Welcome

Announcements Club to Support Second Library in Guatemala  Recently the club board voted to fund the purchase of books for a rural community library to be built in Xolsacmalja, Guatemala by the Riecken Foundation.  This indigenous community in northwestern Guatemala was chosen from a number of applicants to be the next beneficiary of the Riecken Foundation.  Have a look at their website to see what wonderful work they do with community libraries in both Honduras and Guatemala.  www.riecken.org . Florence Cassassuce a CNN Hero Finalist Just a few years ago Florence did a presentation to our club requesting a nominal amount of money to do water research in Baja Sur as part of a summer internship at UC Berkeley.  Now she has not only won a World Bank grant of $170K for her UV water filter "bucket" but she is now also one of 18 finalists (from a field of over 7000) for a CNN Hero award "honoring ordinary people doing extraordinary things."  2007 Taste of Woodside Has Record Profit   Though the official numbers are not yet in it looks as though our little club has netted over $30K from the annual fundraiser.  Such success will allow us to do more community and international service projects than have been done before in a single year.  Many thanks to the club members, the Belmont Interact Club who helped to set up and all the participating wineries and restaurants.  MG #61552 Approved by Rotary International! The second matching grant for a total of $17,500 was recently approved by Rotary International.  It's purpose is to add computers to the Open Windows Library in Guatemala along with peripheral equipment which will mean that many more children will be able to achieve computer literacy along with traditional literacy.  The villagers have assisted in the building of a second story which has been completed and is only awaiting the arrival of the new computers.  High speed internet access will also be added to the library. Baja Sur Water Project Wins World Bank Marketplace Development Award  Florence's project which started with a request for $2K from our club to test the water in this region became one of thirty finalists for a World Bank grant.  Florence and her team were awarded over $170K to deliver their UV buckets to 6,000 households, roughtly 75% of the population in Baja Sur.  Next step, Florence says, is all of rural Mexico.

Several club members attended a housewarming party in San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Guatemala is May to celebrate the completion (almost) of a modest house for a poor family currently living in a single room with no kitchen or bathroom.  Our own Encore Performance Catering did the cooking.  Astrid, the youngest child in the family, is shown serving Dave's food to her new indigenous neighbors.  For more photos check the photo album.

Thank you for visiting our club web site, greetings from the members of the Rotary Club of Woodside/Portola Valley.  In mid-June, I attended the Rotary International Convention in Los Angeles. It was an inspirational experience and I feel very proud to be a Rotarian and incoming president of my club.

Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million men and women in over 168 countries around the world. Through these connections what we can do as both individual Rotarians and members of a Rotary Club are multiplied beyond belief.

The Rotary motto of ’Service Above Self' is what inspired me to become a Rotarian.  I realized what an impact one individual (or one small club) could have both here in our own community and in Guatemala, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Bali, India and other far away places where our club has helped to change, enhance  and save lives.

Rotary International received a $100,000,000 Challenge Grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help with the final push to eradicate crippling polio around the world. With the help of many organizational partners, we are 99% there and Rotary members over the last 20 years have contributed over $700,000,000. Our club is committed to helping make this happen.

But Rotary does more! HIV/AIDS, hunger, shelter, clean water, sanitation, literacy, peace, and helping to alleviate pain and suffering for the less fortunate people in the world are all within the grasp of Rotary’s helping hands.

I invite you to breakfast with us, to hear marvelous speakers, to enjoy fellowship and to become a part of this movement of peace, understanding and brotherhood.  We need your hands and hearts.  We need your commitment to 'Service Above Self.'  The Rotary world needs you.

For more information about Rotary International please visit www.Rotary.org.  I hope to see you at breakfast at 7:30 AM any Wednesday, in the social hall of Woodside Village Church, 3154 Woodside Road, Town of Woodside."

Sandra Pugh
President, 2008-2009

Rotary Club of Woodside/Portola Valley, California

Rotary Theme 2008-2009: Rotary Shares D. K. Lee - President, Rotary International Russ Ketron - District Governor, District 5150 Sandra Pugh- President, Rotary Club of Woodside/Portola Valley