District governor looks to spread word about Rotary’s ‘service above self’
For an organization that has focused on philanthropy for 116 years, Rotary International tends to keep a relatively low profile.
Sure, the average American has heard of Rotary. But the governor of District 7305, which includes local clubs in Southwestern Pennsylvania and points east, wants to pique the public’s interest further about all the good that Rotarians do.
Vincent Costa, district governor for 2021-22, met recently in Peters Township with members of clubs in Washington and Greene counties to outline some of his points of emphasis.
One is getting the word out about Rotary initiatives in several areas, such as an educational program to provide young students with dictionaries and, when not interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, organize local spelling bees.
The McMurray Rotary Club, which hosted Costa’s visit, has donated approximately $700 worth of dictionaries to this year’s third-graders at Peters Township’s Bower Hill and Pleasant Valley elementary schools.
A primary mission for individual clubs is to raise money for distribution to nonprofit organizations that address a variety of causes in local communities and beyond.
On a broader scale, District 7305 supports the Feed 10 Million Campaign as a program of Rotary International Zones 33-34, which extends from Pennsylvania to the Caribbean. Rotarians do their part through activities such as serving meals in food kitchens, packing or delivering food for pantries and banks, and providing funding toward applicable organizations.
“Last year, we provided the equivalent of over 2,000 meals,” Costa said about his district.
Internationally, the district continues to support disaster-relief efforts, including COVID-19 response and assistance for victims of the major earthquake that struck Haiti in mid-August. The poverty-stricken Caribbean nation also is the focus of a Rotary-based project to provide clean water and sanitation on a more thorough basis, and District 7305 contributed $30,000 to the cause last year and has pledged the same amount for 2021-22.
Addressing one of Rotary International’s longstanding endeavors, the District 7305 Polio Plus Society encourages donations toward the worldwide eradication of the crippling disease.
Overall, the district’s membership has grown to about 1,930, and another of Costa’s priorities is continuing the upward trend, especially with regard to younger people with an interest in following Rotary’s motto: Service above self.
“In the future, 10 years from now, we’re going to have a very strong team of Rotarians who will carry this district to who knows where,” he said.
A member of Oakland Rotary Club, Costa earned his doctorate in education from the University of Pittsburgh and spent several years working in other nations, including Indonesia, where met his wife, Sandra.
He has served as president of two clubs, Oakland and one in Indonesia, and succeeded Al DeLucia, a McMurray Rotary member, as district governor.
The Costas visited Valley Brook Country Club, where the McMurray club meets at noon Wednesdays, for a gathering that also included members from Washington and Waynesburg.
For more information, visit rotarydistrict7305.org.