Spring Break
Service organization seeks new members
Brittani McNeill
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: News
The ECU Rotaract Club, a philanthropic organization sponsored by Rotary International, is kicking off the spring semester with several service opportunities for students. The Rotaract Club offers students the opportunity to serve their community, while networking and gaining leadership skills.
Rotaract is one of many programs headed by Rotary International. They are either community or university based, and organized by Rotary clubs to promote leadership, professional development and service among young adults ages 18-30. There are more than 7,000 clubs in 162 countries seeking to address their communities' physical and social needs while promoting international understanding.
ECU's Rotaract Club was chartered in Spring 2007, and has sponsored numerous service projects in the community since that time. Recent projects include the "Change for Change" fundraiser that began last fall, a project that collected money for African Education Relief Programs to purchase school supplies for children in Kenya and fundraisers to provide Thanksgiving meals for impoverished families through the Department of Social Services.
"Rotaract is great because it allows you to think outside the university and realize that there is a bigger world than college," said VP of Membership in Rotaract and junior business major, Liz Stoup. "It really puts things in perspective."
President James Wagner says that while there are many service organizations at ECU, the Rotaract Club offers a unique experience for students.
"What's kind of unique about this is there's a lot of service and philanthropic clubs out there but [Rotaract] gives the students the ability to conceptualize what a global community is," said Wagner.
He said that being in the Rotaract Club "gives the idea that you can help people all around the world whether it's in your back yard or in another continent."
The Club also has a personal tie to one of its service projects. The father of one of the Club's officers owns a dental clinic in Kenya and members were able to help the dental clinic, a service not sponsored by the Kenyan government, by earning $750 for the clinic.
Rotaract is one of many programs headed by Rotary International. They are either community or university based, and organized by Rotary clubs to promote leadership, professional development and service among young adults ages 18-30. There are more than 7,000 clubs in 162 countries seeking to address their communities' physical and social needs while promoting international understanding.
ECU's Rotaract Club was chartered in Spring 2007, and has sponsored numerous service projects in the community since that time. Recent projects include the "Change for Change" fundraiser that began last fall, a project that collected money for African Education Relief Programs to purchase school supplies for children in Kenya and fundraisers to provide Thanksgiving meals for impoverished families through the Department of Social Services.
"Rotaract is great because it allows you to think outside the university and realize that there is a bigger world than college," said VP of Membership in Rotaract and junior business major, Liz Stoup. "It really puts things in perspective."
President James Wagner says that while there are many service organizations at ECU, the Rotaract Club offers a unique experience for students.
"What's kind of unique about this is there's a lot of service and philanthropic clubs out there but [Rotaract] gives the students the ability to conceptualize what a global community is," said Wagner.
He said that being in the Rotaract Club "gives the idea that you can help people all around the world whether it's in your back yard or in another continent."
The Club also has a personal tie to one of its service projects. The father of one of the Club's officers owns a dental clinic in Kenya and members were able to help the dental clinic, a service not sponsored by the Kenyan government, by earning $750 for the clinic.
Be the first to comment on this story