Thank You
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On behalf of the Board of Directors and Advisory Board, we want to thank each of you who attended and supported the 14th Annual HEART on Safari Dinner! 
If you were unable to attend, please read through the articles to catch a glimpse of the evening, and if you did attend we hope you enjoy the memories of a fun, blessed night celebrating HEART. We hope to see everyone again next year!
Dr. Russell Tweet
HEART Board Chairman
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The Safari Raffle Winner is……
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Toni Keyes!
Toni won a trip for two
to Kenya, including:
- 3 days/2 nights at the Kenyan Wildlife Safari Lodge
- 4 days at the HEART Lodge
- Airfare credit up to $3,200 to purchase 2 airline tickets to Nairobi
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Dear Reader,
For those of you unable to attend this year’s HEART banquet, we are happy to report that it was a huge success by all measures. The annual event has grown in scope and attendance each year, but the comment often heard about this year’s festivities was
‘over the top’. The guests enjoyed the displays, the dinner, and especially the speakers.
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Kenyan Village
 The large fairground hall in Auburn, CA was transformed by a team of imaginative and creative planners and a large number of volunteers. For three days the hall was a beehive of activity, undergoing a dramatic transformation. Starting on Thursday, the African village was assembled. This re-creation of typical Kenyan housing vividly
displays the poverty so pervasive
there.
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Kenyan Schoolroom
This year a typical school room was added. It consisted of simple plank desks and benches with no ‘extras’ that we expect, such as textbooks or AV equipment. Many schools lack electricity and potable water. For those who have not had the opportunity to see such conditions firsthand, the village scene adds realism to the difficulties faced by Kenyans in their efforts to gain education.
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The Night
The walls of the hall were decked with African cloth, and the display tables for the African handicrafts were artfully arranged. Many of these goods are hand made by women in HEART’s WEEP program. The purchase of the crafts allows Kenyan women struggling with HIV/AIDS and poverty to support themselves and their children. All the proceeds from these sales to directly to women in the WEEP centers  .
The combination of good weather and great community support from local churches and service clubs, as well as Women Leaders in Action (WLA) resulted in the largest attendance ever in the fourteen years of this event. Almost 380 paid guests, as well as 30 or more volunteers resulted in a packed house. |
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The Speakers
The evening kicked off with a blessing from Pastor Phil Sparling and our Master of Ceremonies Mitch Hanna, a local Rotarian, guided us throughout the night. Several women from Women Leaders in Action told amazing stories of their work as HEART  Partners in Kenya. WLA Chairman Pamela Joseph wrapped up their presentation by adding a virtual bow on top with a $7,500 check to HEART! Next, Bob Dunston added a touch of Africa with his great audio-visual presentation of the Rotary/HEART water well and greenhouse projects – announcing that three local Rotary clubs have secured a $96,000 Rotary International Water/Greenhouses grant – with HEART as the implementor!
Ellen Bowman, who came all the way from Cincinnati again, gave a great testimony to
the ‘on the ground’ effectiveness of HEART’s programs. She contrasted that with other foreign aid groups that do not have the staff in place to actually implement aid programs in Africa. Ellen reinforced the quality of Freedom for Girls, a program to supply Kenyan girls with sanitary towels.
Evans Masese, the newly named Deputy Director, was introduced by Vickie Winkler.Vickie explained that as HEART continues to grow and mature as an organization, the Board and the Management Team have
invested many hours of planning and implementing the changes
designed to ensure the continued success of HEART. While Vickie remains the President and Executive Director, Evans has been promoted to Deputy Director, and he will assume more of the operational oversight and strategic planning for HEART in Africa. We plan to discuss this transition more in next month’s newsletter.
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Again we sincerely thank you for your partnership with HEART.
If you are interested in becoming more involved with HEART, or coming to Kenya, reply to this email and we will find a place for you.
Sincerely,Dr. Russell Tweet
HEART Board Chairman
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