A Rotary member delivers the Splash.
Bundles of the Sun Lakes Splash to be unpacked, bound, sorted and delivered
Norm Noble
Once a month, the Sun Lakes Splash makes its appearance on Sun Lakes’ driveways. If you happen to be in your front yard when this happens, you will see a car slowly pass by with a passenger tossing a newspaper onto your driveway. Who are these people? Rotarians. For several years, on the first of the month, Robson Publishing has distributed, free-of-charge, 15,500 papers to every homeowner and property owner in Sun Lakes. For over 14 years, Sun Lakes Rotarians have been the distributors; except in the summer months because so many Rotarians flee the desert to cooler climes, reducing the source of throwers.
That changed this year. The Sun Lakes Rotary, being led by incoming President Bill Crump, has taken on the assignment for delivery throughout the entire year. There is an added burden for delivery during the summer months because there are many Sun Lakes’ residents who are gone between June and September. Empty homes mean empty driveways. Rotary delivery personnel will be doing their best to adhere to the wishes of residents who don’t want their paper delivered in the summer, but mistakes are bound to happen. So, if you see a newspaper in a nearby driveway when your neighbor is gone, pick it up and put it into recycle.
Years ago when most Sun Lakes Rotarians were young, they earned money by delivering newspapers. Back then, they used bicycles and threw them as they rode down sidewalks. The only thing that has changed is the mode of transportation. Throwing papers sideways with the right arm is the same.
Delivering the Splash is a major source of income for the Sun Lakes Rotary Club. And as you probably know, all the proceeds go to support charities – local, national and international, including Neighbors Who Care and Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley, to name two. But the largest beneficiary is the Chandler Unified School District because of the Club’s primary outreach toward education. Club members spend hundreds of hours each year mentoring children from kindergarten through high school. Specifically:
* The club gives dictionaries to every third-grade student in the Chandler United School District.
* The club teaches a program called “Choices” to every ninth grader in the Chandler United School District to keep the students in school.
* The club sponsors “A World in Motion,” a teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program that brings science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to life in the classroom for students in kindergarten through Grade 8.
Wait, there’s more. Since 1986, the club has helped to eradicate the polio disease by immunizing more than two billion children worldwide. And now, the club is providing inside running hot and cold tap water to 32 homes on the Navajo Nation – homes that have never had running water.
Editor’s note:
Since 2004, Robson Publishing and the Sun Lakes Rotary Club have forged a partnership to deliver the monthly Sun Lakes Splash newspaper and the yearly Source Book telephone directory to the residents of Sun Lakes.
I’m proud to report to the community the earnings received from this endeavor have netted the Rotary Club, to date, over $217,000.
Robson Publishing is very proud to play a small part in their efforts to provide much-needed funds to local, national and international charities.
I’m very grateful to the women and men of the Sun Lakes Rotary for taking on this momentous operation. Next time you see one these Rotary angels, give them a hearty wave of appreciation.
Linda Robson