In Mid-May, longtime CMIRC Rotarian Craig Clark lost his wife Ann to pancreatic cancer. Craig and Ann had been living at their U.S. home in Park Rapids, Minnesota, so that Ann could be near the Mayo Clinic which helped her fight this terrible disease for over two years! But CMIRC Rotarians and others who knew Craig and Ann when they lived in Chiang Mai, know what a power couple they were for doing good in Thailand!
Even while fighting cancer Ann was thinking of the ways that she and those who love and respect her could continue to do good in Thailand. Ann grew up as a farm girl and many of the projects that Craig and Ann supported involved agriculture, so Craig and Ann asked that CMIRC establish a memorial fund where those who wish to honor Ann and improve life in Thailand could make contributions. The CMIRC Board met, and created the:
Ann Gfeller Clark Memorial Sustainable Agriculture in Thailand Fund
(Ann’s Fund)
The fund will honor Ann’s memory and help farmers learn how to farm sustainably and profitably in Thailand. For those farmers and agriculture students who receive grants from Ann’s Fund, there is one condition stipulated by Ann and Craig: they must be willing be pass on the gift. That is, the recipient must agree that after completion of the grant, he or she will give back to the community in kind, with service, teaching others, or in cash.
Those interested in helping build this fund in Ann’s memory can contact our CMIRC Treasurer Nancy Lindley, nllindley@msn.com if you live in Thailand, or the Thai Thaim Foundation (also founded by Ann and Craig) in Park Rapids, Minnesota, if you live in the USA, and/or wish to make your contribution tax deductible in the USA. Thai Thaim Treasurer, Bob Suderman bobsud@gmail.com can help with these arrangements.
RIP Ann we will all miss you greatly!