Rotarian circles Australia in a dinghy for polio eradication
Posted by Anthony Gilmore
on Sep 30, 2011
Many Rotarians have gone to extremes to raise money for Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge.
But Australian Rotarian Robert Pennicott set a record with his fundraising venture. Pennicott, fellow Tasmanian Mick Souter, and cameraman Zorro Gamarnik became the first people to circumnavigate Australia in boats powered by outboard motors.
Pennicott, a member of the Rotary Club of Kingston, and Souter piloted two 17-foot-long inflatable dinghies, propelled by twin 60-horsepower engines, on the 12,000-mile journey around the Australian continent (including the island state of Tasmania). They began in Sydney on 2 June and arrived back on 11 September.
"Rotarians have worked tirelessly toward eradicating polio for the past 25 years. With now just 1 percent to go, I decided to do something different and a bit 'out there' to try to raise a bit of money," Pennicott said. "I believe it’s the weird and wacky ideas that get people talking, and I don’t think they come much crazier than traveling around Australia in a rubber dinghy."
The effort, dubbed Follow the Yellow Boat Road, has raised more than $250,000 to date, and fundraising will continue for several months. Rotary's challenge, which seeks to match $355 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will receive 92 percent of the proceeds; the remainder will support nature conservation projects through a foundation Pennicott established in May. Trip sponsors included National Geographic Traveler, Tourism Australia, branding firm Green Team, and communications company Telstra.
By Arnold R. Grahl
Rotary International News -- 30 September 2011
Pennicott, a member of the Rotary Club of Kingston, and Souter piloted two 17-foot-long inflatable dinghies, propelled by twin 60-horsepower engines, on the 12,000-mile journey around the Australian continent (including the island state of Tasmania). They began in Sydney on 2 June and arrived back on 11 September.
"Rotarians have worked tirelessly toward eradicating polio for the past 25 years. With now just 1 percent to go, I decided to do something different and a bit 'out there' to try to raise a bit of money," Pennicott said. "I believe it’s the weird and wacky ideas that get people talking, and I don’t think they come much crazier than traveling around Australia in a rubber dinghy."
The effort, dubbed Follow the Yellow Boat Road, has raised more than $250,000 to date, and fundraising will continue for several months. Rotary's challenge, which seeks to match $355 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will receive 92 percent of the proceeds; the remainder will support nature conservation projects through a foundation Pennicott established in May. Trip sponsors included National Geographic Traveler, Tourism Australia, branding firm Green Team, and communications company Telstra.
By Arnold R. Grahl
Rotary International News -- 30 September 2011