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Rotarians invest approximately 47 million volunteer hours every year, into improving the lives of those around them

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Rotary awarded $333 million to global service initiatives throughout the 2020 pandemic

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THE MISSION

The Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale actively supports water projects which provide clean, sustainable water, sanitation and economic development to underprivileged areas, primarily in Africa.

THE NEED  

Consider the following facts relating to the urgent need to improve safe drinking water supplies and better sanitation throughout the world:

WATER FACTS:

  • 1 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, roughly one-sixth of the world's population.
  • 50 percent of people on earth lack adequate sanitation
  • Every minute of every day a child dies from a water-related disease
  • 2.2 million people in developing countries, most of them children, die every year from diseases associated with unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
  • Half of the world's hospital beds are filled with people suffering from water related illnesses.
  • In the past 10 years, diarrhea has killed more children than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II.
  • 358 million children in Africa don’t have clean drinking water
  • African women walk an average of 3.6 miles to collect water
  • The average American uses 100 gallons of water per day vs. 5 gallons per day for the average African family.


HOW WE ARE HELPING

Since our club began its water project initiative in 2007, we have contributed over $500,000 to the two principal programs which we support. These programs are: https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif

WATER WELLS

Our club provides funding for the construction and operation of water wells in rural, underprivileged schools in South Africa in desperate need of water. For this initiative, we partner with A Spring of Hope, a 501(c)3 organization. Spring of Hope identifies, locates promising well site and coordinates construction of each well. The average well costs about $10,000, and we are proud of the fact that every well that we’ve ever funded is still in operation!



WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS

Our club provides funding for to purchase of LifeStraw community water filtration systems, primarily for schools in Kenya. For this program, we partner with Replenish, a 501(c)3 organization based in Arlington, Texas. Replenish identifies schools in need, purchases the filters and coordinates distribution. Each Community LifeStraw can clean 100,000 liters of water, providing safe drinking water for up to 70 people for 5 years. Community LifeStraws cost average of $350, life can be extended with monitoring and maintenance costing an average of $100.  "Lifetime LifeStraw" which is  $500 for new units which includes the delivery and the maintenance and replacement parts as needed. Every $5 does give a child clean water for 5 years at this pricing.    

Click here for more information about A Spring of Hope and our Water Wells Program. Click here for more information about Replenish and our Water Filtration Program.

Click below to donate to

our Water Wells Program:

Click below to donate to

our LifeStraw Program:  

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352)?) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. 

The Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale registration number is CH6195

and the Rotary 1090 Foundation registration number is CH8789.

Rick Riccardi

2023-2024 Club President


Club President Letter 2023-24

Hello Fellow Ft. Lauderdale Rotarians,

I’m so proud to be your President this year. This is not a “job” I had hoped for in my later years but one that I’m excited about, and more than willing to do. “Service Above Self” and being a “Servant Leader” are principles in life (not just in Rotary) that I, hopefully, will be positively measured by.

This year, thankfully, does not have the obstacles of COVID and the aftermath of COVID to deal with. Thanks to Perry, Terry, and Jaye, our three previous leaders, I now have the opportunity to lead this club to new heights of accomplishments.

We are off to a good start with so many of you stepping up to participate in so many ways. Every member will be asked and given the opportunity to be of service to the club or to the community. We are all here to be of service, and hopefully you will all find that opportunity by serving on a committee or participating in one or more service projects. For that reason, I will make sure you all know about each committee and service project, week after week.

I would like to initiate two new long-term service projects for our club that, I believe, conform with Rotary International’s initiatives on “Bringing Hope to The World”. The first is Homelessness and Behavioral Health (including mental health and substance-use disorder).  The second is Urban Farming or “Agrihood” to bring better health (mental and physical) to our neighborhoods.

I will make sure that the new members are welcomed with enthusiasm and are included immediately in our weekly luncheons and service projects. I will ask you members with more time in our club to be of service to the club by sharing your time with other members who need to feel wanted and included. To help this along, I’m promoting the idea of a random seating system at lunch for those of you who don’t have a guest or have some reason to have to sit with a specific member.

I’m also trying a new weekly meeting structure. In order to get to know each other better, I’m asking you to volunteer to tell us who you are. On the first Wednesday of each month, we will have a club meeting that will include two of our members who are willing to tell us their story in a 12-minute presentation, with or without slides.

We will continue to have our evening social meeting on the last Wednesday of the month and continue to have our speaker luncheon meetings the other two or three Wednesdays each month.

We now have about 120 members, of which about 50 are new in the last two years. Our intention is to have more new members to replace and exceed the average 15% of members who leave the club each year. This club is here to serve each other and to serve the community – local and worldwide. Let’s let the community know what we do and how we serve, so others may have the opportunity to join us in service. I look forward to our Public Image Committee, with all its Information Technology commitment and talent, being very busy this year getting the word out on our club’s behalf.

Let’s be the best we can be.

Rick

Rick Riccardi, Club President 2023-24
Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale

International Projects

Volunteer With Us

As we begin our Rotary year, here is a quick reminder of the service projects we have on our schedule so far. We do not have exact dates for everything, but please keep these projects in mind and be on the lookout for more information. If you would like to help with any of these projects, please contact the chair directly. If you have ideas for new projects, please contact Kristin LaFleur or St. George Guardabassi.

  • Find Your Way Home – Jorg Hruschka – Select Tuesdays and Thursdays
  • Holiday Toy Drive – Linda Cooke – October – December
  • Thanksgiving Baskets – Steve Botkin – Saturday, November 18
  • Salvation Army Bell Ringing – Steve Botkin – December
  • Challenge Air – Dan Rizzi – January 26 & 27
  • Agape Love Breakfast – Gail Auguston-Koppen – February 9 & 10

Rotarians In Action


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