Rotarian heads up international event from Lakewood Ranch

Since joining Rotary International 34 years ago, Lakewood Ranch’s Cyndi Doragh has had plenty of adventure in doing good.

She has delivered wheelchairs to those in need in Belize.

She has dug wells for clean water and helped build bathrooms in rural areas of Guatemala.

She even helped a community in Kenya overcome a generational cycle of women engaging in prostitution by giving them an opportunity to become entrepreneurs, selling handmade products in the U.S.

Doragh said such opportunities are some of the things that make Rotary International so special and why she hopes more people will consider joining the organization. On behalf of Rotary District 6960, which includes Rotary clubs in Sarasota and Manatee counties, Doragh is putting together a four-part webinar series called “Infinite Possibilities: Women in Rotary.” The series is part of a membership drive, and it is designed to inspire and engage attendees through one-hour motivational talks sharing about Rotary’s history, mission and future.

“This whole series is about bringing to people’s attention that there’s so much need, and Rotary can help fill those needs,” Doragh said. “This is about bringing more people to the table to do good things.”

The webinars will be held at 1 p.m. the last Friday of the month July through October. The first, called “The Edge of Tomorrow,” will be given by prominent Rotarian Sylvia Whitlock, the first woman Rotary club president in the nation in 1987.

Doragh already has registrants from around the globe, including Finland, Lithuania and Taiwan.

“It’s exploded in a wonderful way,” she said. “Everything about it is positive and exciting. The momentum keeps building and building.”