BUCKHANNON – The Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur elected a new president and embraced their 2024-2025 theme this week.
Kelley Tierney took over her new position as president of the Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur during the July 16 meeting, where she announced the theme for all Rotary clubs for the year: ‘The Magic of Rotary.’
“Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick shared a story, that on a trip to the Dominican Republic with Rotary, they were helping to install water filters, and two boys were watching as the dirty water went in one side and came out clean on the other,” Tierney said. “One of the young boys grabbed her sleeve and said, ‘Show me the magic again.’ She said, ‘The water filters aren’t magic, but we have worked hard to transport the filters and worked with the community leaders to maintain them.’ These boys knew having access to clean water was a game changer in their lives.”
This story inspired the 2024-2025 theme, ‘The Magic of Rotary,’ which Tierney said can be seen in the projects Rotary International tackles regularly.
“One of Rotary’s seven causes is promoting peace,” Tierney said. “The Rotary Foundation’s Disaster Response Fund has provided humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees, and in over two years, there was more than $17.4 million raised by Rotary International. They have funded 375 grants that have provided essential support.”
Rotary also aims to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases like polio, HIV, AIDS and malaria.
“We are here to eradicate polio, and we’re doing a pretty darn good job,” Tierney said. “We are down to three cases this year, and last year there were four. Rotary is the one who started this, and through collaboration with the Gates Foundation and other folks, they’ve truly taken polio immunization to another level.”
Providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene is another core goal of Rotary International.
“We need to remember that we don’t just build wells and walk away, we share expertise with community leaders and educators to make sure projects are going to succeed long term,” Tierney said. “Another cause is supporting education. More than 775 million people worldwide over the age of 15 are considered illiterate, and Rotary International and Rotary members locally support education through scholarships, donations and service projects around the world, including pairing students with mentors for success, working with local applicants to offer community literacy programs, and supporting teacher training.”
Tierney said the magic of Rotary can be seen in their programs and how they make communities better across the globe.
“Growing local economies with service projects that enhance economic and community development, protecting the environment, and saving mothers and children finish out our Rotary causes,” Tierney said. “Rotary truly is magic, and our theme emphasizes the transformative power of Rotary’s work around the world.”
Tierney said Rotary’s magic can also be seen in Buckhannon.
“I’m challenging each of us to be the magic of Rotary,” she said. “It takes each of us to make that magic, so how are we going to do that? Through service, dedication and collaboration, things that we’ve been doing with this club for over 100 years. Our community-led blood screenings in collaboration with St. Joseph’s Hospital allow many people who simply just cannot afford proper testing a chance to monitor their overall health. We perform magic in conjunction with the Parish House’s school supply drive, which is coming up, and their holiday meal baskets. We support these programs with our donations and volunteer hours by packing and distributing these items to our neighbors.”
The Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur has also supported the Colonial Arts Center, Special Olympics, the Christmas Store and Mountain CAP. They have sponsored mission trips to Haiti, Africa, India and other locations worldwide.
“I’m asking each of you to make a commitment to service,” Tierney told Rotary members. “Last year Dave [Long] put a special focus on membership, but this year I’d like to put the lens on service, and I’m doing that by challenging each of you to dedicate a set amount of time to service. I have handed out two forms to each of you; one is dedicating 2025 minutes of service in our community this year. The other form lets you choose how many minutes you can plan to offer this year, and any amount of your time is very much appreciated. We have been making magic at Rotary in Upshur County for a long time, and I don’t want it to go away.”
