Remember the Grant of Friendship visitors we have had here in Sequim over the recent years: Rosaline Ngaaje, Berit Krommelbein and Laxmi Parasuram. Remember the fun, excitement and learning that happened when we got to share with them! Have you ever wished you were the one who was the Grant of Friendship visitor? Or wished that one of our own SI Sequim members was a Grant of Friendship visitor?

Well, the latter of those is going to become a reality. And if you are Colleen Blazier, the first one is going to be a reality also. Yes, Colleen will be going to Germany for a Grant of Friendship award! I am not a world traveler, but I enjoy hearing from those that are. We can all live vicariously through people like Colleen. What is so exciting to me is that Colleen will be traveling as a representative of our club!

Colleen’s contact, Dr. Sigrid Erlenbruch in Germany has been out of town so we don’t have a lot of the specifics worked out yet. When she was notified, they asked if she could be there on September 6th to participate in chartering a new club. We will share more information with the club after details are known. Colleen was seen power shopping at the NWR conference during the “Tell and Sell”. She was buying items with Soroptimist logo to share with host families and her new Soroptimist “Freunds” – friends.

The purpose of the Grant of Friendship program is based on the Soroptimist objective to develop a spirit of friendship and unity among Soroptimist of all countries. The NWR Grant of Friendship program began in 1990 as an identifying project to promote and encourage cultural exchanges and foster International Goodwill and Understanding.

He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul’s estate.   -Henry David Thoreau