Helping hands bring smiles

Sometimes a helping hand can reach halfway around the world.

On May 3, some local Rotarians will be raising funds for a trip that will take them to a Third World country to help people with cleft lips and palates. They may not know exactly where they are going, but they do know exactly why they want to be there. They want to help.

While it may be true that charity begins at home, some needs far away are too great to be ignored. That’s when dedicated Valley residents find themselves on a plane to far-flung regions to lend assistance. Whether they belong to a service club, a church group or go as individuals, these dedicated people know that living in the Great Land doesn’t really isolate us from our fellow humans around the world.

The special Rotaplast International segment of the Rotary International includes three Wasilla Rotary Club members committed to help those suffering with clefts to receive reconstructive plastic surgery. A fundraising dinner, shoot and auction will be held Saturday, May 3, at Grouse Ridge Resort (call 376-2473 by April 30).

It’s the latest effort, of which we’ve been made aware, by Valley residents to come to the aid of the less fortunate far, far away. It’s not the first, and we suspect it will not be the last such selfless effort.

Whether they be members of a church denomination building an orphanage in Central America, service club members providing dental care in Asia or an informal group of dedicated humanitarians bringing disaster relief to villages in Africa, Valley residents are among the leaders of those showing compassion.

While not everyone has the means to travel the globe to help others, we all have the ability to help someone, somehow, somewhere. Whether helping a shut-in neighbor, donating to a humanitarian cause or traveling 5,000 miles to restore a smile, there is something each of us can do to make our world a better place.

We applaud those who reach out those to others, near and far. They help make the Valley a great place to call home.

Earth Day a good reminder

Today is Earth Day, and you don’t have to be a greenie, a tree-hugger or a die-hard environmentalist to celebrate. Whether you think global warming is bunk, the potential end to civilization as we know it or the fad of the new millennium, you can still mark April 22 as Earth Day.

Earth Day’s been around since April 22, 1970. And while it may have started during the days of hippies and war protests, it’s endured because environmental consciousness was long overdue in 1970 and has matured in the years since.

You don’t want to know what the world would be like if some of the restrictions placed on industry were not enacted because of that consciousness. We wouldn’t want to see how Alaska might have been developed if lessons weren’t learned from failed resource policies in the Lower 48.

It’s a good thing that on Earth Day our kids will likely learn about recycling in school. It’s a good thing that they will hear how our environment sustains us and we must sustain it in turn.

You don’t have to be an “environmentalist” to respect the environment. Earth Day isn’t about labels; it’s about sustainability.

Spend a few minutes on Earth Day reducing your footprint on the earth. Set up a recycling station in your garage and then take your recyclables to Valley Recycling Center Thursday through Saturday. While you are in your garage, check for old pesticides, paints, fuels and other potentially hazardous materials and take them to the Mat-Su Borough landfill’s special area for proper disposal.

Singing “Kumbaya” won’t make our world a better place to live. Take some action on Earth Day.