Rotary Happenings: Rotary do-goodery benefits everyone
A call was received from F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva. It had just received 150 Johnson & Johnson vaccines and it needed vaccinated volunteers to assist at its pop-up vaccination clinic. The volunteers would be outside, socially distanced, wearing a mask helping with traffic flow, greeting people, driving recipients to and from the clinic, and checking temperatures and identifications. Rotarian Clair Beckmann, who has a gift for finding volunteers, had all of the slots filled in under two hours. The call came three more times and, within hours, all of the slots were filled. Twenty-eight Rotarians and their spouses volunteered and over 125 hours of Rotary service hours were accumulated. The joint effort by F.I.S.H. and its volunteers, Rotary Club of Sanibel-Captiva, Sanibel Police Department, Sanibel Fire and Rescue District, parish nurses, medical offices, pharmacies and city of Sanibel officials helped vaccinate hundreds of Sanibel’s most vulnerable residents.
Heritage Heights is a 24-acre planned community situated between Gladiolus Drive and Summerlin Road in the Harlem Heights area of South Fort Myers. Planned for 150 single-family and multi-family homes surrounding the community lake, the first 12 families will move in early this year. Heritage Heights, a transformation of Harlem Heights, is strategically designed to improve the quality of life for residents by focusing on education, health and well being, access to public resources, and economic opportunities working hand-in-hand with Habitat for Humanity. As many know, volunteers are the backbone of Habitat for Humanity, and Rotary definitely answers the call for volunteers. Rotarians helped out with the playground build that will be an essential component of the neighborhood, providing a safe place for children to gather and exercise.
Rotary also supports several global projects in conjunction with local Rotary clubs. Haiti is one of the countries the San-Cap club has supported with several projects, including a school, an orphanage and a water project that provides clean water to the community. Recently, the club was informed that gangs had devastated much of the village, including the projects. It left the community, including the orphanage, without food. Within 10 minutes during a segment of the club’s meeting called “Happy Bucks,” it had raised nearly $5,000. The money received will be split between the Agape Orphanage of Christian Ministries Association run by Reverend Diosmy and Jacques Annilus the Rotarian with the St Marc Rotary Club that San-Cap has completed two global grants one building a $70,000 school restroom and a $50,000 clean water system.
Rotary was initially formed with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on Feb. 23, 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful lifelong friendships. Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service. Whether it is in the form of volunteer hours or financial contributions, Rotary makes a difference in the lives of people everywhere. It’s a lot easier when we work together as neighbors, as one big neighborhood. I am proud to be a Rotarian.
The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club holds a meeting on Fridays at 7:30 a.m. at the Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, at 949 Sand Castle Road, Sanibel, and via Zoom. To attend in person, email Bill Harkey at William.Harkey@gmail.com; attendance is limited to 20 people. To take part via Zoom, call 239-472-7257. For more information, visit sanibelrotary.org or www.facebook.com/sancaprotary.