Description: Altrusa International of Lawrence is the host for this year’s 62nd annual District Eight Conference April 26-28. Club Past President Linda Burton is serving as Conference Chair. The Club is partnering with Downtown Lawrence, Audio-Reader Network, Reuter Organ Company, and the Spencer Art Museum to provide a well-rounded 2-day program for the more than 100 Altrusans expected to attend. District Eight Conference is open to members from any of the 23 Altrusa International Clubs located within Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The annual conference is the time when Altrusans across District Eight gather together to review service activities for the last year, plan for the following year, attend workshops, and compete for awards. Club members are also updated on the service work of the organization from an international viewpoint. The conference agenda also includes time for attendees to shop, eat, or otherwise soak up the local atmosphere. Shelley Hansel of the Kansas Leadership Center, Wichita, Kansas, will be the Friday luncheon keynote speaker. Altrusa International President Leanne Milligan is the featured guest. President Leanne travels from Te Awamutu, New Zealand and will be providing the update on the international work. Richard Holman, Jr., Information Security Manager, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, will speak about cyber fraud and identity theft and provide a Q&A session afterwards. Other workshop presenters are Altrusans serving in leadership roles at the district level. The Audio-Reader Network at the University of Kansas has been selected as the conference service project. Conference attendees are encouraged to bring suitable audio items and cash for donation to Audio-Reader’s annual “For Your Ears Only” fundraiser. Altrusa members attend Conference to participate in leadership training, fundraising and grant writing workshops, and perform hands-on service for the host community. Clubs also compete for awards for Club Displays, Club Yearbooks, Communication and Membership Growth. Additional Altrusa awards are given for service projects focused on service, literacy and international outreach. Altrusa of Lawrence has proudly served the Lawrence community since its founding in 1951. Altrusa strives to make our community better through leadership, partnership and service. Since 2001 the Lawrence club’s major literacy project has been Born to Read where Lawrence Altrusans purchase and provide books to Lawrence Memorial Hospital so that every newborn in the hospital receives a book. Altrusa International Inc. includes clubs in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, England, Bermuda, Ireland, India, Scotland, New Zealand and Russia. Altrusa’s primary area of service is literacy, HIV/AIDS and disaster relief. The Altrusa story is evolving every day through local club accomplishments. Visit any Altrusa club to see leadership and service in action. More information is available online at www.lawrence.altrusa.org. Submitted by: Janet L Horner Altrusa International of Lawrence, Kansas, Inc.