Waunakee Rotary | President's Message

What does “Every Rotarian Every Year” Mean to Me? I am proud to live in southern Wisconsin where jobs are plentiful, people are friendly, and neighbors frequently assist one another when tragedies strike. It is almost impossible to not take things for granted when our quality of life is so good. My most difficult

stress filled days pale in comparison to others in the world that truly struggle for survival. There are members of Waunakee Rotary that feel we should focus primarily on local projects. This year our local budget was $10,000 and we added a $40,000 light display project that benefited local people as well. We will continue to support Waunakee in many areas, but have the resources to also help people throughout the world. Imagine what it would be like if your children did not have clean water. How would you feel is you had enough food for two people, but had a spouse and three children to support? These types of struggles happen everyday in the world and Rotary helps to reduce or eliminate them in many areas. This will be my third year giving $100 to the Rotary International Foundation and I know that Rotary needs my support more than ever. Rotary has almost eradicated Polio worldwide, drilled thousands of new wells for drinking water, and set up micro lending programs in various countries to allow people to better themselves. I can’t think of a better way to support my fellow Rotarians worldwide than to honor my annual pledge. In the coming weeks I will be contacting all of you to follow up on your individual pledges. I also want to personally thank those of you that contributed in years past or plan on making another gift this spring. Our club has a proud history of reaching out to others around the world and the Every Rotarian Every Year pledge is just another way we can show our support. I have reports that list each member’s historic contributions to Rotary International. These reports will not be shared openly for confidentiality’s sake, but I will confirm the amount that a member has received credit for over the years if that member inquires. This is definitely an opportunity for our club to improve on as past results that are lagging other peer clubs our size. Thanks again for your continued support and efforts to make this a great club. We should be proud of all of our accomplishments in the past nine months. I look forward to a strong finish in my year as President. Drew just completed his PETS training and the future is looking really bright for Waunakee Rotary!