RCSL Honors CUSD Teachers

Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) congratulated and presented awards to the club’s Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) Teachers of the Month. Per RCSL Education Chair Gary Kay, the award selection is based on the teacher’s total years of service in the field of education; examples of how the teacher goes above the normal requirements and enhances student education; the respect shown for the teacher by her/his peers, students, and parents; and the teacher’s involvement in extracurricular activities and service in the community. A $500 check is awarded to the honored teacher: $200 from the RCSL, $200 from Earnhardt Automotive Center, and $100 from Trust Bank.

The October 2023 RCSL Teacher of the Month is Lance A. Michael, M.Ed., ATC, head athletic trainer/sports medicine instructor at CUSD’s Hamilton High School. Lance’s education and educational background include Summer Athletic Training Internship with the Kansas City Chiefs, B.A. at Kearney State/University of Nebraska–Kearney, and M.Ed. Graduate Assistant in the Sports Medicine Department at Arizona State University. Topics in his classes include Anatomy; Kinesiology; Care, Recognition, Prevention, and Rehabilitation of Athletic Injuries; Injury Management; and First Aid. Per colleague Heather Hackett, Lance has spent 26 years at the school and is a dedicated and compassionate educator who has consistently gone above and beyond to provide school athletes with the best possible care.

The November 2023 RCSL Teacher of the Month is David Howell, 7th grade social studies teacher at CUSD Willis Junior High School. David graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (history) with an additional endorsement in structured English immersion. David’s educational philosophy: An average day in a social studies classroom goes far beyond learning historical facts. His goal is to encourage all students to think critically, collaborate inclusively, and develop the necessary skills to become a positive contributor to the world. Per Jeff Delp, school principal, David makes a positive impact on the learning and social development of his students and demonstrates a reflective attitude, flexibility, patience, and a desire to improve.

For more information about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.

Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Bikers Support Valley’s Homeless

Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director

The Ascendants Motorcycle Club, a faith-based group of SE Valley bikers, created the “Be The Miracle” motorcycle ride to raise funds for the benefit of The Bridge For Community Services (Bridge FCS), specifically to feed, clothe, and provide rehabilitation direction to the homeless in our community. Initially, the fundraising was directed toward the purchase of a small plot of property in downtown Phoenix from where The Bridge FCS could provide a hot meal, clothing, and counseling regarding healthcare and housing. The Ascendants Motorcycle Club has provided a hot breakfast meal and a warm greeting to over 600 hungry mouths every Sunday for the past 20 years.

Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) “bikers” Stan Kaufman and Peter Meade connected the club with the Be The Miracle ride. The RCSL Board, along with RCSL’s Veteran Services Committee, agreed to be a major corporate sponsor ($5,000 total over the past three years) of the event. Representing RCSL and riding in the 80-mile ride along with 125 to 150 motorcycles were Stan Kaufman, Kristine Schultz, and Kristine’s husband Mike. The ride included stops in far east Mesa, Saguaro Lake, and Fountain Hills VFW, before returning to Desert Wind Harley-Davidson for lunch and ceremonies.

Representatives from both the Ascendants Motorcycle Club and The Bridge for Community Services will be guest speakers at RCSL’s April 23 meeting. For more information about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.

Rotary Club Supports Youth Through Educational Projects

Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) continues to support the community’s youth through its educational projects. Club President-elect Peter Meade led a Reverse Raffle Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) fundraiser. Per DPIL Program Co-lead Val Crump, a goal to support community education is done in several ways: volunteer with 5th and 6th grader STEM programs, provide 3rd graders with dictionaries, hold high school speech contests, provide scholarships, lead Teacher of the Month programs, provide leadership training opportunities for high school and college students, and partner with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The DPIL Program has been around since 1995. 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! The program removes any barriers to children having books in their home and helps to develop oral language skills and a lifetime love of reading. RCSL was one of the first organizations in Arizona to implement DPIL. Since 2019, RCSL has provided over 1,500 children in the cities of Guadalupe and Chandler with a monthly book at no cost to their family.

Thank you to all the RCSL members and friends who supported the Reverse Raffle. The drawing was held on Jan. 20 at Sun Lakes Country Club. With 175 raffle tickets sold, the prize came to $8,500 pre-tax. Scott Faver of The Party Favers was the event’s DJ and host. One by one, names were drawn and eliminated from the grand prize of $8,500. Then it came down to the final two names: Debbie Bailey and Amy Crump Sabin. A question was asked: “Do the two of you want to split the prize between you?” Debbie and Amy agreed that they were both winners! To be exact, net for each winner, after required withholding, was $3,249.

Also, RCSL members and friends delivered dictionaries to 3rd graders in the East Valley. Per RCSL Dictionary Project Lead Roger Edmonds, over the past 20 years, 83,000 students have received dictionaries. In 2023 the Rotarians delivered dictionaries to 30 elementary schools in the Chandler Unified School District, as well as two schools on the Gila River Reservation. The dictionary contains more than just words and definitions. It often represents the first personal book these children are given and contains sections on world geography, civics, multiplication tables, science, the water cycle, planets, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, presidents, and even has illustrations for sign language and braille. The RCSL Rotarians help in the preparation by putting stickers on each book containing the Rotary logo, the Four-Way Test, and inserting a bookmark. Each Rotarian goes to an assigned school and meets with the 3rd graders and teachers to explain the dictionary and talk about Rotary and its function as they present each child with their own personal dictionary, which is theirs to keep and use at school and home.

For more information about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.

Stan Klein Rotarian of the Month

Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Chair

Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCLS) congratulated and named Sun Lakes resident Stan Klein February 2024 Rotarian of the Month. Stan is a reliable and indispensable volunteer for Sun Lakes Splash deliveries, dictionary deliveries, meeting setups, and with RCSL’s A World in Motion (AWIM) program, which was created by the Society of Automotive Engineers Foundation to get elementary students excited about math and science. He has assisted with East Valley STEM-related robotics, gravity cruiser, and JetToy competitions.

Don Rea, Jr., PGA VP and Former Minor League Umpire, Plans to Attend Rotary Club Golf Tournament

Dr. Honora Norton, Public Image Chair, Rotary Club of Sun Lakes

The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Golf Committee has announced that Don Rea, Jr., PGA vice president, will attend the club’s 30th Par Tee Golf Tournament at Sun Lakes Oakwood Country Club on Saturday, March 16. Rea is the owner and general manager of Augusta Ranch Golf Club, a public golf course in Mesa, Ariz., which has been rated the Best Executive Golf Course in Arizona by The Arizona Republic and selected as Host Club of the Year by the Arizona Women’s Golf Association. A PGA member for 20 years, Rea was elected PGA secretary in 2020 and PGA vice president at the 2022 PGA annual meeting. A member of the Southwest PGA Section, Rea served on the PGA of America’s national board of directors from 2016 to 2019. Elected as president of the Southwest PGA Section from 2013 to 2014, Rea also was a member of the board of directors for the Southwest PGA Section, National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), and the Arizona Tourism Alliance. While on the PGA Board of Directors, he chaired the Junior Golf Committee and worked with the Coaching and Player Development and Community Golf Committees.

Rea currently serves on the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association Board of Directors to promote the golf and hospitality industry and help educate the public and Arizona legislators on golf industry water usage. Since 2012, Rea has owned Your Course Consulting. He also founded Community Course Rescue Services, LLC, in 2017. Rea spent nine years as a Minor League Baseball umpire, ascending to Triple-A. In addition, he umpired several Spring Training games for Major League Baseball. He was awarded the 2012 Southwest PGA Section Bill Strausbaugh Award and the Section’s 2011 President’s Plaque. Rea resides with his wife Karen in Gilbert, Ariz., and has two children, Don III and Katie.

RCSL Golf Tournament registration starts at 6:30 a.m., the continental breakfast is from 6:30 to 8 a.m., the Helicopter Ball Drop is at 7:45 a.m., the Celebrity Tee-Off is at 8 a.m. followed by a shotgun start, lunch banquet and live/silent auctions at 12:30 p.m., ending with tournament award presentations at 1:30 p.m. The committee is looking to have both women’s and men’s foursome divisions and Super Tickets available for purchase. The Super Ticket includes mulligans, bucket raffle, ball drop, bazooka blast, and door prize tickets. These options can be bought separately. Each attendee (golfer and/or lunch attendee) will have a chance to win a 75-inch TV.

All proceeds benefit community service projects, such as the club’s support of Dolly Parton Imagination Library, veteran projects, homeless, youth education projects and scholarships, teacher appreciation awards, and more. The money earned stays in the East Valley.

To register as a sponsor or a golfer or to attend the lunch banquet only, go to www.pixelfy.me/SLRCGolf.

For more info about RCSL, see www.sunlakesrotary.com.