As St. Croix’s Rotary West club was donating a much-needed piece of medical equipment to the Frederiksted Health Center, a long-time island Rotarian was named the worldwide organization’s district governor for the Caribbean.
On Tuesday, Rotary West presented the Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic and Health Center with a $16,000 check to purchase a crucial diagnostic machine. Vivian Ebbesen-Fludd, the Health Center’s executive director, said the piece of equipment will, among other things, allow staff to analyze blood samples on site. The analyzer, which will be delivered in three weeks, was purchased by Rotary West using money generated by the club’s weekly bingo fund raiser.
"It’s a step in the direction we want to move the center," said Ebbesen-Fludd.
Meanwhile, Richard Grant, an 16-year member of Rotary Mid Isle and president of Premium Finance Co., has been named governor-elect of Rotary District 7020. The district is comprised of 57 Rotary clubs with 2,000 members from the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Barths and Haiti.
Grant will take over the one-year governorship in July. As part of the position, the Rotary district conference will be held on St. Croix in May 2002. About 500 Rotarians and their spouses are expected to attend.
Such gatherings are the beauty of Rotary, a non-profit organization of volunteers focused on community service that "goes across all boundaries," Grant said.
"What is fantastic is the networking you are able to do as well as working together," he said.
Over the years, Rotary Mid Isle has donated time and money to the Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged, the Bethlehem House Shelter and other community organizations. In his position as district governor, Grant will also be involved with projects on a wider scale in such places as strife-torn Haiti.
"Rotary does quite a bit in Haiti," he said. "We have several projects there."
Grant is married to Dr. Rita Dudley Grant and has a 15-year perfect attendance record at Rotary Mid Isle. As district governor, Grant will travel to all the countries throughout the district.
Rotary was founded in 1905 by Chicago lawyer Paul P. Harris, who wanted to kindle fellowship among members of the business community, according to the Rotary website. Harris and his colleagues rotated their meetings among the members' places of business, hence the name.
Now there are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians in more than 29,000 Rotary clubs throughout 161 countries.
