First, the Rotaract Club would like to thank everyone who participated in the Winter Benefit last month. This would not have been possible without the talent of Chris Bathgate, Alan Scheurman and The Mourning Voices, or the support of Jerry Belanger at the Park Bar. Thanks also to Chris Koltay for running sound. It was a definite success, despite the miserable weather. We raised over $500 at the show and received personal donations as well, for a total of over $700 at the end of the day.
As a result, 50 childrens’ coats are en route to the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS) of Detroit and will be received by the end of this month to help their clothing distribution efforts. The coats were purchased from the nonprofit Operation Warm, an organization dedicated to providing new winter coats to children in need.
Rotaract is now looking forward to the Winter 2010 Semester, and we have a couple of items on the agenda.
1) Showing a screening at Wayne State of the documentary “The Final Inch” , an Academy Award nominated documentary that looks at the Uttar Pradesh region of India that is the final battleground against polio in the country. Polio is a largely forgotten disease that continues to ravage the world’s poorest areas.
“The reality is staggering. Polio, a disease widely considered obsolete in the industrialized world, still poses a threat to children living in areas with poor sanitation. Last year, more than 1,600 cases were reported worldwide, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a collaborative effort led by Rotary, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and UNICEF.
Taylor Brodsky’s film chronicles the world’s largest non-military army — some 4 million in India alone — who continue to wage the battle to eradicate the disease. The camera follows people like Ashfaq Bhat, a doctor and Kashmir native, who travels to remote areas to give the coveted vaccine to children. We also meet Munzareen Fatima, a UNICEF volunteer who tries to sway skeptical families to get their children immunized in Uttar Pradesh — India’s ground zero of the disease.” – CBS
2) Volunteering at the Detroit Winter Blast
The Rotary Club of Detroit AM has asked the Rotaract Club to volunteer at the Detroit Winter Blast at Campus Martius at the tent for a nonprofit they are currently working with. More details soon!
3) Speaker Mary Robinson to come to Wayne State
UPDATE: Unfortunately this event did not receive funding, and Ms. Robinson will not be coming to the WSU campus.
Rotaract is currently in the process of requesting funds from student council to bring in Human Rights Activist Mary Robinson. Rotaract is proud to collaborate with the WSU Center for Peace and Conflict Studies in organizing this year’s Max Mark-Cranbrook Peace Lecture, the afternoon of April 22. The lecture will feature Hon. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and will be heavily promoted through Banners, Internet, Fliers, Newspapers, Posters and the UGL. Promotion will begin well in advance, with banners, posters and fliers being readied as soon as funding for the event is approved. Rotaract will also reach out to other student groups, faculty and students to promote the event and will place notices in local newspapers and websites like Facebook, the Metro Times etc.
We are excited about this opportunity to bring such an acclaimed figure to campus. If you’re interested in helping with this or other activities, contact us at rotaractwsu@gmail.com
