Posted by John Blair

 

Call to Order: 

Club President Greg Hill called the meeting to order, Elliot Pinzel led the Pledge of Allegiance, Tucker Olson gave the prayer, and Dennis Kratohwil led us in the Chicago Bears fight song.  

 

Guests: 

Dr. Luis Vasquez, guest speaker, and his wife.

 

John McDonald reported that John Weiss’s book about the Weiss Scholarship Foundation is a  “good read.”  It is about efforts to provide scholarships for high school students in the Village of Dago, Kenya.

 

-Steve Risley brought in the left over beer cans from the Wine, Beer, & Cigar Fest for sale at $5.00 per 6-pack.

 

-John McDonald is looking for math tutors willing to work 20 hours a week at the Adult Education Center.

 

Elliot Pinzel had each table identify the music artist from the written lyrics.

 

Program:  

Dr. Luis Vasquez, a retired cardiologist, talked about his successful efforts to establish a first class hospital in the town of Yantola, Peru.  This was a town of 2,500 people, where things had not changed in over 100 years…very rural.  While he worked in the states for many years as  cardiologist, he came up with the concept of helping his former community by building a hospital.  From concept, he worked with architects and funding groups to find a way to bring this project to reality.  He traveled back and forth from the USA to Peru every two months and even to Vietnam to see a remote hospital there.  The facility would have cost well over $100M in the states, but through working with UCLA architects and various charitable organizations, was able to build a 34,000 SF facility at approximately $1M. This significantly changed the complexion of the village, by increased population, changed dirt roads to paved, electrification via solar power, built 2 wells, and designed the facility with high ceilings and open light filled rooms...all ecologically efficient.  Doctors from the states provided instruments and their time to treat patients rotate in and out to service the population.  What started as a dream, within 10 years of hard work, it became reality for Dr. Luiz Vasquez and his supporters.  According to Luiz, “Dreams do change lives!”

 

Daily:  $25.00 daily won by Tom Zengeler.   Progressive:  Not won by Patricia Bleck, so it rolls.  Food Pantry donations totaled $196.00.

 

Closed with reciting the 4-Way test.