Speaker Bob Pagett- Assist International

Bob Pagett attended Bethany Bible College in California after attending Mesa Jr. College in Grand Junction Colorado. After graduation, he and his wife Char, moved to Portland, Oregon where he became a Youth pastor. One year later, he became the Youth pastor in one of the largest churches in the Northwest, in Eugene, CA.  Bob attended the University of Oregon studying History and was asked to be the State Youth and Education Leader for 240 churches in Oregon.  After an 8-year term, Bob was asked by the Governor of Oregon to sit on a committee dealing with drug addiction among young people while also being offered the pastor position at the Christian Center Church in Santa Cruz.  He accepted the pastor position and grew the church from 200 attenders to over 1000. In1989, Bob was challenged to relocate his church to accommodate the growing number of attendees.  With his daily prayers for a new church location unanswered, he decided to leave the church and instead start Assist International. A.I. now has over 25 employees under leadership of Ralph Sudfeld who became the President three years ago on its 25^th anniversary. A.I has completed some 600 projects in 60 countries around the world. They build family orphan villages where orphans can live as a family, and support 450 orphans around the world. They are also are deeply involved in medical projects in chief teaching and referral hospitals in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Assist International has received numerous awards: 

• The Robert L. Morris Humanitarian Award in Washington DC by AMMI, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.  
• The California State Assembly “Certificate of Recognition” of the “American Red Cross Lifetime Achievement Hero.”  
• The Carl G. Orne Award, Awarded to the Individual who makes the greatest Personal Commitment to World understanding and Peace for Rotary District 5170
• Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition “in recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community”
• Rotary’s Service Above Self, who through devotion and exemplary efforts, embodies Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.” Presented by the President, Rotary International Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar.
• Cupertino Rotary awarded Bob and Char Pagett as their first recipients of their Global Humanitarian award in 2018.