Page 12 - 1995 Plymouth Rotary Annual Report

elementary school with funds provided by the foundation he started and manpower provided
by the club that he started.
One of the club's early activities was that of making a house-to-house canvass of the
community and surrounding area to find crippled children and arrange for their proper care.
This program started a county and state organization that is still active today. That beginning
was followed by a project in 1956-57 when our club joined with the other Rotary Clubs of the
district and made possible the Crippled Children's Home at Inkster. This project involved a total
investment of over $150,000 with Plymouth providing over $40,000 of that amount. Today we
have expanded on that with our drive to collect equipment to help all handicapped individuals.
More recently a projects to collect and distribute previously used surplus handicap
equipment resulted in the placing of $30,000 worth of equipment in 1994 and $25,000 worth
in 1995 with persons who could make good use of it, all at a cost to the club of $200 plus
the time of our ever willing workers. From this has developed a promising relationship with
the Vietnam Veterans of America.
Plymouth Rotary received outstanding international recognition for assistance given to
Plymouth, England during the Blitz of World War II. Between June 30, 1940 and April 30, 1944
our sister city in England had 60 alert sirens, with 59 bombings, 448 residents killed and total
casualties of 1172. Plymouth Rotary sent food, clothing, money and above all, friendly letters
of hope and encouragement during those trying times.
In 1947 Plymouth High felt the need for a lighted football field. Rotary members held a fund
raising campaign which resulted in a lighting system being dedicated on Halloween night at a
cost of over $20,000. In 1964 we made another major contribution to modernize the system.
In the late fifties, our club started a club picnic, serving barbecued chicken and corn to assist
members to become better acquainted. The first barbecues were only for members and
friends and totaled about 150. In 1960 the barbecue was turned into the Plymouth Fall Festival.
For more than thirty years the high point of the festival has been chicken Sunday, with as many
as 16,000 dinners being prepared and served. The barbecue provided us with a steady source
of income that has allowed us to do more for the community.
We were one of the largest donors to the purchase of the portable band shell and public
address system that is used for entertainment at the festival and throughout the year. We also
were one of the largest donors in the building of the Gathering which has allowed us to hold
the barbecue, even if it rains, and provides shelter for numerous events throughout the year.
We were also able to help beautify Kellogg Park with the addition of the Rotary Fountain.
In 1963 we donated two kidney machines to St. Mary's hospital. Over a five year period we
invested $20,000 to create a small scale farm at the high school to expose youngsters in the
community to some rural atmosphere.
Internationally we have furnished annual nursing scholarships to Nepal, supported veterinary
medicine clinics in Africa , obtained a public address system for a Rotary club in Zimbabwe,
provided more than $60,000 to the Polio Plus campaign, supported youth exchanges and
supported one of our members providing dental assistance in Hong Kong and Jamaica.
In 1970, in honor of the first Rotary International president from our district, it was decided to
create the Dick Hedke Award to honor the best all around club in the district. The first award
was won by the Plymouth Rotary Club and we have won it twice since.
On this year's Hedke Award we are asked what is our most important commun ity service. Our
most important community service is that we are involved and ready to serve wherever
needed. Over our 71 year history there has not been a major event in the community that has
not involved at least one Rotarian and there have been very few non-profit boards of directors
that do not contain at least one Rotarian .
Think not, though, about the past , but think rather about the future We cannot sit back and
bask in the past. What we have done is very good, but pales in comparison to what some
Rotary Clubs are doing. We must make a collective effort to ensure that years from now future
members will be able to look back and be as proud of our achievements as we are of our
predecessors.