 Service Above Self Local Service International Service 
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 It all started when a 30-member delegation from the Saint Paul area traveled to Manzanillo, Mexico to celebrate the gift of a used ambulance from the City of Saint Paul to the City of Manzanillo. During the trip, three Roseville Rotary Club members, Kim Flynn, owner of Quiet Waters Salon; Jan Parker, Ramsey County Commissioner; and Melanie Mogg, CPA, along with Manzanillo Rotary Club members Steve Stout and Sonia Flores toured schools in the rural areas and observed the lack of basic schoolroom supplies and equipment. The Rotarians returned with one goal in mind--- to plan and execute an international community service project that aligns with Roseville Rotary’s mission…Service above Self.
The first stage of Roseville Rotary’s new project included driving retired school buses, donated by Centerline Bus
 Company, filled with used computer equipment, donated by Qwest, from Roseville, Minnesota to Manzanillo, Mexico. They will be the first public school buses that the community of 125,000 has ever had – and will allow children of the mountainous regions to continue their education past the sixth grade. Three buses driven by Hogland Bus Company, filled with 27 computers and all the accompanying peripherals were loaded on August 13, 2007, and left for Laredo, Texas the following morning. They met and handed the buses over to officials from Manzanillo in Laredo on August 16, and the buses arrived in Manzanillo on August 7. In addition, the Rotarians are raising money for desks, chairs, air conditioners, copiers and recreational equipment for ten of the neediest schools in rural Manzanillo. The total amount needed is $36,500. In one classroom of 35 students, ten must spend the day standing because of the lack of desks and chairs. The goal is to provide one air-conditioned room per school to house the school’s one and only computer for 200 students. Several clubs have partnered with the Roseville Rotary on this project, including Twin Cities Rotaract, Manzanillo Rotary, Barron County Rotary, North St. Paul Rotary, Cannon Falls Rotary, New Brighton Rotary, and Chisago Rotary. Together, the clubs have raised $11,000. District 5960 Foundation will match $10,000 of the funds, and the Rotary International Foundation approved a grant request to cover the additional $15,500 needed. Roseville Rotarians and partners are planning a trip to Manzanillo for February 2008 to deliver the supplies, tour the schools, and work with the children.  From Roseville Rotary’s World Community Service Chair Kim Flynn, “It was a life changing experience to see the tremendous needs of the children. This project is consistent with our emphasis on improving literacy – both locally and worldwide. We expect this endeavor to make a tremendous difference in the future of the people of Manzanillo.”
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