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Dear Matts and fellow Rotarians in New York City,

I want to send our prayers and our thoughts.

As I watched in horror the developing tragedy Tuesday morning I could remember in my youth the many times I strolled this downtown area. My heart sank in disbelief.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Manhattan was my playground and workplace.

I know the strength and compassion of New Yorkers. I remember the spirit when we had the New York Blackout, when we were stranded in subways and elevators. Many of us slept on office floors because there was no means to get home. I remember how New Yorkers helped one another. I remember how considerate and helpful our police department and firemen were.

I know New York will rebuild physically and mentally. I know the New York Spirit!

Cincinnati's Red Cross and many of our Banks have set up funding avenues to help financially. Our local schools have rallied around the flagpole to say prayers for the families of the thousands of victims. Our classroom walls are lined with 5,000 slips of paper, a sobering reminder of the victims of Sept 11th.

Hundreds of Cincinnatians have meet in our downtown Fountain square to say prayers and pay respects for the victims.

What I saying is YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We stand together in Rotary and across the United States of America.

Sincerely,
In Rotary,
Laura Tilrico

Laura Tilrico
Rotary Club of Cincinnati #17
World Community Service-Medical
Webmaster: District 6670
http://www.rotary6670.org

On behalf of our entire district 6970 in Florida I would like to express our extreme sorrow at the terrible calamity that has occurred in both New York and at the Pentagon. We have begun collecting funds to help in whatever way district 7230 and the Rotary Club of New York may request. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. As Rotarians, we stand more committed to Rotary's objective of world peace and goodwill now more than ever.

Don Kanfer, Governor, District 6970

Jacksonville 41 (Where Paul Harris last worked before entering Law in Chicago)

My condolences on behalf of all Rotarians in our district on the west coast of British Columbia Canada, for this horrible tragedy in your country. I visited a Rotary Club at noon today and told Rotarians that never before have we felt a greater need for Rotary, people who believe in peace and understanding, sound business ethics and service to those less fortunate that we do today after this terrible incident.

Matts - My wife and I are sitting here with tears in our eyes after viewing the destruction and death in your wonderful city.

District 6400 stands willing and able to help wherever we can. If it is any comfort, our citizens in this area were lined up for over 3 1/2 hours at Red Cross blood banks to give life to the survivors of this devastation.

Please extend this message to all concerned New Yorkers that they are not alone. Our prayers are with you and all fellow Rotarians.

On behalf of our President Michele Guy, myself and all the members of The Rotary Club of Toronto we would like you to know that our prayers and thoughts are with you constantly. For those of you who have suffered personal loss I am sure your devastation is indescribable. As your fellow Rotarians, your neighbours and fellow human beings, if there is anything we can do to help, just let us know.

Thanks for sharing the thoughts of Rotarians from around the World.
9-11-2001 will go down in history as another example of the insensible
cruelty of humans on this Planet and will never be forgotten. We have
heard from part of our friends and relatives in New York who are safe and
are praying that the rest of them are safe too. It is mind boggling to
image that anyone could be so cruel as to destroy the life's of innocent
people like this. It will only strengthen our resolve to defend our rights
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and our resolve to seek
justice for the innocent. Thank God and Paul Harris for Rotary.
Our community like many others throughout the World has already responded
with blood and prayers and we will do what we can to assist the victims,
Mankind is the business of Rotary.

Yours in Rotary,
David E. Bahner, President
Club #32
St. Joseph, Missouri

Fellow Rotarians in New York City & Washington
On behalf of Michele Guy our President, myself and all members of the
Rotary Club of Toronto our thoughts and prayers are with you constantly.
Your loss is devastating! This tragedy has certainly changed our world.
We as Rotarians work so hard to make life better for those we serve, it
is heartbreaking to see the terrible loss that terrorist acts like these
can cause. If there is anything we can do to help, you just have to say
the word.

Valerie Clarke
Executive Director

Dear Matts,

We, in Northeast Florida, grieve with you and all our New York friends. We
are standing by to send help in best available manner. Lines at blood banks
here in Jacksonville are 3-4 hours long. We have been and will continue to
pray for you and your city.

Lets set our course as Rotarians to affect world peace somehow, someway so
that no one , anywhere in the world, will have to suffer this again.

Best of Luck, Godspeed.

Dave Harrill
Past District Governor , District 6970

Thank you for sharing with us. It was good to get the notes you had received as two are friends from a group I meet with annually.

I thought you would like to see some of the notes
from other Rotarians to Matts Ingemanson in New York. We thank Matts for
sharing as we all feel the "numbness" from such inhumane actions. Our appeal
at yesterday's meeting was to respond to the call for blood donations as a
first step. We should do it ourselves if we are physically able as well as
encourage others. As other appeals come, we will want to be ready to step
forward. Will keep in touch!

Thanks for the update...and personal recollections of yesterday's horror. While we at the Joliet (IL) #78 club are quite a distance from your tragedy -- all of you were in our thoughts. Yesterday was our weekly noon luncheon meeting, and in honor of our friends/brothers/sisters in NY -- we held hands and prayed. We also canceled the program part of our meeting and instead provided our 150+ members the opportunity to vent, discuss and share their connection/thoughts with the tragedy.

Matts,

District 5690 contains parts of Kansas (directly north of Oklahoma City)
as-well-as the Oklahoma panhandle. Our Rotarians extend to you and everyone
there the sympathy of folks who already know what it is like to loose
friends to senseless acts of violence. The psychological aftermath of the
Murrah Building's destruction in OKC still haunts us and we truly empathize
with the many who have lost friends and loved ones.

Words pale, emotions run too deep, and actions seem but dust in the wind as
this tragedy unfolds. I commit to you and other Rotarians the full support
of our district. As specific needs coalesce and take focus in the days that
follow, please insure that Rotarians are kept apprized of needs both large
and small.

In a world that appears filled with hate, I expect Rotarians everywhere will
take this opportunity to demonstrate that Mankind Is OUR Business! It is
our duty as Americans and as Rotarians to answer the call to help both our
own and others who stand in shock before this horrific act of barbarism.
Here in America's heartland prayers are being lifted heavenward for guidance
and for strength.

Go with God!
Sincerely,

Ronald L. Kincannon
District Gov. 5690

We here in District 6040 (north Missouri) share your pain and tragedy...if there is anything we can do to help, please let us know.

Dear Matts, Thank you for your chilling account of the terrible and senseless
acts of violence. We in Los Angeles would like to do whatever we can to be of
service. We have asked our members to contact the Red Cross and give blood.
Please let me know how we can respond. In the meantime our thoughts and
prayers are with you and the families of the victims as you begin the long
process of digging out. God Bless America, David S. Meshulam, President,
Rotary Club of Los Angeles #5

Dear Helen, Our thoughts and prayers are with you and all of New York as you
begin the long process of digging out from under. Please let us know how we
can be of service to you and the relief effort. God Bless America, David S.
Meshulam, President, Rotary Club of Los Angeles #5

Matts--

On behalf of all of the members of District 5220, California, I would like to express our words and thoughts of sympathy to the MANY people who lost their lives in yesterday's event. I just found out this morning that a college classmate of mine, Ted Olson, lost is lovely wife who was in the plane that hit the Pentagon.

Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers and if there is anything that we can do to help from here in California, my District is ready to mobilize our efforts in your behalf.

Yours In Rotary Service,

Phyllis Jane Nusz
District Governor
District 5220

Our deepest sympathies go to all of you at this time. I've written to Gov. Cheng, but imagine he will be deluged from all sides with requests. I know at these times that Rotary International will issue Disaster Relief Notices for the affected districts. The main point of these Notices are the bank account information for Rotarians and Rotary Districts to send funds to. There is usually wire information as well as postal addresses for those wishing to mail checks.

As with any administration, this might take 2-10 days for this information to wind it's way through RI before being posted on the website or in the Newsbasket. Gov. Cheng and you might have this information by now, or even tomorrow.

Please send it to us at ROTI, and especially to me in Missouri. All three District Governors in Missouri are ready to mobilize a state wide effort to raise monies for this account.

Back in 1993, the Mississippi River flooded, as well as the Missouri and the Meramec and there was a huge flood in the St. Louis area. Our district received over $200,000 for us to use in relief efforts. We are anxious to be able to do our part at this time.

Dear Matts, My deep concern and sympathy for all who have been hurt by this
horror. Please let us know how to help.

people of New York who are suffering the loss of family members and friends in this terrible disaster. I am a member of the Rotary Club of Saranac Lake, NY which is part of District 7040 encompassing upstate New York, Ontario and Quebec. The Saranac Lake Rotary Club had ties with your club many years ago when one of your former members, William Morris, of the Morris Advertising Agency was also very involved with our club over a period of many years.

The reason for my writing to you is to ask what we may do as a club and/or district to aid in the relief effort which will be ongoing in your area for a long time. Please talk it over with your club President and let me know how we can be of some help. I will be attending our District Council meeting on Saturday during which time this will be discussed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time but our help in other tangible ways is also available. I'm sure that my club could perhaps be involved in a WCS Community project with you. Our very best wishes and thoughts are with you,

Dear Matts,

The members of the Rotary Club of Davenport Iowa, #34, wish to express our sincere concern for you, President Helen Reiser and District Governor Cheng. We were all shocked, saddened, dismayed and many other range of emotions as we watched those horrific events unfold on Tuesday morning. Then to read your individual account of ground zero made it come home even more.

My wife a teacher associate in Bettendorf Iowa and had playground duty Tuesday after lunch. A little boy came up to her and said he saw the Presidents plane surrounded by jet fighters go overhead. He was on his way to Offutt Air Base in Nebraska. Who would have ever thought that we would see that in the heartland of this great country.

We stand ready to help. Please let us know what we can do for our good Rotary friends in New York City at this difficult time. Our thoughts and our prayers are with you.

Dan Foley
President
Rotary Club of Davenport Iowa #34

This is a very difficult time for our country and for the world. The fact that terrorists believe that a proper response to disagreement is cold-blooded murder affects us all. Perhaps it takes a tragedy of this magnitude to make the world realize that war is not the way. We in Rotary MUST continue to stand for world peace and understanding. It is the only way that we will all survive.

Dear Helen:

The prayers of Rotary Club 25 in Duluth, Minnesota, are with you and all New Yorkers. We are thankful to have this means to communicate with you. Our club is trying to decide how best to help your city and the families of victims � either as a club or through RI.

Will be in touch.

Paul von Goertz
President
Rotary Club 25, Duluth, MN USA

Dear Helen and Andreas:

Your Rotary 6 members and their families and all of the citizens of New
York City have been in the thoughts and prayers of members of Rotary 14 in
Lincoln, Nebraska. We meet at noon on Tuesdays. Yesterday was a very
dark day in the history of our club. We prayed for all of you and for our
country. Rotarians are donating blood and sending our gifts to the Red
Cross. Several planes are grounded in Lincoln and our city is offering
support to the passengers.

In the days ahead, your club will be aware of countless needs in your
city. Our club stands ready to assist you in any way possible. We are a large
downtown club with nearly 300 members. There is no stopping our Rotarians
when a need is identified. You have the need. Let us know how to help
you. We are ready and waiting!

In these darkest of day, remember that 1.2 million Rotarians are here
waiting to serve. I look forward to hearing from you.

Barbara Bartle
President

Matts - Please accept our thoughts , prayers , and thanks for your communication. Know that I speak for our entire membership - May God be with you all now and in the challenging days to come . May His strength and presence nourish all in need .

The Rotary Club of Tacoma feels your pain and your hurt and we are here to support and help you in any way that we can. Our special thoughts and prayers are with you. Our community has turned out in large numbers to give blood and the Rotarians are right there in line. I am convinced that this world needs Rotary and Rotarians more than ever. We do make a difference even if it is only one person at a time. There may be a long distance in miles from the Rotary in Tacoma and Rotary in New York but not in our hearts and minds. We will do what we can to help you.

Also, I am forwarding an email from my host son Jason VanDeVen. He came to live with us as a Rotary Exchange Student in 1987-98 from Aust. His parents came to visit and stayed with us for six weeks and we became best friends.

Jase is now almost 31 and has always loved the United States. Two years ago he moved to New York and has been working as an Occupational Therapist at Bellevue Hospital. He went back home for a 3 week vacation and left on Sept. 1st but had been at the WTC for a drink before he left. New York is his city and his home and he dearly loves it and he has many friends. Rotary has opened all of this up to him - but he called my Tuesday night and he was in tears. I think this email says it all. He sends his love.

Sally Bose, Executive Director Tacoma #8 Rotary

My dear Friends and family,

Today I crawled under my parents house, through spider webs (you all know how I feel about that!) to one of my stored boxes where several years ago I had neatly folded my American flag and lovingly stored it. It now flies at half mast on our flag pole in the back yard where anybody driving past can see it, where I can see it from the window and hear it flapping in the wind.

On every public building and where-ever there is an Australian flag, they are all at half mast as a sign of respect, mourning and solidarity with America. The embassies in Melbourne and Sydney have become impromptu shrines with flowers and tributes mounting on their doorsteps and people openly weeping on the street. The tranquility and peacefulness of my country, Australia, has been shattered too.

I feel so far away from the people I love and care about in NYC and America but can take some comfort from my immediate family who are SO grateful that I am safely home.

Words really feel inadequate right now. Know that I am thinking of you all.

Jason

As Governor of District 5750, Heartland of Oklahoma, I speak for all Rotarians when I say that we are devastated beyond belief at the events of this week. Please know that we are with you all in prayer without ceasing. I will contact Governor Cheng and discuss what we can do to help you after the first blush of help has passed. We know only too well that there are needs to be filled for a long, long time to come.

RGHF Rotary Global History Fellowship *"Slowly, we seek to serve others, believing that history will encourage membership retention and increase contributions to The Rotary Foundation."*
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