The Rotary Club of River Cities has partnered with other local Rotary Clubs, merchants, and churches to raise over $60,000 for the Rotary Club of Kyiv International to supply tons of chicken and humanitarian aid to over 100,000 individuals in the Ukraine.
March 15, 2022
The Rotary Club of River Cities partnered with other local Rotary Clubs, merchants, and churches to raise over $60,000 for the Rotary Club of Kyiv International to supply tons of chicken and humanitarian aid to over 100,000 individuals in the Ukraine.
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Rotary is a membership organization of individuals united globally to provide humanitarian service, help build goodwill and peace in the world. Two Rotary Clubs with over 5,000 miles between them have partnered to do just that.
The Rotary Club of River Cities (“River Cities”) formed a relationship with the Rotary Club of Kyiv International (“Kyiv International”) during Covid. Intermittently over eighteen months, these Clubs held joint virtual meetings, discussed fundraising, service projects and the challenges of the pandemic in each country. The relationship has continued, and, within two weeks, River Cities led grassroots fundraising efforts to provide humanitarian aid directly to Kyiv International.
As the Russian forces inched towards Kyiv, a River Cities member contacted the Kyiv International Club to inquire how River Cities could assist during this emergency and learned the immediate need for food, medicine, blankets, hygiene items, diapers, etc. River Cities made a goal to raise $5,000 within seven days to be transferred to Kyiv International for these items. Within a week, River Cities raised over $20,000 with support from local merchants, churches, and Rotary Clubs: Northfield-Wilmette, Arlington Heights, Northbrook and Glenview Sunrise and more.
The grateful president of the Kyiv International Club attended the River Cities Club meeting via zoom from Ukraine. Now displaced herself, she provided a firsthand account of evacuations and explained the need for funding, donations, and distribution. We later learned Kyiv International arranged for transport of over 300 tons of chicken and 70 tons of humanitarian aid to over 23,000 individuals in Ukraine within the first two weeks of their tragedy. More is needed and River Cities will continue to partner with other Rotary Clubs to raise funds for Kyiv International. Visit rivercitiesrotary.com to donate via paypal to supply additional food, medicine, blankets, etc. Checks are payable to Rotary Club of River Cities; donations can be delivered to Alex Todd, Club Treasurer, at the Prospect Heights Library, 12 Elm Street in Prospect Heights.
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The Rotary Club of River Cities serves Mount Prospect, Des Plaines, and Prospect Heights. Club meetings are held the first, second and third Tuesdays of each month at Trezeros in Mount Prospect. The fourth Monday “afterhours casual dinner/drinks/fellowship” is held at various restaurants in the communities we serve. Several service opportunities are held throughout the year.
The Rotary Club of Kyiv International is in Ukraine where Rotary is represented by 52 clubs in different cities of Ukraine and has almost 1000 members. There are 9 clubs in Kyiv.