(7 May) Pledge for Peace and Continuation of Ongoing Efforts with Mr. Gordon R. McInally, the President of Rotary International, and our Friends from Rotary Club Cubao, Quezon City (QC) Philippines (+GAL)

Posted in News and Events. Written by Grant Dale on May 11th, 2024

A momentous meeting recently occurred between two Rotary Clubs under the support of Mr. Gordon R. McInally, the President of Rotary International. Less than a year ago, at the beginning of his presidential term, Mr. McInally introduced the theme for this Rotary year – to Create Hope in the World. This was precisely the message he conveyed during the virtual meeting held on May 7th, which brought together Rotary Club Sofia International and Rotary Club Cubao Quezon City (QC) Philippines.

The hybrid gathering united over 15 members from both clubs, where we joyfully began by presenting our ongoing projects, including:

The Rehabilitation Center for Children and Families recovering from Oncohematological Diseases
The Med-Bul Project, dedicated to providing new medical equipment to hospitals in Sofia and the region
Rotary Club Sofia International’ collaboration with the Bulgarian Field Hockey Federation (BFHF) for the establishment of an ID Hockey Team for children with special needs, who won a silver medal at the Special Olympics in Berlin, Germany

Following this, the past President of Rotary Club Cubao, Paul Estrebillo, outlined the club’s initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare in local communities and expressed their eagerness to collaborate with communities beyond their region. The club is also actively raising global funds to support those in need beyond their immediate reach.

Mr. McInally celebrated these endeavors with us and encouraged us to continue creating hope through causes close to our clubs. His emphasis on promoting peace, one of Rotary’s core pillars, is particularly crucial in today’s troubled world. Rotary’s partnerships with various organizations to advocate for peace exemplify the club’s international efforts to promote good health, support the disadvantaged, care for the environment, and foster peace. We also reflected on Rotary Club’s remarkable success in eradicating the Polio virus by 99%, envisioning a world free from Polio.

Another significant point raised by Mr. McInally and our President, Mr. Grant Dale, was the importance of mutual support in regions of the world where people, especially mothers and children, are displaced and struggle to lead normal lives from birth through adulthood. Rotary continues to provide assistance in hard-to-reach areas in Africa where healthcare and education are still developing. Together, we pledged to extend help to others while also focusing on and fundraising for projects in our respective countries. Our recent book donation project in Greece and support for school restoration in South Africa exemplify our commitment to creating lasting change beyond borders.

We are grateful for the time spent with these remarkable individuals on behalf of Rotary Club Cubao Philippines and President Gordon R. McInally, as we learn from one another, nurture our dreams, address challenges, and actively work towards Creating Hope in the World