District 5870 held its annual Foundation Gala on February 2, 2019 at the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Austin. The evening’s keynote speaker was current Rotary International President Barry Rassin of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas. The Gala’s Master of Ceremonies was The Honorable Byron Cook of the Rotary Club of Corsicana. The Gala honored the many contributions of District 5870’s Rotarians to The Rotary Foundation. Dr. Mendy Ritchie of the Rotary Club of Marble Falls received the 2019 District 5870 Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor District 5870 can bestow upon an individual. The District also presented the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service to Beverly Luedke of the Rotary Club of Temple-South.
Three couples were recognized as Level 4 Major Donors which is a contribution of $100,000. Those couples were PDG Rich & Diana Kaye from the Killeen Heights Rotary Club, PDG Tim & Gail Buckley from Northwest Austin Rotary and Kent & Joan Bohls from the E-Club of District 5870-Central Texas.
Two couples who reached White Hat Society Level 5 were recognized at the Gala. Those couples are Kelly and Jim Barr from the Rotary Club of Killeen Heights and Jeff and Joan Matera from the Rotary Club of Marble Falls. The White Hat Society recognizes contributions to the Rotary Foundation of $5,000 or more in a single Rotary year. Also receiving recognition at the Gala were four individuals and couples who became members of Rotary’s Bequest Society in 2018. The Bequest Society supports Rotary’s Endowment Fund and recognizes those Rotarians whose generous pledge of $10,000 or more will provide perpetual support for doing good in the world beyond their lifetimes. These individuals are couples are District Governor Jerry and Jonelle Champion from the Rotary Club of Cedar Park-Leander, who received Bequest Society Level 1 recognition; Dee Thomas of the Rotary Club of Cedar Park-Leander, who received Bequest Society Level 1 recognition; Barbara Bozon of the Rotary Club of Temple, who received Bequest Society Level 3 recognition; and David and Amy Parker of the Rotary Club of Austin, who received Bequest Society Level 5 recognition.
Additionally, 22 individuals and couples were recognized for making an outright or cumulative gift of at least $10,000 to the Rotary Foundation in 2018 to become a Major Donor or to increase their level of support.
Boy Scout Troop 365 of Round Rock performed the Presentation of Colors, and students from Galindo Elementary School in Austin sang the national anthems of the United States and the Bahamas.