Rotary Voices

Epizode

• Medical Moonshots: Fighting Cervical Cancer with Dr. Richard Godfrey 19.05.2026 34min

  Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, but it’s also highly preventable. Rotarian, surgical oncologist, and author Dr. Richard Godfrey has traveled the world making cervical cancer prevention more accessible. His forthcoming book, Medical Moonshots: Winning the Cancer War, talks about his lifesaving work. Niala Boodhoo recently sat down with Dr. Godfrey to discuss his career, cervical cancer, and Rotary’s work to eliminate it.
• The Ripple Effect: Dragon Boats Bring a Community Together 01.05.2026 20min

  In 1996, the Rotary Club of Stratford in Ontario took a more than 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition and turned it into a fundraising event that has raised well over $1 million for the club and its projects. Last year, Craig Thompson directed a documentary called The Ripple Effect that highlights the community impact of the Stratford Rotary Dragon Boat Festival. Chicago journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Craig and club president Dan Kane to discuss the festival and its history.Contact action@ballinran.com to screen The Ripple Effect at your club!
• A Membership Success Story: How This Georgia Club Keeps Growing 09.04.2026 30min

  The Rotary Club of Roswell, Georgia, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, is growing rapidly. In this episode, Tom Gump, chair of the Rotary International Membership Growth Committee, and Jose Gonzalez, supervisor of Membership Growth & Experience in the U.S. and Canada, sit down with Trummie Lee Patrick III, the club’s president, to discuss the club’s secrets to success, membership retention, and club culture.
• Dr. Marc Schulz: Lessons from the World’s Longest Happiness Study 01.04.2026 37min

  Dr. Marc Schulz and his co-author Dr. Robert Waldinger lead the Harvard Study of Adult Development: ongoing research into the psychosocial predictors of healthy aging that began in 1938. In 2023, Dr. Schulz and Dr. Waldinger published The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. Chicago broadcast journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Dr. Schulz to discuss the study’s origins, its evolving methods, and the importance of social connection.
• Songwriter David LaMotte: Harmony in Action 11.03.2026 39min

  David LaMotte is a songwriter, speaker, author, and activist who has performed over 3,500 concerts and released 13 albums. LaMotte was a Rotary Peace Fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia where he studied international relations, peace, and conflict resolution. Rotary International social media and audience development manager Andy Sternberg sits down with LaMotte to discuss the intersection of art and activism.David LaMotte at the 2025 Rotary International Convention: youtu.be/EstQHD92eo0?si=sga3caJebjW6XQPZDavid LaMotte’s TEDx talk: www.davidlamotte.com/tedx/Let’s Be Neighbors: www.letsbeneighbors.org/
• A Bride Too Soon 02.03.2026 21min

  The survivor of an abusive arranged marriage, Fraidy Reiss wants to ensure that other girls never suffer the same ordeal. In 2011, Reiss founded Unchained at Last, an activist group that works to end forced marriage and child marriage in the United States. This story by Chicago journalist Elly Fishman appeared in the October 2024 issue of Rotary magazine. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.
• Rashmi Rustagi: A Ray of Light 28.01.2026 28min

  Growing up in Lucknow, India, Rashmi Rustagi was a member of Rotaract and acted in radio plays. After moving to the Bay Area in the United States, she joined a local Indian theater and then began a demanding transition into Hollywood. In California, Rustagi was invited to join the Rotary Club of Redwood City, where she’s a member today. Chicago journalist Linda Yu sat down with Rustagi to discuss her life, career in movies and her efforts to empower women and girls in a new feature film: Designed by Preeti.
• WHO, UNICEF, Rotary: Polio Fight to the Finish 09.01.2026 31min

  In 2026, many Western governments have pulled back funding and reduced their commitments to the United Nations. And later this month, the United States will officially withdraw from the World Health Organization. Today, civic organizations like Rotary represent a powerful “third force” in global affairs. For example, in 1988, alongside UNICEF and others, Rotary and the WHO became founding partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, or GPEI. The campaign now stands as one of the largest, most successful public health efforts to date. Leadership from the GPEI visited Rotary International Headquarters to discuss the status of the campaign today.
• 50 Years: Personal Stories from Rotary Youth Exchange 23.12.2025 40min

  The Rotary Youth Exchange program has been promoting international understanding for 50 years. The program, which enables young people to live and study abroad for up to a year, serves as a bridge for cultural competence and builds the foundation for peace. In this episode, longtime exchange host Sabrina Barreto and one of the students her family hosted, Simon Foote, share their perspectives on the program. Holger Knaack, chair of The Rotary Foundation Trustees and a past Rotary president, discusses his experience hosting over 40 students with his wife, Susanne.
• You've Got A Friend 03.12.2025 17min

  In response to a “friendship recession,” Rotary members are finding ways to make connections they cherish, starting in their own clubs. This story by Chicago journalist Kate Silver appeared in the August 2024 issue of Rotary magazine. This audio version of her story is narrated by Linda Yu.
• The Autumn Ghost: A Medical Breakthrough in Polio’s Wake 12.11.2025 31min

  In 1952, Copenhagen’s Blegdam Hospital was overwhelmed by polio patients. Under immense pressure and surrounded by loss, two doctors were faced with a seemingly unanswerable question: What can we do if patients become too paralyzed to breathe? A saga of innovation followed leading to the modern intensive care unit, or ICU. In this episode, Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Dr. Hannah Wunsch. Dr. Wunsch documented the epidemic for her book: The Autumn Ghost.
• Organ Donation: The Gift of Life 27.10.2025 45min

  “Fear comes from unanswered questions.” After donating one of his kidneys to his brother, Anil Srivatsa has become a devoted advocate for the life-saving impact of organ donation. Traveling the world, he’s befriended countless other organ donors and recipients, all with complicated stories of their own. In this episode, you’ll hear about Srivatsa’s life as an advocate and a couple of stories from his friends.
• Personalize Your Retirement Plan 30.09.2025 15min

  In recent months, the global stock markets have steadied following trade wars and rising inflation. But if you’re retired, or planning to retire, you might still have your guard up. After all, U.S. economists have been using phrases like “possible recession” and “stagflation.” In this episode, Chicago journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Rotarian and financial advisor Derrick Kinney to discuss the road to retirement in uncertain times.
• The Strength of Stories: Rotary Ambassador Kat Graham 03.09.2025 22min

  Kat Graham is an actress, singer, dancer, and producer who has built a career around telling stories. Graham serves as a Rotary Celebrity Ambassador and as Rotary’s Champion of Women and Girls’ Empowerment. As an advocate, Graham highlights the stories of those pushed to the periphery and empowers them to make their voices heard. In this episode, Chicago journalist Linda Yu sits down with Graham to discuss her long history with Rotary, her career, and her motivation to empower people around the world.
• Polio Eradication Is ‘Our Moonshot’ 20.08.2025 35min

  NPR’s Scott Simon recently sat down with Mike McGovern, the chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee, and John Hewko, Rotary’s general secretary and CEO, to discuss Rotary’s unique role in polio eradication and the GPEI’s strategy to overcome the final challenges in achieving that goal.
• Welcome In: How To Enhance Club Culture 16.07.2025 32min

  July marks the beginning of a new Rotary year — a moment for members and incoming leaders to reflect and find ways to grow their Rotary clubs and strengthen club culture. Chicago journalist Jerome McDonnell sits down with Rotary International staff members Nick Taylor (supervisor, Club and District Support) and Brianne Haxton (senior manager, Membership Development) to discuss data-driven and personal observations on how clubs can keep new and long-time members engaged.
• Songs in the Key of Rotary with Jeff Jimerson 13.06.2025 18min

  For 35 years, Jeff Jimerson has been singing the U.S. national anthem before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey games. When the visiting team is from Canada, Jimerson also sings “O Canada.” It’s little wonder that Rotary International President and Pittsburgh sports fan Stephanie Urchick chose Jimerson to sing the two anthems in Calgary this June at the Rotary International Convention. In this episode, Rotary magazine senior editor Geoff Johnson sits down with Jimerson to discuss his lifelong career in music, a tragic moment on Canada’s Parliament Hill, and his upcoming performance in Calgary.
• Generosity Amid Uncertainty: Giving in a Volatile Market 30.05.2025 36min

  Over the past few months, volatile markets around the world have sent many investors on an emotional roller coaster. In this episode, Rotarian and financial advisor Derrick Kinney is joined by certified financial planner James Bogart, CEO and founder of Bogart Wealth – one of the top financial planning firms in the country, for a conversation on how to make reasoned decisions while managing your investments and retirement accounts, and charitable giving. Kinney and Bogart’s practical discussion provides an easy-to-understand overview of the current economy and addresses investors’ financial concerns.
• Safe Passage: Rotarians Fight Sex Trafficking 16.05.2025 50min

  In July 2024, dozens of gunshots pierced the quiet Seattle night. Sex traffickers jockeying for turf fired 30 shots on Aurora Avenue North, two blocks from journalist Erin Gartner’s house. Amid a surge of violence crashing over the neighborhood, Gartner felt hopeless — until she found a group of neighborhood volunteers and experts in the problem of trafficking, all of them part of a Rotary club dedicated to the issue. In this episode, Niala Boodhoo speaks with Gartner and two of her fellow Rotary club members.If you are in the U.S. and suspect someone is being trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. In Canada, call 1-833-900-1010. 
• The Liberation of Julie Mulligan 22.04.2025 40min

  16 years have passed since John Mulligan received a phone call from northern Nigeria to his home in Drayton Valley, a small town nestled between two rivers in central Alberta. “John. I’ve been kidnapped.” The caller was his wife, Rotarian Julie Mulligan. What followed was 13 days of fear, uncertainty, and strength. In the aftermath, Julie set out to live a more authentic life of Service Above Self.