Rotary International: Why Service to Others Means More
At Ensite, we are deeply supportive of organizations that serve others. We place a high priority on service to others above self; that’s why we are proud our team members who are Rotarians at clubs in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and LaBelle.
The Rotary thrives on the unique perspective each of its members brings to the table. Years of experience in different industries, cultures, and countries comes together in these meetings for some of the best round table brainstorming sessions ever seen. The overarching principle behind the Rotary International organization is deeply impactful. “Rotary is an organization of worldwide business and professional leaders united to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary Clubs meet weekly and are nonpolitical, nonsectarian, and are open to all cultures, races, and creeds.”
Paul P. Harris, founder of Rotary International, defined the organization by what it does. “Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves.” Each club is specific to the community it is in. This allows the members to come together with common goals, concerns, and obtainable plans. Here in Southwest Florida we have many local chapters. The Rotary Club of Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and LaBelle are just a few.
The Rotary Club of Fort Myers has proudly been serving our community for over 90 years and includes 185 members. Their first project back in 1922 was the historical planting of Royal Palms on McGregor Boulevard. More recently their support of the PACE Center for Girls has made such a positive change in our community. The Rotary Club of Fort Myers has a trust fund set up from which they distributed over $130,000 into our community in the past year to help many different causes. The Club also helped with the relief efforts in Haiti. They contributed over $20,000 through Shelter Box for shelters.
There are many key projects to which the Rotary Club of Fort Myers has contributed. They facilitated the planting of Royal Palms along McGregor Blvd, have partnered with Edison State College, provided funding of the Mike Lawrence bike and jogging path, helped with the early completion of I-75, provided playground equipment for handicapped children at Centennial Park, continues to fund ECHO’s fight against hunger campaign, and many more.
The Rotary Club of Cape Coral was founded in 1964. Starting with a group of 25 members, the Rotary Club of Cape Coral has grown in the past 45 years to over 75 local men and women. Each week members meet to discuss future plans and projects for Cape Coral. The Club has supported many city improvement projects including the Memorial Arch at the entrance of the city, planting hibiscus, building bike racks at the local bus stops, and even sponsoring a local petting zoo for handicapped children. In 1979, the Rotary Club of Cape Coral helped with the construction of the Cape Coral High School Stadium and land purchase for athletic fields. These are just a few of the many projects the Rotary Club of Cape Coral has been instrumental in.
The Rotary Club of LaBelle is perhaps one of the youngest chapters in Southwest Florida. Founded in September of 2002 they have been an integral part of the community ever since. Currently they have 39 members who are dedicated to giving back. The Rotary Club of LaBelle continuously donates time and money to local projects including The Gift of Life Foundation, Earth Week busses, Project Graduation, Relay for Life, and thousands of dollars to scholarships for local children. They also support many local projects such as annual golf tournaments, armadillo races, spaghetti dinners, food drives, and even donated dictionaries to our local schools. These are just a few of the ways that the Rotary Club of LaBelle gives back every day.
The Rotary Clubs of Southwest Florida have their fingers on the pulse of our community and knows what can and should be done to help make our neighborhoods better. Through their combined efforts, Southwest Florida is the place to be!
For more information about a few of our local clubs, please visit:
