Katie LaRouch Speaks to Rotary
Former Miss Michigan Reports on World Travels and Women's Issues
July 12, 2011
By: Stephen Kent
Katie LaRoche
returned for a second time to speak to Rotary.
Her last visit was in
March 2008
when the Bay City native was winner of the Miss Bay County contest. Since that time Katie went on to win the Miss Michigan title then compete in the January 2011 Miss America Contest in Las Vegas. Prior to that Katie worked as a Legislative Aid in the Michigan House of Representatives.
Katie spoke about her study abroad trip to Kenya in Africa. There she came face to face with the trafficking of women and it changed her view of the world. Walking through the destitution of the slums was an entirely different experience.
First experiences were with poor children who needed so much. Katie related picking up a dirty but totally cute five year old girl and her reaction. When she left that girl she left so many more children just like her.
After graduating from MSU Katie spent two months in Nepal working with anti-trafficking agencies. There she learned how young girls were being bought and sold on the world market. They might be sold for reasons from domestic work or sex workers. The experience was beyond her experience.
Coming home to speak about the situation she learned that it happens in the US as well. According to the Dept. of State, 14,000 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the US annually.
To illustrate Katie told the story of a boy she met who was brought over for labor work. The parents thought the boy was coming for an education and didn't know the real purpose.
Katie also told the story of the well known Cheetah Strip Club in Detroit. Authorities learned that the club was bringing in girls from overseas who expected to work in the domestic services.
In an effort to pass on this information Katie is the founder of a fledgling non-profit called One World, One Future
(
www.OneWorldOneFuture.org) a non-profit focusing on the trafficking of Women.
She also has a blog called
KatieLynnLaroche.com.
CLUB NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Cathy Czerwinski announced that the Club was second in the district for Rotary International Foundation contributions with a total of $17,535. Frankenmuth was first... again.
The board met and granted a leave to
Dave Rogers who will be promoting his newest book in the next few months.
Mike Stoner also resigned to move his membership to the Norther Bay / Arenac Club in Pinconning. He was a founder of that club and wants to help them continue to grow. The club anticipates he will return to Bay City at some point.
The
budget for 2011-12 was accepted by the board and is available for review by members.
The 2011
International Night committee will meet next week at 11:00, before the regular meeting.
Upcoming Programs
(See the official schedule at
RotaryBayCity.org )
July 19, 2011: Bay Area Women's Center Jessica Gregory will speak on the organization's long history of helping women and men in domestic abuse situations.
July 26, 2011: 10 Minute Rotarian
August 2, 2011: The Diversified Group.
Joel Wilson will talk about his company and explain about being a publicly traded company.
Rotary is an intimate affiliation of carefully selected business and professional people,
having as its objective the promotion of high ethical standards in private, commercial
and civic life, and dedicated to the ideal that the basis of all worthy endeavor is unselfish service.
Current and past
DISTRICT DISPATCH newsletters are available on the District site shown in the LINKS section below.
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