A Summer to Remember

Our ‘Together We Can’ celebration this July at Sociable Cider Werks was a great success in bringing together old and new faces to Arm in Arm in Africa.

We had more than 60 former delegates from our annual trips to South Africa on hand. We captured their smiles in an ‘All Class’ picture. NUNNABOVE, an all-sibling band from Woodbury, provided great music.

First Row: Zinzi Jacobs, Sherry Ehlen, Pat Murphy, Laurie Cummings, Linda Duffy, Rosey Vogan, Linda Hadden, Polly Posten, Patsy Ryan, Dick Brozic, Jim Cassidy.

Second Row: T.Mychael Rambo, Amy McGovern, Kate Cummings, Del Steckler, Courtney Duffy, Judy Lester, Val Moeller, Mike Halley,  Linda Halley, June Anaberg, Mary Gorzycki, Doris Knettel, Gail Lappon, Teri Staloch, Mary Caskey, Dennis Caskey, Eileen Jacobs

Third Row: Steven Pederson, Kate Casserly, Karen Dalebroux, Jill Schafer, Jill Pistulka, Jay Lindgren, Margaret Sullivan,

Fourth Row: Christopher Hermann, Steve Cummings, George Morrison, Todd Dalebroux, Mike Halley, Julie Vogl, Tom Gorzycki, Mark Zweber, Dick Pistulka, Wayne Schafer Song, Lily Song, Frank Durocher, Ruby Song, Trisha Harvey, John Curran

Bongi Hlongwane

Bongi Hlongwane, star of the Minnesota United and South African National Team, joined us and donated a game jersey. Mike Manns was the winning bidder.

Zinzi Jacobs

The brightest star of the evening was Zinzi Jacobs, a former participant in our Food program in Gugulethu. Zinzi had journeyed here to share her remarkable life story, overcoming the death of both of her parents to help raise her sister and, ultimately, fulfill her own personal dream of a college education.

Zinzi had such an impact on all of us at Arm in Arm that we invited her to join our Board of Directors. She becomes our third South African-based member and will put her accounting education to work on our Finance Committee. Welcome Zinzi!

Pat Murphy

We also saluted our dear friend, Pat Murphy, who co-founded AIAIA in 2000 with Fr. Jim Cassidy. Pat helped organize -- and participated in -- more than 20 visits to South Africa. She served on the Board of Directors from the beginning and held positions as Sr. Vice President, Treasurer, and chair of our Food Committee. She retired from the Board this past March.

Thanks for everything, Pat!