Limited tickets for this fun and enjoyable Rotary Gala evening are still available...first come, first serve. Send RSVPs to Michael DeVito (michaelfdevito@myinsuranceguy.com) or Bob Brown (RobertLBrown4@sbcglobal.net). Dressy or Business Attire...be ready to be amazed by our Magician and romanced by our Vocalist.
Sight.org is a non-profit organization treating eye disease faced by people living in and around Togo, West Africa. Founder and president Lewis Swann gave Rotarians a compelling account of the faith-based group’s successful efforts since its launch in 2012. Speaking from his base in Tyler, Texas, via computer, Swann explained that he was moved to set up the medical outreach after observing the area’s special needs while part of another mission program. One in 20 people in rural Togo are blinded by cataracts. Cataract surgery that normally would cost thousands of dollars can be done for $150 thanks to donations and volunteers. The staff of Sight.org has completed 3,500 cataract operations since its founding.
The visually impaired of Togo face an exceptionally hard life because of limited physical and people resources. Swann explained that one cataract patient feared for his life when eating because he had no consistent caregivers and he was considered an outcast by some believing in native superstitions. In another case, the need for care of an elderly woman with cataracts meant a child in the family faced giving up the chance for an education because she needed a full-time helper. Her surgery had the added benefit of also giving the child the opportunity for success.
Swann noted that Sight.org is also in the business of preventative eye healthcare. They do this with a focus on overcoming malnutrition. The organization has its own agriculture training facility. Modern farming techniques are taught allowing production ratios ten-times higher than traditional farming practices.
Swann and his wife lead a team primarily made up of West Africans. Swann believes this has led to greater acceptance of the team with fewer bureaucratic obstacles than those faced by others. This enables them to do an average 60 surgeries a month using a mobile eye clinic. More details are available at their web site (www.sight.org).
Our speaker this week will be Curt Lang, current Mayor of Sycamore, with reflections on his decade of service as he prepares to leave office.
Following is our schedule of upcoming speakers/presentations:
Wednesday, March 24 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): Curt Lang
Wednesday, March 31 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): DeKalb County Community Gardens
Wednesday, April 7 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): Sycamore Mayor-Elect (Steve Braser)
Wednesday, April 14 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): RAGBRAI
Wednesday, April 21 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): Kishwaukee Valley Art League (Julie Olson)
Wednesday, April 28 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): DeKalb Roller Derby (Michelle Tocza)
Wednesday, May 5 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): High Speed Rail Alliance (Rick Harnish)
Wednesday, May 12 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): Barn on Baseline
Wednesday, May 19 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): Sycamore Food Pantry (Joe Maurer)
Wednesday, May 26 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): TBD
Wednesday, June 2 (Hybrid meeting: In-person at Blumen Gardens, pending status of Covid mitigation efforts, and online via Zoom): RAMP (Justine Whitehouse)
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September 29, 1901 – Nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi is born in Rome. He created the world’s first nuclear reactor and is called “the father of the nuclear age.”
September 30, 1924 – Writer Truman Capote (known for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “In Cold Blood”) is born in New Orleans.
October 1, 1904 – Virtuoso pianist Vladimir Horowitz is born in Berdychiv, Russia.
October 2, 1869 – Indian political and spiritual leader Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi is born in Porbandar, India.
September 29, 1829 – Britain’s “Bobbies” made their first public appearance. Greater London’s Metropolitan Police Force (later known as Scotland Yard for the site of their first headquarters) was established at the request of Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel after whom they were nicknamed.
September 30, 1955 – Actor James Dean was killed in a car crash in California at age 24. Although he made just three major movies, he remains one of the film industry’s most influential actors.
October 1, 1908 – Henry Ford’s Model T goes on sale for the first time. More than 15 million would be made before production ended in 1927.
October 2, 1967 – Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African American Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court.
