Four of Logan’s Rotary clubs recently joined forces to raise funds for humanitarian aid to refugees in Ukraine and in countries bordering the war-torn country.
“There were 130 guests in attendance, some travelling from as far as Seventeen Seventy, Dalby and the Gold Coast,” Logan Central club president Gary Hoara said.
Keynote speaker at the event was the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Rotary Foundation, past Rotary international president Ian Riseley OAM.
Mr Riseley spoke about the work of the Rotary Foundation in providing shelter, medical aid, food, and essential supplies to the thousands of Ukrainian refugees and those in neighbouring countries who have fled their war-torn country.
Mr Riseley noted that “Rotarians at ground zero in Ukraine and nearby countries are coordinating the delivery of essential humanitarian aid to those in need, with Rotary membership actually increasing since the outbreak of war.”
The event raised over $16,000 which will be administered by The Rotary Foundation based in the United States.
“On a uniquely Logan note, attendees were given a first-hand account of the devastation and desperation of one Ukrainian mother, a qualified lawyer, and her two teenage schoolboys who fled Ukraine and endured an exhausting journey through five countries before arriving in Australia,” Mr Hoara said.
“The boys’ father was drafted into the Ukrainian Army, and the family who now live in Logan, will benefit from a separate disaster relief grant from the Rotary Foundation being administered by the combined City of Logan Rotary Clubs and the Slovak Baptist Church in Meadowbrook.”
The Rotary Foundation is the charity arm of Rotary International.
For the 11th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest, four-star rating from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the United States.
The Foundation earned the recognition for demonstrating both strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency.
