WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond celebrated 60 years of "Service Above Self" in 2013; and WHEREAS, organized and chartered in 1953, the Rotary Club of South Richmond, part of Rotary International District 7600, has generously supported local, district, and worldwide charities and programs; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond annually raises at least $130,000 for local charities as well as $15,000 to $17,000 for the Annual Giving campaign for the Rotary Foundation; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond, with a generous $50,000 initial donation from member Mel Burnett, established an endowment from which the income is used by the club for unique educational purposes; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond took part in Rotary International's partnership with the World Health Organization to eradicate polio by raising more than $200,000 to support the effort; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond sent members to Guyana to meet with a local Rotary club there to research the area's dental hygiene needs, which led to sending dentists and doctors to the area in what became known as the Guyana Initiative; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond purchased a used tour bus and reconfigured it into a mobile dental office that travels to schools across eastern Guyana; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond's Guyana Initiative led to the formation of the International Hospital for Children; the club raised the initial funds for the hospital, now known as the World Pediatric Project, which has served more than 50,000 children; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond undertook fundraising to provide housing for children brought to Richmond through the World Pediatric Project and their families at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center Hospitality House; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond has a long tradition of providing a welcoming atmosphere for members with numerous social events and good fellowship; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Club of South Richmond looks forward to continuing to fulfill Rotary's mission of "Service Above Self" in the future; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Rotary Club of South Richmond on the occasion of its 60th anniversary; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Rotary Club of South Richmond as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and admiration for the club's dedication to serving others. |