District 5470 participants were invited to share what stood out to them during the gathering. Their reflections reveal that although the projects brought everyone together, the conversations, friendships and shared commitment to service made the experience especially meaningful.

Each Rotarian experienced the Project Fair from a different perspective. Together, their stories show how international service grows—from an initial introduction to a lasting partnership and, ultimately, meaningful action.

Relationships That Create Lasting Impact

District Governor Donna Hood found tremendous value not only in learning about potential projects, but also in spending uninterrupted time with members of District 5470’s Global Grants Committee and Rotarians from neighboring districts.

Donna Hood
District Governor 2026–2027, Rotary District 5470

The Tri-District International Project Fair in Juárez was an incredibly valuable experience for me, both as District Governor and as a Rotarian.

One of the greatest benefits was simply the time I had with the seven Rotarians from District 5470 who attended. We ate together for two days, sat together at the Project Fair and had wonderful conversations around the table. Spending that much uninterrupted time with the bulk of our District Global Grants Committee was immeasurably valuable. We weren’t just listening to presentations—we were talking about projects, asking questions, sharing perspectives and learning from one another.

Of the projects presented, there are three that I came away personally very supportive of. Seeing the needs firsthand and having the opportunity to talk with the people behind the projects gave me a much deeper understanding than I could ever get from simply reading a grant proposal.

I also intentionally spent time with a Past District Governor from New Mexico and asked him to “show me the ropes.” I wanted to better understand how their district evaluates these opportunities so that I can help us make thoughtful, responsible decisions about the projects District 5470 chooses to support. That exchange of knowledge between districts is exactly what makes a gathering like this so valuable.

Perhaps my biggest takeaway was that the Project Fair was as much about relationships as it was about projects. We strengthened relationships within our own district, built relationships with Rotarians from New Mexico and Mexico, and came home with a better understanding of how we can work together to create lasting impact.

Because District 5470 will host the Tri-District gathering next year, I came home excited and confident. After experiencing Juárez firsthand and seeing what worked so well, I believe we have an opportunity to host an outstanding Project Fair and continue building on these relationships.

To another Rotarian considering attending in the future, I would simply say: Go. Go for the projects, but especially go for the conversations around the table. That is where you learn, where relationships grow and where some of Rotary’s best ideas begin.

A Warm Welcome Across the Border

While Donna recognized the value of the relationships formed around the table, Rebekah Kiser discovered that the entire experience—from crossing the border to seeing District 5470 represented at the fair—exceeded her expectations.

Rebekah Kiser
Past International Service Committee Chair, Rotary District 5470

The Tri-District International Project Fair was much more, in every way, than I had imagined. Juárez is a welcoming town, and our transfer to and from the airport across the international border turned out to be easy and efficient.

I felt proud to walk into the project room and see District 5470 represented beautifully through the Potable Water Treatment Plant project in Colombia. Clubs interested in supporting or participating in the project may contact Reggie O’Brien, chair of the Vail Edwards Rotary Club International Committee, at (970) 331-1709.

Most of all, I loved the new and deeper friendships we formed. It was hard to leave the beautiful hotel, great food, inspiring encouragement and, most of all, our new friends who stayed behind in Mexico.

Come next year! Let the service party continue.

Service as a Pathway to Peace

The friendships formed during the gathering also reinforced something fundamental about Rotary for Maile Foster: service can build understanding, trust and peace among people who may live in different places but share many of the same hopes.

Maile S. Foster
District Rotary Foundation Chair 2026–2029
Past District Governor 2025–2026, Rotary District 5470

One of the most meaningful parts of the Tri-District International Project Fair experience in Juárez, Mexico, was simply having the opportunity to spend time face-to-face with like-minded Rotarians from our own district. Because our district covers such a large geographic area, those opportunities are rare. Being together, sharing ideas, talking about projects and imagining what we could accomplish together was priceless.

Every Rotary district has its own personality and its own way of doing things, but the commitment to Service Above Self knows no borders. Whether we came from Colorado, New Mexico or Mexico, we shared the same desire to strengthen our communities and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

The Rotarians of El Paso and Juárez were extraordinary hosts. Their warmth and hospitality were matched by the inspiring work they are doing in their communities and beyond. Seeing their projects firsthand was a wonderful reminder that Rotary’s greatest strength is its people—people who see a need and decide to do something about it.

Meeting Rotarians from another country always renews my belief that service is one of the most powerful pathways to peace. Wherever we live, people ultimately want many of the same things: safe communities, healthy families, opportunities for their children and hope for a productive future.

When Rotarians work together across borders to improve health, support education, provide clean water, strengthen communities, protect the environment and create economic opportunity, we are doing more than completing projects. We are building understanding, relationships, trust and, ultimately, peace. That is Rotary at its very best.

What would I tell another Rotarian who is considering attending a future Tri-District gathering?

Go! You will come home with new friendships, new ideas and a renewed appreciation for the international reach of Rotary. I would be surprised if you didn’t discover at least one international project that speaks directly to your club—an opportunity through which your members can become personally involved and make a lasting difference.

From Introductions to International Partnerships

For Walt Duhaime, the Project Fair is part of a much longer Rotary journey. After attending three fairs in four years, he has seen introductions develop into friendships, grant partnerships and opportunities to work alongside Rotarians and communities in Mexico.

The Adventure of the Tri-District Project Fair

Walt Duhaime
Rotary Club of Durango Daybreak

Attending the Tri-District Project Fair is about more than finding projects. It is about making connections and building relationships for collaboration. It’s about an adventure of gently mixing cultures, finding common ground and agreeing on shared goals.

I’ve attended this fair three of the last four years, and each time it has been a wonderful growth adventure. Let me tell you how some of those adventures can play out.

This year, I was greeted by my Rotary friends Yolanda, Martha, Norma, Leti, Emma and Alma from the Rotary Club of Juárez Campestre. Because they are still working on a global grant presented last year, they served as the background runners of the fair, making sure things ran smoothly.

Durango Daybreak has shared sponsorship of global grant projects with this sister club since the mid-2000s, when we first met its members at the Tri-District Project Fair in Durango. Over the years, there have been many friendship exchanges and projects with this club. They come to Durango, and we go to Juárez.

The most memorable of those exchanges was in the spring of 2008, when I helped organize and chaperone our local Interact club during a service trip to Juárez. The students performed many service projects over the course of that week. Our Campestre friends took great care in helping us plan and carry out the trip.

This year, our travel across the border was very well organized by a Rotarian from another club who owns a company specializing in making border crossings short and relatively easy. I love being greeted by our friends from the Campestre club.

Next, there are the women from Club Rotario Saltillo Empresarial in Saltillo, Mexico, west of Monterrey. This club demonstrated great energy and enthusiasm for providing clean water in primary schools around Saltillo.

When I met them last year, I told these women I could support their global grant if they made certain completions to their draft application. They had those requests fulfilled within 12 hours. I then pledged; they kept me informed over the months as they negotiated the travails of a Rotary global grant application for the first time. That grant was approved a couple of months ago and is now in the implementation phase.

There is no waiting for these gals. This year, they were ready to expand their project to more schools in the areas surrounding Saltillo. They have invited me to bring Rotary friends to see their project.

This grant is open for additional funding from clubs in District 5470. Contact Walter Duhaime for more information about making a simple pledge and joining Durango Daybreak’s District Designated Fund application for this project.

Last year, our club also pledged to a project called Dancing for Rain, a rainwater catchment system for homes of the Rarámuri people in Copper Canyon.

Copper Canyon has a special place in my heart because it was my first international destination as a high school geology student. I traveled there twice, in the spring of 1980 and again in 1981. I am looking forward to visiting this project in Copper Canyon during the second week of November.

This year, as I walked up to the table presenting the next phase of the project, I was greeted by Carina and Daniel. They said they looked forward to personally guiding my fellow traveling Rotarians and me through this project, which will be implemented, in part, in the small community of Batopilas at the bottom of the canyon—the same place I visited in 1981.

As of this writing, this grant is still open for additional funding from clubs in District 5470. Yours might be the club that sends it over the top and on its way to approval by The Rotary Foundation.

Who knows? By next year, you and I could be hiking and adventuring together in Copper Canyon, helping install metal roofs, gutters, water filters and cisterns at a Rarámuri stone or adobe home.

Has canyon country piqued your interest?

As I entered the presentation hall for the Project Fair, Mundo from Club Rotario Ciudad Cuauhtémoc greeted me with a warm heart and a firm handshake. Our club is branching out with this club by serving as the international sponsor for Salud Para Todos, a telemedicine global grant project that will also serve the Rarámuri people in Copper Canyon.

Mundo and his family came through Durango, Colorado, three years ago following the 2023 Tri-District Project Fair. Fellow Rotarian Don Gonneville and his wife hosted a dinner for Mundo and his family. We all talked about future partnerships.

That dream is taking hold as we embark on this telemedicine grant. At least 10 remote Rarámuri communities will gain access to modern medicine without requiring residents to travel many miles on foot to a city with a doctor. These communities will have access to regular telemedicine visits in their own villages. Batopilas is one of those villages.

Are you starting to see some synergistic connections happening here?

When I travel to Copper Canyon in November, there will undoubtedly be multiple opportunities for fellowship and adventure.

Salud Para Todos, Global Grant 2799460 is open for funding from other clubs in District 5470. Contact Don Gonneville for more information about making a simple pledge and joining Durango Daybreak’s District Designated Fund application for this project.

The first year you attend the fair, you get your feet wet, learn a few Spanish words and meet new and interesting people. Perhaps you facilitate a pledge of some of your club’s money to a worthy project.

The next thing you know, you’ve made friends in other districts—perhaps even in Mexico—and, lo and behold, you’re traveling and working alongside them to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Try the adventure of a Tri-District Project Fair.

The Next Chapter Begins in District 5470

These four perspectives share a common message: The Tri-District International Project Fair is about much more than reviewing proposed grants. It is where Rotarians discover shared priorities, develop trusted partnerships and begin imagining what they can accomplish together.

The experience can begin with a conversation at a project booth or a meal with someone from another district. It may lead to a club pledge, a collaborative grant, a service trip or a friendship that continues for years.

District 5470 will host the next Tri-District gathering, giving Rotarians across our district an opportunity to experience those connections closer to home. Whether you are already involved in international service or simply curious about where one Rotary conversation might lead, come ready to listen, learn and connect.

In the meantime, view the project catalog from this year’s fair to explore projects currently seeking partners—and perhaps discover an opportunity for your club to make an international impact.

As Donna advised: Go for the projects—but especially go for the conversations around the table.