This month, we begin a new journey together to celebrate The Magic of Rotary. ​So buckle up for an exciting trip.

If Rotary is a beautiful car that you are proud to drive, The Rotary Foundation is ​the engine that propels it to your chosen destination. And it’s the strengths of ​Rotary — especially you and our other incredible 1.4 million members — that ​make The Rotary Foundation powerful.

Like many new members, I knew little about The Rotary Foundation when I ​joined Rotary. However, everything changed in 1985 when, as incoming ​president of my club, I attended my first Rotary International Convention with my ​wife, Gay, in Kansas City, Missouri.

We will never forget the thunderous support the audience showed for Dr. Albert ​Sabin, creator of the oral polio vaccine, who called upon Rotary to vaccinate the ​world’s children. It marked the dawn of PolioPlus, a pivotal moment in Rotary’s ​commitment to children worldwide, and I was there!

You, as a member of Rotary, are also a part of The Rotary Foundation. You are ​part of a worldwide movement that implements global grants to build ​sustainable systems for clean water and sanitation where there are none. You ​help train peacebuilders in a world plagued by unrest. And through supporting ​the Foundation, you help people rebuild their lives after natural disasters.

This is the magic of The Rotary Foundation. But let’s remember that magic ​doesn’t happen on its own, which is why I am counting on your support and ​engagement this year.

To accomplish more good throughout the world, the Foundation trustees have ​set an ambitious fundraising goal of $500 million (£393 million) for 2024-25. ​Achieving this goal will require the support of everyone reading this message. It ​will also help us reach our goal of building the Endowment Fund to $2.025 billion ​(£1.6 billion) by 2025.

To help us keep financial support of the Foundation at the forefront throughout ​this year, I have developed Mark’s Magical Markers — a set of specific targets to ​help us achieve our overall goals.

The first Magical Marker focuses on personal commitment, particularly to the ​Annual Fund, which supports the grants, scholarships, and vocational training ​teams that make the magic happen. Please contribute what you can to the ​Annual Fund no later than August 31st.

This year, let’s fuel the engine that takes us around the globe to do good. Let’s ​unleash The Magic of Rotary through the Foundation. And let’s make this year an ​unforgettable one — for us and for the people whose lives we will touch.