rotarian – you change lives because you care enough to share your blessings with others.
At the Hornet party, we’ll have live entertainment, six hours to explore the entire ship, great speakers, a wonderful lunch (tri-tip steak sandwiches!), annual EREY gift card winners, and the Blue Angels are scheduled to fly over us that afternoon. You can join everyone on the fantail or the flight deck to be a part of this tremendous party – and bask in the satisfaction of knowing you have changed lives. This party is for us to celebrate us and the work we do, both here and internationally to make our world better – including micro-credit loans.
It doesn’t get much better, and we hope to see everyone that day. Register HERE, and thanks. For everything that you do every day to help Rotary help our world.
Yours in Rotary,
Steve Wright
Rotary International District 5150 Governor 2024-2025