The Rotarians of District 3450, Hong Kong, have found themselves on the frontlines of the effort to stop the spread of SARS, which is described by the WHO as "the first severe and readily transmissible new disease to emerge in the 21st century."

At the end of February, the region became an epicenter of the epidemic after two infected travelers from mainland China carried the SARS virus to Hong Kong. Because there was so little that the medical establishment knew about SARS, the public reacted with panic to the news of the new disease.

"Citizens are living in fear because nobody can guarantee when or who will be infected, even the family members living under the same shelter," says Herbert Lau, deputy information coordinator for District 3450. "What we can do now, as Rotarians, is to help the government to rebuild the confidence of the people."

District 3450 has set up a special committee to do that and more. It supports Rotarian and non-Rotarian SARS projects through re-allocating unused DDF and making various fundraising appeals. In addition, the district is running video ads throughout May on giant outdoor screens, to provide SARS information and messages of support to medical workers.

The flagship of the district's effort is a Web site at www.rotary3450.org/news/sars/ that documents SARS-related club activities such as the following:

To honor the memory of member Dr. James Lau, who died after contracting SARS from a patient, the Rotary Club of Kowloon East is raising funds to support further SARS research at the University of Hong Kong. So far, HK$5 million (US$641,000) has been raised.

Teaming up with the Macau Flying Eagle Club, the Rotary Club of Hou Kuong, Macao, raised MOP 102,200 (approximately US$12,800) to purchase and distribute to low-income families 1,500 packs of protective accessories consisting of a bottle of liquid household bleach, face masks, a thermometer, and SARS information leaflets.

The Rotary Club of Kowloon North donated US$10,000 to Project Shield, run by the South China Morning Post newspaper to provide protective clothing and equipment for medical staff. It also supplied 100 floor fans to improve ventilation in the homes of elderly people who cannot afford them.

With the support of medical faculty from two Hong Kong universities, the Rotary Club of Channel Islands hosted a well-attended SARS information session. The club then initiated a districtwide fundraising campaign to help raise HK$200,000 (approximately US$25,641) to provide protective gear for medical students and faculty at both universities.

Members of the Rotary Club of Tolo Harbour sponsored a "Fear-busters Workshop" aimed at providing accurate information about the disease. The Rotary Club of Hong Kong Bayview distributed 20,000 facemasks and 100 boxes of liquid soap to needy residents and other members of the public.

Moved by the heroic deaths of two medical workers on the SARS frontlines, district Interact leaders collected 300 letters of appreciation from Interactors in Hong Kong and posted them on a notice board in the lobby of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. With the support of the Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong, they published a letter in two local newspapers, encouraging young Hong Kong residents to acknowledge and emulate the selflessness of medical workers fighting the SARS epidemic.