The Rotary Club of San Juan Island is considering sponsoring a club on Orcas Island. Frank Fagan and Rick Hughes, current members of the SJI club, will serve as liaisons to the Orcas club. Currently planned as a branch club that meets around the cocktail hour, gatherings on July 1 and July 8 are targeted to learn local interests and explore options.

Anyone interested in learning about Rotary is invited to attend the kick-off meetings at the Island Hoppin’ Brewery, 33 Hope Lane in Eastsound (and thanks go to them for hosting these events). Visiting Rotarians are encouraged to attend as well.

San Juan Council member Rick Hughes envisions community-based service projects that address needs from poverty on Orcas Island. As county Council member, Hughes is aware of the many community challenges on Orcas Island as well as the gaps in what county funding can address. “Rotarians are actively looking for service projects that meet our community’s most pressing needs,” said Hughes. “The Orcas Rotary branch invites the public to attend our kick-off meetings and see what we’re all about.”

Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world, with more than 34,000 clubs in over 200 countries. Probably most known for its Eradicate Polio global project starting in 1985, Rotary later partnered with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with volunteers administering polio vaccines worldwide. Through 2018, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match member donations 2-to-1 up to $35 million a year for this effort. Today, only two countries have cases of polio, Afghanistan and Pakistan — a major achievement in global health.

Rotary service starts at the local level, however. Clubs choose how they want to contribute to their communities, with opportunities for matching funds from their districts and the international organization. “We have an exciting opportunity for Rotary involvement on Orcas Island,” Hughes said, “To quote the Rotary web site, we are neighbors, community leaders, and global citizens uniting for the common good.” Hughes will serve as speaker for the kick-off meeting on June 1, providing a county update on issues and accomplishments.