It was a true privilege for the Edmeston Rotary Club to host young Luana Dantas from Recife, Brazil during her 2018-19 school year. At the end of her year, 13 members of her family came to visit her and join us at our Rotary Club meeting before traveling on to see other sights in the US.
Luana’s father Bruno, a member of the Rotary Club of Recife, shared with us the story of his club’s sponsorship of a high school marching band based in a school located in the favelas, or slums, in the hills above his city. The students’ intense participation in the marching band provides a meaningful and safe alternative to their joining, or possibly being victimized by, the gangs that frequent the area. Our club happily donated some money to the band to purchase used, but good quality, instruments for the band.
Luana has been back to Edmeston to visit, and one of her host families has spent time with her family in Brazil. Recently Bruno let us know that the marching band has qualified to participate in an upcoming international marching band competition to be held in São Paulo. Our club is sending another donation to the band to help defray their expenses. That’s what you do - you help out your family members when they have a need. From a charming young exchange student, to her extended family, to their local Rotary Club, to a high school marching band with now over 50 young members, our Rotary family has continued to grow and wonderful long term relationships have been formed.
If you search for “Banda Marcial Rotary Club do Alto do Pascoal” (I believe that translates as The Rotary Club Marching Band of Easter or Passover Hill) on YouTube, you can find clips of the band performing. Their uniforms bear the Rotary wheel, and the group often is accompanied by a large rolling wooden sign also bearing the Rotary insignia.