Meeting: Event at Indian Racetrack Nets $350,000 for Service Projects (February 17th to February 23th, 2016)

2/17/2016

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - Laine Kohama, President 2015-2016

Aloha Rotary E-Club members and fellow Rotarians!

Today we are having our board meeting and will have a few guests. Yay! It's always wonderful to see my Rotary Ohana. I’ll report back on that later in a few weeks. This week I’m gearing up for Pre PETS as a SAA. It’s been very fun working with Clint and the leadership team. Everyone is doing such a wonderful job. Capsun is going to have a great time and I’m excited for him being the next President of our club :-)

A few weeks ago I’ve attended the D5000 President's Meeting at Hawaiian Airlines headquarters. It is a nice building with a bunch of cool memorabilia on the walls, and in the offices. It was great to see all my classmates and talk with them to catch up.

Del did a great job in getting everyone up to date about the Foundation, Membership, the RI website, etc. The one new thing they tried this year was to use Gotomeeting. There was some challenges, but overall I felt it was a great idea to have this. It made it easier for Presidents on all the islands to call in, instead of flying in somewhere. Even some Oahu Presidents called in as well.

I’ll be going to PETS as D5000 SAA. I’m very much looking forward to it and will be visiting a bunch of Rotary friends I made last year. So excited for all the new PEs that will be going up. Enjoy it and have fun! If any PEs need help I’m here for you. I’ll leave you with a quote “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them” - John F. Kennedy

Event at Indian Racetrack Nets $350,000 for Service Projects

By Arnold R. Grahl, Rotary News (see Rotary.org),
20-Feb-2015

Rotary members in India selected a popular racecourse in Mumbai to promote Rotary to the tens of thousands of racing aficionados who gather there daily, raising more than $350,000 for club service projects in the process.
And between races, spectators at the Mahalaxmi Race Course were also treated to the Rotary members' attempt at a Guinness World Record as 650 members, 75 of them dressed in white and 575 in black, formed the shape of a horse -- with the Rotary wheel as its eye -- on the lawn of the members' area.
District leaders in western India chose the Mahalaxmi Race Course for their Race for Humanity event because it draws people from all segments of Indian society. They reached out to Gulam A. Vahanvaty, a member of the Rotary Club of Bombay who also is a member of a track committee, to facilitate a deal that enabled Rotary clubs to name seven of the eight races run on 23 November after their respective service projects.
Leading up to race day, each club had raised at least $50,000 for the projects, which support literacy, children's health, and education, among other causes. Betting on the races was left up to the Rotary members but was not promoted as part of the event.
More than 6,000 Rotary members attended the Race for Humanity event, and club leaders distributed 1,500 membership kits to race goers. In addition, Rotary colors and flags lined the paths to the complex, banners hung in every available location, and a five-minute Rotary public service video was shown throughout the event as well as on video feeds to other racing sites throughout the country.
"This was a spectacular event for Rotary in terms of fellowship, bringing together Rotarians and their families in one grand open-air venue," says Vahanvaty. "Rotary's work was showcased across the racecourse through banners and audiovisuals. We also obtained immense public relations through newspapers, radio, and TV covering the event."
Adds Ajay Gupta, governor of District 3140, "It was a delight to be with so many Rotary members and sing our national anthem and unfurl both our nation's flag and the Rotary flag." District 3140 spearheaded the event along with the Rotary Club of Bombay.
The day at the racecourse also included a fashion show, an art camp, a play area for kids, a DJ, and an organized cleanup activity inspired by a nationwide campaign to clean up India's infrastructure.
"Truly, this has to be one of the most significant events that I have had the opportunity to witness in my 42 years in Rotary," says past Rotary Foundation Trustee Ashok Mahajan. "The event not only helped raise funds for Rotary, strengthen district fellowship, and reinforce Rotary goodwill but it also highlighted Rotary's reach and network in society."

Rotary E-Club of Hawaii Upcoming Events

A Day at Work with Downtown Honolulu Club

Date: April 30, 2016
Event: Prospective event at Central Middle School, fixing and cleaning various areas of the school

Other Upcoming Events:

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