Another Challenge Met

The Rotary Club of Billericay is a long-term supporter of Rotary Foundation and its End Polio Now campaign.  With the new Rotary Year, it was time for a fund-raiser in aid of that campaign.

What to do?  Why not a social event where we can all meet up just for fellowship, and use it as a vehicle for collecting donations for end Polio Now?

Great Food and Fellowship

A quick conversation between Peter Greene and Patrick and Carol Rothon, and it was settled.  Patrick and Carol graciously agreed to hold a garden party for our club, in their lovely garden at Brook Lodge.  Summer may have passed and winter be on its way, but weather permitting we could have a great get-together before it gets too cold, and do it in aid of End Polio Now.  Friday September 16 would be the day of the garden party enabling us all to review how much had been donated, and close the appeal.

As usual, Carol and Patrick provided the meal (Carole’s inestimable chicken paella) and Peter provided the wine.  Fresh bread rolls (baked that morning) came from our president Michael, and Waldorf salad and delicious cheesecake from Sue Ginn and Val Sheppard respectively.  Many thanks to you all!

If you didn’t manage to go along, you missed out on great food and great fellowship.

On the day, we all gathered on the terrace of the house – a sun trap (mainly) sheltered from the wind - - and we needed it.  The weather was dry, but the wind gusts were strong and it was definitely a lot cooler than early in the week.  Definitely a day for sweaters, cardigans and coats!   Still, great conversation and delicious food and drink.  Suitably replete, members were quick to chat (and the gossip flowed freely) and nobody worried about the cold.

GlobalGiving

What about the Fundraising?  The timing of the event on Friday September 16 meant that we could solicit donations in aid of End Polio Now to be made all that week, and profit from GlobalGiving’s “Little by Little” campaign.  This was a promotion whereby any donation of less than $50 would generate a bonus of an additional 50 percent.  So, we told members - don’t donate to the club – donate to our project on GlobalGiving and make your money count by pulling in an extra 50 percent from them.

Members enthusiastically supported this project and donations flooded in, irrespective of whether they could attend the final meeting in the garden.

The final total?  We raised £502 on GlobalGiving and generated a bonus of £251 from its “Little by Little” promotion, plus £20 cash donation, which means we raised £773 for End Polio Now.  With Gift Aid, that is a total of £966.25.  (With the tripling by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that will be worth just under £2900 to the End Polio Now campaign!).

Not bad from a fundraiser organised at such short notice!!

(In total, our “Little by Little” fundraising ranked 225 out of 6135 projects!)

Vote of Thanks

Our thanks again to Patrick and Carol for their usual hospitality, hard work, cooking and food, and to president Michael, Peter, Val and Sue for their food and drink contributions.