June 18, 2005. Rotary International Convention, Chicago, Illinois

We didn’t have seventy-six trombones, but our pride was just as intense with 37,000 Rotarians in Chicago during the 100th Anniversary of Rotary.

How many times in your life do you have crowds cheering for you, clapping & shouting
encouraging remarks? It was fun! Summer vacations kept most of the bands away,
but the music was in the air anyway.

Ok, so they weren’t all cheering me on – SOME of them were cheering
for Rotarians For Fighting Aids (RFFA) efforts to educate about HIV/AIDS and to provide assistance to families and children victimized by this killing virus. A few of them cheered
for the individuals in our parade group as well -– RFFA members from South
Africa to England, to the deep south of the USA.

Chicago Host City Convention Chair, Dick Galitz says, “The floats, the
bands, the drill teams, the kazoo specialists, the motorcyclists, the dancers,
the singers, the walkers and the riders, all following behind the 168 national
flags that represent Rotary were just inspirational to every spectator.” They
were inspirational to the marchers as well.

Dick reports that the parade was one of the largest held in Chicago in years,
with crowds larger than St Patrick’s Day parades. Three thousand Rotarians
marched in the parade and about 200,000 spectators cheered them on.