Fraternity-Testvériség, 2010 (88. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2010-07-01 / 3. szám
$ 650.00 per unit. From March through July, Rahill in New Jersey, and Gregor in Florida continued looking for ways to obtain funding for the shipping. Louis reached out to members of the Indian Rocks Beach Rotary Club of Florida, while up north, Rahill’s husband Michael recommended that she contact the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America because he thought they may be able to help in such a project. (Both Rahill, her son Michael and granddaughter Lillian are policy holders with HRFA.) Rahill took a chance and e-mailed HRFA and within minutes, an e-mail was received back from an employee named Petra of the HRFA. She was going to put our request out to the members of HRFA and also to Unicum to see if someone was traveling to Hungary and would be able to take these units with them. Unbelievable as it was but within 30 minutes a phone call was received from a gentlemen in Bethesda, MD who had a container going to Sopron in the next 5 hours. If we could bring the units to Bethesda within that time frame, he would gladly put them in the container. Unfortunately, the time was too short to drive the units down from New Jersey. Calls continued coming in from all over the country that day; California and Washington just to name a few. All Hungarians who had heard about the plight of these units wanted to offer help. Rahill also received an e-mail from a gentleman in Gyor who was willing to donate funds for the shipping. Many calls were received by the American Hungarian Federation of America also concerning the project. A short time later, a member of the Indian Rocks Beach Rotary Club was able to obtain affordable rates through Fed Ex to ship the packages, and the cost of the shipment of three units became less than 1/3 of the original cost given for shipping. So with a $200 donation from a fellow Hungarian who had heard about the plight and the balance coming from the Indian Rocks Beach Rotary Club, the three defibrillators finally left New Jersey in the middle of July bound for Sopron. With all this outpouring of help and concern, Rahill said, “I could only remember Lajos Gregorencsics’s words: ‘Never stray from your heritage and Fraternity I Testvériség always be proud that you are Hungarian’.” Her eyes well up with tears as she recalls her father and his constant search for Hungarians in this country. With heartfelt thanks, Rahill would like to say to all who are part of the Hungarian family: “Thank you. Köszönöm szépen és Isten áldjon minden Magyart.” As we get to the end of the story, Margit Rahill wanted Fraternity readers to be informed of another ongoing project with several Rotary Districts and Clubs involved, an orphanage project on the border of Hungary and Romania. Presently, they are finalizing the details of an Orphanage project in which they are providing funding to build a technology and trade education center on the border of Hungary and Romania which will allow orphans to learn a trade prior to their 18th birthday so they have viable skills prior to being released into the real world as young adults. This project was launched because Gregor and Rahill’s father, Lajos Gregorencsics, was orphaned as was Louis Gregor’s wife, Mici. The project is expected to be completed by 2011. District 1911 and the Rotary Club of Sopron (Perkovatz haz), Rotary District 2241 and the Rotary Club of Bistrita-Nasaud, Romania, District 7470 in New Jersey and its clubs, the Rotary Club of Jefferson, Rotary Club of Livingston, Rotary Club of Mount Olive, Rotary Club of Pequannock and the originator of the project, District 6950 and the Rotary Club of Indian Rocks Beach, Florida and the Rotary Foundation have raised $ 26,150 for a matching grant to set-up these 4 vocational classrooms in the St. Stephen Orphanage in Vice, Romania. Though thousands of miles away, Lajos and Margit Gregorencsics instilled in their children that Hungary will always be called “itthon,” to always remember our roots and be proud of them, and that the faithful city of Sopron and their people will always be in their hearts no matter where they reside. For additional information on Rotary International, please go to www. rotary, org. It is an organization that is 1,200,000 strong in volunteers. What better gift for children and grandchildren ... Heritage, Fraternity & Security HRFA Juvenile Insurance and Guaranteed Annuity Gift Package Call the Home Office at 888- KOSSUTH 3 T
