On Thursday evening May 29, Rotary District 7230 hosted its annual Paul Harris Dinner, honoring the district’s most committed supporters of The Rotary Foundation. The event, at J.C. Fogarty’s in Bronxville, attended by 45 distinguished donors, celebrated Paul Harris Fellows, Major Donors, Benefactors, and Arch Klumph Society members whose contributions continue to transform lives globally.

Opening the evening was District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair (DRFC) and Past District Governor (PDG) Eric Storberg, who welcomed guests and emphasized the Foundation’s role in Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self.
The highlight of the evening was the keynote address by PDG Mahbub Ahmad, Chair of the District Grants Sub-Committee. With passion and humor, PDG Mahbub praised attendees as “heroes with checkbooks” and shared powerful stories that illustrated the real-world impact of their generosity.
“Every dollar you give creates a story,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a comeback story, sometimes a love story, but always—always—a story of hope.” PDG Mahbub said donors to The Rotary Foundation, which has been awarded the highest 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for 16 consecutive years, are helping rewrite the futures of many lives around the world.
PDG Mahbub cited several life-changing projects made possible by donor support, including a clean water initiative in Kenya, an education project for young children in the Dominican Republic, training for primary school teachers in Bangladesh, and the revitalization of a basketball court in Yonkers. He highlighted that donations not only impact communities abroad, but also return to the district through Global Grants and District Designated Funds.
The District’s accomplishments include 3,209 Paul Harris Fellows, 68 Major Donors, 57 Benefactors, and 17 Bequest Society Members. This year saw a record-breaking $422,735 raised for the Polio Plus Fund, $400,000 of which came from a single anonymous donor.
Despite the success, PDG Mahbub also called for increased participation, noting that only a quarter of the district’s 1,249 members currently donate, and 17 clubs have given nothing this year.
“Our per capita giving is at a five-year low,” he cautioned, “but the opportunity to turn donations into action has never been greater.”
DG Syed Alirahi asked every new donor to step forward and be recognized. In his remarks, he said, without donors like those present, there will be no Rotary projects anywhere, and the world will be a darker place.
As the evening concluded, guests left inspired by the stories of transformation and the call to continue building a brighter future—one donation, one project, one life at a time.
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