The Hackettstown Rotary Club makes an impact on nonprofit organizations close-to-home and farther afield in a myriad of ways, but one international initiative has been going strong for five years now. In fact, the organization’s giving impact to the Himalayan Cataract Project has been $23,480 since 2016.

The Himalayan Cataract Project was started by two ophthalmologists, Sanduk Ruit and Geoff Tabin, in an effort to eradicate preventable blindness in underserved communities worldwide.

Hackettstown Rotary Club has supported several of their projects, including the purchase and shipping of a bus to aid in transportation for patients and doctors in Ghana.  As a result of this support, the Hackettstown Rotary Club has helped facilitate 599 sight restoring surgeries in Ghana, according to the group.

“This has been a truly fulfilling experience to be able to help this organization in such a significant manner,” says Robyn Jensen, Hackettstown Rotary Club’s Himalayan Cataract Project Outreach Committee Chair. “I have had vision issues myself, so this project definitely appealed to me. I am so pleased that Rotary could aid in so many surgeries. It is gratifying to be able to make such a huge difference in so many lives.”

Locally, Hackettstown Rotary Club supports non-profits that include Abilities of Northwest New Jersey, The Arc of Warren County, DASACC, Hackettstown Medical Center, and others.