Kayaking grandmother invited to UN as Global Woman of Action

Deborah Walters, who passed through Beaufort County last week on her fundraising kayak trip from Maine to Guatemala, has been invited to the United Nations.

The grandmother's 2,500-mile trip is for the Safe Passage Kids nonprofit group that helps children living in the Guatemala City garbage dump with education, nutrition and social services.

Walters is one of six women from around the globe, and the only one from North America, to earn a Global Woman of Action citation from Rotary International.

The award is to be presented at the United Nations on Nov. 7 at UN Rotary Day.

"With a little bit of grit, determination and persistence, a lot of good things can happen," she said during her overnight stay on Hilton Head Island. "That's what I've learned from the kids in the garbage dump."

Walters is now nearing Sapelo Island, Ga.

"Every day at Rotary I see first-hand how our members work to change lives and make significant impact around the world," Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran said in a news release. "Through hard work, dedication and selflessness, Rotary's 'Global Woman of Action' embody Rotary's motto, 'Service Above Self', and I extend my warmest congratulations to them for their outstanding service to humanity."

Related content:

• Lauderdale: Grandmother kayaks to Guatemala for kids in the garbage dump, Oct. 23, 2015
• Grandmother kayaking from Maine to Guatemala spends night on Hilton Head Island, Oct. 23, 2015

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Kayaking grandmother invited to UN as Global Woman of Action."