EVERYONE knows the work of community service clubs is invaluable, but now Rotary has put a dollar figure on how much the unpaid contributions of its district members is worth.
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A survey by past service projects director for District 9700 Noelene Hogan estimated the value at more than $2 million a year based on about 100,000 hours of volunteer work in the district that stretches from Oberon in the north to Henty in the south and includes Wagga.
She asked each Rotary club to tell her their hours of community work over 12 months.
On top of the multi million-dollar workload, Wagga's six Rotary Clubs raise about $1.5 million a year through their various projects which they give to local and overseas programs, such as campaigns to eradicate polio and to improve water and sanitation in developing countries.
"If you were to value each volunteer hour at just $20 an hour the result is staggering," 9700 district governor David Kennedy said.
The volunteer work that generates income to support campaigns also drives some of Wagga's most popular events that are an important part of the city's social fabric.
They include the wine and food festival, the farmers' markets, the Sunday markets (Wollundry Rotary), the garden and outdoor festival (Sunrise Rotary) teddy bears picnic (Murrumbidgee Rotary) and the book fair (Wagga Rotary).
South Wagga Rotary also holds a popular golf day and Kooringal Rotary mans race day gates.
"They are all big social events and people like to go to them," said John Egan, a member of Wollundry Rotary and a past district governor.
"While we are raising money, we are also providing social benefits."
Peter Gissing, of Sunrise Rotary, said there were many reasons why men and women joined community service organisations.
"But I think you can sum it up by saying they like to do good in their community and enjoy the fellowship of others while doing it," Mr Gissing said.
Mr Egan said he noticed a growing trend of people who work from home wanting to join Rotary.
"There are a lot of people who work at home at the moment with no other staff members around them and it (community service clubs) is an ideal outlet for socialising," Mr Egan said.
There are about 250 Rotarians in Wagga.
