Market Rasen Rotary Club thanks generous shoppers for seasonal collections

Collections were organised just ahead of Christmas to help both a local community organisation and the international charity Market Rasen Rotary Club has supported for many years.

At Market Rasen’s Tesco store, Rotarians were collecting for Andy’s Children’s Hospice.

An impressive £485.10 was collected on the day, which will be rounded up to £500 before being presented to the Hospice this month.

The collectors at the Co-op stores in Market Rasen and Caistor were raising money for the well-known Shelter Box charity, which sends either boxes or kits to disaster areas in the world, to give shelter and comfort to those who have lost their homes.

Shoppers at Caistor donated close to £500 and at Market Rasen close to £400 was raised.

The £900 total will be sent to the Shelter Box HQ in Cornwall, and this will buy one full Shelter box kit, plus nine Shelter Kits.

“A total of 56 shelter boxes have been provided through the Market Rasen club over the past 15 years,” said Rotarian David Mason.

“As always, the Rotary Club will get to know where the aid has been sent, and this, and all previous disbursements from Market Rasen can be seen on the Shelter Box website.

“The collections this year were greater in total than in any recent years, and the Rotary Club wishes to express its’ appreciation to the host stores and to the incredible generosity of the shoppers.”

As well as being out collecting, Market Rasen Rotarians from the club’s Environmental group have also been busy with the distribution and planting of 3,500 purple Crocus bulbs, the symbol of the Rotary Foundation’s bid to rid the world of Polio.

This objective has nearly been met.

When Rotary started the campaign to rid the world of polio in 1985, there were 125 endemic countries, now there are just two - Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Polio is so close to becoming only the second human disease ever to be eradicated from the world.

Cases across the world have reduced by 99.9% from more than 350,000 in 1985 to just 74 last year.

“We are very grateful to the Market Rasen CLIP organisation for their help in planting the bulbs,” said Mr Mason

“So in late February, please look out for various patches of purple, as these beautiful harbingers of spring also emerge to celebrate another year nearer to ridding the World of Polio by 2019.”

If anyone has interest in supporting Rotary in Market Rasen and District with any of their projects, or in joining the activities of the club, contact the secretary on 01673 842244.