Westport Sunrise Rotary Welcomes Dr. Lester, Aug. 8

Mitchell R. Lester, M.D., allergist and immunologist, will speak on "Argumentum ad Populum: Common Misconceptions in Allergy" at the Westport Sunrise Rotary breakfast meeting on Friday, August 8th. The meeting will be held at Bobby Q's Restaurant, 42 Main St., Westport, at 7:30 a.m. Guests are welcome. There is a $12 fee which includes a breakfast buffet.

A Westport resident, Dr. Lester is with Fairfield County Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Associates, with offices in Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich. He received his medical degree from Brown University, RI. He completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at Brown University affiliated hospitals and a fellowship at National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine in Denver. Dr. Lester was the former clinical director, Division of Immunology, and director of the Pediatric Asthma Center, both at Children's Hospital, Boston.

Dr. Lester currently sits on the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Allergy/Immunology, and is president-elect of the New England Society of Allergy, having previously served as its director of continuing medical education. He was formerly associated with the New England Food Allergy Treatment Center in West Hartford, where he studied the effect of oral peanut desensitization on food-related quality of life.

Westport Sunrise Rotary supports a wide range of charitable programs locally and internationally, serving all ages, in four categories: community service, including Gillespie Center and Staples Student of the Month; vocational service, such as the District Four-Way Speech Contest; international service, including worldwide polio eradication; and local organizations, including Cancer Care, CLASP, Earthplace, HomesWithHope, Meals on Wheels, Project Return, Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, STAR and Westport Youth Film Festival. Funds are raised through various Sunrise Rotary-sponsored events annually, including a Duck Race in June and a Wine Tasting in October. A complete list of organizations that Westport Sunrise Rotary serves is available at http://www.westportsunriserotary.com/charities.html

The members of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club are a diverse group of business and professional leaders who contribute their time, talents and financial support to aid local charities, youth programs and international humanitarian programs. They are dedicated to encouraging high ethical standards in all club activities and to helping Rotary International build goodwill and peace in the world. The club participates with 1.2 million fellow Rotarians in 33,000 clubs around the world to uphold Rotary's motto of "Service above Self."

For information about Westport Sunrise Rotary, visit its website at www.westportsunriserotary.com; contact Ron Holtz, membership, at 203-364-2658 or by email at ronaldholtz@gmail.com; or attend a meeting any Friday at 7:30 a.m. at Bobby Q's Restaurant, 42 Main Street, Westport.