Festival Sponsor
Rotary in Racine
Racine, Wisconsin is the birthplace of Paul P. Harris, the founder of Rotary International. The three Rotary clubs in Racine (Racine Downtown, Racine West and Founders Rotary) are proud to carry on the heritage of Rotary and the Rotary Motto "Service Above Self." Each club has a number of individual projects to serve Racine. The three clubs also come together to support larger projects. Their most notable collaboration is the annual "Post Prom" party for all Racine area high schools. This event has been featured on National Public Radio and has been declared the World's Best Prom. In 2003, it celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Rotary Club of Racine West
The Rotary Club of Racine West (Club) was founded on April 18, 1968. In order to better administer the collection and distribution of proceeds from its fundraising efforts, the Club created the Rotary Foundation of Racine West (Foundation) in 1976. The Foundation is not affiliated with the Rotary International Foundation. That organization funds global projects such as Polio Plus - a campaign to eradicate polio worldwide by 2005. We are proud to note that the Foundation contributed almost $9,000 toward that effort.
Club Events
The Club has sponsored a number of major events to raise funds for the Foundation to distribute to worthy local projects. These events include a Bluegrass Festival and a Grand Prix Go-Kart race. The Go-Kart race was held for five consecutive years (1996-2000).
These major events and other fundraising efforts by the Club have provided the Foundation with the financial resources needed to support many worthy local projects, including:
1) the purchase of the Family Resource Center building on 6th Street;
2) funding for the Racine Zoo's Safari Base Camp Pavilion;
3) funding for the Rotary West Readers program for Racine's Public Library;
4) the purchase of two vans for the local chapter of the American Red Cross; and
5) funding for the Haban Park concession building.
Other Projects
There have been a number of other smaller projects supported by the Foundation, including the Women's Resource Center, R.S.V.P., Love and Charity Mission, $1,000 "Strive Scholarships" for local high school students, Cops n' Kids, the Kids Connection playground, and the Kids Cove playground, also known as the North Beach Playground. Since 1994, the Foundation has contributed $240,000 in support of more than 50 projects in the greater Racine community.
Beginning in 2004, the Club will sponsor The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival. The proceeds from this annual event will allow the Foundation to continue its support of worthy projects in the greater Racine community.
