Posted by Sue Jones
L-R Joelle Washer, Hannah Apthorpe, Jessica Apthorpe, Dr. Bret Apthorpe and Jim Smith.
 
Jim Smith introduced Jessica Apthorpe (Bret and Tracy’s daughter), a 20 year old college student studying early childhood education at Monroe Community College. She will attend SUNY Geneseo in the fall. 
 
Jessica is a graduate of Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School. For literally half her life she has been actively involved with her local Rotary Club, the Honeoye Falls-Mendon Rotary Club. Her father and grandfather have also been very active in Rotary. As a child, she helped her father at various Rotary fundraisers and service projects. She was a four-year member of her high school’s Interact Club and served as president of that club during her senior year. The club has been involved in many service projects such as cleaning up the Rotary Park and decorating downtown Christmas trees for the holidays.
 
One of the many charities supported by this Interact Club and the Honeoye Falls-Mendon Rotary Club is “Linking Hands for Learning”, a not-for-profit organization that supports construction efforts in developing countries. Its mission is building schools for education to promote peace and literacy.
 
Through many different fundraisers, the interact group has been able to raise over $4,000 to assist the Honeoye and Avon Rotary Clubs in the building of a school in Nicaraugua. The club members dig the trenches and work alongside contractors to put up cement walls for 1 and 2 room schools. The town pays for the roof over the building. Each school costs about $23,000.
 
Due in part to the monetary support of Honeoye Falls-Mendon Rotary, Jessica has made three service trips to Nicaraugua, along with other local teenagers, to participate in the building of these schools. Her presentation highlighted the work of that organization and illustrated the impact of Rotary teaching the values of “Service above self”.