Brookings Rotary welcomed the District Governor at its weekly meeting for an interactive program highlighting Rotary International’s 2025 theme, “Unite for Good,” lessons from June’s International Convention in Calgary, fresh momentum for PolioPlus/End Polio Now, and practical ideas to expand membership and engagement across the District.
To kick off, attendees scanned a QR code to join live polls supporting the Governor’s presentation. “We’re an organization of people of action, and today I wanted you to see and shape the conversation in real time,” the Governor said. “When we unite for good—across clubs, communities, and districts—we multiply our impact.”
End Polio Now: The marathon’s last miles
The Governor reported 33 wild poliovirus cases year-to-date, primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and reaffirmed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2:1 match up to $50 million for Rotary’s polio work. “Think about the journey—from roughly 365,000 cases a year in 1985 to just dozens today. We’re in the last miles of the marathon, and they’re the toughest. Every $10 becomes $30 with the match. Let’s finish the job.”
Rotary Foundation impact
The Governor reviewed how Rotary’s charitable engine translates donations into measurable outcomes: last year, the Foundation approved 74 disaster response grants, 468 district grants, and 1,424 global grants. “Rotary has proven systems, accountability, and local partnerships. From handwashing stations and menstrual health education that keep girls in school, to skills and tools that help widows in India earn a living—your gifts change lives,” the Governor said.