Whiteclay, Nebraska borders the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota and has a population of about 12. It is less than two miles from the village of Pine Ridge, SD, population 3,308. It is the largest Native American city in South Dakota and is the headquarters of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Nation.
Rotary District 5610 project members Ina Winter (Hot Springs), Linda Peterson and Tom Katus (Rapid City Rushmore) worked with building manager Jon Ruybalid to secure a $57,575 global grant from The Rotary Foundation (TRF). The grant, approved in August 2020, will support the artists and craftspeople who will be making use of the new makerspace in Whiteclay, NE.
This project supports the Rotary Community Economic Development Area of Focus. Goals of the project—as defined by the Rotary Foundation—support: building the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and networks to support economic development in poor communities; developing opportunities for productive work and improving access to sustainable livelihoods; empowering marginalized communities by providing access to economic opportunities and services; and building the capacity of entrepreneurs, social businesses, and locally supported business innovators. District 5610 project committee members are the grant administrators developing actions to serve these beneficiaries.
Rotary and its GPEI partners celebrate a monumental achievement, say global eradication of wild polio is possible with the continued dedication and persistence of Rotarians.
"WORLD POLIO DAY IS OCTOBER 24 THIS YEAR AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT EVERY CLUB'S PRESIDENT IN DISTRICT 5610 WILL SHOW AND READ "5 REASONS WHY WE MUST ERADICATE POLIO", USING ZOOM OR MEETING IN PERSON, THEREBY CELEBRATING THIS SPECIAL DAY." Willis Sutliff MD, Polio Plus Chair
Rotary has made the huge commitment to continue giving $50 million a year until polio is eradicated. This shows the level of support our wonderful organization is doing for one of the noblest projects in history. The Gates Foundation has also raised the bar by committing to match every dollar Rotary raises by two dollars. District 5610 is asking every Rotarian to help with a $40 gift a year.
As you can imagine, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the traditional timeline for soliciting host clubs and selecting outbound student for Rotary Youth Exchange. At this time, our multidistrict – Central States Rotary Youth Exchange – has suspended the application process until February 1, 2021. On that date, a decision will be made whether to more forward or cancel the 2021-2022 RYE program. If we move forward, the application will open and a condensed selection process will begin.
In the meantime, clubs are free to promote the program and possibly finalize club nominations of potential outbound students for the 2021-2022 Rotary Year. Students should be 16 to 18 ½ at the time of departure (typically August 15 or thereabouts) and in good academic standing at their school. Students and clubs can visit https://www.csrye.org/ or https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges to get general information on the program. For specific questions, please contact Cindy Bailie, Outbound Coordinator, or myself.
Lastly, if the program proceeds we will need commitments from clubs to host inbound students. If your club is interested in hosting a student, please send me an email at Patrick Morrison. I can provide information on responsibilities, expected costs, and the like. For those of you who remember the headache of the past trainings and paper forms, you will be happy to know that our transition to Central States has made this process much easier – and digital. As a reminder, it is not a requirement to send a student to host a student, so all clubs are eligible to host. Stay well!
Patrick Morrison | District Chair, District 5610 | Rotary Youth Exchange