Thursday, Sept. 11
Drs. Bill Ellis and Raul G. Santos: Living Longer, Healthier Lives in Our Community
This week, Drs. Bill Ellis (left) and Raul G. Santos will report on their working group's efforts to help our community live longer, healthier lives.
Dr. Ellis grew up in Camilla and Athens, Ga., before attending medical school at the Medical College of Georgia and completing a residency at the Royal Victoria Hospital at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. After serving in the Navy, he completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Vanderbilt University in Nashville before moving his family to Thomasville in 1983 to help Archbold expand its cardiovascular services. Dr. Ellis and his partners established a cardiac and vascular program that is widely respected in the region.
Since he retired in 2022, Dr. Ellis spends time with family (his wife, three daughters and their husbands, and five grandchildren). He also is active on their farm in Barwick, where he continues to have horses – a favorite throughout his life – and he rides and competes in regional cutting competitions.
Dr. Santos is a nephrologist in Thomasville who is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital and Brooks County Hospital. He received his medical degree from Universidad Central del Este Facultad de Medicina and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
The two are part of the Wellness and Longevity working group. They began working to initiate a county-wide health and wellness program in 2023 to address a lack of an ongoing preventative healthcare movement, evidenced by the fact that Thomas County's longevity statistics show the average lifespan is 2.5 years shorter than the state or national average.
Rotary Global Grant
Kenya Project Representative Needed
For the past two years, our club has been the international sponsor for a Rotary global grant to provide sanitation and hand-washing facilities to the Olmapinu Comprehensive School in Kenya that serves the nearby children of the Maasai tribe. Our host sponsor partner, the Rotary Club of Kitengela, visited the site on Aug. 29 and learned that the project will be completed by Sept. 19. The facility will be handed over to the school on Nov. 15.
The Rotary Club of Kitengela would like to have a representative of our club there to participate in the handover ceremony. The board will reimburse one club member for the cost of an economy air ticket to Nairobi, Kenya, as an incentive to represent our club. There would be limited additional in-country expenses.
If you would like to be considered to be our club representative or if you would like more information, please contact Joe Brown before close of business on Wednesday, Sept. 17. The board will make the final selection from those who apply. Others who would like to attend but who were not selected as our representative are most welcome to attend also!
Upcoming Events
Mark Your Calendar
Plan your calendar for September with this calendar at a glance:
- Our annual coats and blankets drive begins and continues throughout the month. Please consider bringing blankets. new or gently used coats or a cash donation to support the Thomas County Food Bank.
- Thursday, Sept. 18: Pack & Sort at Second Harvest beginning at 11:30 a.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 20: Produce distribution at Weston Park. We need additional volunteers at this month - we will also be distributing grow bags planted with carrots, recipe cards, and additional fall seasonal seeds.
- Thursday, Sept. 25: Darcy Craven, Archbold
- Thursday, Oct. 2: Yoga, Health and Fitness with Michael Beardon
The calendar is subject to changes. Find the most updated Rotary calendar anytime:
