Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Supports Veterans
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes visited Catholic Charities MANA House. RCSL volunteers helped pack welcome and exit packages, served dinner, and enjoyed fellowship with resident veterans. In November of 2024, Sun Lakes Rotary Foundation 2000 gifted $5,000 to MANA House to upgrade MANA House’s security/safety system. During this visit, Dr. Honora Norton, representing RCSL Veterans Services Committee, presented a $500 check and breakfast goodies to MANA House. MANA House is a peer-run organization of homeless and formerly homeless veterans offering personal, individualized basic resources, community, and advocacy for all veterans. For more info on MANA House, see www.manahouseaz.org.
RCSL Club President Ed Anderson, Marsha Petrie Sue, and Dr. Elaine Ralls greet attendees at a RCSL meeting.
Rotarians Always Exploring
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) is known in the Valley as an education Rotary Club because of its scholarships, essay competitions, STEM/AWIM mentoring/competitions, support of Valley teachers, and more. In addition to education and community service volunteer opportunities, RCSL provides exciting and fun weekly meeting programs, i.e., RCSL Rotarian Dr. Elaine Ralls recently introduced Marsha Petrie Sue, chairman of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, who spoke about the agency’s scope, resources, and opportunities to explore Arizona’s wildlife.
Recently, RCSL held an off-site meeting at Chandler-Gilbert Community College to tour the school’s Unmanned Aircraft (Drone) Program, Aircraft Maintenance Technology Program, and the Mortuary Science facilities. Each of the attendees experienced manning his/her own drone.
Check out the calendar at www.sunlakesrotary.com and the Sun Lakes Rotary Facebook page to learn more about upcoming speakers and programs.
Erin Green, F’2000 advisor; F’2000 board members Dr. Dennis Nelson, Bill Geissing, Dr. Elaine Ralls, Bob Phillips, Rowin Floth, and Howard Rudge; and Janey Poole (F’2000 advisor)
RCSL Holds Annual Foundation Dinner
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Sun Lakes Public Image Chair
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) held its annual Rotary International (RI) Foundation and Sun Lakes Rotary Foundation 2000 (F’2000) dinner. At the dinners, the F’2000 financial advisors shared how the charitable funds are managed, growing and helping expand F’2000’s support of community charities. RCSL’s RI Foundation Chair Dick Thomas reviewed how RCSL’s member donations to RI Foundation are making a difference around the world.
The Rotary International Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. F’2000 is an Arizona 501(C)(3) nonprofit formed to promote charitable giving and provide financial support for charities that are endorsed by the RCSL and/or the Sun Lakes Rotary Foundation 2000 Board.
For more info, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Sun Lakes Rotarians Inspire Love of Reading
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair
Since 2019, the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) has given 53,047 books to 2,130 Valley children. Per RCSL’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) Chair Val Crump, from birth to five years old, each child receives 60 books. In early 2025, RCSL paused taking new registrations and currently ensures the 822 children aging out of RCSL’s program are fully funded by RCSL supporters. In 1995 Dolly Parton started the DPIL program in Tennessee, and since that time, more than 300 million books have been given to children—currently, more than three million books are sent out each month.
For more information on RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.
RCSL VP Jim O’Connell, Helvi Winter (March Rotarian of the Month), Dr. Diane Bruening (March Rotarian of the Month), Paul Sanders (February Rotarian of the Month)
Rotary Club Names Rotarians of the Month
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) extends congratulations to Helvi Winter and Dr. Diane Bruening who were named RCSL’s March 2026 Rotarians of the Month. Both Helvi and Diane are leaders of RCSL’s Engagement Committee. Each month they provide members with a newsletter promoting the month’s events and activities. Together they enthusiastically foster member engagement through various social activities.
Rotarians meeting with El Salvador residents to discuss the sustainability of a potable/hygienic water distribution project in their village
Sun Lakes Rotary Earns Peace Award
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary International District 5495 Governor has awarded the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) the special Peacebuilder designation by Rotary International. Per the club’s Peacebuilder Committee Chairs Kandi Skrabala and Ann Diamond, RCSL has been designated a Rotary Peacebuilder Club, a select, prestigious club whose members actively focus on promoting peace, conflict resolution, and positive community change.
RCSL fosters understanding by initiating projects that address root causes of conflict, such as poverty, illiteracy, and lack of healthcare, both locally and globally. RCSL members are educated, engaged, and empowered with ideas, opportunities, and projects that address education and potable/hygienic water projects globally and with nearby Indian reservations.
For more information, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.