While recent sessions highlighted assorted aspects of local history, the Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant’s May 1 meeting tackled the various charitable endeavors the team annually spearheads.
“I think we talk about it enough how successful we’ve been with these charities, what it costs on these charities and how we fund these charities,” began President Elect David Kent. “Each year, that’s probably the biggest struggle we have here, but everything else is pretty much in line. How we fund our charities is something that I think our club has to understand. When we’re trying to raise money, it’s really important.”
To that end, Kent reminded that with the club’s new fiscal year kicking off July 1, decisions will need to be made on how to work charitable activities into the budget process.
When touching on which charities to continue focusing on, he invited all Rotarians to submit their input to ensure that every member can buy into the club’s mission going forward.
Of the major charity events that generate funds for several causes, the one that club members expressed a modicum of doubt over was the annual gala.
The formal affair, it was noted, has been a challenging proposition for club members in terms of producing desired dollar amounts. The latest version of this gathering took place last October at Charleston’s Union Station, as the local Rotary Club’s featured charity was WakeUp Carolina.
Other charity staples discussed during the Wednesday afternoon conference included:
• The distribution of hardcover dictionaries to every third grader in the East Cooper area. More than 26,000 dictionaries have been gifted since 1999.
• The Happy Feet program, which furnishes grade-school students in the East Cooper area with free footwear. More than 5,100 pairs of shoes have been donated since 2007.
• Backpack Buddies, described as a collaboration with the Lowcountry Food Bank to give weekend food to deserving grade-school students in the East Cooper area.
• Four-year scholarships awarded to local high school students.
• Red bucket and/or direct contributions to fight polio. Since 1985, Rotary International has secured vaccinations for 2.5 billion kids and almost completely eradicating polio worldwide in the process.
• Happy Bucks, which consists of weekly member contributions that go toward research efforts for Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Raffle dollars that are funneled to worthy charity organizations, such as East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) and Meals on Wheels.
• Individual membership dues in the amount of $300.
The required budget for core charitable contribution projects is $50,000.
The Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant invites community members to attend their weekly Wednesday meetings at the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, starting at noon.
