Rotary Club of Vapi - History




In 1969-70 Vapi was shaping up as Asia's biggest Small Scale Industrial Estate. Young technocrats & experienced industrialists were coming to vapi with golden dreams not only from all parts of the country but also from all parts of the world like U.S.A, U.K, Canada, Africa, etc., surrendering their green cards, residency & visas. All had a common dream of doing something great for our country in the field of industrial growth.

This was the time when after a day's hard work loneliness in the evening used to bother people, the same way as it must have bothered our founder of Rotary, Paul P. Harris way back in 1905 in Chicago.

Idea of starting a Rotary club in Vapi came from the then Governor Rajnikant Thakkar of Rotary Club of Surat.

The idea was put forward to a group of friends - Ravin Daftary, Late Vishnubhai Patel, Subhash Panchal, Vinod Buhariwala & few others.Yes, it cliked and with special efforts of Late Vishnubhai Patel who visited Rotary Headquarter in Chicago, we got our club's charter. In early days club's weekly meeting used to be held at their factories, some times at Balmandir Vapi & then shifted to Gnyan Dham School. All the Board Meetings used to be organised at the residences of Rotarians.

Rotary club started in Vapi in 1970-71 & since then kept blooming focusing on the needs of the community at all times.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a not-for-profit corporation that promotes world understanding through international humanitarian service programs and educational and cultural exchanges. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and others who share its vision of a better world. Since 1947, the Foundation has awarded more than US $1.1 billion in humanitarian and educational grants, which are initiated and administered by local Rotary clubs and districts.

22 Sept 1999
Inaugration of ROFEL Shri G. M. Bilakhia College of Pharmacy, by the worthy hands of Vice Chancellor of S. G. U . Mr. Prem Shardaji.

04 April 2000
Shri Purushottam Rupala, Chairman GIDC, Vapi handed over the premises of GIDC to ROFEL Trust, by the worthy hands of Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Honourable Union Minister for HRD, Science and Technology and Ocean Development, Govt. of India.