RCSL Vice President Stephen Phair presenting thank you gavel plaque to RCSL Club President Jon Lyons, after Jon had provided members with the club’s annual report of activities from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021
Dr. Honora Norton, Public Image Chair
At the end of June, Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) Club President Jon Lyons provided members with a comprehensive report at the club’s annual meeting. Per President Jon, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the club celebrated a busy, fruitful, and caring year. In July 2020, RCSL started its year with Rotary International District 5495’s Governor Elizabeth Mahoney, via a Zoom meeting, inducting the club’s 2020-21 RCSL officers and board members. At the annual meeting, Jon thanked the current outgoing officers and board: Vice President Stephen Phair, Secretary Paula Floth, Treasurer Eugene Cole, Sergeant-at-Arms Mark Stapels, Education Director Don Robins, immediate Past President Bill Crump, Youth Services Officer/Director Terrie Sanders, Rotary Foundation Committee Chair Peter Meade, Membership Committee Chair Kristine Schultz, Education Committee Maureen Alger, and RCSL Foundation 2000 Board President Rowin Floth. RCSL continued to meet via Zoom.
After the club completed a member survey that addressed COVID concerns, RCSL held its first hybrid on-site and Zoom meeting in April 2021 at the Sun Lakes Palo Verde restaurant. The club continues to hold a combination of weekly morning and late afternoon hybrid and Zoom meetings—see www.sunlakesrotary.com for more details. During the year, RCSL welcomed new members Kim Rector, Kandi Skrabala, Don Peterson, Dan Halloran, and Dr. Honora Norton with the following sponsors: Marge Wright, Chuck Hawkins, Dick Thomas, and Gary Whiting. Sadly, RCSL member Dale Rusk passed away in September 2020.
From July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, RCSL supported—with time, talent, and close to $90,000 in funding—local, domestic, and international community service organizations, as well as East Valley schools, teachers, and students. These organizations included Anderson Junior High School, Classy Closets Project; Arizona Patriot Guard, Sun Lakes “Help the Homefront Drive;” A World in Motion (AWIM) Mentoring Projects and on-site support at Chandler’s Auxier Elementary School and Strong Foundations Academy; AZCEND; Chandler Boys/Girls Club; Chandler Cares Center; Chandler-Frys Gift Cards to families in need; Chandler Traditional Academy—Humphrey Elementary School—Classy Closets Project; Chandler YMCA; Dictionary Project, 3,200 dictionaries delivered to Chandler Unified School District third graders; Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, delivered 1,744 children’s books; FANS Across America; Harvest Compassion; Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank; Neighbors Who Care; One Small Step (including sweatshirt/pair of Bombas socks to every student at San Marcos Elementary School); Outstanding Veterans Day Program, video and “Drive by Celebration/Parade” at Auxier Elementary School; Positive Paths, scholarships to women; Project Healing Waters Recovering Veterans Support; RCSL Support of Foundation 2000; Rotary International Foundation Annual Fund; Rotary International Foundation’s Global Grant, Navajo Water Project; Rotary International Foundation’s Mexico/USA Friendship Exchange three projects; Rotary International Global Grant, Mobility Devices in Oaxaca, MX; Rotary International Foundation’s PolioPlus Day; Rotary International Peacebuilder Club Program recognition; Rotary International’s Youth Initiative, World Affairs Seminar Support; Salvation Army; San Marcos Elementary, 400 bottles of water service project; Sun Lakes Medical Center, Celebration of Lights Festival, decorated Christmas tree; and The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona.
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes extends grateful thanks to its corporate and local sponsors: Earnhardt Automotive, New Horizon Farms, Good Sound Audiology, State Farm Insurance Agency, Built By Referral Realty, DC Steakhouse, Hornecek Golf, Renaissance Luxury Senior Living, Moors & Cabot Investments, Hon-Dah Resort & Casino, Home Instead, Robson Adult Communities, Sir Speedy, Harrah’s AK-CHIN Dental Associates, Saba & Romanin Dental Associates, Young Home Team, Ameriprise Financial Services, Ocotillo Foot & Ankle Center, Santa Roger, McCleery & Cole Families, Trust Bank, Swagel Wootton Eye Institute, Debbie Wiltse State Farm, Rob Romanin Sun Lakes Dentistry, and Classy Closets.
During the past year, the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes proudly announced the following member, student, and educator awards:
Rotarian of the Month Awards: Elaine Ralls, Phyllis Carr, Terrie Sanders, Judi Edmonds, Maureen Alger, Scott Faver, Bill and Val Crump, Don Robins, Margie Wright, Stephen Phair, Camille Casteel, and Howard Rudge
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes 2020-21 Annual Awards:
Service Above Self Awards: Don Robins, Terrie Sanders, and Judi Edmonds
John K McCain Good Guy/Gal Trophy: Maureen Alger
Rotarians of the Year: Bill and Val Crump
Teacher of the Month Awards: Donna Gustafson, San Tan Junior High School; Cassie Itsell, Navarrete Elementary School; Katherine Barton, Basha Elementary; Lisa King, Weinberg Gifted Academy; Lisette Bingold; Navarrete Elementary; Jamie Cordova, Casteel High School; Allison Lewis, Sanborn Elementary; Kristin Tollefson, CTA Liberty; and Rosie Marie Bogue, Chandler Galveston Elementary
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Sandy Lundberg Educator of the Year Award: Rajani Rastogi
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Student Awards:
Service Above Self Scholarships to Lily Steenhard, Casteel High School; and Aris Shi, Hamilton High School
Vocational Scholarship to Adrianna Camacho, Chandler High School
STEM Programs Award to Joe Greene, Perry High School
Four-Way Test Speech Contest Presentations (5), with Navaneeth Unnikrishnan, Hamilton High School, named winner
During 2020-21 Rotary year, RCSL held several fundraisers and enjoyed fellowship at the following events:
CO2 Dragster Competition at Perry High School
Golf tournament
Holiday Party
Rotary Rally event at Sisk Park
Rotary International Arizona Rotarians at Work Week—Tree planting at Snedigar Park with support from Strong Foundations Academy students
Sun Lakes Source Book and monthly Sun Lakes Splash newspaper deliveries
And the Rotarians and guests enjoyed meeting programs presented by the following guest speakers: Will Humble, AZ Medical expert; Amanda Nosbisch, One Small Step; Terrie Kimble, Chandler Chamber of Commerce; Kristine Schultz, RCSL Membership Chair; Dr. Michael Crow, ASU President; Amy Schwabenlender, Phoenix Human Services Campus; Scott Anderson, Town of Gilbert Mayor; Scott Faver, Holiday Party facilitator; Dr. Scott Burns, National Parks expert; Nancy Van Pelt, RI Past District Governor; Jeanie Morgan, The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona; Angie Rogers, Arizona Food Bank Network; George Macedon, FANS Across America; Howard Berg, Speed Reader; Elliott Trommald, Why Lincoln Matters; Michelle Nicolson, Take our Kiddos to Work Day; Joan Nieman, Holocaust Survival; Amanda Zink, Waymo; Iris Hermosillo, ABC 15 News Meteorologist; and Cynthia Zwick, Wildfire.
For more information about Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (chartered in April 1986) individual and corporate membership, its programs and projects, and meeting information, see www.sunlakesrotary.com. For more information about Rotary International’s worldwide 35,000-plus clubs in more than 145 countries with over 1.2 million members, see www.rotary.org.