ROTARY ACE

The Africa Project thanks ITFR

The III ITFR World Tennis Championship took place in Salerno from September 8 through 15 2007. The tournament was a great success under the organisational, sport’s and Rotary’s point of view, but it was also an occasion to raise funds for the Africa Project sponsored by  Rotary Club Salerno. This project, started during the Rotarian year 2001-2002, is aimed to sustain in several ways the activities of the hospitals of Gulu and of Lacor, in North Uganda, where more recently the foundation and the development of a new School of Medicine has taben place, thanks also to the support of the Rotary Foundation and of District 2100.

The funds raised in several activities during the ITFR tournament are impressive: € 30.000,00 net. The raising of such a considerable sum was made possible first of all by the personal commitment of a very efficient team perfectly lead  by our club member Marco Marinaro, Tournement Director, who deserved the election as ITFR Chairman 2008/10 for his dedication and his organisational skills. I wish to compliment again him, the ITFR Chairman Tomislav Maravic, the whole ITFR Board and the so many ITFR members who represented 10 countries in the World Championship for the perfect outcome of the tournement and to express my thankfulness for donating to the Africa Project all the funds raised, the sum of € 30.000,00.

These funds will be used by the ONG of the Rotary Club Salerno to strengthen its support to the educational activities of the new School of Medicine in Gulu by creating and equipping several medical laboratories where the local students will study and practice, both in the central seat of the school and in the hospitals of its network and in the surrounding areas, to promote the medical assistance and the practical education of the students. Such equipment will greatly contribute to the process of learning the science of medicine and to the integration of new local medical doctors on their own land, thus globally improving the social and health conditions of the region.

I feel I have to give my deepest thanks, beside Marco Marinaro as President of the Organising Committee, to all the team of Rotarians and friends who gave their generous help and commitment for the achievement of such an important result, representing all the Rotary Clubs in town - R.C. Salerno, R.C. Salerno Duomo, R.C. Salerno Est, R.C. Salerno Nord Est V.P. - the Rotaract Club Salerno and the Interact Club Salerno; in addition, I must thank  all the authorities and the private citizens who strongly supported the tournement and contributed in a decisive way to its great success.

Thanks to ITFR, Rotary and tennis really scored an “ace” for the Africa Project. Many thanks to everybody, also from our friends from Uganda.

Carlo Vigorito
President of Solidarietà Rotariana Salerno Onlus