Last week, Gary Houston gave Rotarians an update on the Rotary travel Group. Thanks to The Union City Daily Messenger and Glenda Caudle, we are able to get daily updates on the group by reading her column on the front page of the Messenger.

Our speaker last week was Christy Passmore, a Union native, now employed by Vanderbilt University as Financial Director for Athletics at that University.

Christy had high praise for Union City Rotary, saying "I am amazed by what you do, your mission, service to the world and to young people, by way of your scholarships". She brought a message from one of her relatives who was a recipient of one of the scholarships in 2001, speaking of the success of that person and how the scholarship she received had broadened her life.

She spoke of her childhood and growing up in our community and what it meant to her in her adult life, using the background she received here as a guide in her day to day life now.

Christy had with her last Friday, her Aunt Faye Passmore and her Cousin Kathy Passmore Waggoner, who she introduced during her presentation.

She spent a few minutes reminiscing her early life after graduation from college and her first year as a teacher under Gary Houston at Woodland Mills Elementary School.

She went into the description of her job at Vanderbilt, describing the different ways she solicited money from alumni, different organizations and businesses for the benefit of the Medical Facilities and Athletic Program at Vanderbilt. She also went into detail describing the many projects and renovations which have taken place at the school during her tenure, such as the up-grade of the baseball stadium, raising money for two different major medical facilities on campus. All in all, the amount of monies raised since she took over the position was astounding, to say the least.