VOCATIONAL MOMENT:

LIZ SOLBERG, a native of Toledo, OH, was a history major at the University of Michigan, where she met her husband. They moved to West Lafayette when he accepted a position at Purdue. In 1980 LIZ became the assistant project manager for the City of Lafayette's Railroad Relocation Project, and in 1987 was promoted to Department Head. The $186 Million project was a bipartisan local effort, involving her skills in bringing people together. Since 2004 when the project was completed, she continues to help wherever she can by volunteering in the community and being involved in Rotary.

CONGRATULATIONS:

JAN GRIFFIN KOEHLER, Vocational Committee Chair, announced the decision of the committee to present this year's Vocational Service Above Self Award to TOM MORAN. JIM HANKS noted in his nomination that TOM serves the community in many ways and for several organizations. We congratulate TOM!

PROGRAM:

DICK RAHDERT introduced PDG JIM GRAHAM, who began his presentation with a DVD showing the history, recipients and families of Gift of Life. This is a Rotary initiated and affiliated program brought to Indiana by PDG BILL HATFIELD in 1998. Since then 137 children have come to Riley Children's Hospital for surgery to repair hearts. Qudrat, probably the most famous child, was successfully cured and sent home, only to die nine days later. His father's stay in Indiana taught him the importance of educating women. He founded a school teaching 190 students, 45% of whom are female. He also has a vocational and literacy program for women in three villages to help pull them out of the 14th century and give them confidence. The District is sending teams of doctors and nurses to Uganda to train medical teams there to perform these surgeries. Contributions will be matched by Ugandan Clubs, their District and a Rotary International Global Grant, to cover the costs of this $80,000 project. The goal is to develop a sustainable pediatric hospital of excellence for central Africa.

GUESTS:

Bill Rutledge, guest of NELSON DE LAVERGNE; Patti Truitt, guest of LETA KELLEY

VISITING ROTARIANS:

NANCY TRAFTON, DAVID STRAND and GERARD BENNER, Daybreak; SUZANN SHACKLETON, Attica/Williamsport; TONY MENYHART, Tecunseh, MI; ROBERTA GRAHAM, Brownsburg; WARREN STEVENSON, Punta Gorda, FL; MAUREEN GRABOWSKI, Ft. Myers South, FL

THANKS TO THOSE WHO HELP WITH
MEETING FUNCTIONS:

Money Collectors: MINDY DENO and FLOYD GARROTT; Greeters: BUTCH HANCOCK and JEAN JACKSON; Invocation: BARB REIF; Piano: BOB GRIFFITHS; Help with attendance and facilitating a smooth meeting: JO WADE and TOM MORAN; Help with Ripples: BILL FULLER.

LINK OF THE WEEK:

View the video with which PDG JIM GRAHAM opened his presentation.

 


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