A result is that Glenda is serving her third year as this Rotary district's chairman for Australian Rotary Health and her husband, Laurie, has become a member of the organisation's national board. Both are members of the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie, which is preparing for Hat Day on October 10 this year.

Rotary clubs and businesses are preparing for this day, which will raise money for Australian Rotary Health and boost the organisation's national profile.

Australian Rotary Health, formed in 1981 to conduct research into cot deaths, has become arguably the nation's major non-government fund-raiser for medical research.

It has raised about $34 million, but as each year passes the financial result improves.

For the past few years the emphasis has been on mental health and medical scholarships, but just about every disease has been covered with clubs nominating their own particular areas of interest.

In 2006-07 this Rotary district nominated motor neurone disease research as the recipient of the district governor's wife's fund-raising efforts. Every Rotary club participated and the record sum of $60,000 was raised. Australian Rotary Health matched this amount dollar for dollar, resulting in $120,000 being made available.

The national medical team advertised that this money was available and sought candidates for research. Three research teams were chosen and their research added considerably to the pool of knowledge about motor neurone disease.

"Australian Rotary Health is different in that, apart from scholarships, it spends all its money on research," Glenda Barber said. "It doesn't spend its money on people who suffer any particular medical condition, as worthwhile as that might be. Other organisations help people already suffering these conditions."

"Research is not a sexy subject, so businesses and even governments spend much of their money in the hope that they will gain immediate recognition for this donation. But research is often like a pyramid - it adds layer upon layer so that eventually a breakthrough is achieved."

Over the years the organisation has conducted research into just about every type of disease, including many types of cancer. For the past few years money not tied to a specific health condition has been spent on mental health issues. The organisation a few years ago conducted a round-Australia bike ride and this was followed by a Winnebago trip around Australia.

It now conducts Hat Day.

Australian Rotary Health invites clubs and other organisations to participate in Hat Day in any manner they choose. The participation will raise money for Australian Rotary Health and boost the organisation's profile in the community.

Apart from Hat Day, the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie and Australian Rotary Health will conduct a mental health forum for the public at Port Panthers on September 19. Three guest speakers will discuss prevention and time will be made available for questions and discussion. More can be found about Australian Rotary Health from the www.australianrotaryhealth.org.au

Among the scholarships now available are those for indigenous health workers and for rural nurses.

"Unfortunately, we get many more applicants then we can finance," Glenda Barber said.

"With more money, we could do so much more."

The three patrons of Australian Rotary Health are the governor general, Sir Peter Cosgrove, and the two remaining Australians who served as Rotary's world president.

The board president is Terry Grant from Victoria and he will be succeeded in October by Jeff Crofts from Queensland.

Some of the Australian Rotary Health funding comes from government grants.

Australian Rotary Health is not a project of Rotary International, although the organisation operates in the spirit of Rotary.