Community News
Rotary Accomplishments Recognized
By
May 6, 2008, 11:00

Members from the Bainbridge Rotary Club attended the Rotary District 6900 Conference recently at Sandestin, Florida.

District 6900 is composed of 71 clubs and approximately 4500 members.  It includes the Atlanta area and spreads down to encompass Southwest Georgia.  District 6900 is one of three Rotary Districts in GA.  District 6900, to which the Bainbridge Club belongs, has contributed $850,000 so far this year to the Rotary Foundation with a goal of reaching $1,000,000 in donations.  The Bainbridge Club is an active contributor towards this goal.

The Rotary Foundation is unique in that contributions given one year are invested for three years, and then 100% of the contributed amount is used for projects.  The Bainbridge Club’s contribution this year represents a minimum pledge of $100 per member, with many members giving more.  In turn, past money is being returned.  One form of return is a grant that the Bainbridge Club put together to send learning computers and eyeglasses to the schools and children in the impoverished area of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  That grant is worth $26,000. 

The Bainbridge Club also arranged for a District Grant of $1000 which was combined with a current contribution from the Club of $2200 along with money and support from Memorial Hospital to place life saving AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators) in both Middle Schools.

The Bainbridge Club received several district wide awards at the Conference:

1) Best Project to Address Hunger and Poverty- The Bainbridge Club contributed $1000 for foodstuffs packed by the Bainbridge High School Interact Club at the Kids Against Hunger agency in Cairo.  These foods were then shipped to needy families.

2) Best Project to Address AIDS Education- The Bainbridge Club Contributed approximately $1300 and arranged to provide for HIV speakers from the AIDS Atlanta organization to come to Bainbridge High School and both Middle Schools.  Their topics centered on the consequences of lifestyle choices, bringing painful reality to the kids.

3) Best Project to Promote Character Education- The Bainbridge Club provided plaques, tee shirts, awards, savings bonds, etc.  With a budget of $4500, the effort involved a project designed to impart ethics to fourth graders all across the County.  The Rotary 4-Way Test was the central theme addressed through a poster contest.

4) Silver Level Literacy Achievement- The Bainbridge Club has been involved in literacy in many ways including sponsoring the GED graduation reception, providing books to the children’s section of the local library in honor of speakers, reading to first graders, supporting the local Adult Literacy Program, and many others.  This particular award represents success above and beyond the District level.

5) Membership Award- Given to acknowledge that the Bainbridge Club’s effort to support current members and recruit new members is the best in the District among similar sized clubs.