This week was fantastic! Our program on Friday was enlightening and informative, delivered by Woody Brokenburr. He spoke from personal experience and his role in Advocacy in creating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Healthcare for Cancer Survivors. Health equity is the goal, and it means the attainment of the highest level of health for all people, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language, or other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes.
Brokenburr was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, at age nine. At a time when he should’ve been playing outside, carefree, with his siblings and friends, he was informed he would need to have his left leg amputated.
“During the 60s, we really didn’t know much about cancer,” said Brokenburr. “So, it was the only solution at that time for a cancer diagnosis, to do an amputation. I lost my left leg above the knee to cancer.” He described the treatment facility he was in at the age of nine, in the segregated South, as being in the colored ward of the hospital, a room in the basement with no windows. So, from segregation arose a lifelong advocacy for cancer survivors.
Woody explained DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) in healthcare as: Diversity is increasing the presence of all kinds of people. Equity ensures fair opportunities and treatment by dealing with biases and discrimination. Inclusion is a conscious effort to proactively welcome different kinds of people.
Some challenges he mentioned included increasing the number of participants over a broader range of races in clinical trials and making neighborhoods more conducive to safer outdoor exercise for families. Before taking questions from our members, he told us that Justice removes the obstacles.
Thank you Kathryn Markolf for introducing Woody Brokenburr to our Club.
Congratulations to all the vocational scholarship awardees of Santa Monica College. Thank you Susan Annette for hosting the Students on Zoom and introducing Anita from SMC’s Nursing program and Kadija from SMC’s Business Marketing Program. We are grateful to Past President Bill Powell who expanded our scholarship program to include vocational funds from District 5280 and Renuka Desai for the matching fund gift she provided, as well as our members who met the challenge and matched the funds. (We are a Rotary Club of action)!
We were proud to recognize our own, Kera Blades Snell, who was honored by Goldman Sachs ONE MILLION BLACK WOMEN as one of the successful Black Women Leaders in Business. She traveled to New York City, all expenses paid by Goldman Sachs, to receive her recognition. Congratulations Kera!
Nice going Richard Lombari for having Monica as a return visitor to our Club. We also had a long-time former member, Bill Bubar, return and visit us.
Special thanks to all who made our meeting the place to be last Friday. Richard Lombari, Karin Wallerstein, and Michael Cates for greeting everyone. Those Cheerleaders are still cheering; David, Pam, and Rose Mary, we love you for the encouragement. David Rosenfeld thanks for a thoughtful invocation. Hal Quigley, so nice to have you at the head table as the president’s pick. Hal is a Past President of our Club and many members did not know that Hal is also a past Assistant District Governor of 5280. Andrea Gressinger thanks for introducing and welcoming former RCSM member Bill and our guest, Monica. Tom Larmore your creative writing is always appreciated, thanks for leading us in songs, pledge, and the special song of the day. Ken Waltzer thanks for the music and our Zoom connection. Len Lanzi you are giving excellent service in keeping Zoom attendees involved in our meeting while moving through three different slide presentations and making the Zoom Scholarship interactive, thanks.
Thanks to all who came out to the mixer at Rusty’s on the Pier to join all the Service Clubs of Santa Monica on that meet and greet occasion. We had the opportunity to meet and talk with Charles Herbertson, President of the Kiwanis Club of SM. They are celebrating one hundred years this year and of course we took the opportunity to welcome the younger club to the city, informing him that we are one hundred and one this year. Rotary was well represented by Paul Leoni, Kaeche Liburd and Kera andBarry Snell. Thanks for joining me
