Press Information from RIBI

30 April 2005 REF: 05-181

ROTARY CENTENARY GALA CELEBRATION AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Raises £40,000 for Leukaemia Research

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland celebrated their centenary at a Gala Celebration Concert at the Royal Albert Hall on April 29th. More than 4,000 Rotarians from all over the country participated in this special event which was compered by Frank Renton.

The concert featured the bands of the Coldstream Guards and Scots Guards, mezzo soprano Heather Boyd and organist David Bell. The Calendar Girls led the singing of Jerusalem. The concert featured the London debut of a new Rotary centenary march composed by Dr Peter Graham.

Heather Boyd also made her Royal Albert Hall debut as a soloist, delighting the audience with renditions of songs from Carmen and Les Miserables. Heather is a member of the Rotary Club of Linlithgow Grange and is the wife of Gordon McInally, President of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland.

The evening was in aid of Leukaemia Research and Gordon presented a cheque for £40,000 to Douglas Osborne, Chief Executive of Leukaemia Research.

Rotarians all around the world celebrated a century of service to their communities on February 23rd 2005. The first Rotary Club was founded by Paul Harris in Chicago, USA on 23rd February 1905. Rotary expanded rapidly over the 20th Century, and played a major role in such historic events as the founding of the United Nations. As a volunteer organization with over 31,000 clubs in more than 165 countries, Rotary initiates humanitarian programs that address today's challenging issues, such as hunger, poverty, and illiteracy.

Rotary club members represent a cross-section of business and professional leaders worldwide. These 1.2 million men and women donate their expertise, time, and money to support local and international projects that help people in need and promote understanding among cultures.

Rotary's flagship programme is its effort to protect children against polio, with the goal of ending the disease throughout the world. Rotary is the leading private sector contributor and volunteer arm of the global effort to end polio.

In Great Britain and Ireland there are 60,000 members in 1830 clubs.

For interviews/photos or more information please contact Judith Diment on 01628 672965 or 07860 162313