As Rotarians, one of the things we talk about often is the idea of service above self. If you’re new to Rotary or not in Rotary at all, that may seem like kind of an abstract idea. For Columbia-Patuxent Rotarians, it isn’t abstract — it’s broken down into simple building blocks that together do great things in our community.
Rotary values are practical and action-oriented, not just slogans. Our upcoming Tour de Vines event illustrates this. On the evening of April 30, hundreds of people will gather to eat great food, drink fine wine, and enjoy entertainment and fellowship. What guests will really see is a manifestation of service above self, not just a social or culinary affair.
Many of our members have been working on Tour de Vines details, ranging from coordinating set-up to finalizing restaurants’ participation, from handling sponsorships to selling tickets, from working on rentals to setting up the ability to take credit cards. These individual tasks build to a substantial impact. The idea of service above self is exemplified by concrete tasks undertaken by many people, reinforcing teamwork, gratitude, and shared purpose.
When Tour de Vines comes together, it raises tens of thousands of dollars to benefit dozens of nonprofit organizations. And it is just one of our club’s fundraising tools. In the past year alone, we gave over $80,000 to nonprofit organizations, and over $2 million in the history of our club. But financial support is only part of the story. We also provide service to nonprofits, where club members do physical, hands-on volunteering, not just writing checks.
At Tour de Vines, people will eat, drink, and hear about what our club does. What they really will feel, however, is the passion that we share in being able to do these things for other people. Service creates that passion. Shared passion creates a bond. That bond is what defines Columbia-Patuxent Rotary and, indeed, Rotarians the world over.
(Based on remarks by Fred Landy, a member of Columbia-Patuxent Rotary)
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