Thousands pitch in for Rotarians At Work Day
By Ryan Hyland
Rotary International News -- 9 June 2009
Members of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad, California, USA, plant a sustainable vegetable garden at a local homeless shelter on 25 April for Rotarians At Work Day.
Photo courtesy of the Rotary Club of Carlsbad
More than 25,000 Rotarians and volunteers from 35 districts worldwide rolled up their sleeves to improve their communities as part of Rotarians At Work Day.
Started in 2006 by the late Bob Watson, past governor of District 5340 (California, USA), Rotarians At Work Day happens the last Saturday in April each year and challenges clubs around the world to carry out hands-on service efforts in their community.
"It truly is a grassroots project," says Pamela Russell, governor of District 5340. "The day is a great opportunity to revitalize your club, bring in new members, and generate publicity for Rotary."
Watson's vision was that by 2014, every club and Rotarian would participate, says Russell.
"Imagine the impact when all clubs come together and perform community service projects," she says. "Thousands of people will benefit both indirectly and directly from just our one-day efforts."
Here are a few of the projects that Rotarians carried out around the globe on 25 April:
- To emphasize the importance of bicycle safety, 15 clubs in District 1410 (Åland Islands; Finland) collected 2,000 knapsacks for bike helmets and delivered them to local schools.
- Members of the Rotary Club of Vasco da Gama, Goa, India, helped build two large steel lockers for a school in Chicalim.
- More than 100 Rotarians and Rotaractors from District 9200, which covers five countries in eastern Africa, planted trees, painted rooms, and repaired cow sheds for the Morning Star Children's Ministry for orphans in Nairobi, Kenya.
- A joint effort between the Rotary clubs of Ensenada Riviera, Baja California, Mexico, and Newport-Irvine, California, provided more than 100 new chairs to a primary school in Francisco Zarco, Mexico. Rotarians also painted part of the school, cleaned up the patio, and planted trees.
- The Rotary Club of Carlsbad, California, started a sustainable vegetable garden at a local homeless shelter, allowing residents to grow their own food. Rotarians also painted several areas of the facility.
Learn how your club or district can participate in the 2010 Rotarians At Work Day.