30 Miles Away a Different World
Joyce Wainscott and Patty See
Thirty miles separate SaddleBrooke from Arizona’s Copper Corridor. The drive takes less than an hour, but those miles can represent a lifetime of difference.
Communities such as Mammoth, San Manuel, Winkelman, and Hayden were once prosperous mining towns. When mines closed, jobs disappeared, businesses failed, and families moved away. Although these communities remain remarkably resilient, the economic effects continue today.
Members of SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary see that reality every week while volunteering in San Manuel schools. Teachers explained that many children arrive hungry—and that even a healthy snack makes a noticeable difference. Children who have eaten are calmer, more attentive, and better able to learn.
That observation led to a simple question: What if we could help?
Today, Sunrise Rotary provides healthy snacks to every kindergarten through third-grade classroom in the San Manuel schools. The program eases hunger while introducing children to nutritious foods many have never tried.
One volunteer remembers slicing apples while the classroom became completely silent. The children simply watched and waited. At first, many wanted the apples peeled. Then one child encouraged the others: “You should try them. They’re sweet.” By the third visit, the apples were disappearing—skins and all.
Another child carefully removed every strand of white membrane from an orange. A volunteer gently explained, “You can eat that part, too. It’s very nutritious.” The child looked up in surprise, never realizing it was edible.
Weeks later, a little boy proudly announced that his family had bought applesauce. It was a small moment, but it showed that lessons learned at school were finding their way home.
Teachers say the difference is unmistakable. Most classrooms serve snacks in the afternoon because some children may not eat again until evening. A nutritious snack helps students concentrate longer and remain ready to learn.
Behind every snack are volunteers who purchase approved foods, monitor allergies, prepare and package portions, and deliver them to classrooms. Snacks follow USDA nutritional guidelines and include fresh fruits or vegetables whenever possible.
For Sunrise Rotary, this program is about more than food. It supports learning, encourages healthier choices, assists teachers, strengthens families, and reminds children that someone believes in them and cares about their future.
How You Can Help
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization
Please make checks payable to: SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Foundation
Memo: Snack Program
Mail to: Roger Swett, Treasurer, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary, 63209 E. Desert Highland Drive, SaddleBrooke, AZ 85739
Questions: sbrotarysunrise@gmail.com
Together, we can make a lasting difference—just 30 miles away.
Promoting Learning, Literacy, and Legacies in San Manuel
Christianne Dettmann
The elementary school in San Manuel is off to a great start this school year with a host of exciting learning and literacy initiatives supported by the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club! From sumptuous snacks and supplemental food storage to brand new books and smarter smart boards, the club has worked hard to help make sure these kids can feed both their minds and their tummies with wholesome provisions and state-of-the-art solutions.
The elementary school snack program, featured in last month’s paper, kicked off its second year on Sept. 8. Each week, three dedicated student volunteers—Anthony Boisvine, Lily Maddox, and Javianny Peralta—now help unload and distribute plastic tubs filled with a week’s worth of healthy provisions to all kindergarten through third grade classrooms. The kids have delighted in the variety of items provided each week—especially the fresh fruit, courtesy of the Sprouts Farmers Market in Oro Valley—and the teachers have appreciated their students getting the extra boosts of brain fuel throughout the day.
For larger classrooms, storing certain snacks—particularly perishables—posed a logistical challenge. Enter the Tucson Appliance Company, which stepped up to the plate by donating a brand new refrigerator to the third grade classroom on Sept. 24, ensuring the safe storage of fresh foods until they are consumed. The sizable freezer compartment also opens the door to frozen options in the future. Both the club and the school are grateful for this generous gift!
Another recently opened door led to the school’s library on Sept. 23, where the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club presented 150 new books to supplement the school’s Accelerated Reader reading program, which is “…designed to promote and enhance reading skills among students of all ages.” (https://intl.renaissance.com/acceleraged-reader). This computer-based system uses a variety of incentives and quizzes to keep kids motivated to read and has data dashboards to help teachers assess and guide students’ progress.
Last, but certainly not least, the club and the Mammoth-San Manuel Unified School District (MSMUSD) wish to recognize the generosity of Rotarian Marsha Lindeken, whose recent monetary donation will fund upgrades to the smart boards in several San Manuel elementary school classrooms. Marsha offered this gift in memory of her late husband and lifelong partner of over 55 years, Roger Lloyd Lindeken, who—sadly—passed away unexpectedly this past June. A successful accountant, Roger succeeded even more by building into the lives of others through consistent service, integrity, love, and leadership, thereby setting an example for countless generations. Marsha’s practical investment into these classrooms is a fitting tribute to a man whose life touched so many—including our own. You can read about Roger’s legacy in the SaddleBrooke Ranch Roundup: saddlebrookeranchroundup.com/in-passing-july-2026.
The SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club continues to make impacts throughout the Copper Corridor and surrounding community. Visit the club’s website at saddlebrookesunriserotary.org to learn more.
Kelly and Dev McDonald with their dog, Bella
Spotlight on Kelly McDonald, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary
Joyce Wainscott
Kelly McDonald enjoys travel, reading, hiking, golf, and the occasional bourbon and cigar. The word “occasional” is his; Rotary Spotlight accepts it without launching an investigation.
Raised near Seattle after his father retired as a Navy officer and submariner, Kelly headed to the University of Kansas for graduate study—Go Jayhawks! He spent 15 years on the graduate faculties of Western Washington University and Arizona State University before moving into managed healthcare leadership. Between universities, Medicare and Medicaid carriers, he has survived two professions where acronyms multiply faster than anyone can explain them.
Kelly and his wife, Devrie—Dev—celebrated 14 years of marriage in September 2026. Their rescue dog, Bella, celebrates her seventh “gotcha day” Dec. 22. Appropriate treats will presumably be expected by whoever actually runs the household.
A Rotarian since 2011, Kelly has belonged to clubs in Arizona, Hawaii, Ohio, and Washington. Fun, fellowship, and service keep him coming back. In 2019, a global grant took him to Bali to help refresh a blood bank and engage with three nonprofits serving underserved communities. Hawaii’s Rotarians welcomed him when work brought him there in 2016.
His service also includes leading school bond and levy campaigns for newer, safer schools and serving on the Dayton Diaper Depot board. He helped the organization provide more than one million free diapers to families across greater Dayton. That statistic deserves both a comma and a very large storage room.
Asked why he moved from Hawaii to Ohio, Kelly points to a new job, new neighbors, and great sunsets—just fewer rainbows and an unexpected education in shoveling driveways. Some transitions build character; others build upper-body strength.
For laughs, he rewatches Frasier nearly every year. That devotion suggests excellent taste and the loyalty every Rotary attendance chair dreams about.
Then there was Europe with his mother in 2002. Their British train journeys had a familiar soundtrack: “This is our stop,” “Hurry up, Mom,” and “We can sleep when we die.” Mom maintained the reasonable pace of someone who knew her son wouldn’t leave Europe without her.
In London, Kelly took her to Chicago with a marquee cast. Before the curtain rose, a concerned Londoner warned her about performers in underwear and coarse language. The warning failed spectacularly. She bought the Broadway cast CD and played it often in her car. The allegedly shocking musical had found an enthusiastic new fan.
Kelly remembers that trip with laughter, mischief, and a grateful wish for a return ticket—to step inside those moments and live them again.
Through classrooms, healthcare, Rotary, and a million diapers, Kelly keeps finding ways to make his communities better. He brings a willingness to serve and a sense of humor that clearly survived Ohio winters. Good companions and a fine sunset help, too. We suspect a club with Kelly in it can get plenty accomplished and have a good laugh along the way. When the work is done, perhaps there’s time for that occasional bourbon.