September was a busy month for me - traveling through District 6900, celebrating all of your accomplishments, fellowship, creativity and determination to make a difference in our communities and the world. Thank you for your hospitality - and a special shout out of thanks to all of you who took the time to wish me a Happy Birthday. And take a look at the photo - I was privileged to join the Rotary Clubs of Peachtree City, Tyrone, Senoia and Fayetteville - and the Rotary Community Corps, to make a huge IMPACT with the Midwest Food Bank Georgia.

As we start off October, there are many areas that come to mind. First, October 24 is World Polio Day - certainly a time to celebrate all we've done so far to help End Polio Now, but also a time to renew our commitment to that effort. Your continued financial support is much appreciated, and we hope each of our clubs will do something special in terms of events and support on October 24. Lee Hollingsworth provides some ideas later in this newsletter, and we hope you'll let us know what you're doing.

For Rotary it is also Economic and Community Development Month. Rotary members help local economies flourish by supporting entrepreneurs, expanding access to skills and jobs, strengthening financial knowledge, and partnering with communities on sustainable solutions. When people gain the tools to lead their own progress, opportunity can grow for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Nationally, it's Hispanic Heritage Month - established by President Lyndon Johnson and expanded by President Ronald Reagan. This year's theme, "Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together" - sounds a little like Rotary to me. We do our best when we bring all our individual skills and values together - and as Laura McConatha points out later in the newsletter, every act of service is an act of peace. 

It is also National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Many of our clubs do projects today to support the women and children who have been victims of domestic violence. Take a look later in this newsletter for more about this issue and how we can take action.

Thanks for all you are doing to make your community and the world a better place. Keep up the good work!