Rotary Foundation Honors Riccardo Boehm with Citation for Meritorious Award

PALM BEACH, Fla. - Jan. 4, 2021 - PRLog -- It has been announced that Palm Beach resident Riccardo Boehm has been awarded the Citation for Meritorious Service in recognition of outstanding service to the Rotary Foundation for his support of life-changing, sustainable projects in both the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. The award distinguishes the recipient with the embodiment of their motto: Doing Good in The World. Boehm, who also works with children as a Guardian ad Litem volunteer, closer to home in Palm Beach County, was surprised to receive this recognition. "I only hope that my association with Rotary will help to raise awareness of the enormously important work the Foundation is doing and funding," he said.

Boehm, a member of the Board of the Palm Beach Rotary Club, said his early years, growing up in the Far East and South America taught him the importance of philanthropy and service to others. "His volunteer efforts embody the Rotarian principle of service above self," said Sara Fattori, President of the Palm Beach Rotary Club. "Riccardo surely has a passion and desire to make this world a better place. He and his wife, Dr. Helen Boehm, have instilled those same values in their own children. Their son serves as a U.S. Diplomat."

Boehm has been visiting and volunteering in the Dominican Republic for many years making numerous trips to support and install water purification systems in the La Romana area. He has written grants to fund service projects benefiting Haitian migrant workers who harvest sugar cane in the region and with other Rotarians, Boehm brings water filters to extremely poor villages (Bateys) where cane cutters and their families live. Since children in the Bateys have had little access to clean drinking water, the Rotarians are embraced by the community for providing this critically important component of their lives.

In Guatemala, Boehm has worked extensively in Ak' Tenamit, which means "New Village' in the Q'eqchi' language, is located in the middle of the rainforest of Eastern Guatemala. Since there are no roads on which one can travel to Ak' Tenamit, Boehm along with other volunteers travel by boat to the region where they provide training to indigenous girls and boys for careers in sustainable tourism. This includes the training of invaluable work and life skills with rural-appropriate vocational education leading to paying jobs in hotels and restaurants and reinforcing the dignity and importance of education, training and work. Boehm is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Guatemala Tomorrow Fund, an organization that provides assistance for Ak'Tenamit's programs and advocates for opportunities which enables youth groups to enjoy a productive and safe future in their own homeland.

For more information, please visit: https://www.palmbeachrotary.org