Presentation will benefit newly built Cambodia school

By ANGELICA A. MORRISON
Observer-Dispatch

UTICA - A Utica Rotary Club member will be hosting several presentations about his experience visiting South East Asia. The presentations by David Jones will double as a benefit to help a newly built school in Cambodia. The first of four presentations will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. 28 during the Earth Metal Detection Club meeting at the Dunham library in Whitesboro.
IF YOU GO
Presentations by Utica Rotary Club member David Jones will double as a benefit to help a newly built school in Cambodia: Jan. 28: during the Earth Metal Detection Club meeting, 7 p.m., at the Dunham Library in Whitesboro. Feb. 5: at the Adirondack Iroquois Chapter meeting, 7:30 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church in New Hartford Feb. 28: during the United Nations Association - Mohawk Valley Chapter meeting, 7:15 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church on 110 Higby Road in Utica. March 7: during the Utica Rotary Club meeting, 12:15 p.m., at the Twin Ponds County Club in New York Mills.The Kirkland-Kompong Thom Academy was established by Mohawk Valley residents with the goal of helping to educate the country's children, organizers said. “(The school) is wonderful,” said Brenda Marris, who volunteers with fundraising for the school. “I think that our children (in the United States) have an amazing wealth of educational opportunities,” she said. “Cambodia isn't as far away as it seems. It's close to home.” Land mines a problem Jones took a trip for two weeks in November and visited Vietnam and Cambodia. “Every day was memorable,” Jones said. “It was a great group. We took school supplies and clothing to children that live adjacent to field mines.” Children in Cambodia are often exposed to land mines and unexploded ordinance left over from previous wars fought in the country. “The children, their play areas are roped off because there are explosives,” Marris said. Jones volunteers through Rotary to raise money to de-mine areas in Cambodia and Vietnam. Jones, who went on the trip with a Seattle Rotary Club, said presentations will cover information about the cultural exchange that took place, the work being done by non-profit government organizations and tourist activities.