Rotary District Governor John Glassford has a pretty big to-do list for the next year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The complete eradication of polio and digitisation of local World War I memorabilia are two of the things on his agenda.
Rotarians are planning to bury a time capsule in the local Rotary peace park on the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.
They’re calling on the community to contribute any items from World War I – letters or photographs, for example – to be digitised and kept with the collection. This project will be a fundraiser for Legacy.
Rotarians will be heading to local high schools to talk about the project, but anyone who would like more information or who has items they wish to be included can contact local Rotarians Chris Finkel on 0429 661 358 or Jeff Herdegen on 0428 689 310.
Read also: 100 years on from the Battle of Amiens
The second project on Mr Glassford’s agenda when he visited Forbes was awareness and eradication of polio.
“We are *this* close,” Mr Glassford, who had polio as a child, said, his fingers indicating a tiny gap.
Polio remains in a number of countries and the numbers are getting low, nine cases of the virus were confirmed up to May 31 this year.
But the world is not polio-free yet and to raise funds and awareness, Mr Glassford is planning a Rotary pushbike relay around this Rotary District.
While plenty of people have made fundraiser bike rides, this one will have the only working Australian Made Iron Lung in tow.
The iron lung, used for those with polio, is a negative pressure ventilator that enables a person to breath.
The bike trek is planned for late March 2019, starting in Griffith and to come through Forbes. More details will be made public as arrangements are finalised.
Rotarians are also busy assisting with drought relief efforts after last Monday’s multi-million dollar fundraiser in Dubbo.
The Farm Aid telethon, which saw performances by Shannon Noll and Jason Owen, was the result of a partnership between Channel 9, the National Farmers Federation, Rotary Australia, Optus and Westpac. It’s so far raised $8.6m.
Funds are being administered by Rotary, with money already directed to Lions’ Need for Feed and the CWA in NSW and Queensland.
Farmers who are in need of assistance can go online to www.needforfeed.org/apply-for-assistance.html for assistance with stock feed or www.cwaofnsw.org.au/droughtaid for help with household expenses.
