Douglas Cooper Receives Rotary International Award

Former long-time Lakewood resident, Douglas Cooper, has received one of Rotary International's most prestigious awards, the Paul Harris Fellowship. Named after the founder of Rotary, it recognizes Rotary members who have made substantial contributions to the Rotary International Foundation. Doug is the immediate past President of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Lakewood/Rocky River. He was a long time member of the Lakewood/Rocky River Rotary before joining the Sunrise Club. Doug was an Attorney with the firm of Thompson, Hine, LLP for 30 years. Most recently he was the President of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

In January 2011, he was named to the Cuyahoga County Board of Revision by the County Council. His experience in real estate and mortgage-lending with Thompson Hine will assist him in this new position.

Doug and his wife, Karen, moved to Rocky River just a couple of years ago. Karen was one of the founders of the Lakewood Arts Festival and is still active on the Festival planning committee.

Rotary International celebrated its 106 birthday on February 23, 2011. It was founded in Chicago by Paul Harris and three friends who wanted to establish an organization to promote service in their community through their vocations. There are now over 1.2 million Rotarians and 33,000 Rotary Clubs in over 200 countries and territories. Its Foundation distributes about $200 million dollars annually for educational programs and hunger, health, and humanity grants throughout the world. In 1985, it launched the Polio Plus program to immunize all the children of the world. In addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars raised and donated by Rotary members, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $355 million dollars to Polio Plus. Over 99% of the world's children have now been immunized, and the world in nearly polio free.

The Sunrise Rotary Club meets every Wednesday at 7:15am at Umerley Hall at the Rocky River Civic Center, behind Rocky River Hall at West 210 and Hilliard Blvd. New members are welcome to join and participate in its many service projects.

For more information, contact Gordon Geiger at geigerslakewood@sbcglobal.net.