Article Contributed on: 3/20/2006 11:55:30 AM
Rotarians often visit clubs while on vacation. Dana Arell’s visit to Arusha, Tanzania made a valuable connection, not only for the Denver Tech Center Rotary Club but also for the Interact chapter that the club sponsors at Denver’s Thomas Jefferson High School.
Dana met John Ahlenius, a Rotary member and retired principal from Aurora, CO. He is currently living in Tanzania and is an active member of the Arusha Rotary Club. Prior to moving to Arusha, he had been an active member and past president of several Rotary Clubs in the Denver area. Dana is one of the sponsors of the Thomas Jefferson Interact Club, a high school service club created by Rotary in 1962 and active in more than 100 countries. Dana initiated a service project for the Thomas Jefferson students to collaborate with the Rotary Club in Tanzania. John suggested a school that could benefit and the project began.
The Thomas Jefferson Interact Club, under the leadership of Alisa Gandin and Jerome Jackson, collected pens, paper and cash during February and presented them to John when he visited the DTC Rotary Club in early March. John delivered the school supplies to a local school for students with special needs. The experience was an excellent one for the students, showing how Rotary serves around the world.
The DTC Rotary Club meets on Tuesdays at noon at the Glenmoor Country Club. For membership information visit the DTC Rotary website or contact Sherry Hanson at shehanson@msn.com.