Left to right: Roger Swett, Garrett Ressing, Mary Thompson, Patti Albaugh, Gary Haslett (photo by Sally Haslett)
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Celebrates 10 Years
Christianne Dettmann
The SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club is proud to have recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Originally sponsored by the Dove Mountain Rotary Club, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary became official on Nov. 11, 2014. Tradition says 10-year anniversaries are celebrated by exchanging tin or aluminum, symbolizing the strength and durability of bonds formed. While this is certainly true of the club, members and their guests opted instead to celebrate in February by sharing a
delicious dinner at Harvest Restaurant in Oro Valley (maybe taking home some lip-licking leftovers in aluminum containers instead).
In 10 years’ time, this service-focused club has doubled in size, working together through thick and “tin” to make a lasting impact in the local community. Much of its work focuses on supporting the Tri-Community Food Bank, the Golden Goose Thrift Shop, and several Little Free Libraries, along with other projects that support veterans, shelters, and youth programs. The club is always looking for new ways to roll up its sleeves and make a difference, as well as for new members to join its efforts. Send an email to [email protected] if you would like to get involved or learn more!
Rotarians stuff the truck for LA fire victims at Gateway Storage with the assistance of Porche, the dog from the store next door! Left to right back row: Dan Watson, Wendy Guyton, and Jim Taft. Left to right middle row: Tom Shellenberger, Kristi Halvorson, Fran Low, Joe Guyton, and Fred Lowry. Front: Porche, the dog from next door.
When Tragedy Strikes, Rotary Strikes Back
Barbara Barr Bengen, Assistant Governor Rotary District 5500
When the horrific fires ravaged southern California, the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke and the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club combined forces to help those in need. Many of the residents in the SaddleBrooke communities lived in those areas and have friends and family who have been directly impacted by this tragedy. The Rotary clubs of SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch joined together to reach out to SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch residents to gather much-needed items. Both Rotary clubs also offered the services of their foundations so people could make contributions to a 501(c)(3) organization.
The SaddleBrooke Rotary clubs stayed in constant contact with California Rotary clubs to learn about the needs of those impacted by the fires. We learned that the areas devastated by the fires needed basics such as shovels, rakes, work gloves, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, and lawn and leaf bags. There were also special requests for specific items for seniors, medical needs, and pet supplies.
Working together, the two clubs recruited help and donations far and wide. Not only did we get an amazing response from our friends in the SaddleBrooke communities, but also from Rotary clubs across the northwest area. Rotary clubs from Marana, Dove Mountain, and Oro Valley also contributed time, money, and donations.
Gateway Self Storage was kind enough to donate a storage unit for the donations. Residents in SaddleBrooke and SaddleBrooke Ranch delivered items to a community drop-off location. Once a garage was full, items were taken to the storage unit. Northwest Rotary Clubs brought donations directly to the storage unit. We are very grateful for the support of Gateway Self Storage.
What is Rotary? It’s the world’s largest volunteer organization. Rotary clubs can be found in more countries than the Red Cross, McDonalds, or Starbucks. Rotary is your friends and neighbors, getting together to serve others and make a difference.
Both Rotary clubs meet at SaddleBrooke Ranch on Thursday. SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club (SSRC), meets on the first and third Thursday mornings at 7:45 a.m. at the La Hacienda Clubhouse. The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke meets weekly on Thursdays at the Ranch House. There is an optional lunch at 11 a.m. followed by a meeting and program in the Ballroom. Come join us for a meeting or service project and find out just how great Rotary is! Making a difference is so good for your physical and mental health.
Members of the SaddleBrooke Rotary clown around with District Governor Sue Archibald.
The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke Is No. 1 in the District for Service Projects
Barbara Barr Bengen
In a recent visit to the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke, District Governor Sue Archibald stated that the club was the number one club for service projects in the district. Members of the club put in an enormous number of hands-on hours into serving the community, area youth, vocations in our area, and international projects. Some projects are annual, others occasional or monthly. Still, other projects are weekly. With a number of our projects, we actively participate with other organizations. But who benefits the most from these hands-on experiences? The members of the SaddleBrooke Rotary Club.
On an annual basis, the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke touches the lives of many with hands-on projects that make a difference. Rotarians helped the town of Oracle put on a 4th of July celebration for kids in the community. In addition, we help cook and provide a holiday party for seniors in need and shut-ins who reside in Catalina, Oracle, and the Copper Corridor. We also spend months working on a holiday party for the children of Oracle, where the kids make a treasured ornament to take home. Our Rotarians count our many blessings as we deliver Thanksgiving turkeys and all the fixings to families in need in Catalina, Oracle, and the Copper Corridor. Then, there are other hands-on projects such as Building a House in a Day in Mexico, cooking up a batch of chili, and supporting the San Manuel Restoration Chili Cook-off fundraiser, as well as regular responsibilities with the food bank. There is also our active participation at two cemeteries with Wreaths Across America, National Night Out in San Manuel, cleaning up the Y camp for the summer, collecting food for the food bank, teaching classes on ethics at San Manuel, and delivering dictionaries at Coronado. In addition, there is so much joy that comes from interviewing and selecting Citizens of the Year, Business/Organization of the Year, and College and Vocational Scholarships. Each year we hold a golf tournament to fund scholarships and projects in the area. While the list goes on and on, these annual projects light up our lives as we make a difference throughout the year.
There are also other regular hands-on projects such as cooking and serving lunch to those in need at the Oracle Community Center, road clean up on American Avenue in Oracle as well Golden Ranch in Catalina, sorting food for the food bank, packing bags of food the IMPACT, collecting personal care items for the food bank, and collecting soft plastics for recycling. The volunteer hours are many, but so are the rewards of helping others.
With many of our projects, we actively participate with other philanthropic organizations, communities, SaddleBrooke Clubs, Rotary Clubs, and individuals. This provides us with numerous opportunities to develop new friendships as we work in harmony to change the world. We are so fortunate!
The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke meets every Thursday at the Ranch House! For more information, contact Diane at [email protected].