I’ve been a volunteering as a member of the Room to Read Boston Chapter Core Team for almost three years. During this time, I’ve heard John Wood, Room to Read Founder and Board Co-Chair, speak in person in Boston on three occasions and seen Erin Ganju, Co-Founder and CEO speak at TedX Berkeley (see my earlier blog post). Both John and Erin are inspiring speakers who are firmly committed to Room to Read’s mission.

But tonight I was completely blown away by one of Room to Read’s international directors: Cambodia country director Kall Kahn. In the basement of the Elephant Walk in Cambridge, Kall shared the story of his life before and after the Khmer Rouge. Many members of his immediate family were killed in the genocide and he fled to the mountains for his life. After several years in hiding he returned to Phnom Penh as an older teen and was determined to complete his primary and high school educations. He not only completed these goals but also went on to study and receive his master’s degree in business management from Norton University in Phnom Penh. For Kall to achieve these goals without the primary support of his immediate family against the backdrop of the Khmer Rouge made me, and many others in attendance cry.

Kall’s passion is contagious in a soft and measured way. He believes that a successful Cambodia begins with the education of its children. This core belief was confirmed when Kall was asked: “What is the greatest obstacle to Room to Read’s success?” he gave a thoughtful and inspiring answer: “It is the mindset of the Cambodian people. We need all of them—children, parents, grandparents, the government—to understand that education is the key to success for our children.”

What more can be said?

See a related post on the Needham Patch blog: http://needham.patch.com/articles/eliot-school-hosts-cambodian-speaker

On Sunday May 1st over 40,000 people poured onto Boston Common to start the 20-mile Walk for Hunger. For the first time, I was one of them.  It was a sparkling sunny day, cool and breezy. Musicians played along the way, and volunteers cheered us on at each intersection. Sponsors donated food for a snack stop at mile 11.5, and half a cheese sandwich has never tasted so good or been swallowed so fast. I walked with a team from my church, and part of the fun was getting to know them better during the hours we walked together.  Mostly though, I enjoyed the sense of being part of this huge crowd, in all our diversity, coming together with a single goal. All together, we raised over $3.5 million to fund 448 emergency food programs in Massachusetts. It was an amazing experience, and while it may have been my first Walk, it won’t be my last!

Dana Farber Cancer Institute has just concluded its Mission Possible: The Dana-Farber Campaign to Conquer Cancer, a seven-year capital campaign that raised $1.18 billion. The Gene Display in the Yawkey Center at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute is the signature gallery of this accomplishment. Visit the Gene Display, read about the science, the campaign, and name a gene if you can.