It is hard to believe that in just a few short days, those of us from the USA and Canada will be traveling toward Newark, New Jersey, where most of us will meet for the very first time at the waiting area near the Continental Airlines ticket counter. Some will have checked bags all the way through from their original points of departure to Delhi, while the majority of us will be checking our luggage through from Newark.
When we meet, we will each get a name tag from Past District Governor Kelly Wike, a team member, who volunteered to make them for us. We will then each get our official shirt and then try to spread out the remaining shirts we will take with us to our counterparts in India, so that nobody will be over the limit for weight of checked bags. Each of us already has bulging suitcases and duffel bags - filled with toys and goodies, educational gifts, bottles of bubbles, Frisbees, pens, pencils, coloring books, and the list goes on and on. How will we EVER cram all of this stuff into the alloted space?
We will then check in and board the aircraft which will be our home for about 17 hours - nearly 15 of which will be in the air! Although we are seated scattered throughout the plane, I am confident that the other passengers on board will know our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2008, within a few hours of our departure!
A few acknowledgments: First - to all those individuals, Clubs and Districts who have contributed funds toward our project, our heartfelt thanks. We have raised well over $50,000 to fund the creation of the ROTARY VOCATIONAL AND COMPUTER TRAINING CENTRE OF CHAHALKA, as well as the ROTARY DAY-CARE CENTRE OF CHAHALKA. (don't try to find it on a map - the closest area nearby is Sohna). Second: to Marge Barker and TD BankNorth of Portland, Maine, thank you for the most generous contribution which paid for our official shirts - they are fantastic and each of us will not only wear them with pride while working on the National Immunization Day against polio in India, but also will cherish the shirt as a reminder for years to come of the wonderful experience we have shared. Third: to Bruce Lamb and Springvale (Maine) Hardware - as in years past, has contributed fifty pair of work gloves for our team to wear to protect our hands from the cuts caused by sand, rocks, and the burning from the toxic concrete mix and the paints we will be using. Fourth: to Ghisaline Berube of Casco Bay Gardens of South Portland, Maine who donated over fifty tubes of LOBSTERMAN'S BALM, which each team member will use and enjoy to take care of chapped and cracked hands. Fifth: to Ray Richardson and Ted Talbott of FOX NEWS 23 - the local affiliate in Portland, Maine for inviting me to join them a few days ago on their morning news show, to share with their viewers and listeners information about our trip. Sixth: to our family, friends, Clubs and Districts - thank you for your support. Each of us has paid for his or her own way on this trip. Each of us will be leaving family for two weeks. Each of us will be absent from work or school for two weeks. We could not do this without the help and support of others.
Finally, to Rotary International for being the most wonderful service organization in the entire world. We have no political or religious agenda. We have one purpose, only, and that is SERVICE TO OTHERS. Thanks to Rotary, millions and millions of children have been immunized against polio throughout the world, and the campaign continues until polio is eradicated from the face of the earth. From Bill and Melinda Gates with their gift of $100 million to the poorest of the poor who can neither read nor write - all have one thing in common and that is the TRUST OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL to do what is right and to bring about greater understanding among the peoples of the world, one step at a time, so that we will have an impact, we will make a positive difference, and we WILL ACHIEVE WORLD PEACE.
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