This past year has been an interesting one for District 7090 Gift of Life. Clubs in both Canada and the U.S. contributed to Global Grants (GG). One benefit of a direct donation to global grants is that the club contribution may be matched by District 7090 DDF District Designated Funds) up to a maximum of $10,000 per GG project.Eastern Hills Sunrise Rotary has pledged $5000 this year for a global grant project (GG2579668) to be submitted to bring cardiac surgery and care to 50 children in Lebanon and its environs. Add in the matching DDF, the total contribution is $10,000 for this project. Eastern Hills Sunrise has issued a challenge to other clubs to donate a similar amount to either a specific global grant project or to our Rotary District 7090 Gift of Life.
Either way, children's lives are being saved with a child somewhere in the world receiving life-saving interventions such as open-heart surgery every 99 minutes. The Amherst club, for example, donated $5000 this past year to the general district fund. They held a fundraiser for GOL that was successful. Their donation plus additional funds raised allowed District 7090 Gift of Life to donate $8000 to a Gift of Life International project in Ghana for a specific cardiac catheter essential for surgery and diagnosis.
Dundas and St. Catharines South Rotary Clubs made contributions totaling $2,949 for a sustainable pediatric cardiac program in Egypt (GG2570563). These donations were matched by District 7090 DDF. In addition, District 7090 Gift of Life contributed $5000 to this project, which has been submitted to -TRF (The Rotary Foundation) and expected to receive approval very shortly.
Other American clubs generously donating to District 7090's GOL during 2024-2025 include: Williamsville, Lancaster-Depew, Grand Island, Westfield-Mayville, Orchard Park, Hamburg, West Seneca, and Hamburg Sunrise. In addition, we received donations from two individuals, one is a non-Rotarian - a first. Spread the word among your non-Rotarian friends about GOL and we may receive more of these donations in the future.
Other Canadian clubs also generously donating to District 7090's GOL for the 2024-2025 year Include: Dunnville, Niagara on the Lake, and St. Catharines South. In addition, a successful chocolate hearts sale was held in Canada. Chocolate hearts and heart-shaped cookies were sold at the District Conference and six individuals also donated money.
This year we are celebrating 50 years of service by Gift of Life International. A Golden Jubilee Celebration will be held on Long Island from September 13th-15th.
District 7090 has been a sponsor since 1975, when PDG John Rydzik proposed that our district adopt GOL as a project.