Here is Renee's interview with Robert Friend, District Chair of the Rotary-Southern Connecticut, Jack Solomon, Past Rotary District Governor, and Ted Rossi, President of the Rossi Group and the Rossi Family Foundation.
They share about the Million Mask Challenge Tour and why they've decided to do it all again...with take 2!
Ted Rossi and the Rossi Family Foundation in concert with Rotary Districts and Rotarians throughout the Northeast have stepped up to donate PPE face-masks as an encore to its recent October Million Mask Challenge Tour.
With the cold weather and flu season upon us, this second face-mask distribution project, entitled the Million Mask Challenge Tour [Take 2], will increase distribution to more than 2MM PPEs, delivering the necessary face-masks to first responders, essential workers, and needy community organizations throughout the New England region, and expansion to New York's Hudson Valley, Westchester, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island areas.
Eleven Rotary Districts and thousands of Rotarians throughout seven States (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York) will come together January 11th - 14th and receive distribution of face-masks for subsequent delivery to those in need. The 14-stop four-day event will see a 26-foot Million Mask Challenge Tour [Take 2] wrapped truck drop off the much-needed PPE face-masks for Rotarians to distribute to the four corners of their regional areas.
The distribution will include upwards of 2MM surgical masks for adults, as well as a large supply of children designed surgical face-masks and an important supply of KN95s for first responders. The general public is urged to support this important initiative by donating to the project at www.RotaryMask.org.
The challenge for the Million Mask Challenge Tour [Take 2] is based on a premise that Rotarians are People of Action. And, as Rotarians, are professional, community, and civic leaders who share a unique perspective and passion for taking action to improve the world.
- We challenge each Rotary Club engaging in this project to guarantee that each and every PPE received is delivered to community based first-responders and essential workers to provide safe protective equipment to their employees.
- We challenge Rotary Zones and Districts across the country to join our cause by leveraging their own resources and join this effort to deliver protection and safety to first responders and essential workers at the vital core of our communities,
- We challenge our Rotary corporate partners, NGO’s and the business community whom we connect with every day to step up to join Ted Rossi and the Rossi Family Foundation in this unprecedented spirit of giving back. Every Rotary District throughout the US and the world can deliver the same support and the same unifying message of compassion, perseverance and action.
About Rotary: Rotary International is a service organization whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. The most successful and sustainable Rotary service falls within one of the following seven areas:
- Peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
- Disease prevention and treatment.
- Water and sanitation.
- Maternal and child health.
- Basic education and literacy.
- Economic and community development.
- The environment.
About Ted Rossi and The Rossi Family Foundation:
Ted Rossi, an East Hampton Connecticut Rotarian, has been a pioneer in the manufacturing export of American Hardwood lumber for over 40 years. A lifelong resident of Connecticut, Ted is active in many civic and political activities. More importantly, Ted is an ardent supporter of The Rotary Foundation. When the pandemic closed the US, he played a strategic role in the provision of PPE to city and state governments.
The Rossi Family Foundation made an initial contribution of 1MM face-masks during the Fall of 2020 in the inaugural Million Mask Challenge Tour. This second distribution project is unprecedented, and reinforces how Rotary uses its professional backgrounds, diverse perspectives, and global connections to change the world for the better, reinforcing And, that we’re an organization founded on people, relationships, and Rotarians taking action.
The Million Mask Challenge Tour [Take 2] Project Workforce: Engaging eleven (11) Rotary Districts and engaging thousands of Rotarians as “people of Action” who will deliver the face-masks throughout the Northeastern United States.