By Mary Avrakotos In the highlands of Guatemala, a group of Mayan midwives works tirelessly, traveling to bring essential medical care to pregnant women in small remote rural communities. The absence of infrastructure like electricity and clean water makes safe home births difficult and poses challenges to childhood health and development. Guatemala has the highest […]

On December 17, thirteen Rotarians and two spouses gathered at the Ann Arbor District Library’s Pittsfield Branch to pack hygiene kits for VA patients under the direction of Don Deatrick. This is the seventh year Don has organized this effort. The group packed 201 bags with toothbrushes, combs, a puzzle book, ChapStick, greeting cards and […]

By Leo Shedden One of the many ways that our Rotary Club helps kids succeed is our Rotary Readers and Tutors program. A few years ago I thought I would give tutoring a try, and it’s been a great experience. One that has been as rewarding for me as it has been for the students. […]

Condensed from history.com. Click here for the full link. On December 9, 1979, a commission of scientists declare smallpox has been eradicated. The disease is the only infectious disease afflicting humans that has officially been eradicated. Something similar to smallpox had ravaged humanity for thousands of years. In 1796, the English scientist Edward Jenner discovered […]

Soo K. Eaker (Sponsors: Carolyn Hiatt and Kate VanHorn) Soo Kim Eaker was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the U.S. as a child. She was raised and lived most of her life in Houston, Texas. She earned a degree in MIS (Management Information Systems) and a Master’s in IT before spending six […]

The Rotaract Club at the University of Michigan started up in 2000 and officially was chartered on January 18, 2005. It gets together each fall to celebrate its chartering by welcoming new students to membership. On Tuesday evening, December 2, 21 Rotarians joined 12 Rotaractors at Knight’s On Liberty for this year’s iteration of this […]

The polio vaccine is “safe, effective, and potent.” With these words on April 12, 1955, Dr. Thomas Francis Jr., director of the Poliomyelitis Vaccine Evaluation Center at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, announced to the world that the Salk polio vaccine was up to 90% effective in preventing paralytic polio. Dr. Francis […]

Strategic planning sessions began earlier this month and after four sessions, close to 50 Rotarians have participated. If you’re not one of those 50, however, we’d love for you to come to one of the sessions planned for December. The planning sessions are the first phase of a four-phase process (analysis of current club landscape; […]

by Ed Wier, Interact Committee Chair It was a wet morning, but spirits remained high among the Interact students (and Rotarians) manning the Ann Arbor Marathon Rotary aid station on Sunday, October 13. Students from from Pioneer High School Interact, Huron High School Interact, and Skyline High School Interact (sponsored by Ann Arbor Rotary North) […]

The Ann Arbor Rotary Foundation is completely separate from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. The monies from our club’s foundation make a significant contribution to the local community and beyond. As of Sept. 30, 2024, our Foundation’s total permanent assets topped $3M (see chart below): Investment strategy The Fund’s investment policy requires it to […]