Isabella, a Brazilian Rotary exchange student for the school year 2023-4, asked the Hopkinton Rotary club if it might know if a club from our Southern New Hampshire, Southern Vermont district would be interested in partnering with her home city sponsor, Curitiba in a Global Grant. The grant would fund a much needed highly technical medical instrument needed for the main hospital in Curitiba, a city of nearly 2 million located south of Rio de Janiero. The instrument, a Stryker SPY indicates lack of blood flow/potential for infection for major operations and would significantly reduce the incidence of infection and potential death.
Hopkinton saw the $105,000 grant as an opportunity and agreed to take on the responsibility of being Curitiba's international partner. Through club and individual donations and with district and The Rotary Fund matches, nearly $44,000 was raised here and the balance of the $105,000 required came from Curitiba Rotary clubs, district and The Rotary Foundation matches.
This is how Rotary's magic happens - through 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million members, one Rotarian working with another together for a common goal, across town or across the world.