Rotary Club doing good for others in community

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Life is interesting and offers us multiple opportunities to participate in activities or events that benefit others. As the wife of a member of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Bella Vista, I occasionally have the opportunity to join club members when they sponsor an event that raises money for use by those in need.

During summer, the Rotarians serve a meal when the Bella Vista Community Band plays at Blowing Springs Park. The recipients of the money they raise are listed on a sign next to the pay station -- and it is a long list indeed. It touches my heart to know that while those who buy a dinner not only get a good meal, but help others who may not get a meal of any kind.

Over the years, I have seen films of the recipients of Rotary donations. Perhaps one of the best was when Rotary International provided wheelchairs to those who were unable to move independently. There were children who were grateful, but the most emotional response came from adults who had been confined to their bed for their entire life, some of them in their 50s or 60s. To see the expression on their faces when they could move about independently was reward enough for whatever it cost to make it happen. And because Rotary covers the entire United States plus much of the rest of the world, it makes an unbelievable impression.

Right here in Bella Vista, at Cooper Elementary School, the Rotary Club shares their efforts on behalf of helping the world rid itself of polio. The kids are invited to donate money to Polio Plus in an effort to accomplish this goal. As a reward, their little finger is painted purple. Recently, a young boy brought in $13 and, when asked, shared that it was "his" money, not his parents. Also, a teacher brought in $24 and said everyone in her class made a donation. For many of us who grew up with this disease and knew family members or friends who suffered from it, this is certainly a worthwhile endeavor.

As I listen to what Rotarians have done and continue to do, I am sure that God looks down upon them with a feeling of a job well done. Their continued effort to help others whom they do not know or ever will is doing what He has asked us to do. To share our time, our gifts and our talents in the name of bringing a better quality of life to others is what being a Christian is all about. It is not so difficult to connect with those we know and love when it comes to sharing God's message, but it takes a unified spirit and cooperation with hundreds of others to make the world a better place -- and I believe that is what Rotarians do. I am just blessed to be able to be a part of their outstanding effort.

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Jan Burgess moved to Bella Vista in 1995. She considers each day a gift -- although some are more fun to open than others. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Community on 08/03/2016