From December 6th to 8th, 54 Rotary clubs across District 7570 united to sponsor 122 high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, inspiring and empowering them to become impactful leaders. These students delved into their personality styles, etiquette, Rotary Youth Exchange, and most importantly, leadership skills. Dr. Jain's keynote speech left them with 10 tangible skills for their leadership toolbox, setting the stage for their future success.

Beyond the enlightening sessions, students enjoyed line dancing, board games, campus excursions to the dining hall, and a spectacular dance night with DJ Earl Brown. The excitement continued with the Four Way Speech Contest, where eight students competed fiercely, culminating in Gabriel Tweedie from Warren County winning first place. Jaya Vashisth took home the prize for the RYLA T-shirt contest.

On December 8th, District Governor Amelia Stansell from District 7610 delivered a powerful presentation on Empowering Students with CAPE (Community Awareness & Prevention Education). A monumental moment occurred when District Governor Bret Hrbek, District Governor - Elect Andy Vanhook, and District Governor Nominee Charlotte Whitted signed the District 7570 pledge to support the vital mission to eradicate human trafficking.

Rotary's unwavering commitment to empowering youth was vividly demonstrated through the success of RYLA. Special thanks extends to all the clubs, chaperones, and volunteers whose dedication made this event a resounding success. Together, we are shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Giving has been extended through December! Make your end-of-year contribution to the Annual Fund Share with the Rotary Foundation and email your confirmation to Patty at [email protected] so your matching points can be attributed to your account. #Rotary7570

This Thanksgiving, which has always been my favorite holiday, will mean a little bit more to me this year. Lori and I have just returned from a trip to Bolivia to deliver 260 wheelchairs through our Rotary District program. Over the past 10 years we have given out almost 4,000 wheelchairs in Latin America.
After returning from each wheelchair distribution, I have a greater appreciation for our country and the system of government we live under. We have been able to take care of our own through government social programs and the generosity of our fellow citizens. While it is not perfect, we have safety nets to help catch those who have fallen into need.
In Bolivia, the government has been ineffective in providing support for the basic needs of its people. Philanthropic organizations are few.
One Rotarian told me, “We are out of fuel and out of money,” as we passed lines of trucks waiting at service stations for diesel. Because of government regulating the price and heavily subsidizing the cost of diesel, truckers wait two to three days to get fuel...

Read the full story on The News Gazette: https://www.thenews-gazette.com/article/9014,this-thanksgiving-will-mean-a-little-bit-more