Beahon honored at Rotary dinner

Rotary District 6080’s recent Million Dollar Dinner honored Mike Beahon, who passed away from kidney failure two weeks after being installed as district governor in June 2014.

Beahon also served as president of the Rotary Club of Fulton in 2010-11, according to his wife, Mary Beahon. His dedication to Rotary led to the construction of a health clinic in Kibungo, Rwanda, the establishment of the Kibungo Rotary Club and more.

“This dinner was held in his honor Saturday, and this week happens to be World Immunization Week (April 24-30),” she said. “One of Mike’s goals as district governor was to hold a Million Dollar Dinner in celebration of major gifts to The Rotary Foundation; we realized that dream Saturday.”

Beahon said her husband had a “heart” for Africa, and he lived and worked in Nigeria in the 1980s.

“He renewed his love for the continent during two trips to Rwanda and Tanzania in 2009 and 2010 with fellow Fulton Rotarian Bob Hansen,” Beahon added. “Their involvement in Rwanda (with the support of our Rotary club) resulted in the construction of a women and children’s clinic, numerous micro-loans, the purchase of solar lamps for school children to study at night, and the establishment of the Mount Gisaka Rotary Club in Ngoma District of Rwanda.”

Club members also are pursuing a project to improve quality of and accessibility to health care for Maasai mothers and babies in hopes of decreasing rates of mother and infant mortality.

Leading up to the April 23 dinner, more than $2 million was raised, which will help fund Rotary’s final efforts to eradicate polio, a disease that once paralyzed more than 1,000 children worldwide every day.

“More than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries have been immunized, and only two endemic countries remain,” Beahon said. “So far this year, only nine polio cases have been reported in the entire world.”

Raymond Plue, past district governor and current Rotary Foundation chair, organized last weekend’s event. Ray Klinginsmith, past president of Rotary International and current chair of The Rotary Foundation, was the speaker.

The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational and cultural exchange programs.

The dinner was at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia.

Also, on Friday, 30 percent of qualifying sales (mention the Rotary Club) made from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Wendy’s restaurant in Fulton will be donated to the Rotary Club of Fulton. The restaurant is at 1841 N. Bluff St.