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Disaster Aid Europe z.s, (DAE), a project of Rotary Club Prague International (RCPI), is focused on helping rebuild communities after disasters. Disaster Aid Europe’s goal in Beirut is to assist Lebanese Rotary & Rotaract Clubs helping in supporting the communities severely affected by the 4th August 2020 explosion in Beirut. 300,000 homes were destroyed, and many have homes with no windows and doors as well as other damage.

Baking for Kladno Hospital

Following up on the success of the Kladno Hospital Easter Baking project, after reaching out to the Bc. Barbora Pittnerova from the hospital, Nina and Karin decided to repeat the Baking Project before Christmas.

Thanks to the support of our fabulous Rotarians members and friends (Jana J., Andreas, Roman, Gerry, Nelly, Alica, Mamun, Yvonne and Veronicah) as well as our wonderful non-Rotarian friends, on Saturday November 21st, 26 boxes filled with delicious cakes and dessert were delivered to the Kladno Hospital.

Many thanks to those who contributed to this wonderful project and a big THANK YOU to Karin for organisning it.

Nina Hustedova Appeal

The daughter of our dear friend, Birger Husted, lost her life in tragic circumstances in Prague on Friday, 6th November, 2020. Our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go to Birger and his family.

Nina's life dream was to build a senior home with a kindergarten. When Nina’s grandmother died in Denmark, she and her sister Anna worked over the summer helping in the local retirement home. Nina was very impressed by the kindness, care, love, and opportunity for senior citizens to have a decent life in the facility and wanted to build a senior home that would operate on similar principles in their home country of Czech Republic. Unfortunately, Nina left us forever, so this dream cannot be fulfilled by her. But it can be fulfilled for her.

Nina's family together with closest friends would like to enhance and improve senior living in the Czech Republic by initiating a senior home concept whereby senior citizens will find understanding and love, where there will always be things to do and where everyone will find their place and dignity. The family are presently studying the best way to launch this concept and will share further details in the coming weeks.

Our club would like to support the family to make Nina's dream come true. This dream describes in the best way what Nina was like. It is a dream that the family want to spread as much as possible among as many people as possible.

Nina’s family have decided to start a collection in her name with our support, so that she can continue to help others. You can make a donation HERE.

A Facebook page has also been set up where updates will be posted.

Indian Food Helps!

For one week commencing 19 October you can once again enjoy great Indian lunches prepared by The Curry House Restaurant, voted the Best Curry in Prague. A second week of this service is planned for the week commencing 2 November.

All the proceeds from this action go towards supporting primary schooling in rural Rajasthan. We will buy equipment for the schools, school bags, exercise books and writing materials, school uniforms, hygiene kits and pay school fees for poor families.
One lunch will enable us to buy 2 school bags or two girls uniforms. Five lunches can pay for the school fees of one child for a year. All proceeds will be spent on material needs of the children and the school. There are no administration costs.

Please order your food by 18:00 pm the day before required using our on-line order form at www.indianfoodhelps.cz
Payment should be made with order by debit or credit card
Delivery will be between 11.30 – 13.30

Home Working? Have Indian food delivered to your door (Minimum order 4 meals). Since they are cooked fresh on the day you can pop what you do not eat in the freezer and enjoy it another day.

Clean up day with RCPI

On Saturday 19th September, Rotary Club Prague International joined more than 100 groups in the city of Prague and millions of people around the world for World Cleanup Day. Ten members got together to clean Údolí Kunratického potoka (Kunratice Brook Valley), located in Prague 4.

Disaster Aid Europe Sky Hydrant Appeal Albanian Night

The Disaster Aid Europe Sky Hydrant Appeal Albanian Night was a great success last Friday 28^th August, with the Albanian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ilirian Kuka as the Guest of Honour. We were so lucky to have our District Governor Nominee George Podzimek as our Master of Ceremonies – he was marvellous.

We had 55 people and 4 children come to the evening – programme attached; it was a great turnout! However, we had many more donations from those who could not attend, both due to Covid and other commitments, as well as from our Club Fun Evening fund raiser Curry Night.

The Albanian Night was a very enjoyable evening at the International Hotel in Prague 6 (outside until the rain came!) with delicious Mediterranean food, beer, wine, soft drinks ; fantastic mood music provided by a violinist and musician/singer Roberto Caporali, and Stuart provided an exhibition of the Sky Hydrant and other DA Europe information. There was also terrific Tombola and Auction (attached prize list). And the Ambassador with his wife stayed and enjoyed the event until 22.00. In fact most did not want to leave even at 22.30!

Disaster Aid Europe, a project of this club (RC Prague International) raised over 100,000czk during this evening! an amazing result and so A BIG THANK YOU to all sponsors of the Auction and Tombola, and above all A BIG THANK YOU to all who either donated through a ticket purchase (700czk from each ticket sale was a donation) or sent a donation. The proceeds of the evening were based on ticket sales (as stated before, each participant paid a ticket price which included an amount to cover the cost of the evening plus also a donation), an auction of 5 prizes and a Tombola of about 37 prizes. The leading Auction prize, donated by RC Durres, Albania, Disaster Aid Europe’s partner in DAE’s work in Albania was 5 – 7 nights hotel stay for 2 people in either Hotel Kitarrat or Hotel Arvi, Durres, Albania and this was won by one of the DAE Trustees and member of our Club (Immediate Past President), Fernanda Escobar Illoldi! Congratulations!

Disaster Aid Europe thanks all of you (DAE member, RCPI members, friends and family) who contributed to making the evening such an enjoyable success!

Including other donations plus a final ‘top up’ of 248euro from our own RCPI club, Disaster Aid Europe Sky Hydrant Appeal has now achieved its target of 5,000euro! So soon the purchase of a Sky Hydrant will be made, sent from Disaster Aid Australia direct to Albania, and then Stuart Amesbury, a DAE Trustee and RCPI member will travel to Durres help the RC Durres team to install it at a University facility, hopefully in October!

You can see the full album of pictures HERE

Thank you again everyone!!

Irena Brichter

A WELCOME FROM THE RCPI PRESIDENT

A warm welcome to you all from our Club, Rotary Club Prague International (RCPI).

RCPI is a club with a fantastic story to tell, having implemented a substantial number of projects and initiatives over the years to support communities in the Czech Republic and internationally. Although there are several Rotary clubs in Prague, we are the only English-speaking club in the city. This is a club that has a truly international spirit, having members that hail from many parts of the world, and that share common values of service above self.

I write this welcome note in July 2020. In these past months we have of course been living in unprecedented and extraordinary times and unfortunately these challenging times will be with us for a while. What that means to us at RCPI is that now more than ever, the world needs Rotary. The world needs us. We need to step up and help those that are facing serious difficulties because of this pandemic and support them in any way that we can.

The international theme for the present Rotary year is “Rotary opens opportunities”, and our club is open to any opportunities through which it may support or provide service to communities and people in need. We welcome new ideas and initiatives from any individuals and partner organisations that like us, would like to support those in need. As a club we also welcome like-minded individuals to join us in supporting our projects and activities, and we also embrace new friendships.

If you are visiting Prague or living in the city or nearby, we would be very happy to welcome you to join one of our meetings or activities. Please do reach out to us, we would love to tell you more about Rotary and about our club, and to show you how Rotary connects the world whilst opening new opportunities. We meet on Monday evenings and you will find our upcoming meetings, activities and events detailed on these club web pages.

Yours in Rotary

Daniel Xuereb

Rotary Club Prague International President 2020-2021

COVID-19 Update

We live in uncertain times. COVID-19 has imposed changes in our way of living as humans, citizens and professionals; as Rotarians.

We’ve had to postpone some fundraising events, celebrations, and projects scheduled for the coming months. The wonderful Dragon Boat Charity Challenge, a special activity for SKP HOPO - Azylový dům or our visit to the Prague Zoo with the children of Žatec dětský domov as examples.

As painful as this was, the members of RCPI still found ways of helping those in need.

In March, we started a fundraising campaign for ŽIVOT 90, in helping finance safety aids and supporting the Coordination Centre for Crisis Aid to the Elderly. A place where senior people can ask for help in delivering groceries, medicaments, or for a volunteer with whom they can stay in contact for their daily necessities. https://www.darujme.cz/projekt/1202809.

Presently and until April 24th, the Club is supporting ŽIVOT 90 by making-up and delivering lunches throughout Prague. Furthermore, to provide financial assistance in purchasing protective clothing and equipment for those volunteers helping seniors https://rotarypragueinternational.org/.

Only on Thursday, volunteers delivered 57 lunches.

We have had some inspired initiatives from our members, such as delivering delicious cakes to the medical staff of Kladno Hospital to help them celebrate Easter, providing used laptops to single mothers for school lessons for their children, and medical clothing to Na Homolce hospital.

While COVID-19 might have brought to a halt many aspects of our lives, it couldn´t stop Rotarians as people of action. Our weekly meetings, now online, have continued uninterrupted and on more than one occasion, we have discussed that we believe in the possible transformation this crisis can bring for both individuals and collectivities. We know the challenges ahead will remain daunting, but we are involved, we are engaged, and we are Rotarians continually on the look-out for avenues of service.

Yours in Rotary,

Fernanda Escobar Illoldi

President 2019-2020

RCPI

The 2020 Charity Dragon Boat Challenge

Důležitá zpráva: Charitativní závod Rotary Dračích lodí 2020

Aktuální situaci a opatření proti šíření Coronaviru mají bohužel dopad i na tuto tradiční charitativní akci. Plánovaný termín 23. května je zrušen a závody se neuskuteční.

Stále doufáme, že se nám podaří naplánovat náhradní termín v září, ale vše záleží na vývoji situace a samozřejmě také zájmu týmů a posádek. V každém případě budeme všechny příznivce a podporovatele Dračích lodí včas informovat.

Děkujeme všem posádkám a podporovatelům našeho Rotary klubu za trvalou podporu a pochopení.

Přejeme nám všem pevné zdraví a abychom se mohli zase brzo vrátit zpět k normálnímu životu.

Rotary Club Prague International

Important news: Rotary Dragon Boats Charity Race 2020

Unfortunately, the current situation and protective measures against the spread of Coronavirus have also an impact on this traditional charity event. The scheduled date of May 23 is canceled, and the Dragon Boats charity race will not take place.

We still hope that we will be able to organize an alternative date in September, but it all depends on the development of the situation and of course, on the interest of paddling teams. We promise to inform all teams and supporters of Dragon Boats in advance.

We would like to thank all the paddling teams and supporters of our Rotary club for their continued support and understanding.

We wish us all good health and we hope for all of us to be able to return to normal life soon.

Rotary Club Prague International

Vesela Koruna Contributions

Even though we can't meet in person for the moment, many of us would still like to contribute to "Vesela Koruna" (Happy Dollar). Please use use the link below to donate! All proceeds go to the Rotary Foundation and/or Polio Plus Fund.

https://www.darujme.cz/projekt/1202399