CART Fund hires executive director

(April 2008) - Following an outstanding fund-raising year among the eleven participating Rotary districts, the CART (Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust) Fund, Inc. board of directors announces plans to hire an Executive Director who will begin work on July 1, 2008. Board President Karen Shore states, "the time is right for this organization to step up to a new level of operation. CART has been completely administered by Rotarians who volunteer their time and we have, fortunately, grown to a successful point where we can afford to make this important move." An executive search committee was formed in the fourth quarter of 2007 and Shore adds, "within a few months, we were blessed to have found a candidate with an abundance of experience in marketing and fund raising."

Geoff Wheatley is a native of the United Kingdom, born and educated in Oxford. He first came to the USA as a Graduate Trainee with Unilever International to spend a year in New York studying Marketing and promotion yet he remained with the Unilever organization for a further five years working as a brand and later product manager. At that time Geoff joined JNR Research in Geneva, Switzerland as a marketing consultant. His clients included several major non-profit organizations where he assisted in their promotion and development.

A few years later, the World Wildlife Fund based in Geneva was seeking a professional Director of Development and Geoff was selected for the position. The WWF is the largest conservation organization in the world providing millions of dollars each year for international projects. The role of the Director of Development was to assist the national appeals located in the major countries throughout the world with their fundraising activities and public awareness programs.

In 1976, Geoff went to Canada to assist in the creation of a WWF national fundraising campaign and to establish a Canadian WWF operation. His commitment was for one year then to hand over the operation to a Canadian Director. During this period he met & married Dana, who was completing her medical training as a physician in Toronto. They relocated to Ottawa a couple of years later and Geoff, in company with a colleague, set up a marketing and development agency in the national capital. Several of their clients were non-profit organizations who required professional support to attract funding and recognition.

In 1987, Geoff and Dana relocated to the USA and became US Citizens in 1995. Dana followed a successful medical career as the Clinical Director for two hospitals while Geoff continued his marketing activates with various clients. They are in the process of relocation to Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Geoff has been an active Rotarian since 1967 and held virtually every position within a Club or District except District Governor. He brings a solid background of promotion and marketing to the CART appeal and of course a professional management approach to the growth and development of the operation.

Cart Fund presents 2007 grant to 
Mayo Clinic - Jacksonville

The Cart Fund

Established in 1995, the Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust has raised over $2 million for research that will lead to a prevention or cure of Alzheimer's Disease.  The program was initiated by the Rotary Club of Sumter, then adopted by District 7770 and now has spread to all the Rotary Districts in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.  The program simply asks Rotarians to donate their loose change at their weekly meetings.  Through these efforts, the CART Fund has made grants to:

• Emory University's Alzheimer's Research Center (April 1999, $100,000)
• Case Western University (May 2001, $250,000)
• Johns Hopkins University (April 2002, $250,000)
• University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (March 2003, $250,000) 
• University of Connecticut Health Center (May 2004, $250,000)
• University of California Los Angles (May 2005, $250,000)
• University of Texas Medical Branch (May 2006, $250,000)
• Mayo Clinic - Jacksonville (May 2007, $250,000)

South Carolina Governor proclaims Carroll Campbell Cart Fund Day

The Cart Fund named SC Angel

November 19, 2003 -  The Rotary CART Fund was named an "Angel" by South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond.  The Secretary annually names organizations that are extremely effective at giving a high percentage of their total expenditures directly to their designated cause. (Read press release)