Dennis Robillard, from the Saco Bay Club, our guest speaker, is one of the organizers of the District 7780 (our District) Crutches for Africa project.

Crutches 4 Africa was started in 2005 after Dave and Candice Talbot traveled to Uganda on a photography trip and returned home aghast at the rudimentary mobility devices used by many African Polio victims. Dave and Candice began to collect discarded crutches locally in Colorado. Eventually the equipment has grown to include walkers, wheelchairs, orthotic boots and the like. 

Crutches 4 Africa hosts collection sites in the US, Europe and Australia including many in our District thanks to the great efforts of Dennis Robillard of the Saco Bay Club and others. Organizing a collection site is a simple and inexpensive way to start an international service project for a Rotary or Interact Club either by placing a collection bin or signage in a suitable location (a school, church or place of business. A large shipment has gone out almost every year yielding over 200,000 pieces of medical equipment. Shipments are received at their destination without charge for shipping. Coordination through local sites such as Rotary abroad or other volunteer groups aid the disbursement. Tonight’s presentation represented both Dennis’s upbringing to be frugal and reused when possible, and his enjoyment of knowing he is helping someone somewhere. Our area and our Rotary Club can help by collecting and donating equipment.

Four Rotary members from the Saco Bay Rotary Club attended as well as a return local guest Lois Hiller, we hope she will join our club soon. 

Announcements were made to please sign up for weekly duties and a reminder that Rotary invoices went out and club dues are due again. 

We welcome Michael Maxim from the Boothbay Community Resource Council this Thursday. Michael is the coordinator for “Food For Thought,” an outreach program designed to improve food security for our local children. He is an engaging speaker and has a lot of knowledge about the challenges families face to provide healthy and reliable meals.

There's a lot to do, but you might as well have fun doing it. Join us any Thursday at 6 p.m. for a dinner meeting and interesting program. You’ll be glad you did.