North Carolina Rotarians

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leg o a o cy, n.:  something received from an ancestor or predecessor or the past.

Rotarians of North Carolina have a legacy of caring at Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina.  It started back in 1966 when the Rotary cottage was completed on the Lake Waccamaw campus. That cottage is physical evidence that Rotarians wanted to do something for the children of North Carolina who had, for whatever reason, been deprived of a happy and productive childhood. They knew then that without help many of those youngsters would not reach their potential, would not find their way through the darkness of frustration and despair that engulfed their lives.  Rotarians invested in those lives and in the hundreds of other young lives that have benefited from being able to live in the Rotary Cottage. The cottage has meant more than shelter to those young men. It has been a haven that allowed them a respite from the struggle of surviving the perils of growing up alone. It has been place where there was a nurturing spirit that grew as they grew, that instilled in them the belief that life could be better. It has been a place where an appreciation for education was born and where that appreciation inspired a goal that caused them to develop their minds, to achieve a life for themselves through dedication and perseverance.  And in the process of all this, those young men developed an appreciation for Rotarians. When they left Lake Waccamaw they held in their minds, and, yes, in their hearts, that image of the Rotary emblem that stood beside the front door of the cottage. For the rest of their lives they would carry with them the knowledge that Rotarians were not just people who held meetings and ate meals together. To those hundreds of young men, Rotarians were people who cared about them and opened their hearts to them.  That is the legacy of Rotary at Boys and Girls Homes.  Now we have the chance to build on that legacy.  The next step for Rotarians is to build on the endowment of the cottage, to create a financial base that will continue to provide for capital and operating support in perpetuity.  As our economy continues to fluctuate, we cannot rely on the vagaries of the stock market or the whims of charitable giving.  If we can develop this endowment we can build an even greater and enduring legacy.

For more information on the Legacy Endowment, contact Boys and Girls Homes of North Carolina - 910-646-3083.  Ask to speak with the Civic Club Coordinator.

Thanks Legacy visitor