Real stories
I’m the world’s oldest rotary club president and a dementia fundraiser
Billy Geary, the world’s oldest rotary club president at 101, tells us how Belfast East Rotary Club raised £11,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.
Every two years we hold a big event as a club to raise money for a charity of our choice, and we were delighted to be able to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society on this occasion.
We held a charity breakfast at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast, and we were able to raise £11,000 for Alzheimer’s Society.
It was one of the most successful events we’ve ever held as a rotary club, and very enjoyable, helped by the fact that the breakfast itself was unbelievable! Roisin McAuley, a locally well-known BBC personality and author, was our main speaker.

Photo credit: Belfast Telegraph
We had around 300 people attend, who filled the room we were in. The atmosphere was great and there was plenty of chitchat. Those who couldn’t come were kind enough to still make a donation.
The success of this event has really galvanised us as a group and motivated us to continue to help our community.
Dementia impact
Over the years we’ve raised money for various charities. We chose Alzheimer’s Society for this event as some of our members have been impacted by Alzheimer’s, including myself, who have known people personally affected by the disease.
This meant we were very aware of the devastation caused by dementia, not just those with it but their families as well.
We were well supported by our local Alzheimer’s Society representatives, who provided a wealth of information and who were able to participate at our fundraising event, providing leaflets on our local services and information on dementia itself.
We are now a relatively small rotary club, with 15 members, but we are very active in our community and there is great fellowship within our club. We meet weekly and have a rotary lunch on Tuesdays.
We are very lucky we have great support from the other rotary clubs in Belfast and elsewhere in the whole of Ireland.
Staying active
I’ve been a member of our club for 50 years now, and this is the second time I’ve been President.
I was very flattered to become the first person in the world to be a centenarian president of a rotary club. I’ve had a lot of attention about it and congratulations, and I’ve got a lot of enjoyment out of it!
What’s my secret? Well, my habits are quite normal, I try and keep myself fit by going for some wee walks.
I do some gardening, play bridge three times a week, take on some Sudoku puzzles and always played golf up until a year ago.
I’m very well looked after, as I have friends and family who live close by, and I have thankfully always been blessed with good health. What more can I ask for?
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