(The following narrative is a continuation of a series of how a member was introduced to Rotary and subsequent memories. If you would like Rotary to be part of your life's story, please contact Alison Proctor at alisonproctor@gmail.com.)
Linda Grant
Joined F.C. Rotary August 8, 2001
August, 2022
My Rotary s
tory begins when I rented office space from Greg Kuhl in 1983. As I had just moved to California and didn’t know anyone, Greg invited me to many Rotary events and I spent Christmas with Greg and his family for many years. One year I went to the Rotary Christmas party and danced with Dr. Jon Grant my future husband!
I moved away for a few years, only to quit my very good job, sell my condo and move back to Foster City, where Greg and family allowed me to live with them for 6 months. Then the Jon and Linda relationship prospered, and our relationship became history. Jon has been actively involved in Rotary and I eventually joined in 2001. At that time, we were heavily involved with the Wheelchair Foundation. Jon wrote many TRF Grants (8.5 million) for wheelchairs and that began our extensive travels to well over 50 developing countries delivering wheelchairs. We started taking groups to Mazatlán, Mexico which I coordinated the trips which included Interactors, their parents and many fellow Rotarians. One year over 80 people when on the trip, there is a great deal of logistics in preparing groups to travel, especially outside the country. I coordinated the rooms in the hotel, arranged for meals and transportation to stadium style distributions as well as home deliveries to the poorest parts of surrounding Mazatlán. I am proud to say that these trips changed many lives, the recipients, their families and mostly our participants who were able to see that their efforts made significant changes in those lives.
Other trips with groups took place in China, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, Swaziland and Peru. We have had the opportunity to meet heads of state, royalty and so many other Rotarians and influential people who have assisted in delivering wheelchairs to those in need. Additionally, many of these trips lead to other projects such as water purification, improving and building schools, water buffalo, soccer uniforms just to name a few. I was able to administer polio drops in Thailand and volunteer at a vaccination clinic at Seton Hospital. I feel very proud to have been able to travel the world with Rotary and with our other travels to well over 100 countries and all the continents.
I was honored to the President of our Club in 2009-2010 and for a brief time in 2015-2016. I have been on the Board of Directors for many years the Foundation and Endowment Boards and since 2016 I have been the Club Champion. I completed the Intro PRLS and Master PRLS program and have been a founding instructor of Intro PRLS since its inception over 10 years ago.
With Jon’s help we are Arch Klump Society Members and very grateful that Jon has taught me the true meaning of Service above Self through all the years or projects, travels and volunteering.