CRANBERRY TWP — Back in 2006 Hank Anna convinced two fellow Rotarians to join him in the Paul Harris Society, a designation for Rotarians who give $1,000 per year to the Rotary Foundation.

Ten years later there are about 45 people throughout the district who give at least that much each year.

Anna was recognized Tuesday as a Level 2 Major Donor during the Cranberry Noon Rotary Club meeting at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA. Level 2 means that he has donated $25,000 to the foundation since getting involved in Rotary in 1994.

He was presented with a pin and a crystal by District 7280 Governor Tom Chelgren and District Foundation Chairman Patty Meehan.

Anna was a political-science professor at Slippery Rock University and a former resident of Grove City.

Retired from teaching since 1998, he now lives in Pittsburgh, but still attends nearly all of the meetings of the club in Cranberry. He also served as district governor in 2006.

“They do a lot of good things for the local community and for communities around the world,” he said about Rotary.

The Rotary Foundation is one of the top-rated charitable organizations in the country by Charity Navigator, a service that evaluates accountability and effective use of donations by nonprofit groups. Donations to the foundation get invested for three years and the interest earned covers most of the foundation’s administrative costs. The remainder is split between local clubs and clubs taking on projects in the developing world.

One of Rotary International’s biggest goals has been to eradicate polio. Despite a resurgence in Nigeria, there are only a couple countries in the world where people still contract the disease. Rotary also works to promote clean water, health and education in Third World counties. Locally, clubs award scholarships, do service projects and make charitable donations.

“I believe in the work of the Foundation. Every cent the foundation spends is supervised by two Rotary clubs at least,” he said.

He told the club Tuesday that he doesn’t have a lot of money and you don’t have to be rich to make meaningful contributions to society.

“It doesn’t have to be $1,000 a year, give regularly and you’ll get up there,” he said.

Chelgren commended Anna for being a friend and a leader.

“Hank Anna is a friend not only to everyone in this room, but there are also so many who have been touched by his generosity and his heart. He has helped people around the world who have no idea who Hank Anna is,” he said.

The district, which covers 42 clubs in Western Pennsylvania, contributed $148,000 to the foundation during the 2015-16 fiscal year, Chelgren said.