In June 2001, I joined 24,000 Rotarians climbing the steps of the Alamodome in the heat of San Antonio, Texas. It was opening day of this Rotary International Convention and the energy was electric. Around me were Rotarians from every part of the globe – many in traditional dress, speaking different languages, yet all united by a shared commitment to service. While the crowd buzzed in anticipation of entertainer Glen Campbell, I was hoping to spot someone else – my Rotary hero, Dushan “Dude” Angius.
A former Los Altos High School principal and past president of the Los Altos Rotary Club, Dude had deeply inspired me after I joined the club in 1992. Just a few years earlier, after the heartbreaking loss of his son Steve to HIV/AIDS, Dude chose not silence, but action. At a time when AIDS was still considered taboo, he courageously spoke out, most notably as a keynote speaker at the 1992 Rotary International Convention in Orlando. His personal story was captured in “The Los Altos Story,” a 30-minute video produced by NBC correspondent Robin Young. It went on to win both the ACE Award and the prestigious Peabody Award for Broadcasting Excellence.
Dude’s powerful message became the foundation for RAP, the Rotary AIDS Project, an effort launched by 10 local Rotarians to educate and raise awareness around the world.
By 2001, our team was ready to take the message global. “The Los Altos Story” video is still available online and at Los Altos Public Library.
At the international convention, our booth stood out among hundreds of displays. Titled “AIDS: A Global Challenge,” it was a hub of activity. We handed out brochures, videos and guidance to Rotarians from around the world, including many Africans in their resplendently-colored gowns. They were eager for tools to bring back to their communities, especially to prevent transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child. It was my first immersion in Rotary’s international reach, and I was deeply moved by the urgency and gratitude of those we met.
I’ll never forget the Rotarians who came to us. Some were health professionals, others community leaders – all were searching for ways to protect and educate their people. Some shared personal stories of loss. Others quietly asked for hope. We even connected with Rotarians from South Africa, where our committee had first dared to help fund their renovation of an AIDS clinic.
Our Los Altos team worked tirelessly. Founding members including Mary Prochnow, Dick Henning and Wyatt Allen, led with passion. Marketing expert Jean Newton Fraguglia created eye-catching materials, and we kept duplicating videotapes requested in multiple languages – no small feat at the time. Many of those materials are still displayed today in the Garden House of Los Altos.
That Rotary International Convention was a celebration of what can happen when one small community takes a stand. It showed me the ripple effect that compassion and courage can create. That experience inspired me to write “Stories Behind the Los Altos Story: Rotary Volunteers Confront HIV/AIDS” in order to honor the people who made this bold humanitarian project possible.
Looking back, this international convention wasn’t just a destination; it was a turning point. It reminded me that sometimes, the most powerful movements begin quietly, in small towns like ours, with people willing to share their story, and change the world.
Marlene Cowan is a member and a past president of the Rotary Club of Los Altos.
