When you think of February – what do you think of?? Maybe you think of Valentine’s Day or Super Bowl or Groundhog Day? Personally – I think of love even though I don’t really like or celebrate Valentine’s Day. I also think about flowers this month but I KNOW I won’t get any of those from my husband because we are a bit too conservative and flowers are very expensive this month. The question is…..why am I telling my favorite Rotarians about this? Maybe it is just a filler of the message? Maybe it is to get a laugh? Or maybe it is about thinking about what is important? My thought – maybe a little of all 3 of those!
What is the importance of Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl, Groundhog Day and flowers? It is the recognition of something important!! As Rotarian’s we should always be focusing upon what is important – Service Above Self. That is very easy to do during the holiday season which is long past. But a little bit harder this time of the year with the cold and wind (no snow yet).
In January at a Brookings Rotary meeting, Scott Parsley from the Madison Rotary Club talked about a couple of groups that focus on helping others – Helping Kids Round First and the World Food Program. Helping Kids Round First is based in Flandreau, SD has done numerous projects in Haiti, Nicaragua, and now Chad, Africa. This non-profit has found that by collaborating with other organizations – more can get done! We as Rotarians in Brookings need to be always looking for ways to help others and possibly work with other groups. Currently, we are collaborating with Brookings Area United Way with the Delta Dental Van. We are also working in conjunction with the Brookings School District to create and build activity boards for the elementary students. My challenge to Brookings Rotarians – think of a project that we can focus on in 2025-2026!
One of Rotary’s BIG international projects is eradicating polio. Unfortunately, there has been some bad news in 2024 on the increase in the number of cases of wild polio virus with a total of 81 cases (56 in Pakistan & 25 in Afghanistan). This is compared to 5, 22 and 12 in years 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively. Based on the economic and political problems in those countries, the increase was to be expected. Pakistan sent approximately 500,000 Afghans back to their home which caused some children to not being immunized. In Afghanistan, the Taliban stopped immunizers from going home to home and instead had to meet at sites. One way that Rotary has gotten around this is by giving a bar of soap to the families that bring their children to the immunization sites. In Afghanistan, a bar of soap is in great demand. Rotary International continues to collaborate with other groups – The Gates Foundation, Global Eradication Initiative, UNICEF, World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Donating to the Rotary Foundation will directly help end polio: www.rotary.org (see the Donate button on the top right).
The above are just a few ways to give Service Above Self. Need more suggestions? The School of St. Jude, Happy Dollars at Brookings Rotary Club go directly to SDSU scholarships, donating a winter coat/hat/gloves to the Salvation Army in Brookings, signing up at Feeding Brookings to distribute food, attending Thirsty Thursday or Wake Up Wednesday and donating money to a local need/non-profit in Brookings, picking up litter on the sidewalk, paying for someone’s coffee who is in line behind you, donating food to the Brookings Food Pantry. The list is ENDLESS! The point is – find something important to you!
As President, I am always talking about Service Above Self. Well……..Rotary is also about socializing and having fun!! I am huge fan of having fun!! Getting to know your fellow Rotarians and having a laugh is also what Rotary is all about. I hope to see a few new faces at either Thirsty Thursday on Feb. 6th at 5pm at Mosaic or at Wake Up Wednesday on February 19th at 7:30am at Kool Beans!
See you on Tuesday at noon for Rotary!
Happy February! Let the fun and magic continue.
President Jen Olson