Iola’s Rotary Club strengthened ties with close friends in South America this week, writing the latest chapter in a story of friendship that spans countries and more than three decades of service. Five Rotarians from Chile’s southern district visited Iola as part of a two-week trip to Iola’s Rotary District 6110, which includes the corners of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas. On Wednesday evening at Judy Brigham’s home outside of town, a mix of English and Spanish accompanied plenty of food, wine, laughter and some stout pisco sours, a cocktail typical of Chile.
Rudolfo Harwardt, Ana Maria Badilla, Miguel Jacob, Giacomo Villa and Mario Alberto Hernandez traveled as part of a District 2 District program that connects Iola to southern Chile with goals of friendship and service. The group will end their journey in Rogers, Ark., to attend the annual district conference.
While in Iola, they toured Iola Elementary School, visiting the library, Rotary closet, and school bell. They also stopped by Iola’s middle school and were treated to an impromptu concert by orchestra students. All represent past and current Rotary projects.
THE VISIT marks the second half of a new collaboration with Chile’s Rotary District 4355, which includes most of southern Chile, a narrow strip of a country bordered by the Andes mountains and the Pacific. But Iola’s Rotary Club first began their love affair with the country in the late 1980s. Bob and Ginny Hawk, who operated a travel agency, had two free tickets to Santiago, Chile’s capital. They went there on a whim.
At around that same time, Dr. Ellis Potter, a former Iola optometrist and Rotarian, began traveling to Chile as part of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, a global non-profit that provides vision care.
Fast forward to today, and the South American country has become something of a second home for Bob, who has traveled there 12 times, most recently in 2022. Potter notes that the trips abroad reinforce the idea of “one Rotary” all across the globe.
AS MORE and more Rotarians from Iola traveled to Chile, the ties deepened and the relationship prospered — to the point that when Fred and Judy Works suffered a terrifying accident during a trip there in 2015, Rotarians more than 5,000 miles away stepped in to help.
While hiking, Fred had broken his leg. Judy called Bob Hawk, who was able to reach Chilean Rotarians who arranged for Fred’s transportation to a hospital. They also connected the Works with the surgeon who operated on Fred. His son later stayed with the Works family as part of an exchange program here in Iola.
Brigham, a longtime Rotarian who traveled to Chile with her late husband Tom, noted Wednesday evening just how special the ties between Rotarians in Iola and Chile have become. “Those trips helped give Tom’s life meaning,” she told the group.
Hawk agrees, saying he noticed the Chilean visitors were at first a bit unconvinced they had much in common with friends in southeast Kansas. “But that changed Wednesday night, after seeing how deep the relationships between our clubs are,” noted Hawk.
Both clubs plan to continue the trips. “We’re hoping we can do this continuously,” said Brigham. “It’s something special that our little club in rural Kansas has created such a wonderful way to serve.”
