Celebrate Rotary on February 23 through Random Acts of Kindness
On February 23, 1905, the first Rotary club meeting was organized in Chicago, Illinois by Paul Harris with only 4 in attendance. Today, Rotary has 1.22 million members worldwide in over 35,000 Rotary clubs in nearly 200 countries. It’s amazing to recognize the world-impact of Rotary while also realizing that it falls on the shoulders of individual Rotarians working together.
Rotary International President-Elect Mark Maloney has set a goal asking Rotarians to include our family in Rotary and Rotary within our family. As a second-generation Rotarian and mother to (hopefully) two future Rotarians, I’m so thankful! There is no greater gift than sharing the legacy of Rotary and Service Above Self. My mother gave me the gift of Rotary, and on February 23rd, I invite you, your family, and your friends to celebrate Rotary with a Day of Random Acts of Kindness.
The beauty of Random Acts of Kindness is that you seek out opportunities to brighten someone’s day or lend a helping hand. Of course, it’s always a treat to find out that the stranger in line ahead of you paid for your coffee, but the grandest gesture is to truly recognize the unique needs of those around you.
For me, I’ll never forget when my mother and I were in the waiting room at Procure Proton Therapy before one of her radiation treatments. A woman approached us with a basket full of homemade, crocheted hats in various colors and sizes. The woman explained that she enjoyed crocheting and knew that many cancer sufferers lose their hair in treatment, so she took her hobby to the next level and decided to crochet hats for the children and adults who went to Procure for treatment. It was heartwarming.
Inspired, I asked my children (Ainsley who is 5 and Hill who is 9) how we could brighten someone’s day; they suggested writing a nice note to encourage someone who was having a hard time or bringing donuts as a surprise to our teachers.
The most fun, truly random act of kindness a friend and I did was write and strategically place encouraging post-it notes (already purchased) around Target in the baby aisles. We thought some parents might appreciate a pick-me-up note of “I promise you will sleep again. Hang in there!” or “The hours are long but the days are short. You’re doing great!”
There are so many possibilities! I hope you will celebrate Rotary in this way on February 23rd! Thank you for all you do for your community in your service through Rotary.
Since Rotary was founded 113 years ago, its role in the world and in the lives of its members has been in a state of continuous evolution. In its earliest days, Rotary offered its members a way to find fellowship and friendship and to build connections within their communities. Soon after, service found a place in Rotary, and as our organization expanded, so did its influence. In time, Rotary’s service, supported by our Rotary Foundation, would change the lives of families and communities across the world. We formed partnerships and focused our service to increase our impact. We launched the world’s largest public-private health initiative, partnering with...
