(EXCERPT) “When you walk into Francisco’s tiny front yard you are in a mini-jungle where gorgeous tropical flowers cascade from garden beds crafted from small boulders of unprocessed jade. You are not stuck by the overwhelming amount of trees, plants, and priceless Jade he owns, but his warm brown eyes and calm demeanor. He’s soft spoken, but you cling to each word like a ballad in a beautiful Christmas quartet. His words linger and bounce off plants and in the end you are left with a feeling of calm. I feel both lucky and under dressed in his presence. Francisco is first man to discover Jade in Guatemala. He stands about 6 feet tall with a slight slouch. A slouch, perhaps given, during his search for Jade in the mountains during the past 44 years. He was featured in a 1987 edition of The National Geographic.”
Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week.
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Day 5 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes and The Jade Miner
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Rotary and Riley – Working Together for the Next Generation
The Rotary Club of Indianapolis played an integral role in the opening of Riley Hospital for Children in 1924 and formed a partnership that has changed the lives of Indiana children and their families over the past 90 years. Given the dramatic changes in the current health care market, we will discuss how Riley is preparing to meet the needs of the next generation of children and how our partnership will be more critical than ever.
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Click icon to listen to the presentation from Tuesday, December 3, 2013.
As president and chief executive officer, Dr. Sperring is responsible for providing overall strategic direction and leadership for pediatric services throughout IU Health, which includes direct operational and strategic oversight of pediatric programs, services and facilities at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, along with shared program oversight for pediatric programs based in the community hospitals. Dr. Sperring will serve on the senior executive team for IU Health.
Watch the compelling video about cancer survivor, Clare Scheller.
Dr. Sperring is a national leader in the development of the field of pediatric hospital medicine, and presents at national meetings for pediatric hospitalists. In addition to his clinical work, he has received several teaching awards including the Morris Green Faculty Teaching Award after his first year on faculty and a Trustee Teaching Award in 2006. He currently serves on the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) Council for Child Health Quality and formerly served as a national co-chair for the Academic Pediatric Association’s Hospital Medicine SIG, a member of the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Roundtable. Dr. Sperring is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is also a member of the Academic Pediatric Association, American College of Healthcare Executives, American College of Physician Executives and Society of Hospital Medicine.
Dr. Sperring is a graduate of Emory University and received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1995. He completed his pediatric residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and served as an officer in the United States Navy Medical Corps from 1995 – 2001. Prior to joining the faculty at Riley at IU Health in 2002, Dr. Sperring was a community pediatrician at the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms in California and New Castle Pediatrics in New Castle, Indiana.
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Day 4 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes and The Coffee Farmer
(EXCERPT) “Timoteo’s hands are worn thin. His calluses show years of hard work. He reeks of coffee. The coffee farmer led us up to his piece of land on a plantation. To get there we walked one hour up a steep and treacherous mountain at a 75 degree incline. His land sits atop San Miguel Escobar and up the mountain we passed families of farmers. Kids tend the farms as young as three. Guatemalans value family and community and it shows during harvest season. Red beans are for picking and under the hot sun we walked from plant to plant plucking beans. Timoteo is a farmer with As Green As It Gets.“
Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week. -
Day 3 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes – When the Pavement Ends
(EXCERPT) “You know you have arrived in San Rafael when the pavement ends. Located 45 minutes north of Antigua, San Rafael is one of the poorest communities that Common Hope serves and is completely indigenous. People here speak Kekchi instead of Spanish. It is where I met our sponsor daughter (Simon’s sister) Marisela who is 7 years old. She loves to draw. Brenda, our case worker, was my translator. She is one of three case workers in the area responsible for 80 families.”
Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week. -
Day 2 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes – Running Water
(EXCERPT) “Everyone should have an opportunity for running water and electricity but water is a luxury in San Miguel Escobar. It’s where I met a family of eleven who walk at least one mile for water. The family is affiliated through Common Hope and their small home is made of concrete slabs. They have two small rooms and no bathroom or water. A family typically works 250-300 sweat equity hours doing landscaping, cleaning or cooking at the Common Hope site to receive their home. Forty to fifty volunteers help with the build. That is what brings me back here each year.”
Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week. -
Day 1 – Rotarian Debra Des Vignes Lands in Guatemala
(EXCERPT) “I am remembering how to find my way again. Four years ago I was terribly lost when I stumbled off an American Airlines flight close to midnight drunk on rum and coke and lost in pretentiousness. With no cell service, internet or knowledge of the native tongue, I felt conspicuously powerless. I found the van that took me away up the mountain and back down again to Antigua, Guatemala. A two-week volunteer experience would later impact every decision I make today.”
Read more and Follow Debra through her journey, this week. -
Rotarian Phyllis Geeslin Receives Lifetime Achievement Award!
Since 1993, Phyllis Geeslin has been leading the Harrison Site onward and upward. In that time, she has accomplished much that has enriched our shared community, enhanced the guest experience and preserved Benjamin Harrison’s legacy.
In recognition of those years of service, dedication and contributions to the field of history, Phyllis will receive the 2013 Eli Lilly Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Indiana Historical Society (IHS).
She will receive her award during IHS’s annual Founders Day event on Monday, December 2, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
Rotarian Phyllis Geeslin has also served as a Club Director, is a Paul Harris Fellow and the current History Committee Chairwoman.
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Follow Rotarian Debra Des Vignes – to Guatamala!
Recently, we told you about Rotarian Debra Des Vignes and her upcoming (fourth) trip to Antigua, Guatemala to serve on a Vision Team for Common Hope. Well, that time has a arrived and beginning Dec 2, you can follow her BLOG (click the link) while she is there! Debra will be there for a full week and plans to post each evening about her experiences.
Debra travels to Central America on behalf of the Common Hope that supports community schools and provides housing to families that want to participate in a process of development, improving their lives through education and health care.
Debra is deeply passionate about creating better opportunities for willing children and their families. She actively supports U.S. and international programs that address poverty through better access to education. This, along with the life-changing opportunity for international travel, is why Debra and her family have supported Common Hope, including a sponsor child, Marisella, for more than five years. -
Indy Rotarians in the News: Curish and Markoff
Born and raised as a Hoosier, Dana attended Hanover College. She studied chemistry/biology, thinking she would become a microbiologist, but fate drew her to the nonprofit world instead. She admits, “I have always had a passion for caring for those with low income.” She recalls an unforgettable moment as she was volunteering one morning with onsite registration for “Race for the Cure.” She asked a participant if she was running as a survivor, and the woman replied with tears in her eyes, “Well I thought I was, but I just found out I’m not.” She had been to the doctor the day before to learn that her cancer had metastasized. Dana felt an instant emotional letdown and gave the woman a hug, reassuring her that she would be a survivor. This incident marked a turning point in Dana’s life as she recognized the crucial timeliness for taking action, being proactive and catching the cancer before it’s too late.
Though Susan Goodman Komen fought breast cancer just as many women and even some men do, she is remembered as one who made an effort to make life better for others instead of focusing only on herself. Today Susan G. Komen represents the largest mass movement against breast cancer. Since 1982, Komen has invested $2 billion in community outreach and global research studying the causes, treatments and cures of breast cancer.
Komen Central Indiana is one of four affiliates in the state. Of the funds raised, 75 percent of proceeds stay within our community, implementing grant programs aimed in helping 30,000+ low-income Hoosiers within 21 counties. The remaining 25 percent of funds are applied to global research grants seeking specific causes, improved treatments and lifelong cures for breast cancer. Read full story.
Written by Janet Striebel, Publication: At Carmel. Janet is a Freelance Writer and has been writing for atgeist.com for five years. After graduating with an English degree, she later earned a Master’s in Instructional Design from the University of Kentucky. She is married and has three children. The best part of Janet’s experience is meeting all of the amazingly interesting people living in our community. Curish photo by Brenda Staples Photography
Member in the News: Rotarian Rick Markoff teaches students to focus on the leadership skills that make a difference in private and public companies and organizations.
Several of IUPUI’s top graduate students made their mark late last month at the Strive Together Cradle to Career Network Convening in Dallas, earning widespread praise for a presentation that was born in one of several Organizational Leadership and Supervision courses taught by School of Engineering and Technology faculty member Rick Markoff.The students involved — Ben Johnson, Brian Hansen and Shannon McCullough — focused on the leadership skills that make a difference in private and public companies and organizations. They drew plenty of praise from conference attendees but also the support of Jeff Edmondson, the managing director of Strive Together.
To prepare for their presentation, the IUPUI grad students called on several segments of their Organizational Leadership and Supervision courses, including face-to-face sessions with business entrepreneurs and civic leaders who have been happy to share their experiences in Markoff’s classes. Read full story.
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Rotarian Elaine Bedel Featured on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” (with video)
The Rotary Club of Indianapolis is excited to share that Rotarian Elaine Bedel was on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” on November 11th, 2013. WATCH THE VIDEO. She participated in a live panel discussion with Tyler Mathisen, co-anchor on “Power Lunch”, and Bernie Clark, Executive Vice President of Advisor Services with Charles Schwab. The panel spoke on current investor sentiment as well as their thoughts on the current political and investment environment.
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