Rotarians,

 

Yesterday we celebrated International Women’s Day, and Rotary is filled with inspiring women. Thank you to all the women in Rotary, and thank you to all the women in our club who make doing good in the world possible.  

 

Three Rotary members were honored at International Women’s Day hosted by the World Bank at its Washington, D.C., headquarters on March 8th.  Speaking to an audience of more than 300, with thousands listening to the live-stream, Razia Jan, Deborah Walters, and Ann Lee Hussey told their personal stories and explained what inspired them to build a girls’ school in Afghanistan, assist people living in a Guatemala City garbage dump, and lead more than 24 teams to immunize children in Africa and Asia.

 

We all know Deborah Walters from the Rotary Club of Unity in Maine. She has been a speaker at our club a few times, and she always amazes me with her extraordinary willpower and desire to serve those in need. Walters, a neuroscientist, has served as a volunteer for Safe Passage (Camino Seguro), a nonprofit organization that provides educational and social services to children and families who live in a Guatemala City garbage dump. Known as the “kayaking grandmother,” Walters traveled from her home in Maine to Guatemala in a small kayak to raise awareness of the plight of the residents. I am so happy she was honored by the World Bank at International Women’s Day.

 

Dean Read is taking over this task; thank you very much for volunteering one more time. Dean sent out an email last week with the criteria and nomination form attached. Please make a nomination by completing the nomination form with your narrative of the nominee's community contributions and deliver it to him no later than Friday, April 10, 2020. The board will make the final determination based upon the nominations received. The award will be presented at our annual meeting in June.

 

The backpack program is one of the many programs that we support. They are having a fundraiser on Sunday, March 15th at Jack Russell’s from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. If you have the opportunity to stop by and show your Support, that will be great. It will be an afternoon of fun, live music, with a silent auction and great raffle items.

 

This Wednesday we are hosting Marla O’Byrne of Island Housing Trust. Hope to see you there.

 

“A Woman with a VOICE is by definition a STRONG woman.” - Melinda Gates.

 

President Susy