It’s that time of year again, when you’re asked to do your part as a Rotarian and give to Every Rotarian Every Year, The Rotary Foundation’s annual campaign. And when you make that commitment, you win in more ways than one. First, you get the great feeling that comes with knowing you’re helping to make life better for people all around the world. Then you have an opportunity to gain recognition for yourself, your club and your district, and, as a bonus, a chance to win prizes.
How it works
EREY—Every Rotarian Every Year—means that each Rotarian contributes at least $25 to TRF’s annual fund. When every member of a club makes a donation, the club earns a banner celebrating 100% participation. Going up the ladder, when every member of every club contributes, District 5150 gets special recognition too. In addition, for donations between $100 and $260, the district will match every dollar you give with recognition points that help you earn a Paul Harris Fellowship, one of Rotary’s most important honors.
In 2020-2021, 65% of the district’s Rotarians donated $25 or more, and this year, 2021-2022, we are appealing to the 35% remaining members to help us close the gap and reach 100%. Our goal is $100 per capita, with every single Rotarian in District 5150 supporting TRF’s mission. We need your support to achieve our objective, and we’re counting on you.
Prizes
For every $20 you donate, you get to fill out a ticket that will give you a chance to win a Visa gift card in the drawing at Up and Away with EREY, District 5150’s annual event on Saturday, November 20. The Grand Prize is a card worth $2,000, and other prizes range from $50 to $750. You’ll get 10 tickets either by regular mail or email, so fill out the number of tickets appropriate for your donation, and mail them to Carrie Chinn, EREY Coordinator, 1240 Tournament Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010 by Saturday, November 13. If you give more than $200, simply copy or print another sheet of tickets and fill out as many as you need to match the amount of your donation. Make sure you cut all the tickets on the lines in the template before you enter them in the drawing. And remember, there’s no limit to the amount of your donation. TRF will happily accept donations as high as you want to go. The larger the donation, the more chances you get to win a prize.
Donations
You’ll also receive a donation form, so check the box Annual Fund Share, write a check or enter your credit card information and send your contribution directly to The Rotary Foundation, 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, IL 60693-0142.
You have the option of paying monthly using a credit card, and if you choose it, just fill out the number of raffle tickets for every $20 you’ve donated over the past year and send them to Carrie Chin for the drawing by Saturday, November 13.
Where the money goes
When you give money to EREY, it goes to support Rotary International’s initiatives such as eradicating polio and attaining world peace, as well as meaningful projects defined by Rotary’s seven areas of focus: promoting peace; fighting disease; providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene; saving mothers and children; supporting education; growing local economies; and protecting the environment.
Rotary holds donations for three years, and then it uses 47.5% for RI’s global work and gives 47.5% back to the clubs as District Designated Funds. Your club gets to use its District Designated Funds for approved purposes such as global projects, district grants, dictionaries for third graders in local schools and RYLA—Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.
Helping to fund Rotary’s altruistic work is part of being a good Rotarian, and when we work together we can accomplish great things. Every Rotarian makes a difference, so please give whatever you can afford, and be generous.