Mayor Rick Allen joined the Leesville chapter of Rotary International last night as they celebrated their 100th anniversary at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Leesville.
Rotary International, founded on February 23, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, is the world's first and one of the largest non-profit service organizations. The Rotary motto, “Service Above Self”, inspires members to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and promote good will and peace in the world.
Their Polio Plus program not only spearheaded efforts of the World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and UNICEF to immunize the children of the world against polio but also provided additional follow-up assistance to victims of the disease.
Rotary also is the world’s largest privately-funded source of international scholarships and promotes international understanding through scholarships, exchange programs and humanitarian grants. Financial assistance is awarded in the following areas of study: peacebuilding and conflict resolutions; disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; economic and community development; and environment.
The Leesville Rotary Club was founded on December 4, 1924 with twenty-four members and have been supporting events and activities within the City of Leesville for the past one hundred years. In recognition of their century of service, Mayor Allen proclaimed December 4, 2024 to be Rotary International Day in the City of Leesville.