Good evening.
Past District Governors, Past Assistant Governors, fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors, distinguished guests, family, friends, and all who have joined us to celebrate this special occasion, good evening and welcome.
This year, our focus will align with Rotary's Action Plan.
We will increase our impact by delivering projects that create meaningful and lasting change. We will expand our reach through stronger partnerships that increase Rotary's visibility and influence. We will enhance participant engagement by ensuring our members enjoy an enriching Rotary experience through service, fellowship, and personal growth. And we will increase our ability to adapt by embracing innovation, technology, and fresh ideas, whether they come from members or from the wider community.
Our vision for this year is simple. We want a club that continues to grow, where members remain engaged, where our meetings inspire, where fellowship flourishes, and where every service project leaves lives better than we found them.
But there is one project that I believe has the potential to define this milestone year.
Diabetes affects almost every Jamaican family in one way or another. According to the most recent Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey, approximately 236,000 Jamaicans are living with diabetes, and around 1,400 people have lost limbs because of diabetic complications. Behind every statistic is someone's parent, spouse, child, neighbour, or friend. We believe that together, we can change that story.
Our Diabetes Foot Health Initiative will focus on three areas.
First, awareness. We will educate Jamaicans about diabetes, its warning signs, its complications, and the importance of knowing their blood sugar status.
Second, prevention. Working with the World Walk Foundation Jamaica Chapter, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and our Regional Health Authorities, we aim to sponsor the training and certification of ten healthcare professionals as Foot Care Assistants. These trained professionals will help identify high risk diabetic patients early, reducing infections and preventing avoidable amputations. The estimated investment for this component is approximately J$4.5 million.
Third, restoring hope. We intend to assist five diabetic amputees in accessing prosthetic limbs, giving them not just mobility, but independence, dignity, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
This is an ambitious undertaking. It is larger than our club, and intentionally so. It will require partnerships. It will require sponsors. It will require government agencies, corporate Jamaica, healthcare professionals, service clubs, and individuals who believe that together we can create lasting impact.
So tonight, I extend an invitation. If you have the expertise, the resources, or simply the passion to help us make this vision a reality, I invite you to partner with us. Together, we can prevent amputations, restore mobility, and most importantly, restore hope.
As Rotary's theme for this year reminds us, we have the opportunity to Create Lasting Impact. Lasting impact is not measured only by the projects we complete. It is measured by the lives we change, the hope we restore, the partnerships we build, and the legacy we leave behind.
As we celebrate forty years of service above self, let us also commit ourselves to writing the next chapter of this club's history, one defined by compassion, innovation, growth, and meaningful impact.
I thank every member of the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North for believing in this vision. I thank our guests for sharing this evening with us. And I thank our partners, both present and future, for walking alongside us as we continue to serve our community.
May God continue to bless the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North, bless Rotary International, and bless our beautiful Jamaica.
Thank you, and let us create lasting impact together.
Patrick Forrest
President 2026 - 2027
Rotary Club of St. Andrew North