2019 Regular Session ENROLLED SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 86 BY SENATOR JOHNS A RESOLUTION To recognize May 13, 2019, as Rotary Day in Louisiana. WHEREAS, Rotary, which began in 1905, is a volunteer organization and recognized leader in efforts to improve the quality of life in communities around the world with the motto of SERVICE ABOVE SELF; and WHEREAS, there are three of the 530 worldwide Rotary International Districts that serve the state of Louisiana consisting of District 6190, District 6200, and District 6840 with a combined membership count of over 5000 Rotarians; and WHEREAS, Rotarians in partnership with UNICEF, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and governments of the world have embarked on a campaign which began in 1989 to eradicate the POLIO virus from the world; and WHEREAS, the campaign to end POLIO has reduced the incident rate of humans contracting this dreaded disease from 350,000 new cases per year worldwide in 1988 to a total of 33 reported cases throughout all of 2018 which were isolated to only two of three remaining endemic countries; and WHEREAS, Rotary International supports the organized youth volunteer program of INTERACT for high school students and ROTARACT for our younger citizens ranging in age from 18 through 30 who serve their communities in various efforts to improve our quality of life; and WHEREAS, Rotary International supports the organized youth program of ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE which allows United States high school students to study for one year in a foreign country and allows foreign high school students to study for one year in the United States to benefit from the expanded educational and cultural opportunities as well as advance world peace and understanding; and Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 86 ENROLLED WHEREAS, Rotary International supports the organized youth program of ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS (RYLA) which allows United States high school students to attend a five-day leadership training camp to advance leadership skills and foster an exchange of ideas between our young leaders; and WHEREAS, Rotary International supports the organized exchange of best practices in various professional fields with other countries as part of the Vocational Training Team (VTT) program; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Foundation is a nonprofit organization which allows members of Rotary International and others to donate funds that are used by Rotary Clubs and Rotary Districts to implement projects that target one of six focus areas: 1) Peace and conflict prevention/resolution, 2) Water and sanitation, 3) Maternal and child health, 4) Basic education and literacy, 5) Disease prevention and treatment, and 6) Economic and community development; and WHEREAS, the Rotary Foundation has a FOUR STAR rating by Charity Navigator by obtaining a maximum achievable score of 100. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize May 13, 2019, as Rotary Day in Louisiana. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Rotary Club of Westlake/District 6200. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE Page 2 of 2