Madera County Rotary clubs announce speech winner

Courtesy of Virginia

Madera District Rotary speech contest participants stand with organizer Steve King. From left are Ruben Canchola, winner Jonathan Barriga, King, Madison Marion and Mia Ruiz.

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Rotary International is an organization of more than 1.2 million individuals who “see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves,” according to Rotary.org. 

One of Rotary’s primary goals is to promote peace internationally across all kinds of different cultures. They fight life-threatening diseases such as polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria; provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to communities in need; expand access to quality healthcare for mothers and their children; offer more opportunities for basic education and literacy; reduce gender disparity in education; and increase adult literacy. They also support local economies, enabling them to create opportunities for both young and old. Additionally, Rotary addresses environmental issues by leveraging its connections to influence policies and plans for the future. 

Rotary International engages young people in the community by sponsoring high school Interact clubs. These clubs offer scholarship opportunities and the chance to develop into strong leaders.