Foundation honors four couples for generous giving

Susan and Peter Klock, members of the Rotary Club of East Hartford, Connecticut, USA, are inducted into the Arch C. Klumph Society on 27 October.

 

 

Four North American couples were recently inducted into the Arch C. Klumph Society , which honors people who give at least US$250,000 to The Rotary Foundation.

Peter and Susan Klock were inducted on 27 October, Charles and Ellen Kurtzman on 28 October, and Jerry and Sharon Franklin and Marjorie and Frederick Hahn Jr. on 29 October during ceremonies at RI World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA. The couples' portraits now hang in the Arch C. Klumph Gallery.

The Klocks, partners in commercial real estate development, are both members of the Rotary Club of East Hartford, Connecticut, where Susan serves as club president and Peter as treasurer. They are regional representatives for ShelterBox , a disaster relief organization supported by Rotary clubs and districts.

Participation in National Immunization Days  (NIDs) for polio eradication in Bangladesh and India solidified their commitment to supporting the Foundation.

"We came away feeling that we were definitely doing the right thing," Susan says.

The other inductees are also passionate about eradicating the disease.

Past District Governor Charles Kurtzman and his wife, Ellen, became involved in Rotary’s first polio fundraising campaign in 1985, which he says crystallized his understanding of the organization’s power to change the world.

A new perspective

A 2001 trip to Foundation-supported programs in South Africa gave the couple a new perspective. Before, Kurtzman said, "everything was abstract--the check went into the envelope, the stuff went into a box. Now we were meeting the people who were taking the stuff out of the boxes, using their personal resources to spread those bucks so very far.”

Past District Governor Jerry Franklin, president and owner of a commercial real estate brokerage and development company, joined the Rotary Club of Warrensburg, Missouri, in 1986. He was honored with both the Distinguished Governor Award and the Global Quest Award for promoting membership growth.

In his remarks, Franklin acknowledged that not everyone understands giving, which he compared to "experiencing Christmas morning every day of the year."

The Franklins participated in an NID in Nigeria and are involved with a camp for disabled children and adults called Camp Wonderland.

A meeting with Dr. Albert Sabin, who developed the oral polio vaccine, led RI Director-elect Frederick Hahn to get involved with Rotary and polio eradication. Hahn, a board-certified ear, nose, and throat specialist, strongly believes in working hard to make the world a better place.

Hahn joined the Rotary Club of Independence, Missouri, in 1973. He and his wife, Marjorie, have traveled to more than 70 countries, including Ethiopia for an NID, Honduras for literacy projects, and India to deliver medical supplies. While in Kolkata, they met Mother Teresa.

"Rotary is probably one of the best organizations to carry all over the world integrity, goodwill, and the concept of peace," said Hahn.

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