New York Rotary Sponsors a Gift of Life Child Annually

The Rotary Club of New York has established a strong relationship with Gift of Life International, Inc. We have been active continually in supporting these children since our first GOL child, Grace Awaru in 1975 through the 10,000th, Johnathan Olunga, this year.

Gift of Life explains themselves this way:

OUR MISSION
To save as many children's lives as possible by providing life saving open heart surgery to children from infancy to 18 years of age with congenital heart defects. Children for whom we are the last hope.

OUR VISION
To enable, over the ten year period of 2008-2018, the saving of at least 30,000 more children's lives by unifying the strengths & coordinating the efforts of Gift of Life and Affiliated Programs worldwide.

OUR MOTIVATION
The World Heart Foundation estimates that over 90% of the world's population, 4.5 Billion people, do not have access to cardiac care. Eight of every one thousand newborns suffer some form of Congenital Heart Defect. Of those eight, 20% need life-saving heart surgery. At any given time, there are about 5.5 Million children in need of heart surgery.

Gift of Life Programs around the world seek to alleviate some small portion of the suffering these statistics depict, regardless of a child's race, gender, creed or national origin.