Rotary District Governor 6880 Bob Callahan challenged Brundidge Rotarians to engage their gears and drive forward.

Callahan’s reference was to the “gears” on Rotary International’s logo that, when engaged and driven forward, change lives.

Callahan was the program guest at the Brundidge Rotary Club’s Wednesday meeting. Club President Jamie Whitworth said it was an honor to have the District Governor visit the club.

Whitworth said Callahan, a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, is passionate about Rotary’s water and sanitation projects and has actively participated in many water purification projects in Latin America.

Callahan said there are needs all around the world and Rotary International responds to many of those needs.

“Rotary is engaging and is changing lives here in Brundidge and around the world,” he said. “More than 20,000 children die every day from preventable diseases. As individuals, we can do little but 1.2 million strong, we can change the world.”

Callahan pointed to the success of Rotary International’s PolioPlus program that provides vaccinations against the crippling and potentially deadly disease.

“In the first six months of 2013, only 95 cases of polio were reported worldwide,” Callahan said. “Two days ago, I received an email relaying the message that not one case of polio was reported in Pakistan, Afghanistan or Nigeria in the month of August.”

Those three countries are the only countries that remain polio-endemic. That’s down from more than 125 in 1988.

The District Governor challenged the Brundidge Rotarians to be engaged and change lives, by helping to provide healthy and safe living conditions for those living in poverty around the world.

“It might be something as simple as providing mosquito nets for safe sleeping,” he said. “Or it could be drilling a water well or building a park or playground. But be engaged. Change lives.”

District 6880 is supporting a pediatric burn center in Honduras where children too often suffer burns from where cooking is done over open fires.

Callahan brought good news to the Brundidge Rotarians that will assist them in being engaged in their own community.

Brundidge Rotary Club has been awarded a $3,000 grant from Rotary International to assist with the purchase of new stage curtains and tracking at Pike County Elementary School.

The total cost of the project will be $6,500. Rotarian Homer Homann said Brundidge Rotary Club will donated $2,000 to the project and Anita Grant, PCES principal, said the school will contribute the remaining $1,500.