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Rotoract members go from sands and sun to schools and
sweat
By Jennifer A. Reese
March 10, 2005 | The warm sands stretch
from one beach to another until they are lost in the
South horizon, laying motionless near the rocks, but
being pushed and pulled by the power of the white salty
ocean. They are full of people basking in the sunlight
and cooling off leisurely in the water, yet the sands
somehow feel empty. Twenty-five students are missing
from that beach, but are found in a small town 60 miles
south of the Arizona-Mexico border sweaty, dirty and
serving the town of Cananea.
One year ago, students gathered together around a 15-inch
laptop screen at Utah State University viewing pictures
of paint-chipped walls, empty bookshelves, torn curtains
and 50 children under the age of 12. A man talked. He
told the students of an elementary school, La Hido,
and its lack of basic school supplies.
The school had little paper, battered charts and maps
that served as curtains and no equipment for recess;
it looked like a rundown orphanage, nothing on the walls
but chipped paint and nothing in the rooms but 50 weak
desks. He wanted something done. Immediately, the students
felt a change; their hearts became warm, their thoughts
became selfless and their decision became known. They
were going to work for a year collecting everything
they could that would help the school become a kinder
and cleaner place for children to learn. Although the
students knew they could not change the whole world,
they knew they could change the world of this small
Mexican town.
Peter Cardon was that man, a member of the Rotarian
International Service Organization. Rotary, a non-profit
organization serves countries all around the world that
are in need of various humanitarian aid. The Rotaract
Club is an extension of that group. The official Rotary
Web site stated Rotaract gets its name from the words
"rotary" and "action" along with
"interact." The club is open to men and women
18 to 30 years old. The Web site also stated there are
more than 7,500 Rotaract clubs established throughout
155 countries and continues to be growing.
Cardon proposed the idea to the Rotaract members beginning
with the idea of members collecting the items and sending
them down either with the Rotary Club, or by mail. Amy
Proctor, the current Utah State University Rotaract
President, decided the day Cardon came that it would
be more rewarding if the club actually went to Mexico
and met the people of Cananea. She talked with the group
and together they decided it would be worth it, not
everyday do students get to go to Mexico and help a
small community.
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"It's a great reward to meet the people who are actually receiving the
supplies!" Proctor said.
The Rotaract Club began planning for the Mexico
trip in fall 2004. Twice a month, members held
meetings. They discussed what could be and needed
to be done at the school, how much supplies would
cost, where they could be purchased and how much
time they would need to put everything together.
The members went to businesses in Cache Valley
describing their project and the situation of
the school and asked for donations of money or
supplies of any kind. The college students talked
to schools in the valley and throughout Utah and
asked for supplies that could be used by students
in Mexico. The list of supplies they gave to businesses
was general consisting of "books in Spanish
and English, sports equipment, basic school supplies
such as tape, scissors, paper, crayons, markers,
etc. and any other items that this school could
use."
Within six months, they collected 100 personal-sized
blackboards, 12 boxes of lined and plain computer
paper, seven boxes the size of two computer units
put together full of crayons, colored markers,
paints and are having a copy machine shipped to
Mexico from Washington.
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ROTORACT AT
USU
The Utah State University
Rotaract Chapter began in the fall of 2003. It
has 25 members. To be a member of the Utah State
University Rotaract Club, members must be a student
of the university, pay an annual fee of $5 and
attend 60 percent of the meetings. Rotaract members
have the opportunity to give to the community
each year.
Last year, the Utah
State University chapter tied blankets of fleece
for the Children's Justice Center in Cache Valley
and is working this semester toward another community
service project. The club is still deciding on
what would be the most beneficial for the community
and has not come up with an exact project yet.
Rotoract has clubs
at the University of Utah, BYU, and two other
Utah locations.
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They received a box with 10 new basketballs, 15 new
rubber balls the size of basketballs, baseball mitts,
a football, two keyboards, seven tennis rackets, and
other various sports equipment. The Rotaract members
are planning on building a baseball diamond.
Working three days in the hot sun, they plan to rake
the dirt on a field outside the school, measure the
exact distances of a baseball diamond, get baseball
diamond plates and create a "field of dreams"
for the children. The kids have always wanted to play
baseball like Americans, but have nowhere to play.
Cardon said the kids love seeing the Americans come
down to help and the teacher does too.
"The teacher is anxious for the Rotaract members
to come down. He is anxious for the Rotaract members
to get down and play games with the kids and the people
are excited to see Rotaract members down there helping
out."
Proctor was able to travel to Mexico in early February.
She went down with a few Rotary members and met with
the Rotarian Club in Agua Prieta, Mexico. She said the
people, both locals and the Rotarians from Arizona,
were extremely nice. They were friendly and welcomed
her with open arms, tried to conquer the language barrier
with smiles and were willing to lend their homes to
Amy and her group while they were visiting.
"The parents really take pride in that school,
they really wanted to help," she said.
Proctor said parents of the students attending the
school are willing to help, although they don't have
the money for supplies or the tools to make anything.
They don't have much, they struggle every month for
sufficient food and basic necessities that most take
for granted, but are willing to give their time and
efforts to work at the school in any way they can.
Proctor said the parents spend hours at the school
trying to clean up, paint and do anything that will
make the school a better learning environment for their
kids. Rotary Club and Rotaract are not just about service,
Cardon said.
The Rotaract members will have the opportunity to speak,
and meet locals during their trip. He said there are
Mexicans who are about the same age as the Rotaract
members and are excited to meet the Americans.
The members of the Rotary Club in Mexico are planning
to have a barbeque for the locals and the members of
Rotaract to give everyone a chance to get to exchange
cultures and create experiences.
Amy Proctor said one of the main reasons she is excited
to go the La Hido is because she wants to help promote
literacy. Sally, a 75-year-old woman and member of an
Arizona Rotary Club, was searching for a place to put
a library and came upon La Hido, in Cananea.
She started taking books down to create a library,
but soon realized she was going to need a lot more books
and a lot more supplies.
She contacted her Rotary club and told the members
of the situation, it contacted the Logan Rotary Club
and the Rotary Club gave the Utah State University Rotaract
Club the opportunity to help Sally and the school.
Although none of the Rotaract members have met Sally,
she is planning to help them get the supplies to the
school by hiring vehicles to drive supplies from the
Mexico border to the school. She is devoted to La Hido
and making sure it gets the things it needs to be a
good school.
Proctor said, "You learn a lot about yourself
serving others, it's good character building. It made
me realize how much I have and how much I really don't
need; it made me want to give more."
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