By UTRGV ROTARACT
Special to the NEWS
Rotaract RGV leaders (UTRGV Rotaract Club) host an in-person meeting twice a year — in January and June — at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) to present the State of the Club address and the club’s immediate goals to representatives from Rotary Clubs from throughout the Valley.
“The meeting that took place recently on January 20 was our largest meeting yet,” said Rotaract President Christian Alvarado. “We had 30 people attend our meeting, when, in the past, the average was 10 representatives in attendance. The meeting had representation of Rotary clubs from throughout the RGV, from Brownsville to Mission.”
Rotaract is a support club for all Rotary clubs in the RGV. Rotaract currently works with all Rotary clubs from the cities of Brownsville, Los Fresnos, Rancho Viejo, Port Isabel, San Benito, Harlingen, Weslaco, and Mission. Rotaract has constant communication with many Rotary clubs in the RGV, with the San Benito Rotary Club being among them. Rotaract has worked on many projects across the RGV and with the community of San Benito, Alvarado remarked.
In previous years, Rotaract UTRGV did not have contact with community leaders or the San Benito Rotary Club, however Rotaract club members were able to make contact in 2023. Once contact was made, Rotaract UTRGV and the San Benito Rotary Club quickly began working on creating opportunities for the betterment of the community.
In December 2023, Rotaract supported the San Benito Rotary Club for a community Christmas event which took place on the old Callandret School grounds. Rotaract member Liza Acosta said, “It was a fun event that I’ll remember and look forward to attending in the future.”
The work Rotaract UTRGV has done in San Benito this past year has allowed many members to find a new appreciation for their community, said Alvarado. Rotaract treasurer and San Benito resident Abigail Ibarra added, “I had just recently moved to San Benito and was unaware of how strong the community was here until I volunteered with Rotaract at a recent event.”
Out of Rotaract’s 25 active members, two either reside in San Benito or went to school in San Benito. While two may not sound like many, the work they have done with other Rotaractors from around the RGV has led to a new appreciation for the Resaca City, Alvarado remarked.
Rotaractors at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley feel it is important to serve the community in order to foster personal growth and to provide opportunities to build a sense of community in a growing city.
Alvarado said, “Rotaract is a club for the entire RGV. While we do a lot of volunteer work, we also provide many opportunities for our members to become leaders in their community and fields. I encourage students attending UTRGV next year for the first time to join Rotaract and become a leader in their community.”
Rotaract originally began as a Rotary International youth program in 1968 at Charlotte North Rotary Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has grown into a major organization of 11,172 clubs spread around the world with nearly 170,000 members in 189 countries and geographic areas.
According to Rotary International’s website, Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in communities, and within members.
For more than 110 years, Rotary’s “people of action” have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, Rotarians consider themselves as always working to better the world, according to Rotary’s website.
Rotary members believe that they have a shared responsibility to take action on the world’s most persistent issues. Rotary’s over 46,000 clubs work together to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, save mothers and children, support education, grow local economies, protect the environment and get involved with community and world issues.
According to Rotary International’s website, Rotary’s mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
The San Benito Rotary Club meets Thursdays at noon at San Benito Wings, 498 E. Business 77, San Benito. For more information or to join the local chapter, contact Club President Elias Cantu, Jr. at eliascantujr@gmail.com.
Recent Comments