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Rotary International

Rotarians unite for good works in Caborca
rotarians and sonora public health nurses

Rotarians and Sonoran public health nurses, vaccinating children in El Desemboque, Sonora

Rotarians Unite to Help the Citizens of Caborca

Members of Rotary International perform humanitarian service work around the world to promote goodwill and peace, principles exemplified in many of the service-oriented activities, donations and projects that Rotarians have completed in Caborca. And their work in Caborca continues every year.

I first became aware of the local Caborca Rotary Club (Unidad 3) after suffering a debilitating knee injury while in Caborca. I was bedridden – unable to use crutches and without any source of mobility. Then, a friend who is a member of the local club brought me one of the loaner wheelchairs that Rotary provides to injured people in need. At the time, that single gesture made a tremendous difference in my life, giving me freedom to be able to get out of bed and have some mobility (to learn more about these wheelchairs, click here).

Since then, I have learned more about the services that the very active local Rotary provides to the residents of Caborca, to include:

Building handicapped access ramps and structures in the downtown area

Providing playground equipment for local parks

Donating garbage trucks

Donating an ambulance to the local Red Cross

Donating a “Jaws of Life” apparatus to extricate accident victims from their vehicles

Donating portable x-ray machines

Donating a CAT Scan (computerized axial tomography) machine to a local hospital, and

Funding medical services for children

The Hurst “Jaws of Life” that was donated to Caborca by the Orange County Rotary Club has been used to remove Caborca accident victims from their vehicles, where before the local emergency response agencies had no means of doing so. Among those rescued by the Jaws of Life include a former mayor of Caborca, who was extracted from his car following a highway traffic accident.

Rotary International’s primary goal is the eradication of polio, and every year in February the Rotarians from Orange County, California board a bus to come to Caborca for a polio immunization weekend organized by Orange County Rotarian Mike Brunhober. Along the way they pick up Rotary members from Southern California and Arizona, and they all spend the weekend with Caborca Rotarians immunizing children against the poliovirus.

Although there are no documented cases of polio in Mexico, the poliovirus is highly contagious, and if an infected international traveler were to visit an area where the population was not vaccinated it could cause a serious outbreak. Think about the 2014 measles scare – a polio epidemic would have terrible effects on the children of this area.

During the immunization weekend, the Rotary members also have dinners together, discuss projects, and hold a fundraiser where they raise thousands of dollars for the Caborca Rotary Club’s Children’s Medical Fund. As time permits they also work on other projects and attend dedication ceremonies for completed projects, such as the recent dedication of donated playground equipment at the Unidad Deportiva Eduardo Gomez park, which was made possible because of $35,000 in donations.

The members of Rotary International continue to make a positive difference in the lives of the citizens of Caborca, epitomizing the Rotary’s motto of “Service above Self.” To learn more about Rotary International, visit their website.