Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Members Are a Busy Group
RSCL Rotarians and Chandler Business Alliance members joined together at Off 87 restaurant to celebrate the presentation of a $1,390 check for RCSL’s community service projects.
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) enjoyed a busy month of service, education, and fellowship.
• RCSL Rotarians visited The Park Independent Senior Living and enjoyed a tour, met residents, and had a meal at the Captain’s Table, one of The Park’s private dining rooms.
RCSL Rotarians Kiamesha Guy, Dr. Honora Norton, and Val Crump donned their classic hats at the 1st Annual Rotary Women’s Tea.
• Jon Lyons was named Rotarian of the Month, and Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) teachers Bonnie Flores and Christina Pjura were named January 2024 and December 2023 RCSL Teachers of the Month.
• RCSL Rotarians attended the 1st Annual Women Rotary Tea, sponsored by Rotary Club of Gilbert and Rotary Club of Downtown Tempe. The event featured Dr. Sylvia Whitelock, the first woman Rotary Club president in Duarte, Calif. (1982).
• Rotarians and guests enjoyed speaker programs: Lisa Moran shared information about Chandler Volunteer Policing Program (480-782-4130); Richard Lewin shared information about Internet, phone, gift card, foreign schemes, and artificial intelligence scams; Tim Jackson spoke about the future of mobility—the evolution of bicycles, motorcycles, autos, and aviation; and Haydn Janus shared update of events at Majestic Chandler 9 Theater.
• RCSL announced its current Dolly Parton Imagination Library Reverse Raffle with $20 tickets and a win goal of $10,000, with drawing targeted for Jan. 11, 2025.
• RCSL members thankfully accepted a $1,390 check from Chandler Business Alliance (CBA). The monies will be directed to community service projects (not club administration).
• RCSL held its 30th Golf Tournament on March 16 at Sun Lakes Oakwood Country Club. There were a total of 31 foursomes, eight of which were women’s teams. PGA VP Don Rea joined the golfers for a morning meet and greet. Don and Michelle Holcomb, RI District 5495 Governor, were event tee-off starters. Event Chairs Bob Phillips and Dave Ouradnik extend a thank you to the many golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and Oakwood staff, as well as auction item, raffle, 75-inch TV raffle, event, and award donors and sponsors. All proceeds will be directed to community service projects. The event’s trophy winners were as follows: Men’s flight: Don Bell, Jim Ruddy, Dave Thomas, and Dick Lockhart; Women’s flight: Urbyn Winter, Renee Higgs, Kelly JoPope, and Izzy Junio. SCHEELS sponsored winner awards.
• RCSL Rotarians and friends delivered over 11,000 Source Books and delivered March Splash newspapers to Sun Lakes homes.
• RCSL appreciates ASU Rotaract Club, Casteel High School Interact Rotary Club, and Hamilton High School Girls Softball and Boys Football teams for their volunteer work to deliver Source Books and support the golf tournament.
• RCSL Rotarians attended CUSD Carlson and Fullerton Elementary School assemblies to present 2023 AWIM/STEM Jet Car and Gravity Cruiser Competition plaques.
• RCSL Rotarians attended Honor the Past – Forge the Future launch of USS Arizona Legacy Foundation.
• RCSL welcomed new members Jim Hepfinger, Keith Weiner, and M. Diane Bruening.
• RCSL Rotarians attended the RI District 5495 Club Leadership Academy held at Desert Willow Conference Center.
• The Rotary Four-Way Speech contest with students from six CUSD high schools was on April 2, and the potluck was on April 9 at Sun Lakes Sisk Park.
If you want more information about RCSL meetings and membership, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Rotarians Partner with Sun Lakes Sew-N-Sews
Left to right: Sun Lakes Sew-N-Sews Vice President Patty Hutson and RCSL Rotarians Kandi Skrabala, Victoria Flatley (RCSL president), and Sharon Flood; not pictured: RCSL Rotarian Ann Diamond
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) Rotarians participated in a work party to assemble Easter spring baskets created and constructed by Sun Lakes Sew-N-Sews members and partially funded by a donation from RCSL. More than 125 baskets were filled with goodies, including candy, stuffed toys, bubbles, colored pencils, coloring books, and sidewalk chalk. Fifty of the baskets were taken to Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, and the rest were taken to other local children’s agencies. Rotarians were on hand on March 7 at the Oakwood Sewing Room to participate in the final activity of the partnership.
For more information about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Sun Lakes Rotary Book Gifting Hits New Record!
Sun Lakes residents Val and Bill Crump, RCSL DPIL co-chairs, thank and update RCSL’s Golf Tournament attendees for their support of the DPIL book gifting program.
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) celebrates its support of its Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) program. RCSL started the program with 127 children, and now, as of April 2024, 1,200 children are registered in the cities of Guadalupe and Chandler to receive a monthly book at no cost to their family. Per RCSL Rotarian Val Crump, the DPIL program has been around since 1995 and is the premier early childhood book gifting program in the world. Parents of children from birth until age five sign their child up to receive a free book in the mail every month for five years. RCSL raises funds to pay $150 cost per child.
RCSL’s annual DPIL fundraiser will be a reverse raffle drawing. The club will be selling $20 paper raffle tickets. In a reverse raffle, the “last” one to be drawn is the winner. If 1,000 tickets are sold, the goal grand prize is $10,000; otherwise, it will be a 50/50 raffle. The drawing will be held on Jan. 11, 2025.
For tickets or to donate directly to this great cause, contact Val Crump at 480-216-8415 or [email protected]. For more information about RCSL programs and membership, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Rotary Club Holds Annual CUSD High School Student Speech Competition
Dr. Honora Norton, RCS Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) held its 10th Annual Rotary International Four-Way Test Speech Competition. Six students from six different Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) high schools competed. The purpose of the seven- to five-minute speech is to apply the principles of Rotary International’s (RI) Four-Way Test to a current ethical issue. The Four-Way Test addresses: Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships? Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
Judges at the event included Leo Schlueter, CUSD Elementary Schools West Region; Dr. Craig Gilbert, CUSD Associate Superintendent PreK-12 Educational Services; Frank Narducci, CUSD Superintendent of Schools; Kevin Pitts, RI District 5495 District Governor; and Dan Serrano, CUSD Executive Director Secondary Education, high schools. RCSL Rotarian Bill Schink served as contest scorekeeper.
Bill McCoach announced the following placement awards: first place, $500: Leela Raj-Sankar, Hamilton senior, with the topic Ethical Consumption; second place, $250: Siyaa Poddar, Arizona College Prep sophomore, with the topic Curiosity Killed the Cat; runners-up, $100: Lucy Davis, Casteel sophomore, with the topic Eating Disorder/Culture; Charlotte Yeh, Perry junior, with the topic Following the Crowd; Ryu Long, Chandler junior, with the topic Think Before Speak; and Matthew Garza, Basha junior, with the topic Student Burnout.
For more information about Rotary Club of Sun Lakes programs and membership, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.