Though new to Gary Rotary, Zully Alvarado is not new to Rotary International. She is a former member of Rotary1, the founding club, Chicago Rotary. Zully is the founder of Causes for Change International, an organization that serves communities in need throughout the Americas. She is also the founder of the Disability Equipment Network serving persons with disabilities in need of durable medical equipment. She currently serves as the president of the Dunes Learning Center Board of Directors, and serves on the Indiana Trails Advisory Board. Zully, working with long time member Jessica Renslow is responsible for the disability friendly kayak launch on the Marquette Park lagoon, and the addition of plants, seating, and game stations at the site. Zully is married to Jonathan Silber. Welcome to Gary Rotary, Zully.

Gary Rotary Club is the recipient of a District 6540 Grant to assist with our Disability Equipment Network project. With this project, individuals in the community with physical disabilities will have access to disability equipment which will promote their likelihood for job training, participation in community activities, and enhance their quality of life. The first delivery of such equipment occurred on October 10, to the site of the project, Marquette Park Methodist Church. Rotarians Paul Orner, Warren Johnson, Dick Hagelberg, Rebecca Wyatt, and Zully Alvarado were on hand to help unload the truck. Efforts will now begin to alert those in Gary and Northwest Indiana of the availability of the equipment and the training of their use.