Journalist and club Rotarian, Maria Karagianis shared the account of her 2016 visit to the Moria Refugee Camp in Lesbos. Through some informal contacts, Maria was asked to visit the camp to observe and report on the conditions. After some deliberation, she did agree to visit, however when she arrived, the Greek government would not give her a press pass. Being an astute journalist, she quickly met up with some camp volunteers who provided her access,(somewhat illegal Maria recounts).
The Moria refugee camp was dubbed "the worst refugee camp on earth", as reported by the BBC, a sentiment also echoed by Maria. The camp was built to accommodate around 3,000 people, however there were around 20,000 people living in the camp, among whom 6,000 to 7,000 were children under the age of 18. It was not uncommon for people to wait in line for 3 hours for food and never get anything. Maria said it was more like a prison than anything. Luckily there were a lot of great volunteers at the camp.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary is a 794-acre animal sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado. The non-profit sanctuary specializes in rescuing and caring for large predators which are being ill-treated, for which their owners can no longer care, or which might otherwise be euthanized. Nearly 650 animals roam large-acreage, species-specific, natural habitats. The 
Courtney Michelle, VP of Longmont Sister Cities Association, gave us an update on that organization and its relationship with the Northern Arapaho tribe. LSCA has been active since the 1990’s, conducting student exchanges with Chino, Japan and Ciudad Guzman, Mexico. It is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, affiliated with Sister Cities International, and has also enjoyed the support of Longmont City Council over the years. Since 2020, the usual student exchange has been on hold due to the pandemic but a relationship with the Northern Arapaho tribe has begun to take shape.
PROGRAM: Denver Sports with Troy Renck (May 10, 2022)
Dr. Gene Bowles, MD retired from his career as a surgeon in 2017 at the age of 80. He was the Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Denver Health Medical Center. Dr. Bowles addressed the question of when surgeons should retire. Or should there be a structured time or process for surgeons to retire? Should detailed cognitive testing and other such tests be required at a certain age? 
The organization, A Way Forward, offers hope to those who struggle with substance abuse. Debbie Platts, Executive Director and LSW Counselor, Mark Rogers, spoke to our club about this important local non-profit organization. The mission of A Way Forward is to eliminate financial barriers to recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) and provide a trusting, welcoming, diverse and non-judgmental environment for families and individuals seeking help in the St. Vrain Valley. Their goals include: 1) Inspire hope that people do and can recover, 2) Walk with people of their recovery journey, 3) Dispel myths about what it means to have a mental health condition or substance abuse disorder, 4) Provide self-help education and link people to tools and resources and ,5) Support people in identifying their goals, and building a path forward.
Service Above Self
Longmont, CO 80501
United States of America