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Poland Outreach Team Report By: Greg Dowty, Dover RC After several months of preparation, reaching out to new friends in Poland, and planning a busy itinerary, six Rotarians from around our district have begun our journey. Our goal is to learn about the many programs our Rotary colleagues have undertaken in Poland to support Ukrainian families and children whose lives have been turned upside down by the war in Ukraine. They will recommend how we may be able to help moving forward. We have encountered wonderful hospitality and assistance from not only Rotarians, but also partners from YMCA Europe, who have reached out to provide us rides, connect us to programs serving children, and advise us on the sights we should see and the food we will want to sample. The team will travel to Warsaw, Krakow, Zakopane, and Lublin. Among the various locations we will visit are The Ukrainian Support and Education Center in Konstantin, the Retreat for Ukrainian Children in Zakopane, The ARK Project near Lublin, The Auschwitz Memorial, and the Paul Harris School of Music for Disabled Children in Lublin. Having been invited, we plan to visit Fryderyk Chopin Rotary Club, Lublin Centrum Club and Krakow Rotaract Club. Common Man for Ukraine will be in Zakopane following their latest trip into Ukraine so we will have an opportunity to meet with them as well. Rotary leaders make the difference in this world. The team will visit and share information with Poland District Governor Marek Wcislo, Past District Governor Piotr Jankowski, and Secretary General of YMCA Europe Juan Iglesias among other Rotary and YMCA leaders. We want to thank our District 7780 leaders who have made this trip possible through District Designated Funds. Our wonderful Foundation committee, our International project leaders Emma Bodwell and Jeremy Gould, and especially our District Governor who had the vision to connect our Rotary District 7780 to Poland Rotary District 2231. Stay tuned for the report on our trip next month upon our return. Thank You. Gregg Dowty, Dover RC; Kim Masucci, Exeter RC; Carol Marcotte, Saco Bay Sunset RC; NellAnn Hiatt, Seacoast Portsmouth RC; Matt Cartmell, Freeport RC; and Niki Curtis, Portland RC |
It’s a District Celebration on the Isles of Shoals.
Over the past few years, I have enjoyed putting together an article on OUR Rotary Foundation, with the aim of helping to educate Rotarians in our district on just how much OUR donations help to do good work around the world. I hope folks have learned a little something each month, I know I have! There has been exciting news to share over the years, but none seems as exciting as the generous donor in our District who helped to spark the ShareForever Million Dollar Challenge. This month, I am thrilled to share that we are over three-quarters of the way to meeting the million-dollar challenge, and we have every confidence we will be able to celebrate the million-raised mark (two million dollar total!) by the time we get to the district conference on June 29…with YOUR help!
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