Rotary Voices

July marks the beginning of a new Rotary year. Among transitioning leadership across the Rotary world, Olayinka “Yinka” Hakeem Babalola is stepping into office as the 2026-27 Rotary International president. Rotary’s General Secretary and CEO John Hewko sits down with Yinka to discuss polio eradication in Africa, Rotary membership opportunities, and his personal journey to Rotary.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, but it’s also highly preventable. Rotarian, surgical oncologist, and author Dr. Richard Godfrey has traveled the world making cervical cancer prevention more accessible. His forthcoming book, Medical Moonshots: Winning the Cancer War, talks about his lifesaving work. Niala Boodhoo recently sat down with Dr. Godfrey to discuss his career, cervical cancer, and Rotary’s work to eliminate it.

In 1996, the Rotary Club of Stratford in Ontario took a more than 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition and turned it into a fundraising event that has raised well over $1 million for the club and its projects. Last year, Craig Thompson directed a documentary called The Ripple Effect that highlights the community impact of the Stratford Rotary Dragon Boat Festival. Chicago journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Craig and club president Dan Kane to discuss the festival and its history.Contact [email protected] to screen The Ripple Effect at your club!

The Rotary Club of Roswell, Georgia, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, is growing rapidly. In this episode, Tom Gump, chair of the Rotary International Membership Growth Committee, and Jose Gonzalez, supervisor of Membership Growth & Experience in the U.S. and Canada, sit down with Trummie Lee Patrick III, the club’s president, to discuss the club’s secrets to success, membership retention, and club culture.

Dr. Marc Schulz and his co-author Dr. Robert Waldinger lead the Harvard Study of Adult Development: ongoing research into the psychosocial predictors of healthy aging that began in 1938. In 2023, Dr. Schulz and Dr. Waldinger published The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. Chicago broadcast journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Dr. Schulz to discuss the study’s origins, its evolving methods, and the importance of social connection.

David LaMotte is a songwriter, speaker, author, and activist who has performed over 3,500 concerts and released 13 albums. LaMotte was a Rotary Peace Fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia where he studied international relations, peace, and conflict resolution. Rotary International social media and audience development manager Andy Sternberg sits down with LaMotte to discuss the intersection of art and activism.David LaMotte at the 2025 Rotary International Convention: youtu.be/EstQHD92eo0?si=sga3caJebjW6XQPZDavid LaMotte’s TEDx talk: www.davidlamotte.com/tedx/Let’s Be Neighbors: www.letsbeneighbors.org/

The survivor of an abusive arranged marriage, Fraidy Reiss wants to ensure that other girls never suffer the same ordeal. In 2011, Reiss founded Unchained at Last, an activist group that works to end forced marriage and child marriage in the United States. This story by Chicago journalist Elly Fishman appeared in the October 2024 issue of Rotary magazine. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

Growing up in Lucknow, India, Rashmi Rustagi was a member of Rotaract and acted in radio plays. After moving to the Bay Area in the United States, she joined a local Indian theater and then began a demanding transition into Hollywood. In California, Rustagi was invited to join the Rotary Club of Redwood City, where she’s a member today. Chicago journalist Linda Yu sat down with Rustagi to discuss her life, career in movies and her efforts to empower women and girls in a new feature film: Designed by Preeti.

In 2026, many Western governments have pulled back funding and reduced their commitments to the United Nations. And later this month, the United States will officially withdraw from the World Health Organization. Today, civic organizations like Rotary represent a powerful “third force” in global affairs. For example, in 1988, alongside UNICEF and others, Rotary and the WHO became founding partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, or GPEI. The campaign now stands as one of the largest, most successful public health efforts to date. Leadership from the GPEI visited Rotary International Headquarters to discuss the status of the campaign today.

The Rotary Youth Exchange program has been promoting international understanding for 50 years. The program, which enables young people to live and study abroad for up to a year, serves as a bridge for cultural competence and builds the foundation for peace. In this episode, longtime exchange host Sabrina Barreto and one of the students her family hosted, Simon Foote, share their perspectives on the program. Holger Knaack, chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees and a past Rotary president, discusses his experience hosting over 40 students with his wife, Susanne.

In response to a “friendship recession,” Rotary members are finding ways to make connections they cherish, starting in their own clubs. This story by Chicago journalist Kate Silver appeared in the August 2024 issue of Rotary magazine. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

In 1952, Copenhagen’s Blegdam Hospital was overwhelmed by polio patients. Under immense pressure and surrounded by loss, two doctors were faced with a seemingly unanswerable question: What can we do if patients become too paralyzed to breathe? A saga of innovation followed leading to the modern intensive care unit, or ICU. In this episode, Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Dr. Hannah Wunsch. Dr. Wunsch documented the epidemic for her book: The Autumn Ghost.

“Fear comes from unanswered questions.” After donating one of his kidneys to his brother, Anil Srivatsa has become a devoted advocate for the life-saving impact of organ donation. Traveling the world, he’s befriended countless other organ donors and recipients, all with complicated stories of their own. In this episode, you’ll hear about Srivatsa’s life as an advocate and a couple of stories from his friends.

In recent months, the global stock markets have steadied following trade wars and rising inflation. But if you’re retired, or planning to retire, you might still have your guard up. After all, U.S. economists have been using phrases like “possible recession” and “stagflation.” In this episode, Chicago journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Rotarian and financial advisor Derrick Kinney to discuss the road to retirement in uncertain times.

Kat Graham is an actress, singer, dancer, and producer who has built a career around telling stories. Graham serves as a Rotary Celebrity Ambassador and as Rotary’s Champion of Women and Girls’ Empowerment. As an advocate, Graham highlights the stories of those pushed to the periphery and empowers them to make their voices heard. In this episode, Chicago journalist Linda Yu sits down with Graham to discuss her long history with Rotary, her career, and her motivation to empower people around the world.

NPR’s Scott Simon recently sat down with Mike McGovern, the chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee, and John Hewko, Rotary’s general secretary and CEO, to discuss Rotary’s unique role in polio eradication and the GPEI’s strategy to overcome the final challenges in achieving that goal.

July marks the beginning of a new Rotary year — a moment for members and incoming leaders to reflect and find ways to grow their Rotary clubs and strengthen club culture. Chicago journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Rotary International staff members Nick Taylor (supervisor, Club and District Support) and Brianne Haxton (senior manager, Membership Development) to discuss data-driven and personal observations on how clubs can keep new and long-time members engaged.

For 35 years, Jeff Jimerson has been singing the U.S. national anthem before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey games. When the visiting team is from Canada, Jimerson also sings “O Canada.” It’s little wonder that Rotary International President and Pittsburgh sports fan Stephanie Urchick chose Jimerson to sing the two anthems in Calgary this June at the Rotary International Convention. In this episode, Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Jimerson to discuss his lifelong career in music, a tragic moment on Canada’s Parliament Hill, and his upcoming performance in Calgary.

Over the past few months, volatile markets around the world have sent many investors on an emotional roller coaster. In this episode, Rotarian and financial advisor Derrick Kinney is joined by certified financial planner James Bogart, CEO and founder of Bogart Wealth – one of the top financial planning firms in the country, for a conversation on how to make reasoned decisions while managing your investments and retirement accounts, and charitable giving. Kinney and Bogart’s practical discussion provides an easy-to-understand overview of the current economy and addresses investors’ financial concerns.

In July 2024, dozens of gunshots pierced the quiet Seattle night. Sex traffickers jockeying for turf fired 30 shots on Aurora Avenue North, two blocks from journalist Erin Gartner’s house. Amid a surge of violence crashing over the neighborhood, Gartner felt hopeless — until she found a group of neighborhood volunteers and experts in the problem of trafficking, all of them part of a Rotary club dedicated to the issue. In this episode, Niala Boodhoo speaks with Gartner and two of her fellow Rotary club members.If you are in the U.S. and suspect someone is being trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. In Canada, call 1-833-900-1010. 

16 years have passed since John Mulligan received a phone call from northern Nigeria to his home in Drayton Valley, a small town nestled between two rivers in central Alberta. “John. I’ve been kidnapped.” The caller was his wife, Rotarian Julie Mulligan. What followed was 13 days of fear, uncertainty, and strength. In the aftermath, Julie set out to live a more authentic life of Service Above Self.

In September of 2023, the Gates Foundation partnered with the Moth – an award-winning storytelling nonprofit organization – to host an event in New York City during the UN General Assembly. The event, Don’t Stop Now: Stories from the Final Push to End Polio, highlighted the personal stories of people whose lives have been impacted by polio. One of the speakers was Safia Ibrahim, a polio survivor and global health advocate. In this episode, you’ll hear Ibrahim’s story as told on the Moth stage. She also discusses her paralytic polio, advocacy work, and experience with the Moth. 

Rotarian and astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti dreamed of space travel since she was a kid. Now, she’s sharing the cosmic awe with her fellow earthlings. This story⁠⁠ by senior staff writer Diana Schoberg appeared in the December 2024 issue of ⁠⁠Rotary magazine⁠⁠. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

For Supper with Sylvia, veteran journalist Sylvia Perez teams up with Rotary Voices, speaking with chefs Tony Priolo and Sarah Stegner about their extraordinary humanitarian missions at home and abroad.

An accomplished writer of fiction (The Joy Luck Club and five other novels), memoirs, and children’s books, Tan came late to serious birding. That interest coincided with her dedication to learning how to draw. In The Backyard Bird Chronicles, readers follow Tan’s ornithological education while watching the evolution of a skillful artist. Recently, Tan sat down with the Chicago journalist and Emmy-winning news anchor Linda Yu to discuss the book, a conversation that extended into the emotional chaos of Tan’s childhood and the ways in which birding offered her insights on how to sustain sound mental health.

In 2008, a loan officer in Spokane, Washington garnered international attention after helping a mama mallard and her ducklings down from a ledge outside his office building. Richard Repp, a lawyer and local Rotarian, concocted a plan that would not only preserve the story but promote childhood literacy and honor his mother. The result: a children's book called The Downtown Ducks. Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Rick to discuss the stories behind the book.

Adventure or misadventure, NPR's Scott Simon finds enlightenment in a life of travels. Simon narrates his story that originally ran in the December 2024 issue of Rotary magazine.

NPR’s Scott Simon sat down with David Byrne five years after the legendary musician, artist and former Talking Heads frontman launched a nonprofit online magazine called Reasons to be Cheerful. The magazine offers good news in a market otherwise dominated by doom and gloom. In this episode, Byrne discusses the origins of Reasons to be Cheerful, the stories that have stuck with him, and his personal reflections on cheer in our world today.

Chicago news anchor Sylvia Perez sits down with Gaby Moreno, a Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer to discuss her upbringing, career, and experience seeing Rotary’s impact up close. Rotary recently named Moreno as one of its first Rotary Ambassadors in recognition of her commitment to using her voice to make a difference.

Last episode, Hannah Shaw took us through Hatay Province in southeastern Turkey, which sustained severe damages in the 2023 earthquakes. In part two, the journey continues, as Rotary magazine editor JP Swenson takes us to the city of Adıyaman, where local Rotary volunteers provided aid and comfort to earthquake survivors despite the great personal loss they themselves suffered.

On 6 February 2023, two earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria – the deadliest to hit the region in 80 years. That morning, Rotary regional leaders in Turkey mounted an immediate response, while Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation enacted their disaster response funds. One year later, Rotary magazine and social media staff JP Swenson and Hannah Shaw traveled to southeastern Turkey to see these relief efforts for themselves.

In July of this year, poliovirus was detected in environmental samples from the Gaza Strip. In August, a 10-month-old boy became the first confirmed case in Gaza in the last 25 years, leading to an ongoing vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip. In this episode, we hear from three polio experts from around the world – working in regions where wild polio has long been eradicated, to the two countries where wild polio remains endemic.Visit www.endpolio.org to join the fight to end polio.

In a 2021 Farm Bureau Poll, 92 percent of farmers and farmworkers felt comfortable talking with a friend or family member about mental health, an increase of 22 percent over 2019. As awareness of rural mental health issues grows, so does the number of initiatives to confront them. This story by Elizabeth Hewitt originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Rotary magazine in collaboration with Reasons to be Cheerful, a nonprofit solutions journalism outlet. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

Jean-Marc Giboux is a Chicago-based photojournalist who spent 18 years traveling across 17 countries to document the effects of polio and the wide-ranging fight to eradicate it. In early 2024, Rotary International sponsored his exhibit, "Chasing Polio," at the Chicago Center for Photojournalism. In this episode, Rotary magazine senior staff writer Diana Schoberg sits down with Giboux to discuss the obstacles he faced in capturing his images, the highlights of his journey, and what he looks for in a good picture.

Dr. Atul Gawande is the assistant administrator of Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development. But Dr. Gawande’s leadership in public health stretches back long before his time at USAID, as does his background as a bestselling writer. In this episode, Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko sits down with Dr. Gawande to discuss Rotary’s partnership with USAID, the role of civil society organizations in achieving global health goals, and personalized care in end-of-life decision-making.

More and more, scientists, doctors and caretakers of dementia patients are finding that music is medicine. For a decade, Music Mends Minds has helped organize music groups for people diagnosed with neurodegenerative dementias. Join Linda Yu as she visits the organization's inaugural band, learns about music as treatment, and traces Music Mends Minds to its root notes.

Chef Art Smith is an iconic American restaurateur, philanthropist, and cookbook author. He's cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama, among other world leaders, and served as Oprah Winfrey's personal chef for a decade. He received the James Beard Award in 2002 for his cookbook "Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family" and was named Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 2007. Fellow James Beard Award winner Monica Eng sat down with Chef Smith at a recent Chicago Hounds rugby game to discuss his family's connections to Rotary, his culinary inspirations, charity work, and more.

Since the first Global Citizen Festival in 2012, countless influential artists, business leaders, and politicians have graced the event's stage. Global Citizen, co-founded by Michael Sheldrick, has helped distribute more than $43 billion to end extreme poverty. The organization has also been working with Rotary for over a decade. As Global Citizen prepares for its annual return to Central Park this year, Jennifer Jones sat down with Michael to discuss his inspiring story, the transformative work of Global Citizen, and his new book, "From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World."

As an avid sports fan, President Stephanie Urchick is well-positioned to light the lamp, clear the bases, and split the uprights. Whatever the sports metaphor, she's destined to keep Rotary in the winner's circle. ⁠This story⁠ by senior staff writer Diana Schoberg appeared in the July 2024 issue of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.

Supported by a Rotary Programs of Scale award, an initiative in Nigeria seeks to remedy the country's high instances of maternal death. Rotary magazine senior staff writer Diana Schoberg visited the initiative for the April 2024 issue. This audio version of her story is narrated by Andy Choi.

Harvest Against Hunger rescues a staggering amount of produce from Washington's farm fields and fruit trees to nourish hungry families. But it never works alone. This story by Allecia Vermillion originally appeared in the March 2024 issue of Rotary magazine. This audio version of her story is narrated by Andy Choi.

A recap of the latest news, events, acts of service, and milestones in the Rotary community. The 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore has arrived! In this week's roundup, Linda Yu brings you key events, personalities, and stories from Singapore. Plus, a dispatch from the world of Rotary Community Corps (RCCs).

In 2015, Lori Crider lost her nephew to suicide. During a long, and ongoing, journey of grief, she met Shirley Weddle: a fellow loss survivor. In 2021, they worked together to help build the Rotary E-Club of Suicide Prevention and Brain Health to destigmatize mental health, draw attention to warning signs, and connect with experts to learn about suicide prevention. The Rotary magazine team spoke with them to hear their stories and learn about suicide prevention.

On April 12, 1955, Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr. announced to the world that Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine was safe, effective, and potent. This medical breakthrough cemented Dr. Salk’s legacy and made polio eradication a possibility. His son, Dr. Peter Salk, is the president and director of the Jonas Salk Legacy Foundation, also serving as a professor of infectious diseases and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. The Rotary magazine team recently spoke with him to discuss immunizations and polio eradication.

A recap of the latest news, events, acts of service, and milestones in the Rotary community. This is a key week on the Rotary calendar in the fight against diseases such as polio and measles, and the Rotary Club of Kansas City, Missouri, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its youth camp project.

With suicides rising in the U.S., Rotary members who’ve lost loved ones are determined to prevent more deaths. Their first step — talking. After her nephew’s death, Lori Crider worked with Shirley Weddle, also a loss survivor and mental health advocate, to establish the Rotary E-Club of Suicide Prevention and Brain Health. This audio version of ⁠⁠a story in the November 2023 issue⁠⁠ of⁠ ⁠Rotary magazine⁠⁠ is narrated by Linda Yu.

On July 1, 2022, Jennifer Jones became Rotary’s first female president – which left her husband, Nick Krayacich, in a unique, challenging, and at times enviable position. Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Krayacich to discuss his life as a travelling physician, globetrotting golfer, and Rotary’s first first gentleman.

South Carolina Rotarian Roger Ackerman watched his mother-in-law slowly lose herself to Alzheimer's over two decades. Over lunch one day in 1995, Ackerman’s friend told him that $8 billion to $9 billion in coins changed hands every day in America. Early the next morning, he jolted out of bed, realizing that pocket change could be the key to a cure for Alzheimer’s. This audio version of ⁠a story in the May 2023 issue⁠ of ⁠Rotary magazine⁠ is narrated by Scott Thomas.

February 24, 2024 marks the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia still occupies 18 percent of the country. In light of this anniversary, we’re bringing back an episode from this time last year where we analyzed the situation in Ukraine, explored the prospect of peace, and discussed the importance of civil society in Ukraine’s postwar rebuilding.

“The more people that are prepared to deal with an event, the safer everybody is going to be.” Elizabeth Hewitt shares alarming statistics on opioid addiction and the stories behind the numbers as Rotary members join the race to save lives. This audio version of a story in the January 2024 issue of Rotary magazine is narrated by Scott Thomas.