Rotary Club Chandigarh wins Best Club Trophy

Rotary Club of Chandigarh won the running trophy, second time in a row, for the Best Club in Rotary District 3080. 

The trophy was presented at the District Annual Awards function, 'Abhinandan', and was received by President of the Club Rtn. Hassan Singh Mejie, Secretary Desh Deepak Khanna, and all other members of the Club.

The outgoing District Governor Rtn. Rakesh Aggarwal, whose term also finishes today for 2013-14, congratulated the Club which under the leadership of President, Rtn. Hassan Singh Mejie, outdid every other club in the District in its overall performance, from managing excellent projects to raising funds and contributing to The Rotary Foundation, out of the 79 clubs in the District.

The Club received several other awards for its multifaceted performance in the Rotary District 3080, which comprises Chandigarh, parts of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Utrakhand and Uttar Pradesh. 

Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, PDGs from the Club Rtn. Kawal Bedi and Rtn. Madhukar Malhotra, PE Prof Paramjit Singh, President Nominee D.P. Singh, along with many members of the Club including PP Abhilash Kapoor, PP Praveen Goyal, PP Baldev Aggarwal, PP C.J. Singh, PP Man Mohan Singh Kohli, IPP Vivek Gupta, Sukhjit Singh Gill, Rajneesh and Mona Khattar, Ann Alpana, received the trophy. 

Rtn. Col. Dilip Patnaik, District Governor 2014-15 formally received the baton of leadership from DG 2013-14 Rtn Rakesh Aggarwal.

Dainik Bhaskar Pride Award for Rotary Club Chandigarh

Dainik Bhaskar confers Pride Award on Rotary Club of Chandigarh for its Heartline Project

Governor of Punjab, His Excellency Shri Shivraj Patil, gave the trophy and a citation, which was received by the Club's team of Rotarians including Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, President Hassan Singh Mejie, Past Presidents Baldev Aggarwal, Charanjit Singh, Manmohan Singh Kohli, Neena Singh and Vivek Gupta, besides Project Chair Sukhjit Singh Gill and Mona Khattar.

The award is a community recognition of the great efforts of the Rotarians for their zeal and mission 'not to let any child die for want of money'.

Since 1999, when the project began as Gift of Life (now known as Rotary Heartline)  under matching grant project, the Club decided to continue with its mission even when the matching grant was over, and till date 500 lives of children have been saved by providing free cardiac surgery.

Our heartiest compliments to every Rotarian, their families, our partner Fortis Hospital Mohali, and the angel supporters who continue to bring back the smiles on the faces of these children and their families.

Rotarians to mend hearts of 7 children from Rwanda

Rotary Club of Chandigarh received seven children from Rwanda who arrived here on Sunday, for their heart surgeries.

The youngest of all, Evan is a 7 months old child suffering from Down syndrome and is accompanied by his mother, Uhiriwe Chantal.

Rtn. Pres. Hassan Singh Mejie with the first lady, besides Past Presidents Kewal Seth, Praveen Goyal, Baldev Aggarwal, Charanjit Singh, and Vivek Gupta, President Nominee Rtn. D.P. Singh, Rtn. Sukhjit Singh Gill, Rtn. Mona Khattar, and Rtn. Jatinder Kapoor, received the children at the airport and brought them to the Rotary House, where they met the media and had their lunch, before being shifted to the Fortis Hospital.

Rotary Club of Chandigarh had been engaged in providing free heart surgeries to children from various parts of the country as well as from abroad through our partner hospital, under Rotary Heartline project, since 1999, informed Rtn. Hassan Singh Mejie, President of the Club.

Former world president of Rotary International, Rtn. Rajendra K. Saboo, who conceived this project which has saved 499 lives of children already, is a happy man, who rejoices at the innocent smiles of these children, which transcends any boundaries.

Most of the children suffer from rheumatic heart disease (RHD) with some of them having the leaking heart valve, and will be operated by Dr. T.S. Mahant, Executive Director CTVS at the Fortis Hospital Mohali in the next two weeks, informed Rtn. Sukhjit Singh Gill, the chairman of the Heartline committee.

According to Rotary Club Chandigarh President Hassan Singh Mejie, this was a part of our commitment to the children of Rwanda to provide free heart surgeries to 30 children, and it is the third group of 7 children which has arrived now.

Amongst the children include Master Prince (9 years), Miss Brigitte (9), Miss Josiane (14), Miss Dativa (14), Master Fils (17), Miss Vedastine (15), and Evan (7 months).

The children are accompanied by Dr. Emmanuel Rusingiza Kamanzi, and  Heshima Christophe, along with mother of Evan, Mrs. Uhiriwe Chantal.

The Club which launched the Rotary Heartline project in 1997, has already saved the lives of 499 children, which included children, besides from India, 15 each from Malawi, Nepal, and Rwanda, 33 from Pakistan, 7 from Uganda, two from Afghanistan, and one from Iraq.