A full house packed the Florida Keys Country Club for one of the Rotary Club of Marathon’s most historic meetings on Aug. 16. The crowds were warranted for the club’s guest of honor: the Rotary Club of Lviv International’s immediate past president, Nataliia Dolinska. Painting a vivid picture of the war in Ukraine, Dolinska delivered an eye-opening presentation detailing the reality of everyday life in Lviv, where Russian bombs and drone strikes are still a daily reality and basements are being refitted as shelters for children.
As one of the earliest Rotary donors in South Florida to the war-torn country, Marathon’s club made three separate donations of $5,000 each to the Rotary Club of Lviv International in late 2022, the majority of which, Dolinska said, was used to purchase medical supplies.
“Rotarians from around the Keys, as well as from our district, came together to hear what truly was a historic meeting – hearing the story of how the efforts of Rotary together with Rotary in Ukraine can truly make a difference in the lives of those in a war zone,” said Rotarian Keith Douglass, who helped to orchestrate the presentation. “The beauty of Rotary is our ability, by virtue of the skills that our members have, to put service above self and come together to make people in Ukraine recognize that they are not alone.”
Following the presentation, which drew a standing ovation from all gathered Rotarians and guests, Marathon Rotary Club president Sam Williams presented Dolinska with an additional $5,000 donation to be used by Lviv’s club.
