Celebrating 50 Years of Giving in Our Community and Our World

On December 16, 1959, a group of local business and community leaders had the foresight to come together and form a Rotary Club. For fifty years, the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Club has been dedicated to service and giving in our Community and our World.

Since 1959, we have provided over $1 million to improve the lives of others in pursuit of global goodwill, peace and understanding. Our charitable giving and service have been directed to addressing humanitarian needs, improving educational opportunities and alleviating health concerns around the globe.

We are proud of our history of giving and service and we are excited about this year's initiatives.

Our club continued its international tradition with donations to the Armero Nursing Home in Columbia and the Maranatha School in Uganda.

Much closer to home, I am especially proud of the club's generous response to our Operation Warm Holiday Giving project. We raised over $6000 to provide 384 coats to elementary students in North Chicago. Next week with our partner, the North Chicago Rotary Club, we will deliver the coats. 384 kids will be warmer this winter.

And I have more good news to share. I am pleased to announce on behalf of the Board of Directors, that we have established our club foundation's own Permanent Fund. I want to thank Fred Jackson and his committee for their work on this historic initiative.

While there is much more work to be done, The Permanent Fund, created in this our 50th year, is a way to ensure that our legacy of giving and service will be sustained.

In 1911, Rotary International's foundation began with a donation of $26.50. Our Permanent Fund has been funded with $25,000 in 2009. It is our goal to raise another $25,000 to honor our 50th year with a $50,000 start for our foundation.

It is our hope that when the members of the LF-LB Rotary Club gather to celebrate the 100th year, they will reflect with gratitude upon our vision and foresight in establishing this Permanent Fund.

In closing, I would like to share with you a note we received from our club's first president, Bob Davis. "Congratulations and best wishes on your 50th anniversary. Have a great party!" Bob wishes he could be here tonight, but was unable to make it. I wonder if any of us will be here to celebrate the 100th. I'm sure that some of you will!