Pictured from left to right: (1) Gautami Rao, Hollis-Brookline, NH; (2) Gabriel St. Pierre, Rotarian, Charlestown, NH; (3) Katrina Langlois, President-Elect, Raymond, NH Rotary club; (4) Kevin McAllister, Rotarian, Windsor, VT Rotary Club; (5) Venu Rao, DG 7870, Hollis-Brookline, NH Rotary Club; (6) Chris Parkinson, PDG, Bow, NH Rotary Club; (7) Nancy Russell, DGE, White River, VT Rotary Club; (8) Carolyn Meub, PDG, Rutland South, VT Rotary Club; (9) Bill Stevens, Rotarian, Bellows Falls, VT Rotary Club
 
Carolyn Crowley Meub, Past District Governor, District 7870

Committed to service above self, Rotarians are passionate about making a difference in their local and global communities. Regular meetings bring club members together to share ideas and make plans about how to create positive change. While deeply committed to their cause, with laser-focus on successful impact, a lesser-known fact about Rotarians is that they love to have fun!

Whether it’s celebrating at the club’s annual fundraiser, com- plete with elaborately themed food, music and attire, or simply planting trees in the local park on a Saturday morning, when Rotarians get together there is always fun to be had. Rotarians in District 7870 are taking fun to a new level...10,000 feet above the ground to be precise! Why? Of course, the answer is to serve others.

These adventurous club members will be skydiving out of an airplane, on June 29th at Vermont Skydiving Adventures, hoping to bring attention to the global water crisis. Along with friends of Rotary-founded nonprofit, Pure Water for the World (PWW), the group has a goal of raising $100,000 to provide life-changing safe water programs to children and families living in under- served communities across Haiti and Honduras.

"Having visited Haiti, I have personally experienced the work Pure Water for the World (PWW) does under the leadership of PDG Carolyn Meub. PWW is practically saving lives,” says Venu Rao, District Governor 2018-2019, Rotary District 7870. “World Health Organization (WHO) research shows that when you provide only pure drinking water to a community, the com- munity's health index improves only by 20%. If you also provide them with clean latrines, to eliminate open defecation, the com- munity's health index raises to 50-60%. If you also educate the community members with hygiene and sanitation, the health index of the community goes over 90%. PWW supports the com- munities in both Haiti and Honduras in all the three areas. My wife, Gautami, and I support Carolyn's passion to the extent that we are willing to jump off a perfectly fine plane with her to raise awareness and funds for PWW."

Through the years, hundreds of Rotarians have joined PWW on service trips to Haiti or Honduras, another adventure altogeth- er, where they can gain a hands-on experience of the transfor- mational impact that is taking place in the communities PWW serves. And, true to their nature, these life-changing Rotarian trip-goers combine their passion for serving with lots of laugh- ter and fun! Want to join in the fun? Learn more at www.jumpforsafewater.com or visit www.purewaterfortheworld.org.