News from Chilean Group Study Exchange Member

The City Wire in Fort Smith has posted a report received on Saturday, Feb. 27th, from Robinson Esparza who was a member of last year's Rotary Group Study Exchange from Chile. Robinson reports he and his family are shaken but OK. Click on the blue link to read the full report: "Chilean Rotary member reports on earthquake." Please let us know if any of you Van Buren members receive any news from the other team members. They are all in our prayers.

UPDATED 3/1/10 - Last night after I completed the above note that at least Robinson Esparza and his family were OK, I received the following in an email from Club President Shirley with a few more details:

I thought you might want to hear about an article Rotarian Michael Tilley posted on The City Wire today regarding the devastating earthquake in Chile.  As you recall, a Group Study Exchange team from Chile visited our club and the district last fall. Cathy Gifford was able to get in touch with Robinson Esparza, who lives in Santiago and reports that he and his family are OK.  I then forwarded her correspondence to Michael who did the story. Please go to this link to read the entire article. http://www.thecitywire.com/?q=node/8545

Thank you Michael and Cathy.

 ...and Shirley.

Scott Duke, writing for SiliconValley.com, explains how Twitter, Facebook and the Internet became hubs for information about family members and friends immediately after the earthquake. If you're interested in learning more, check out: "Digital connections - Bay Area to Chile - remain open and vital despite quake devastation." The article also includes a slide show with pictures of some of the destruction caused by the earthquake in Chile.