Roots & Wings International Press Release
Rotaract Club Raises Over $5000 to Help Nonprofit Roots and Wings International Promote Education in Guatemala
Spokane, WA, March 23, 2010 – University of Lethbridge Rotaract University Club raised over $5,000 for Roots and Wings International (RWI) through the Club’s Fifth Annual Dinner and Silent Auction. The club’s fundraising efforts has made it possible for RWI to provide scholarships to five additional Guatemalan students from the indigenous communities of Guatemala..
Erik Swanson, President and Founder of RWI, said, “Each year we receive 50-100 applications for our scholarship program, but are only able to commit to a handful of students because of limited funding. This $5,000 will guarantee five full university scholarships to children from rural Guatemala. Our goal is to provide scholarships for degrees in engineering, medicine, computer science, accounting, law and the sciences to grow the skill sets that will empower the local youth to promote local development. So thanks to University of Lethbridge Rotaract University Club, we will be creating five new doctors, engineers or other highly skilled professionals from the impoverished indigenous communities of rural Guatemala.”
The University of Lethbridge (the U of L) is based in Alberta, Canada. Its Rotaract Club is a student-run club sponsored by Rotary International. Marie Robertson, Vice President of Finance for the University of Lethbridge Rotaract University Club said, “When we were brainstorming ideas for our club’s Fifth Annual Dinner and Silent Auction, RWI immediately came to mind. Since we are all very passionate about learning and two of our executive members are education majors, education is a very important focus of our efforts. What I find most exciting about working with RWI is that it highlights just how much can be achieved by young people.”
To date, RWI has provided more than 30 university scholarships. Each of the scholarship recipients produces one traditional Mayan weaving per semester to donate to the organization. These weavings are sold and the funds applied directly to the scholarship program.
RWI was created in 2004 by Erik Swanson, a lawyer and humanitarian, in an effort to improve the lives of Guatemala’s indigenous population through education, training and technology. RWI has several donation programs including sponsoring a student for as little as $5 per month, making a one-time donation, naming a scholarship, corporate gift matching, buying coffee, shopping at Amazon for the cause, volunteering with skills and time and starting a fundraiser. For additional information about RWI, visit Roots and Wings International.
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If you’d like to learn more about RWI, or to schedule an interview with Erik Swanson, please call 503-564-8831 or email him at erik@rootsandwingsintl.org. erik@rootsandwingsintl.org.
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