Fallbrook Rotary helps save children's lives in Uganda

FALLBROOK – Lane Freestone, founder and CEO of Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital in Uganda visited many Rotary clubs in a search for funding. One such stop was at the Rotary Club of Fallbrook. One of the needs of the new hospital was a specialized blood refrigerator. When Lane presented his case to Fallbrook Rotary they decided to take on the funding of the blood unit.

Within Rotary, (and as part of Rotary International’s worldwide community service efforts), there exists a matching grants program. It starts with the first donation, which is matched, and so on. The cost of the blood unit was about $20,000. Herb Baker, a member of the Fallbrook Rotary Club, wrote the first check for $4,000, which, under the Matching Grant Program, became $8,000.

Then Rotary International matched that amount to make it $16,000, and when the hospital was ready for the blood refrigerator unit the Rotary Club of Fallbrook Foundation would fund the balance of just over $3,000 to complete the funding. With the funding in place, and the hospital now ready to accept and use the blood refrigerator unit, Lane Freestone made a call to the manufacturer, Helmer Inc.

When he explained to them that the money was part of a Rotary International matching grant funding, Helmer decided to make a gift of the unit to the Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital. So, an ultra sound scanner will now be purchased with the Rotary Club of Fallbrook originated matching grant.

For more information, go to

http://www.rotary.org.