Denny FitzPatrick and Karen Flolid of Cook County were among 5,000 other Peace Corps volunteers in Washington, D.C., during the Corps’ 50th anniversary celebration. They had the chance to visit with Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Returned Peace Corps volunteers Denny FitzPatrick and Karen Flolid of Cook County recently joined 5,000 other volunteers in Washington, D.C., where they attended the 50th anniversary celebration of Peace Corps. The Corps was launched by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as a way to aid people in developing countries and to foster further peace and understanding between the United States and other cultures. Its hallmark is placing individuals in communities to live and work alongside “the locals” for several years. Many assignments are in the poorest of villages, and in remote outposts.
FitzPatrick served in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and Flolid served in Borneo, Malaysia in the 1960s. In D.C., each participated in community service projects, fundraisers for overseas programs, and advocacy on Capitol Hill. Sen. Amy Klobuchar personally welcomed them and stated her support for Peace Corps.
“Peace Corps is of great value to this country in promoting good will around the world. It’s one of the biggest little investments we can make,” said FitzPatrick. “One person really can make a positive difference.” Other returned volunteers living in Cook County served in South America, Central America, and Africa. They are among the 200,000 volunteers who have served in 140 countries.
Leave a Reply