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The story of the Tower of Compassion is a powerful one, honoring Jimmie Kanemoto and his family. Jimmie was an active community citizen, business man and dedicated Rotarian. His generous and humble nature, paved a legacy that stands to this day. The family immigrated from Japan, settling in the Longmont area, renting a farm and land to grow sugar beets and other vegetables. Jimmie and his brother George had to take over the family business upon the unexpected death of their father in 1935. The Kanemoto's purchased land in south Longmont where they farmed and sold produce for 30 years. In 1966, the family donated seven acres in Southmoor Park to the City of Longmont. The city decided to make the land a park and the family asked that it be named Kanemoto Park after their father. In 1972, the Kanemoto brothers commissioned the Tower of Compassion located in Kanemoto Park. The tower was donated to the city with gratitude from the Kanemoto family for the kindness the community showed them during WW-II, when many Japanese immigrants were forced into internment camps. The Tower has five levels of compassion: Love, Empathy, Understanding, Gratitude and Selfless Giving.
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ub Rotarian, Janet Day presented the Compassion Awards to four high school students. The award is given to students who exemplify compassion as reflected in the Tower of Compassion's, five levels of compassion. The tower is located in Southmoor Park in Longmont. The award winners were: Matthew Bendzel from Longmont High School, Esmeralda Vega-New Meridian High School, Abby Frea-Silver Creek High School and Tabitha Inness-Skyline High School.
he Rotary Four Way Test program was recently taught to the freshman students at Longmont High School. Twenty-five Rotarians gathered
in classrooms to share the principles of the 4-Way Test, explaining its value in guiding sound business practices-really its a useful tool for meeting all of life's challenges and opportunities. The students were presented with real life scenarios, and using the 4-Way test matrix, they strategized solutions. It's been three years since we have conducted the 4-Way Test, (given the pandemic). It's nice to be back with the students! 
Dick Lyons and Andres Puky provided an update on the upcoming Open World program. The Rotary Open World program was established in 1999 and designed to foster cultural and political ties with Russia and other countries of the post-Soviet region. Longmont Rotary has hosted 18 delegations since the programs inception. This October Longmont Rotary will be hosting a team of five delegates from Serbia with the focus on education. On their application they stated, "Serbia needs to prepare its youth, especially girls, for new jobs that will be created in STEM fields. Fostering the development of STEM skills and competencies for college, career, and life will assist in combatting the "brain drain" in Serbia." 
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