In Beylikdüzü, the joy of August 30 Victory Day moved beyond ceremony and into the streets, where remembrance, fellowship and Rotary action came together.
Beylikdüzü Rotary Club’s traditional August 30 Victory Parade became more than a public celebration. It offered a meaningful opportunity to share the spirit of Victory Day with the community, strengthen Rotary’s visibility and support the global fight against polio.
The parade was attended by District 2420 Governor Erden Gökmen and his wife Selda Gökmen, District Secretary Aslı Ağaoğlu, Assistant Governor Polat Özcan, Beylikdüzü Rotary Club President Özgür Kayacık, Alkent 2000 Rotary Club President Şeyma Demir, Barbaros Metropolitan Rotary Club Past President Yıldız Özalp and fellow Rotarians.
Through banners, public presence and television interviews, Rotarians shared Rotary’s values with the wider community. The event became a moment of direct connection — showing Rotary not as an organisation seen from a distance, but as people walking with their community, honouring a shared history and serving a shared future.
The parade also carried a second purpose. A T-shirt campaign organised as part of the event contributed to the Polio donation project. Rotarians and clubs who could not attend in person also supported the campaign by purchasing T-shirts, turning participation into a broader act of solidarity.
Beylikdüzü Rotary Club expressed gratitude to the District 2420 leadership, Alkent 2000 and Barbaros Metropolitan Rotary Clubs, and all Rotarians who joined or supported the fundraising effort.
As the community remembered with respect and gratitude all martyrs and veterans who fought for independence, especially Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the event also looked forward.
It showed how Rotary can honour legacy by creating action — carrying remembrance into the future through visibility, solidarity and lasting impact for generations to come.
