From Brad Mastaler:
When I recently visited the Parkland After Dark Rotary Club before Christmas, I saw them engaged in in a Christmas card writing project for Canadian Forces troops on deployment. Each card was addressed to a soldier personally and would be delivered through the chain of command to the named individual. I thought it would be very touching to receive that encouragement and thanks from the folks back home.
As our front-line essential workers wage a different kind of war on our behalf to help society slow the spread of COVID-19, I see an opportunity for Rotarians to serve them. It shouldn't take much time, you don't have to leave your house, and it could brighten someone's day significantly. I would like to let nurses, doctors, first responders, pharmacists, grocery store workers, and more, know that we appreciate the personal risk they're taking every day to serve our essential needs.
Paper thank you cards, individually addressed, are out of the question due to the health risk they pose. I envision doing this online, instead, and here's how you can move this idea forward: Think of a vocation or profession you'd like to thank and imagine you're looking a practitioner of that vocation right in the eye. What would you say to that person to convey your appreciation? Let me know what profession you're targeting and what you want to say to them. You can do it in written words or a short video. Get your message to me by email (brad.mastaler@gmail.com) or text (780-965-0258). Feel free to write/record as many messages as you want, targeting as many different vocations as you want. Be advised that if you record the message in a video, it's going to be put on Facebook. You can choose whether you want to be tagged in your video/text message or not. Let me know your preference.
I would like to compile 100 "thank you" messages, to start. We have 35 active club members, so I think this is achievable. If your families want to participate, I encourage it! After a promotional launch of the project on Facebook, our club will publish one message each day for the next 100 days. Through our network of followers who will share this with their networks of followers, I think we can make our gratitude felt far and wide. After we kick-start this, we'll encourage our social media followers to post similar messages of gratitude on our page.
Thanks for considering the opportunity to be part of this. I think it's a meaningful way for us to fulfill part of the second Object of Rotary: "the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations".