As a proud member of the 91-year-old Westwood Village Rotary Club AND Rotary International Clubs, I have learned how powerful this global collaboration is for Music Mends Minds. Thank you again to Amy Huggins, Incoming President of Vashon Rotary Club in Washington State, for being the creator of this thriving blueprint!

 

Fourteen of the 19 MMM bands have been formed by Rotary Clubs!

MMM has partnered with two global arms of the International Rotary Organization: one is called Alzheimer’s Dementia Rotary Action Group (ADRAG) and the other is International Fellowship of Rotarian Musicians (IFRM).

​

ADRAG is an action group focused on bringing attention to the growing epidemic of neurocognitive diseases, specifically Alzheimer's and dementia. MMM is a resource partner and we share a mission to spread awareness and educate about research regarding Alzheimer's and dementia. As an active member of their global board, I spoke virtually at the annual Rotary International Convention in Hawaii - June 2020. I am very excited to announce that Chairman Bill Shillito has responded to my request about sharing MMM’s Zoom platform with their contact list together with sharing our global story on their website.

 

IFRM is composed of Rotarians, spouses, and students who want to connect with one another through their love of music. IFRM accomplishes its mission to "promote and encourage the use and appreciation of music in Rotary Clubs in our society and, thereby, to encourage world understanding" by working with MMM to discover and start new MMM bands. Tavistock, UK  was the first MMM IFRM band, followed by Rwanda, Africa and their Rwanda Red Rock Band. IFRM has also included us in their global outreach, including their Staccato newsletter, whereby in May, they featured a piece called "Gateway to Happiness" that discussed MMM's musical support groups and our online Zoom sessions.

​

Stay tuned for more exciting news about our Rotary Club partnerships!