A simple concept to support a great Rotary cause led to one Weber barbeque raising more than NZ$27,000 for End Polio Now.
 
Matamata Rotarian Henry Clothier, a seasoned End Polio Now fundraiser donated the NZ$1000 barbeque and developed this win-win project. 
 
The concept was simple. With the support of then District Governor Mike Smith, raffle tickets were distributed to most of the 54 clubs in District 9930. “We asked clubs to sell the tickets but instead of returning the money to Matamata Rotary, they put it towards their club’s Rotary Foundation polio giving,” Henry says.
 
“A number of clubs could not believe that we were willing to give the proceeds of the raffle away, so to speak, but all we really cared about was that the money went to such an important cause. This provided clubs with an added incentive to sell tickets,” he says.
 
With more than 4500 tickets sold, Matamata’s mayor Jan Barnes drew the winning ticket at a special club evening in June.
 
Rotary Matamata 2015-16 President David Hulme,
Matamata-Piako Mayor Jan Barnes and
Matamata Rotarian Henry Clothier
with the barbeque the club raffled.
 
.The lucky winner was Barbara Boyd from Whitianga, a small township in the Coromandel. Barbara is not a Rotarian but purchased her ticket while visiting her sister’s club – Frankton in Hamilton.
 
Current Rotary Matamata president and District 9930 Polio Chair Michelle Tanner says the End Polio Now campaign was one which especially close to the club’s heart and indeed the whole Matamata community who have the supported the club’s polio eradication fundraising.
 
“The global eradication of polio is so close. As Rotarians, we made a promise to the world’s children to eradicate this disease and we must do everything we can to support the final push,” Michelle says.
 
“Matamata Rotary is proud of the efforts of many within our club and we will continue to fundraise for this great cause until the job is done.
“One Rotarian thought outside the square and came up with a novel way to raise money – the challenge for us all is to continue to think in this way to garner the best support we can,” Michelle says.
 
Articel by: David Hulme Immediate Past President Rotary Club of Matamata, NZ District 9930