Greetings!
Hello, I'm Robert Ryan, Rotary District Governor for the eastern half of Kentucky, and a member of the Lexington, Kentucky Rotary Club. On behalf of all Kentucky Rotary Clubs, I want to invite you to help share Rotary on a world class level. This fall, we all have the opportunity to be part of a once in lifetime experience in Kentucky.I hope you will be part of it!
The World Equestrian Games, the Superbowl or Olympics of the Equestrian World, will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park September 25-October 10, 2010. This is the first time the games have been held in North America, so it's fitting that they will be here in Lexington, the 'horse capital of the world.' All of Kentucky can celebrate this historic event, but more importantly, all Rotarians, their families and friends, whether in Kentucky or elsewhere, can participate in this celebration.
More than half a million spectators will be in Kentucky for the games, including 800 human athletes and 900 equine athletes! It will REALLY be something to see.
We have a unique opportunity to be part of the games and help further our Rotary mission at the same time.
Rotary forged a unique relationship with the public concessionaire for the World Equestrian Games. Rotarians, their families and friends, will be the primary work force serving food and performing cashier duties at the games' public concession sites. The money we earn will go to the Rotary Foundation, including for Polio Plus. Based on projections, we estimate that our efforts can earn between $300,000 - $400,000 to help us all put "Service Above Self" and "End Polio Now."
And what a great way to raise money for this lifesaving effort!
Previously held in places like Italy and Germany, the World Equestrian Games is a spectacular international event and will feature eight different types of equestrian competitions. More than 1,000 members of the media will be here including NBC which will broadcast the Games live.
This is a big deal, and we are proud to welcome you and your family and friends to work with us in central Kentucky. All Rotary workers must be 18 or older. And, as a benefit, each participant will receive an additional free pass for another day at the Games, as a spectator. Rotarians who recruit friends and family to work shifts, may accumulate Rotary Foundation points/credit, which can be used to meet your club's annual PolioPlus required goal or for "Paul Harris Fellow" recognition.
We Kentuckians are known for many things including our hospitality so we'll be providing housing for visiting distant Rotarians who volunteer. And, we're also proud of Kentucky's unique place in the history of the horse. The World Equestrian Games is a celebration of these magnificent animals and the people who have such special bonds with them. Mostly, though, the Games will give us the opportunity to raise much-needed funds to help people in our own little corners of the world AS WELL AS people in need all over the globe, through Rotary funded initiatives like PolioPlus, and, through these efforts, live our 2010 Rotary theme "Building Communities - Bridging Continents."
You can register and sign up for a shift on this web site, right now. Why not take three minutes and schedule your shift?
Get ready to saddle up... we look forward to seeing you this September and October in beautiful Lexington, Kentucky for the World Equestrian Games.
- Robert Ryan
