Greetings Rotarians,
As Summer is winding down, the nights are getting longer, and the days are getting shorter, but I can’t help but be excited for Fall?  We will soon be able to converse about the weekend football games during our chats at our Monday meetings.  Can you tell I love this time of year??

If you were present at the August 28th meeting, we had a demonstration on how to use an AED.  I was surprised to see that so many of you have been trained to use one.  While on the topic of AEDs I would like to once again share some information about a service project our Rotary Club has in the works.  We haven’t had an official announcement, as the board has several details to be ironed out about this project.  We will be working toward getting the word out on where AEDs are located in Saline County and possibly installing an AED in Salina at a TBD location.  Nothing is concrete yet, and I have applied for a district grant and am waiting for approval.  This will be a great project for our club.  I am excited to see where our ideas lead us!

Did you know September’s Rotary theme is Basic Education and Literacy?  Basic Education and Literacy is one of The Rotary Foundation’s seven areas of focus.  We know that basic education and literacy are essential for reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging community and economic development, promoting peace, and supporting the environment.  Here are a few interesting Education and Literacy facts:

-Worldwide, 12%—or 775 million adults—are considered functionally illiterate.

-Over 93 million Americans have basic or below-basic literacy. Low literacy rates costs the United States over $200 billion each year

-Approximately 1 in 4 children in America grow up without learning how to read.

-An estimated 2/3 of students who are unable to read with proficiency by the end of 4th grade will end up on welfare or in jail

If there is anything you can think of that our club could do to help this cause, please let me know.

Have a great September!
Jeni