3/18 Pam Wasson & Pat Force -Kenya WaSH; Guatemala Literacy Project
At our next meeting, members will hear updates on two impactful international initiatives. Pam will provide an overview of the Kenya WaSH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Project, a humanitarian effort that the Rotary Club of Salem is proud to co-sponsor. Following that, Pat Force will present on the Guatemala Literacy Project, a program our club has supported since a member visited Guatemala in 2020 to help advance educational opportunities in the region.
Program Chair – Pat Force
Meeting Location: Cedar Hall, Main Salem Alliance Building
President’s Message
$28,000 Grant Brings Bicycle Safety Program to Life at Lamb Elementary
Hello fellow Rotarians! Sorry I was unable to attend our social outing at Magnolias on the Green last Wednesday. However, Wednesday afternoon from 2pm until 3:30pm I represented our Club at Lamb Elementary School as they concluded their bicycle safety training in the Salem-Keizer Safe Routes to School program. Friday was the “soft launch” of the new bike trailer that our Club helped fund with a Large Grant of $28,000 to Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments which administers the program. Lamb Elementary School is located in northeast Salem on Herrin Rd. The school has about 430 students in grades K-5, and the facility has been functioning for about 25 years. The bicycle program is designed for students in grades 3-5 and teaches bicycle safety in the form of equipment safety and functionality, how to ride a bike successfully, and observing safety rules of the road when riding. They held a celebration assembly for the students who have been participating in the Safe Routes to School program. One classroom of students got to go to the bikes and complete their safety A, B, Cs which included checking tire pressure, chain check, brake check, and seat height check. A member of the school staff addressed all of the students present and commended them for their diligent work through the Bicycle Program. A member of the Safe Routes to School program from the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments then addressed the entire group and also commended the students for their attention to details as they learned the safety skills and many learned to ride a bicycle for the first time.
Next, I helped hand out Safe Routes to School program completion ribbons to the students. They were organized, courteous, and excited to receive their ribbons.
Finally, the students headed for their bicycles and rode a course that was set up outside on the outside black top area. The course included some intersections with stop signs and the students had to use their signals and observe the stop signs to stay safe.
It was a lot of fun to see that our $28,000 funded a very worthwhile program. When the students were asked if they wanted the bicycles to return next year, all hands went into the air immediately.
Remember too that it has been noted that this program has a positive impact on school attendance.
The new bike trailer does have our Rotary Club of Salem logo on the side so our support for this program will be known wherever the trailer travels in the Salem-Keizer School District.
Looking forward to seeing all of you this week as we learn the details about a couple of Rotary International project which our club has provided monetary support to. The program presenters will be our own Pat Force and Pam Wasson. We hope that Howard Baumann is continuing his recovery from a fall that injured his hip. Howard is a great leader of our World Community Service committee and was scheduled to present about Haiti.
See you on Wednesday – invite a friend to attend!
President Doug Parham
Rotary Club of Salem
2025-2026
