It’s Quiz time!
- Who started The Crippled Children’s Society in New Zealand?
- Who built the first Karitane Hospital?
- Who organised the first mobile TB clinic?
- Who started Milk in Schools?
- Who began the first Health Camps?
- Who brought Defensive Driving Courses to New Zealand?
- Who built the first women’s public toilet facility in New Zealand??
- Who began the National Kidney Foundation
- Who began the Riding for Disabled Association
- Who began the Asthma Society
- Who began the National Children’s Health Research Foundation?
If you answered ‘Rotary’ to each of these questions, you would be right.
But wait, there’s more!
In 1945 the Rotary Club of Auckland established the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Committee. In 1961 the same club, with the support of the Governor General Viscount Cobham, industrialist Wolf Fisher and others formed the Outward Bound Trust.
To recognise the Golden Jubilee of Rotary in New Zealand in 1971 the National Child Health Research Foundation was established.
Many communities have adventure play grounds, fitness trails and walkways provided by Rotary clubs. You will see Community Police driving vehicles carrying a Rotary wheel, and similar vans driven by other community organisations. Fire engines have “Jaws of Life” and sophisticated heat seeking equipment funded by Rotarians. The Ellerslie Flower Show, the largest flower show in the Southern Hemisphere was a project initiated by the Rotary Club of Auckland.
Other New Zealand initiatives have developed into international programmes.
Rotary’s most ambitious undertaking, announced in 1985, is the PolioPlus programme. Rotary spearheaded this initiative with a pilot project in the Philippines in 1979. Rotary has collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the USA Centre for Diseases (CDC) to eradicate this disease. In a recent statement, Rotary International has said “Since 1988, we’ve seen a worldwide reduction in polio cases of 99.9%. Last year (2017) we only saw wild polio cases in three countries.”
Martinborough Charity Fun Ride
Last month, South Wairarapa Rotary’s annual Martinborough Charity Fun Ride was held in the challenging country roads around Martinborough. The ride attracted 290 riders from the lower half of the North Island, ranging in age from 11 to 87. Participants chose from courses ranging from 48 to 115km. E-bikes and tandems were included again this year.
The Charity Fun Ride is expected to raise about $4,000 which will be donated to the Wairarapa Whanau Trust this year, helping it to build its youth facility in Featherston.
2018 marks the Ride’s 25th anniversary. It was originally known as the Wellington Veterans Cycling Club event. In 2000, Martinborough residents and cyclists Jan and Geoff Lankow took it over and ran it until 2014 when they passed the organisation of the ride over to the South Wairarapa Rotary Club.
The Martinborough Charity Fun Ride has now raised about $150,000 for local charities.
For more information go to swrotary.org.nz
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