The header image of this issue of the blog features a pediatric cardiac surgery being performed in Honduras which benefited from Rotarian humanitarian efforts. Prior to there being a permanent pediatric cardiac unit in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, such critical surgeries had to wait until visiting medical teams, along with equipment and supplies, could be put together to come on a periodic visiting basis to perform such surgeries.

A permanent pediatric cardiac surgical ward was created and opened in February 2015 due to many years work on a global grant spearheaded by three Rotary districts, including District 7600, lead by the Innsbrook club and 8 of its sister clubs, the Friends of Barnabas Foundation, the Ruth Paz Foundation , and the The Rotary Foundation World Fund.  The grant included a Vocational Training Team to train local health personnel on the equipment provided by the grant.  The total grant budget was $112,300, of which $23,000 was donated by the District 7600 clubs.  With district and World Fund matching monies and donations for the other partners, this complicated, but magnificent project came to fruition.

Three years after a Rotarian donates to the Annual Fund, 50% of that donation comes back to the District to help fund district and global grants.  This Innsbrook Rotary-led global grant is only one example of such a global grant.  These global grants provide an opportunity for smaller clubs to join in with larger clubs to participate in international (global) projects,  which that club might not be financially able to do on its own.  Not all grants are global and even all global grants are not necessarily this complex, but we as Rotarians are capable of so much.  It starts with the honey, the money.

So the challenge is out to the Rotarians of District 7600, their clubs, their Club Foundation Chairs, their Foundation Advocates, and to all champions of The Rotary Foundation to reach into their own pockets, to encourage others to do so,  and donate to The Rotary Foundation.  This will assist the clubs in meeting their 2015-16 Rotary Foundation giving goals and will help us all ‘Bee’ A Gift to the World.  A Bit O’ Honey can go such a long way!