Ogden Rotary elects new president
Ogden Standard Examiner
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 - 5:30pm
OGDEN -- Kent Jorgenson thinks service is one of the best things to do in life and to him, the Rotary Club is the perfect fit. Now as the new Ogden Rotary president, he is hoping to lift other people's lives with the service the club does. Jorgenson was elected to the new position last Wednesday.
Jorgenson has been a Rotarian for the past five years. He works as a marketing specialist for the Utah Transit Authority and served on the Ogden City Council a few years ago. He got involved through his boss and when his boss became too busy to be involved, Jorgenson became more involved. "Now lo and behold, here I am as the president," Jorgenson said. The Ogden chapter has about 80 members. There is also a Mt. Ogden chapter in the area.
The Ogden Rotary chapter is part of Rotary International, an international philanthropy group. The Ogden chapter has been in existence for 92 years and the state group is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year.
"It will be an exciting year," Jorgenson said of the state anniversary.
The group does several local and international service projects each year and Jorgenson is hoping to get things going under his stewardship with a bang. Rotary International has always been actively involved in eradicating polio and has spent years and years working on that cause, which the Ogden chapter supports.
The Ogden club has also applied for $45,000 in grants from the state club and international club to help an international project in Ghana through the group Charity Without Borders. The group takes high school and college students to the African country and conducts clinics, does research and helps educate citizens over there about good health habits and everyday living skills. The local chapter will also provide matching dollars toward the grant which sends medical and hygiene supplies to the country.
Jorgenson traveled to Ghana in May with his daughter and some Weber State University professors to observe some of the research and the needs over there. He was very excited with how the Rotary Club could fit into the equation. Jorgenson is a big believer in community partnerships and plans to use those as much as he can with the club. He is working with the Charity Without Borders nonprofit group as well as Autoliv with the Ghana project.
To help raise money for the Ghana project the club is having a raffle. For $2 raffle tickets can be purchased that include a free admission to the Ogden Raptors game on Aug. 2. At the game a raffle will be held with over $6,000 in donated prizes to be raffled off. Prizes ranging from airfare to anywhere to $1,000 in groceries will be raffled off.
"You don't have to be present to win and you are helping a good cause," Jorgenson said.
For information on purchasing the raffle tickets, go to www.ogdenrotary.com or e-mail Jorgenson at kwjorgenson@gmail.com.
The Ogden Club is also planning to work with foster care kids in the area so they can go up and go through the cope course at the South Ogden Boy Scouts of America offices. The Club is also planning to help disabled kids learn to ski at Snowbasin this winter.
