Masterbrand Signature
District 5470
August 2014
Many clubs are getting their stories our to the public.  Some are newsy and some are touching. Each club has unique opportunities to influence public opinion whether it's a golf tournament or mourning the passing of a life lost too soon..
 

More than a moment in the lives of two young men touched by Rotary 

When Vail student athlete Zeke Pierce died in a mountain biking accident in July 2013 the ripples were felt all the way to Hungary. Zeke had volunteered for the Rotary Club selling bright yellow rubber ducks for several years. Those ducks mattered to Zeke because they would help send his friend Victor to Hungary as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. Earlier this month the Vail Daily published an article about Zeke and the powerful impact of his brief life. The following exchange is a poignant reminder of why we do what we do.

 Victor, did you see the article in the Vail Daily?"

"Yes I just did. Zeke was such an amazing friend; Zeke was my best friend since we were little and had always been together. It was really hard for me to leave for Hungary when Zeke passed away. He was the real true friend I had that I could always count on. This article is really amazing; Rotary has changed my life in so many ways and will continue to for the rest of my life. I had been interested in EMT and mountain rescue type work before, but since Zeke passed away I realized how much of an impact these workers really have, the ability to try and save lives. Maybe I would be looking to get a scholarship but I have to continue to discuss with my family to see what I will do after High school. Without Rotary I would have gone nowhere and would have experienced nothing, I am so grateful for Rotary and everyone who has made it possible. I can never thank you and all of the other Rotarians and anyone who helped me have such an amazing opportunity. I will never forget it and because of it my life has changed forever and made me appreciate what I have. 

Thank you so much,

Victor Guilmineau "

 

 


On the Road Again. from Special Assistant to the DG Paulette Church..

July Part 2:

 

We moved the 5th wheel to its second location on Saturday, right outside of Carbondale at Gateway RV Park with great WIFI and cell coverage. DG Clyde and I were able to do a great deal of communicating, include a District Board meeting via a conference call.

 

Monday we drove to Rifle to stay in a motel to be close for their breakfast meeting. We lost a wide-view mirror we use to see around the trailer but we do have a spare on hand. President John Dyer, "Chief", and the Rotary Club of Rifle were wonderful hosts and the Grand River Hospital provided a delicious, healthy breakfast. Their major fundraiser is just around the corner so they were busy checking out tickets to sell and have a helicopter lined up to do the official ball drop. They award dozens of prizes, including cash, so contact them to purchase some tickets before they sell out! Their club is doing many service projects as well as providing local scholarships and is planning to examine community needs to see if there are others areas in which their club can lead the way to solutions.

 

We had breakfast on Wednesday with the Rotary Club of Carbondale at the Rural Fire Protection District Headquarters. This is a beautiful facility for this club with more than 60 members and represents a true collaboration. The club purchased the chairs and tables and the FPD provides the space free of charge, AV equipment, utilities, and a board meeting room with storage for club items. The huge window looks out at Mt. Sopris when the projection screen is up. They begin with a song as part of their opening and Chorus Master Herschel Ross received a Rotary Above and Beyond pin for his great voice and work getting this club opening in song early in the morning. President Ken Neubecker awarded Service Above Self pins to Mike Waski and Herb Feinzig for their work with the youth and in establishing an Interact Club in collaboration with Roaring Fork Club Rotario. Anika Klemmer, their RYE student, gave a happy dollar for Germany's win in the World Cup and received the World Peace and Understanding pin for her excellent year as a Rotary ambassador. PDG Ann Harris was awarded a Heart of Rotary pin for all the wonderful things she does for her club, community, and the district. Marsha Brendlinger describes a "secret Member" each week so members get to know each other more deeply and she received the Rotary Super Star pin. Herb Feinzig gave DG Clyde a Garfield dollar coin to remember Garfield County. What a high-energy club this is and they are making a big difference in their community. Currently, they are working with other nonprofits and organizations to provide support for two teen boys whose parents were recently murdered by a family member in a dispute over a dog. Many organizations in the Roaring Fork Valley will collaborate to help these boys stay in their high school and find housing so they can stay with relatives in the area.

 

Thursday morning began with breakfast with the Rotary Club of Aspen. They have the Ducky Derby on Saturday, August 9th and we hope to see many visiting Rotarians in attendance. They have raised more than $115,000 from sponsors before they sell a single ticket! If you have free time the Thursday before, join them in stickering ducky butts - takes a while and adult beverages to do 33,000! This event will fund their multiple service projects locally and globally. President Tom Clark is opening Tom Clark's Market in Snowmass on Saturday and word has it as the "coolest market in western Colorado". Be sure to stop in when you are in the area and see this unique store! Blair is updating the club's Facebook presence so be sure to check it out. They are planning a new Polio Plus day to build awareness of the threat of polio and to raise funds to help with its eradication worldwide. This club is a top Rotary Foundation donor and DG Clyde encouraged them to challenge other clubs in our district to see who can raise the most for the Annual Fund this year. President Tom is awarding a Rotary Above and Beyond pin to Craig Melville the "Head Duck."

 

The Glenwood Springs Rotary Club hosted a Meet and Greet for DG Clyde and Paulette on Thursday night with the Kiwanians doing the cooking. Rotarians from surrounding clubs were invited to this steak fry in the Veltus Park on the Roaring Fork River. Needless to say a good time was had by all in a beautiful setting!

 

We joined the Glenwood Springs club on Friday for lunch at the lovely Rivers restaurant on the Roaring Form. Joe Mueller received his second Paul Harris Fellows pin and Janet McNutt received the Heart of Rotary pin from President Wayne Griffin in recognition of the many ways she helps this club be vibrant. District PR Chair Lyn Perez-Hewett was in attendance with the Light Up Rotary temporary tatoos for all and Ted Edmonds volunteered to take over our District's website. The club is planning an End Polio Now event later this summer in addition to a half-marathon in which five of their members are planning to run. They challenge all Rotarians to join them and/or sponsor them on the run to help fund the eradication of Polio!

 

On Monday night, Clyde and I met with the Glenwood Springs Sunset club at a beautiful venue at the Aspen Glen Club golf course. We sat at a round table reminiscent of King Arthur's. This club strongly supports RYE and offered to be on a panel at District Conference to share the benefits of the program with other clubs. They would like to see a District Chair for Friendship Exchanges and have members who are interested in hosting and visiting. They plan to offer a proposal at our District Legislative Session that allows a Rotarian to simultaneously belong to two clubs if they pay dues to both. Their Corporate Membership plan is working well with one membership being shared between two employees. They voted to help fund a rescue boat in St. Maarten with other Rotary Clubs in our District and others. They also plan to partner with El Pomar to boost the funding for the River Bridge nonprofit that supports abused and neglected children in the Roaring Fork Valley. As they said in their opening song: "Viva Le Rotary"!

 

Tuesday found us meeting with Roaring Fork Club Rotario in the basement of the Denver Hotel Brewpub. Tony Mendez is the youngest president of any Rotary Club, assuming office at the age of 21! This bi-lingual club provides $50,000 each year in scholarships to Latinos and those who are first generation in college. They are also helping the Rotaract Club get established in Glenwood. Mike, their Treasurer, spends a few months in Chiapas, Mexico each year and he is helping deliver donated emergency vehicles and supplies to their service providers in that state through Rotary clubs there. If your community has vehicles or equipment to provide, please contact this club to team up for the delivery. What a vibrant, diverse club that is really making a difference!

 

We moved into a Vail time share condo for a few nights (love that hot tub) and Wednesday morning we met with the Vail club for breakfast. President Liz Keay has a large, thriving club that is in the middle of preparing for their Duck Race. Clyde and I actually were able to volunteer a couple hours to help log in the 33,000 ducks - they did provide cheese, meat, and quackers along with adult beverages (pun intended). This growing club awarded three red badges (Penny Wilson, Patie Jansen, Burke Larson) and four blue badges (Jennifer Weintraub, Gary Wicklund, Brendan Addis, and Donald Anderson). This club is into many projects locally and internationally and awards several scholarship each year. They fund the "I Can Read" project for local childcare centers and are preparing for a 911 EMS award dinner with two other clubs.

 

We joined the Rotary Club of Edwards for the best coffee so far in Cafe Milano for a hearty breakfast meeting. Such high energy at 7:45 am was refreshing and three potential new members in attendance. President Pam Beauden and sponsor Chip Howard inducted Jorge Umana in as a new member who has a long history with Rotary, beginning as a Rotaractor. This club partners with Vail on the Ducky Race and share in the proceeds. They are offering a Triple Crown Leadership Seminar on August 21st, sponsored by Steam Master, so contact them if you or some of your members would like to attend. President Pam awarded several pins: Above and Beyond to Dick Dangler for all of his excellent work on Rotary grants; Service Above Self to Chip Howard and Mike Trueblood in recognition of their outstanding job in bringing in new members. They are up a net 4 members since last year. The board is considering adding two new fundraisers to help support their projects such the telemedicine equipment for Kosovo, a Friday food backpack program for a local school, and Eagle Valley Assistance Funds providing micro-loans. President Pam has visited with 10 community leaders to determine community needs so her club can look at increasing its impact on their community.

 

We are having a wonderful time and are energized by all the wonderful projects being done by Rotarians in our District and their partners. When all the service volunteer hours and the amount each club invests in their projects is gathered at Club Central, we will have a wonderful story to tell Colorado about the impact of our 58 clubs!


 

 

On the Road Again...

July Part 3:

 

After a weekend of trainings and the 2015 PETS planning meeting, we moved our trailer with some trepidation to an RV park in historic Manitou Springs on the Fountain Creek. The sand bags were neatly stacked by the doors into the office and laundry and we were handed an evacuation plan that told us to take the RV up the hill to the Wal-Mart parking lot (if there was time after the sirens sounded). We had a great time there, tense during a few days of heavy afternoon showers, but no problems with flooding.

 

North Colorado Springs was the first club we visited and what a vibrant club they are. They handed us a full page of their projects and President Janna Haas had missed a few and we talked through them with the board. They are big on education and literacy projects providing ethics programs and tutoring in area schools. They give out dictionaries and are in the planning stages of an elementary school ethics program. This club partners with others in the Springs to provide disaster relief for fire and flood victims. Work with Ronald McDonald House includes cooking meals there and sponsoring the RMH Caremobile. They provide scholarships to students from local schools and various backgrounds, including nontraditional and those first in college. President Janna gave several awards for outstanding service during the meeting: Service Above Self to Max Calkins; World Peace and Understanding through Service to Jack Thomas; the Above and Beyond Necklace to Mary Cavanaugh; and the Heart of Rotary to Lloyd Nordhausen, who was also named Rotarian of the Year in 2014. The Board awarded a Paul Harris Fellow to Roseanne Gain. This diverse club has been growing under strong leaders using creativity and hard work to meet community needs.

 

Thursday night we drove north to meet with the Colorado Springs Interquest Club during their dinner meeting. President Tami Zamborelli and the club hosted Rich and Danielle Foss, who live part of the year in Bali and had overseen 14 RI Global water projects there. This club just been awarded the first inbound RI Global Grant in our District and is receiving $77,000 to purchase and equip a Blue Start Shredder Van, which will be a mobile sheltered workshop in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. They are great at seeking grants and are planning two more global grant applications and are waiting to hear about their District Grant applications submitted earlier this year. The club is planning a concerted effort to recruit new Rotarians from areas near their meeting location and to the east by using neighborhood newsletters and social media. Scott Allen of the Dictionary Project is a member here and strongly supported by this club. Lots of energy and heart in this club.

 

Friday was a busy day. We began with a breakfast meeting with the Pikes Peak Club in Woodland Park. After a beautiful drive, President Ethan Rector and his club provided a warm welcome and great homemade food. Two Paul Harris Fellows were awarded: One to Rick Skiles, a non-Rotarian, by his wife and District Treasurer Cathy Skiles; and the second to Bob Moody (his second) sponsored by John McClelland a fellow member. Bob is moving soon and John wanted to honor him for all he has done for the club including serving as program director. It is clear this club supports each other and works hard to meet the needs of their community. The club awards Service Above Self scholarships and sponsor the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for area pre-schoolers. They participate in the Salvation Army Bell Ringing and the Dictionary Project. Plans are underway to begin an Early Interact Club in the middle school this fall so these students can graduate into Interact as they enter high school. Ethan and the club are looking at ways to attract new members by changing their meeting time for two of the monthly meetings, since 7 am on Fridays is when many are driving into the Springs for work. They are surveying people through their networks and the Chamber. Their many projects and fundraisers need many hands and will certainly engage new members.

 

After a quick haircut for Clyde in Woodland Park, we then headed into the Antlers to meet with the Colorado Springs Club over lunch. We first met with President Jane Hammoud and the board to share new information with them and gather their input. We will follow up to produce an Annual Report for the District so members know how our operating funds are spent. Clyde will approach Zone to see if some of the trainings can be offered in shorter blocks of time so more working Rotarians can attend them. This club has created Rotary Prime as a satellite club for younger members and it meets after work. Gail Fernandez, a former member of this club, returned to honor butterfly artist Cass Mullane and her husband Barry with Paul Harris Fellows for all of their help with this most successful fundraiser. New member Jordan Davis was inducted into the club after Michelle Parvinsouh decribed her background and the skills she brings to Rotary. This club is clearly a powerhouse of energy and is looking for a new major project to tackle this year.

 

We won't need to move the trailer this weekend and hope to get caught up on trailer projects, emails, thank yous, and Rotary tasks. Thrilled to learn that Rotary International President Gary C. K. Huang will be at our District Conference Friday, October 3rd in Pueblo. We are planning a Rotary Day and need all clubs to bring displays and/or presentations for the House of Friendship for him to see. Non-Rotarians will be encouraged to come and learn about the work of Rotary and the wonderful difference we make in people's lives every day. He will also be our keynote speaker at our banquet Friday night.

 

 

 

 

Opportunities to play golf in the high country

 

The Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary Club is hosting a Golf Tournament on Labor Day, Monday September 1st at the Club at Crested Butte.

 

Each year, the Rotary Club raises money through its Annual Rubber Duckie Race and then utilizes those proceeds to provide annual scholarships to youth in the community, fund/conduct service projects, and give to organizations that make an impact supporting the Rotary mission.

 

With the growing number of students at Crested Butte Community School Rotarians feel it is necessary to have an additional fund raiser to better serve the increasing needs of students, as well as organizations in the Crested Butte Valley.

 

In order to entice various District Rotary Clubs to sponsor a team, there will be a "Tournament within a Tournament".  If at least 6 Rotary teams enter, the winning team will receive a gift of $1,000 donated to a project of their choice, in their name.

 

You can check out the details at Crested Butte Rotary Club.  

 

Crested Butte / Mt. Crested Butte Rotary and the community thanks for your support.  Hope to see you there!

 

 

If you can't make that tournament then look to Telluride Saturday September 20, 2014. Noon Shotgun Start .

 Contact Garrett Brafford at gbrafford1@gmail.com or 919.800.8223 for information and/or to register

 

 

 

There are changes, activities, achievements and fun happening every day in our District.  This Digest is by no means comprehensive.  I need your help to share our stories.  It takes all of us to enhance our Rotary public image.

Sincerely,

 
Lynn Perez-Hewitt
Public Relations Chair
Rotary District 5470
In This Issue
Quick Links
District 5470

 

Changes at www.rotary5470.com 

Please take a minute or ten and click around and see what's new on the District website. Ted Edmonds our new webmaster and I are looking for fresh content and items for the event calendar. Email us with your ideas and information. 

PR Chair

Webmaster

 

 

Why might FaceBook matter to your club?

 

There are 128 million daily FaceBook users.

67% of Internet users in the U.S. are on FaceBook. 46% of Colorado residents use FaceBook.

More time is spent on FaceBook each day than with our pets: 40 minutes for FaceBook and 39 minutes for Pets; 33 minutes for household and personal email and 17 minutes for snail mail.

Among U.S. Internet users, 73% with incomes above $75,000 are on FaceBook


 How many of your members use FaceBook?


 

 

 

 

  

Building a Media List and Getting the Word Out

When you create a list of media contacts be sure to include not only the name of the media outlet, i.e. newspaper, TV station call letters, radio station call letters, the name and title of your contact, phone, email, physical address. Then it's helpful to add the deadline information for the outlet. If you can send photos and/or video know the size of the photo and what format is acceptable or preferred. For video know the length of clip they will accept. If you are originating the photo or video let the media outlet know if you have a release (permission) to use the image.

If you do not have traditional media outlets in your community you may have websites that cover local news. The beneficiaries of your fundraising may have websites and/or newsletters. Think beyond the traditional and consider all the methods we share local news in small towns. If the bulletin board at the Post Office is where everyone sees thing consider it for your news and announcements.

Then please let us know what works for you and your club.

 

 

Rotary District 5470 | (520) 400-4966 | perezhewitt@hceonline.com |
891 Baywood Ct
Grand Junction, CO 81506




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