RC Pune Central raises Rs.1.2 crore in 45 minutes

In just 45 minutes, Rotary Club of Pune Central, RID 3131, garnered an impressive commitment for ₹1.2 crore from its 118 members during its annual ‘Spirit of Giving’ event. This unique fundraising festival, now a staple of the 40-year-old club, draws contributions each year to support its various service projects.

“Unlike conventional fundraising methods, this programme allows our members to connect with a cause that resonates with them, encouraging both financial support and personal involvement,” says Uday Dharmadikari, past president of the club.

Held every August, the event coincides with a regular club meeting where its president presents the proposed service projects for the Rotary year. Members then pledge contributions for the projects that inspire them the most. “Each member offers whatever he can, whether it is ₹10,000 or ₹20 lakh, and gets directly involved in the project’s execution,” he explains. Notably, “the programme’s highest single contribution — ₹40–45 lakh — consistently comes from our past president Madhusudan Rathi who pioneered this initiative during his tenure in 1998–99.”

The club circulates a notification to its members whenever a project is ready for execution, and the contributions follow. “It’s more than just a fundraising exercise; it’s about cultivating a spirit of collective giving, where every contribution, big or small, is a step towards making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need,” says Dharmadikari.

The funds raised have enabled the club to undertake impactful projects such as cataract and congenital heart surgeries, installing e-learning systems in schools, building check dams and reforestation initiatives. “Our members Rathi, Nitin Desai and Shona Nag made the largest contributions for establishing the ₹7 crore-worth radiation centre at the Surya Sahyadri Hospital,” he adds. Over the years, the club has provided ambulances and school buses to villages in Mulshi taluk, spectacles for inmates in ­Yerwada Jail and wheelchairs for the ­physically-challenged.” This year’s projects focus on cancer care, water, environment initiatives, eyecare and congential heart disease.

Since 2017, Gonvadi village in Mulshi taluk near Pune sports a clean look, thanks to a garbage van that visits the doorsteps of the 3,000 households and 14 restaurants and eateries, collects and segregatess the waste and disposes it into a centralised garbage depot in the village.

The vehicle, sponsored by Rathi, is operated and maintained by the club. “We have adopted this village and have been providing essential services here for many years now,” says Dharmadikari.

The club recently hosted Mr RCPC, an event designed to strengthen camaraderie among members. The membership spans generations, the youngest being 38, and the oldest is Rathi at 86. The Rotary Anns were the judges for the programme. Shashi Talwar (84) won the title and the programme attracted three new members to the club.