August 2, 2007

Almaden Rotary president and wife travel to annual convention

Incoming Almaden Valley Rotary president Joe Pileggi and his wife Louise traveled to Salt Lake City in June to join an estimated 18,000 Rotary Club members from 139 countries for the group’s 98th annual convention.

Joe and Louise Pileggi and Roger and Angie Hassler of Almaden Valley attended the 98th annual Rotary International convention in Salt Lake City in June. Joe Pileggi is the incoming Almaden Valley Rotary president. Both couples are from Almaden.

Held at the Salt Lake Palace Convention Center, participants shared fellowship and exchanged ideas on Rotary volunteer projects including literacy, access to safe water, hunger alleviation, disaster relief, children at-risk, youth development, assisting landmine victims, AIDS orphans, international education and polio eradication.

“As Rotarians, we do not walk away from these tremendous challenges. Not only do we have faith to believe we can make a difference, we have the courage to do. That courage is the difference between dreaming great dreams and putting them into action,” said Rotary International President Bill Boyd.

Convention keynote speakers included William H. Gates, Sr., co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Hiram Smith, founder of Franklin Quest (now Franklin Covey); and Ambassador Francis Moloi, South Africa’s High Commissioner to India.

Roger and Angie Hassler of Almaden Valley accompanied the Pileggis.

The convention included workshops and exhibits highlighting humanitarian and educational projects around the world. Global polio eradication remains the organization’s top priority, as members have contributed more than $616 million and countless volunteer hours through Rotary’s PolioPlus program. Through humanitarian and international education programs, including Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution, Rotary continues to work to further world peace and understanding and provide local and international community service.