Dear friends,
We are pleased to bring you another edition of the District 2240 Newsletter, offering an overview of current activities, projects, and events across our clubs. As always, it is a diverse mix of initiatives – ranging from youth work and educational projects, through humanitarian activities, to international programmes and club events.
We would also like to draw your attention to the upcoming District Conference in Nymburk, which will be an opportunity for personal meetings, exchange of experience, and shared discussions about the direction of our District and our clubs. I believe that this year’s conference will once again serve as a fitting highlight of the current Rotary year.
In this issue, you will also find updates on youth exchange activities, grant projects, support for international initiatives, as well as several invitations to upcoming events.
Wishing you an enjoyable read.
PDG Katarína Čechová
Editor-in-Chief of the District 2240 Newsletter
The FiDi Clubs project (film-dialogue clubs), implemented by Rotary Club Trnava in close cooperation with Rotary Club Bratislava International, demonstrated how the combination of film and expert discussion can shape children’s critical thinking and value systems.
We are delighted that our fellow Rotarian Pavel Lejhanec of RC Pardubice has been awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Pardubice. It is the highest honour the city bestows on prominent public figures for truly exceptional service to Pardubice.
Pavel Lejhanec is a goldsmith from Pardubice and the successor to a family jewellery-making tradition dating back to 1899. His name has also long been associated with the legendary Zlatá přilba města Pardubic race, for whose winner a trophy helmet is created each year in the family jewellery workshop — made of silver, gilded, and adorned with Czech garnets.
We warmly congratulate Pavel. A more detailed article about his story and this award will appear in the next issue of Rotary Good News.
In the popular ski resort of Tatranská Lomnica in the High Tatras, the traditional Skiweek took place during the first week of February—an exceptional gathering full of sport, joy, and international friendship. From 1 to 7 February, 30 exchange students from more than 10 countries around the world met there; they are currently hosted in our District 2240.
Under the guidance of experienced Rotarians and with the support of Rotex members, the exchange students improved their skiing and snowboarding skills while also discovering the magic of the Tatras’ winter landscape. For many of them—coming from countries where snow is more of a rarity than an everyday reality—a week spent beneath the Tatra peaks was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the fulfillment of a dream of a true winter.
A long-standing tradition of exchange student trips within Rotary International District 2240 continues for the sixth time—this time under the official coordination of RYE Slovakia. Organized by Rotary Club Nitra with the support of volunteers from Rotary Club Dunajská Streda and Rotary Club Nové Zámky, the three-day journey to Budapest offered students an unforgettable mix of culture, history, and shared experiences.
EUROTOUR, 28 April – 12 May 2026 – a unique RYE CZ event offering inbound students unforgettable experiences.
Once again this year, RYE CZ international students will take part in a two-week exploratory tour across Europe (France, Spain, Italy).
Participation in the event is voluntary.
Our trip to Patagonia lasted about three weeks, and it was a mix of beautiful places, exhaustion from long journeys, and above all loads of fun with the other exchange students. We saw places that, until then, I had only known from photos — and I’ll remember this trip forever.
In Puerto Madryn, we walked among penguins, and it was unbelievable. One penguin walked right across the path in front of us, and we just stood there with our phones in our hands, filming. No one even spoke, because we were all thinking, is this really happening? They were incredibly cute and acted as if they couldn’t care less that a group of excited students were standing right next to them.
My life in Colombia sometimes feels like a mirror image of my life in the Czech Republic — only turned in a different direction. It is as if everything I know from home has been given new colours, louder sounds, and more intense emotions here. When I look back, I realise just how much this exchange year has changed me. Whether it is because I now speak Spanish fluently, or because my school works completely differently from the one in the Czech Republic. One thing I do know for certain: I am enjoying it enormously.
When I arrived in Colombia, I was full of expectations as well as worries. A new country, a new language, new people. But now Spanish is no longer an obstacle — it has become part of me. I think in it, I laugh in it, and sometimes I even dream in it. The language has opened doors for me to people, their stories, and the culture. Thanks to that, I have been able to discover the real Colombia — not the one from textbooks or stereotypes, but the everyday, vibrant, and warm-hearted one.
Two global grants in Dnipro completed under the “100 for 1000” initiative
Two global grants in Dnipro have been successfully completed under the “100 for 1000” initiative. The grants were implemented in cooperation with several neighbouring districts, and their total value reached approximately EUR 136,000. Our contribution amounted to USD 22,000 and was secured through cooperation between clubs, the district, and The Rotary Foundation. We are helping to deliver practical assistance where it is needed most.
Join us for a unique four-day journey to Slovenia, combining music, travel, fine dining, and active leisure. Enjoy a young talents concert, discover the charm of Ljubljana and Maribor, taste exceptional wines, and even play golf in a stunning setting.
All clubs that received a district grant in the past year are kindly requested to submit the final report no later than 30 April 2026.
New applications for district grants for the 2026/2027 Rotary year may also be submitted by 30 April 2026.
All essential information on the conditions for district grants, global grants, the “Hundred for a Thousand” programme, as well as guidance on how to contribute to The Rotary Foundation, can be found in the presentation “PELS 2026 – TRF The Rotary Foundation (Brichta, Sláma)” at the following link:
https://www.rotary2240.org/cs/o-rotary/ke-stazeni/pels-2026-olomouc/
Rotary Club Valtice - Břeclav would like to invite you to the 21st edition of the social, sporting and sightseeing event “By bicycle or on foot around the LVA” (LVA = the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape).
The event will take place on 22-24 May 2026 in the beautiful surroundings of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape (LVA) and the Modré Hory (Blue Mountains) area, along wine cycling routes in the vicinity of Velké Pavlovice and—new this year—within the framework of the “3rd edition of the district project CYKLOTOUR 2025 Rotary Club.”
Rotary Club Karlovy Vary will mark its 100th anniversary with a special charity golf tournament on May 15, 2026, at Cihelny.
1. PROGRAMME
Friday, 12 June 2026
18:00 Arrival of participants in Poprad, check-in
19:00 Group dinner at Penzión Atrium
Saturday, 13 June 2026
8:30 Cycle ride to the Marčulina viewpoint
9:30 Walk to the Marčulina viewpoint
17:30 Return from the trips
18:00 Guided tour of Spišská Sobota
18:30 Barbecue evening at Penzión Atrium in Spišská Sobota
Sunday, 14 June 2026
10:00 Departure of participants from Poprad
Dear friends of golf and goodwill,
We are delighted to invite you to the 10th anniversary edition of our charity golf tournament, taking place on May 29, 2026, at the beautiful Royal Golf Club Beroun.
The tournament is organized by Rotary Golf Club Prague NGW in support of the non-profit organization ICTUS – Institut pomoci mozku, dedicated to helping people with acquired brain injuries.
Registration is now open:
https://www.cgf.cz/cz/turnaje/
Your suggestions and feedback are welcomed and will assist us in enhancing our newsletter. Please send them to us at news@rotary2240.org.
