Rotary in Russia (EN)

Dearest friends!!! Stay blessed. Be happy and healthy, stay generous and involved

Dearest Orthodox friends!!! Merry Xmas!!! Be blessed! Stay safe and sound. All the very best to you and your beloved ones

Dearest friends!!! Merry Christmas!!! We wish you all the very best. Stay safe and sound. We are blessed to be Rotarians and to see how ordinary people can do extraordinary things alltogether. Warm regards from Russia

Our District2223 delegation at the Zone Institute in Kochi with our fabulous President. India is fantastic.Rotarians do amazing projects. Altogether Many Thanks to organising committee and PRID Makesh Cotbagy for invitation and hospitality

A SOLID FOUNDATION One of Rotary’s greatest strengths is the ability of our members to come together to create lasting change, and The Rotary Foundation helps us transform dreams of change into reality. From eradicating polio to building peace, much of the work we do around the world would not be possible without our continued support of our Foundation. The cause of peace is especially important to me, and one of the most effective ways we build peace is our Rotary Peace Fellowship — a product of The Rotary Foundation. The program helps current and aspiring peace and development professionals around the world learn how to prevent and how to end conflict. Thanks to a $15.5 million gift from the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation, we can continue supporting peacebuilders in more regions with the next Rotary Peace Center, at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul. Opening yet another peace center is a monumental achievement that we will celebrate at the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul. The three-day conference 20-22 February will highlight the many ways our family of Rotary advocates for peace. Keynote speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions will allow us to share ideas about building peace and foster meaningful conversations about promoting peace everywhere. Registration for the Presidential Peace Conference is open. I hope to see you there, but if you can’t make it, our Foundation offers so many ways to change the world for the better. November is Rotary Foundation Month, a great time to get to know your Foundation better and pursue causes that appeal to you. Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. By working together to respond to pressing community needs, clubs and districts strengthen their global partnerships. District grants fund small-scale, short-term activities that address needs in your community and in communities abroad. Each district chooses which activities it will fund with these grants. Our Foundation can even help you support our wonderful youth programs, including Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Interact. Your gifts to our Foundation also make Programs of Scale possible. These are long-term projects that seek to solve otherwise intractable problems. To ensure these good works continue beyond our lifetimes, it is up to us to reach our ambitious Rotary Endowment goal of $2.025 billion by 30 June 2025. The Magic of Rotary does not appear out of nowhere. We create the magic with every new member inducted, every project completed, and every dollar donated to our Foundation. Please join me in supporting The Rotary Foundation, and together, we will change the world for the better. STEPHANIE A. URCHICK President, Rotary International Donate to The Rotary Foundation at rotary.org/donate. Register for the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference at rotary.org/istanbul25. #PresidentsMessage

Today, October 2nd, marks World Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day – a day dedicated to raising awareness and showing support for people living with cerebral palsy (CP) and their families. CP is not just a medical condition, it’s a daily challenge that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. For many children and adults with CP, specialized rehabilitation, medical care, and support in daily life are essential for their well-being. It’s important to recognize that people with CP, like everyone else, want and can lead active and fulfilling lives. Supporting them goes beyond medical care – it’s about ensuring they have access to education, work opportunities, sports, and a platform to showcase their talents. Support for people with CP includes not only financial help for treatment but also offering respect and attention in everyday interactions. Joint initiatives, charity events, and public support contribute to improving the quality of life for those affected by CP, helping to build a more inclusive society. Each of us can make a difference – from participating in charity events to simply showing kindness and respect to those living with CP. It’s a reminder that our actions can make the world a better and more equitable place for everyone. #WorldCPDay #CerebralPalsy #Inclusion #EqualOpportunities @RotaryRussiaEN

Channel photo updated

⚡️ Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, to host 2028 Rotary International Convention https://www.rotary.org/en/minneapolis-minnesota-usa-host-2028-rotary-international-convention

⚙️ IT TAKES A TEAM With World Polio Day on 24 October, I’m proudly rooting for Rotary as we team up around the world to End Polio Now. I had the honor of attending a Strike Out Polio event in July at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates MLB team. The Rotary Club of Delmont-Salem hosted the event, which raised $1.3 million for PolioPlus. Later in the summer, I joined members of our Rotary family in supporting the Más Millas Menos Polio (More Miles Less Polio) bike ride. Felipe Meza Chávez and his team rode all the way from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to One Rotary Center in Evanston, Illinois, to raise money and awareness. The ride took 12 days, and Felipe and his team collected more than $100,000 to support the fight against polio. It was a joy to greet them as they arrived in Evanston. And I was thrilled to see Team End Polio raise global awareness around the 2024 Paris Olympics. This world-class roster of athletes, global leaders, and polio eradication supporters came together to advocate for a world where no child has to live in fear of being paralyzed by polio. Some of the athletes on Team End Polio are polio survivors themselves, adding weight to their advocacy. These are just a few examples of the many ways Rotary has teamed up recently to End Polio Now. It is vital that we continue to seek out and recruit teammates in polio eradication, especially after the challenges our eradication efforts have faced this year. The Rotary world was heartbroken to learn about the tragic passing in August of Aidan O’Leary, director for polio eradication at the World Health Organization. I knew Aidan and worked with him directly. He was a tireless advocate in the fight against polio and a kind, genuine man. We will remember him both for his advocacy and his warmth. But where there is hardship, there is also hope. I feel hopeful whenever I consider the countless ways Rotary supports the fight every day to eradicate polio. As people of action, we don’t have the luxury of giving in to despair, even in the face of tragedy. The best way to honor Aidan’s memory is by teaming up and reaching our goal to End Polio Now. We made a promise to the children of the world and their families. It is incumbent upon us, together with our global partners, to end this threat once and for all. There are so many ways we can team up to eradicate polio. You can donate to the End Polio Now campaign, join or initiate a PolioPlus Society in your club or district, or take inspiration from the fundraisers I mentioned above. I encourage Rotary members around the world to continue to seek out new teammates, so that together, we end polio. STEPHANIE A. URCHICK President, Rotary International Join the team and help make polio history at endpolio.org.

⚙️ The meaning of family The Magic of Rotary is belonging, and it’s a feeling that can appear when you least expect it. Earlier this year, I was in Slovakia serving as a president’s representative during a six-week trip through Europe. When I wrote to Katarina Cechova, governor of District 2240 at the time, I mentioned that my grandmother Veronica Zilka grew up in a small village in the area before settling in the U.S. It wasn’t long before Cechova tracked down my grandmother’s village, Jakubova Vol’a. She even organized a visit for me, where I received an unforgettable Slovakian welcome. When I entered the community center of Jakubova Vol’a, a small crowd of people dressed in traditional Slovakian clothing greeted me. They sang with beautiful and powerful Central European voices that reminded me of my grandmother. A lot of families play cards or games when they get together. When I was young, my father would pick up his accordion and lead my family in song. My grandmother would sing along with her impressive voice. When I walked into the community center and heard traditional music from my childhood — when I saw a woman play the accordion the way my dad played — I suddenly felt like a little girl sitting at my grandmother’s house in Monessen, Pennsylvania. I burst into tears of joy at the memories. But the magic didn’t stop there. District Governor Cechova really outdid herself. A local genealogist worked with a videographer to make a short film about my grandmother. We watched the video together in the community center. When the video ended, I turned around and saw a man standing in the back of the room. I quickly learned that this stranger, Frantisek Zilka, was my second cousin. His grandmother and mine had been sisters. I felt like I had been struck by lightning. I visited my newfound cousin’s home, which happens to be the home where my grandmother was born. There, he shared old photographs I had never seen of my dad, my uncle, and my grandmother. Since then, I can’t stop thinking about my family of Rotary. When I refer to you as my family, I’m not just being kind. I really think of everyone in Rotary as my family. But I never would have imagined that my Rotary family would introduce me to long-lost personal family. Sitting in that community center listening to traditional Slovakian music from my childhood filled me with joy and a profound sense of belonging. I am so grateful to District Governor Cechova and everyone who helped create that magical experience. As members of Rotary, we have a unique opportunity to share the same magic with each other and with the world. I encourage you to consider how you can help spread that magic and ensure other members of your club — other members of our Rotary family — feel like they truly belong. STEPHANIE A. URCHICK President, Rotary International

🏆 "You Can, Kid!" Partner Achieves Paralympic Glory in Paris We are excited to announce that Evgeny Torsunov, a Russian Paralympian, has won the gold medal in the long jump (T36 category) at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris! Evgeny has been training under the expert guidance of Tatyana Vladimirovna Lodochnikova, a dedicated coach and partner of the "You Can, Kid!" project. This project, supported by Rotary clubs across Russia, provides specialized rehabilitation equipment for children with cerebral palsy. Tatyana's commitment and partnership in this project have helped athletes like Evgeny reach new heights. Evgeny’s record-breaking jump of 5.83 meters is a testament to their hard work and dedication. This remarkable achievement showcases the impact of Rotary's initiatives and the power of collaboration. Evgeny's success is shared by everyone involved in the "You Can, Kid!" project, as well as those who believe in the potential of young athletes and support them on their journey to success. We look forward to an upcoming online meeting with Evgeny and Tatyana, where we will celebrate this achievement and share their story with future Paralympians and coaches. Congratulations to Evgeny and Tatyana on this well-deserved victory! #RotaryInternational #Paralympics2024 #RotaryRussia #ServiceAboveSelf #Inspiration #YouCanKid

⚙️ Maria Gavrilieva – Major Donor of The Rotary Foundation We are honored to share the exciting news that Maria Gavrilieva, a Past-Governor of Rotary District 2223 in Russia and a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Yakutsk, has achieved the prestigious status of Major Donor to The Rotary Foundation. This recognition not only marks a significant personal milestone for Maria but also highlights her extraordinary commitment to Rotary’s mission of creating lasting change. Becoming a Major Donor is not just a personal milestone for Maria; it is a significant moment for Rotary in Russia as a whole. It reflects the growing strength and influence of our community in contributing to global causes. Major Donors like Maria play a crucial role in supporting the Rotary Foundation’s mission to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and eradicate polio worldwide. Maria’s leadership and generosity set an inspiring example for all of us in the Rotary community, and we celebrate this remarkable achievement with her. Stay informed about the latest developments in Rotary by subscribing to our Telegram channel @RotaryRussiaEN. #RotaryInternational #MajorDonor #EndPolioNow #RotaryFoundation #RotaryRussia #ServiceAboveSelf #PeopleofAction

🍷 Russian Winery "Kuban-Vino" Showcases Products at Rotary Club of Bangkok (Thailand) Russian wine producer "Kuban-Vino" is embarking on an exciting journey to export its wines to Thailand. In early August, the company presented its exquisite range of wines to the members of a Rotary Club of Bangkok. Just a few weeks later, they are dispatching their first 20-foot container of Russian wine products to this vibrant new market. Russian wines are gaining international recognition for their unique character and quality. The country's diverse climate and rich soil contribute to the distinct flavors found in Russian wines. The Russian wine industry is evolving rapidly, combining traditional methods with modern techniques to produce wines that capture the essence of their terroir. This expansion into Thailand marks a significant milestone for "Kuban-Vino" and highlights the growing global appreciation for Russian viticulture. ⚙️ Rotary business connections in action. Source: http://www.finmarket.ru/news/6235100 #RotaryRussia #RotaryThailand

⚙️ ROTARY CLUB OF MOSCOW CENTER HELD A MEETING WITH THE PAST DIRECTOR OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL IN MOSCOW Last weekend Rotary Club of Moscow Center met with Dr. Mahesh Kotbagi, Past Director of Rotary International (2021-2023), member of Rotary Club of Pune…