Xmas is a special time of year for lots of people. My Rotary club has been taking to the streets at Xmas each year for many years – my first thought when I started was that it was all about collecting some money for charity, but it’s much, much more than that. Over the years we’ve become part of people’s lives; to many we mark the start of their Xmas, their children come out to see Santa and some, having been those children when we started our rounds, now bringing their own children out. For us it’s actually a joy, not a chore – seeing the faces of the children (and many adults!) – and afterwards we have the satisfaction of counting the proceeds and then using them to benefit local charities (see the picture for an example from Friday 18 Dec). This year our main beneficiary is the Harefield Hospital MRI Scanner Appeal. Recently, Dr Tarun Mittal from Harefield visited the club and spoke to us of how the scanner will benefit patients with heart complaints. We will be delighted to give them the major part of our proceeds. This year has been marked by a reasonable covering of snow and biting winds. We actually had to cancel one round (Monday 21 Dec) because of the weather – mostly because we couldn’t get Santa’s float out of the garage and our collecting team couldn’t get to the start point! However, we’ve enjoyed it and will be back next year for more. My heartfelt thanks go to the 30 members of the club, wives and husbands, friends and other Rotarians without whom this fantastic effort would not have been possible.
Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year
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