Rotary Raises Over $141,000 for Local and Global Projects
Annual Rotary Foundation Walk Helps Fund Humanitarian Initiatives
Toronto, ON (September 8, 2019) – Over 200 members of Rotary clubs in District 7070 (South Central Ontario, Canada) and their families joined together today in the annual Rotary District 7070 Rotary Foundation Walk to raise money for the Rotary Foundation. This year’s Walk was held on Sunday, September 8, at the Humber College Lakeshore Campus and in Colonel Sam Smith Park in Etobicoke......
“It was a great pleasure to welcome so many Rotarians and community members again this year,” said Michael Bell, Past District Governor of Rotary International District 7070 and this year’s Rotary Foundation Walk Chair. “The Walk continues to be a great opportunity to come together as a community and support local projects.”
The Foundation Walk started 27 years ago to raise money for The Rotary Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that helps fund humanitarian initiatives.
“The Foundation offers two types of grants,” explained Michael Bell. “The district grant funds small-scale, short term activities that address needs in local communities, while the global grants support large international activities like the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.”
Over the years, Rotary District 7070 has worked with Rotary International to eradicate polio and is encouraging all Rotarians to join them on October 24, recognized around the world as World Polio Day and help, once again to raise funds and awareness to Eradicate Polio from the entire world. One of the major initiatives supported by the Rotary Foundation is the End Polio Now Campaign - one of Rotary’s most ambitious global humanitarian projects.
“August 2016, marked the last reported case of the wild polio virus in Africa,” said Michael Bell, District, Past 7070 Governor. “We are very encouraged to see this significant progress towards the global eradication of polio.”
For more information, visit https://rotary7070.org/event/2019-rotary-foundation-walk/
About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.
Visit rotary.org and endpolio.org for more about Rotary and its efforts to eradicate polio.
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More notes from the Rotary Foundation Walk 2019:
Chairman Michael Bell welcomed Rotarians from all over District 7070 to the 2019 and 27th Annual Rotary Foundation Walk at Humber College Lakeshore Campus and Colonel Sam Smith Park for the 27th Annual Rotary Foundation Walk to raise funds for the Foundation and its humanitarian local and international projects.
Michael thanked and welcomed Derek Stockley, Senior Dean of the Faculty of Social and Community Service of Humber College for assisting with the hosting and sponsoring o f the Foundation Walk.
He also thanks Andrea Prior, of Duca Financial in Etobicoke for her contributions to aid in the event this year.
He then called on Past District Governor and District 7070 Chair of the Annual Programs Fund of The Rotary Foundation, Ted Morrison. Ted thanked everyone for their generous donations and fundraising for this year’s walk which raised over $141,000 for the Rotary Foundation. Ted reminded us all of our friend, Past District Governor and past Chair of The District 7070 Rotary Foundation Committee for many years, Bill Patchett who did so much for raising awareness and funds for the Rotary Foundation. Ted asked us all, this year to give just a little more for Bill, and help reach Bill’s goal to raise One Million Dollars for the Rotary Foundation – “A Mill For Bill”. He reminded all of the Presidents to get their Goal for this year’s Rotary Foiundation goal into Rotary Club Central as soon as they can (3 months have already gone by in this Rotary year and only 19 clubs have entered their goals) . He suggested Rotary Direct as a great way to save money and pay directly to the Rotary Foundation. He asked Clubs with their own foundations to make a donation, especially this year, to honour Bill, and asked all clubs to dedicate some money from one of their many fundraising events to The Rotary Foundation, this year.
District Govenror Beth Selby thanked everyone for coming out this year and raising so much money for the Rotary Foundation. She also thanked the entire committee for all of their efforts to make this year’s Rotary Foundation Walk, such a tremendous success. She thanked Chair Michael Bell, RC Etobicoke; Iosif Ciosa, RC Etobicoke; Cathy Borg and Terri Tucker, RC Parkdale-High Park-Humber; Pat Neuman, RC Toronto; Antoine Hirsch, Janet Harley Boomer, and Shirley Snow, RC Toronto Bay-Bloor; Chad Fink, RC Toronto Eglinton; Doug Vallery, RC Toronto Sunrise; Nick Ryall, RC Toronto Twilight;
Stephen Thiele, RC Toronto West and Huzeifa Adamally, RC Toronto Skyline.
Be sure to look for photos on the Rotary District 7070 website https://rotary7070.org and on the Rotary District 7070 Facebook Page.