The Rotary Foundation

Message from the chair


November 2009

Make an impact with a gift to the Foundation


My wife, Mary, and I have three children and eight grandchildren. Looking back on many happy years of raising a family, I recall most clearly the days that stood out in some way from the others. I remember the day my son had his tonsils out -- and ate a cheeseburger the same night! I remember the weddings, the graduations, and the births of each child.

But when I talk to my children about what they remember of their own childhoods, the answers are so surprising. They remember events that Mary and I have long forgotten -- the simple moments that happened as part of normal life yet still created profound memories. These are the moments that define who we are. What we see, what we hear, and what we experience as we grow older shape the person we become. Everything we do as parents has an impact, whether we realize it at the time or not.

As Rotarians, we have a similar responsibility to consider the consequences of our every action. We cannot predict how significant our words and decisions will be. But we do know that everything we say and do has an impact. Our responsibility is to ensure that the cumulative effect is a positive one.

When we give to our Rotary Foundation, we know that the result will be positive. When I served as RI president, I saw the truth of this in so many ways. The poorest parts of the world are the places where the local clubs have the fewest resources. By giving to our Foundation, we bring help to the places where Rotary is needed the most -- and fulfill the Foundation’s mission of Doing Good in the World.

Glenn E. Estess Sr.
Foundation Trustee Chair