District 6000 "Celebration"

The 2024 District 6000 annual conference will be a Celebration of creating HOPE here in Iowa and across the world this Rotary year.  The celebration will be held in Pella on April 20th from 10AM until 9PM.  It will be a day filled with activities including hearing from our Tom Narak Memorial Four Way Test Speech Contest winners, awards presentations and speakers on a variety  of subjects. Registration is open at Rotary6000.org and early registration is just $100 until March 15 which includes lunch and dinner.   Additional highlights of the day will be the flag ceremony featuring our International Exchange Students and live, silent, and dessert auctions to raise money for The Rotary Foundation. 

Featured speakers include:

Freddie Almazan - Freddie embodies resilience. At age 13, a gunshot to the head left him paralyzed on the right side of his face and body. But this was just one part of the physical and emotional  trauma he endured in life. Frequently Freddie found himself on the brink of despair. Yet, time and time again, he bounced back up. Refusing to allow his challenges to rule his life, Freddie learned to embrace and grow from them. A once suicidal teen turned youth advocate, Freddie strives to pass this knowledge on to others. With his authentic style of delivery and ability to speak with authority, Freddie relates to teens and young adults, teaching them that they too can overcome life’s challenges and live a “ridiculously good life.”

Blake Collingsworth – Josh the Otter. Blake and his wife Kathy founded Josh the Otter after their son died from drowning in the family pool. From that tragedy, the Collingsworths have made it their mission to provide tools to prevent child drownings. Blake will share his family's story and the water safety programs their Foundation offers.

Marty Findley – Through a questions and answer session, Marty will share his experiences of living homeless and his path to permanent housing.

John Ockenfels and Peter Teahen – The Flight to End Polio. John and Peter will share their story of flying around the world in a single engine aircraft to promote End Polio Now.

Matthew Sheeley – Assistant State Public Defender. Matt served on the defense team for Pieper Lewis and will share about that experience. Pieper is the young woman that was convicted of killing her rapist while she was being sex trafficked. Matt delivers a heartfelt and compelling message about compassion. People should not always be defined by the circumstances of their life or the decisions they make.