Glenn Hagel, accompanied by his dog Marco, walked just short of 130 km over the month leading up to Family Day. The Wakamow Rotary Club received donations totaling $1,090 toward the worldwide Rotary International Polio Plus program.
“I was just so touched by that,” Hagel said warmly. “And then, of course, you can take that and multiply it by three, because of the matching from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, so it takes us up to $3,270.”
Hagel said that those donations would help nearly 3,000 children in poor countries to be vaccinated against polio.
Hagel also reported that the Moose Jaw Wakamow Rotary Club has taken a vote and decided to induct his 16-year-old dog Marco as an honorary member.
“He’s the first four-legged Rotarian I’ve ever met,” Hagel laughed. “I thought that was really kind of a nice touch in the club, and it kind of reflected the appreciation and also the fun that was involved in the exercise.”
Some bitterly cold days kept the duo inside just a touch more than they’d planned. Hagel had wanted to get 130 kilometres, which is the round-trip walking distance to Regina. That said, their total was 124.5 km – not far short at all.
When you see Glenn and Marco out walking in future, you might notice an Honorary Canine Rotarian pin on Marco’s jacket. Be sure to wave.
“This will make a difference for somewhere in the range of 3,000 kids in poor countries around the world,” Hagel said. “So, way to go, Moose Jaw!”
