Members of the Rotary Club of Sedona Village volunteered at the “Pathways to Careers” Exploratory Day held at the Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus in Clarkdale.

The program, hosted by the Arizona Community Foundation in partnership with Yavapai College and VACTE (Verde Valley Career & Technical Education District), welcomed 210 middle school and eighth-grade students from throughout the Verde Valley.

Students toured a wide range of vocational programs including Allied Health, Cosmetology, Law Enforcement, Nursing, Construction, HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing. Faculty and instructors shared practical information about each profession — including required education and certifications, scholarship opportunities, and potential income — helping students better understand real-world career pathways.

Village Rotarians Paul Butler, Rob Schaefer, Del Rae Cruzen, and Chuck Marr assisted with campus tours and student coordination throughout the day.

“Youth is one of Rotary’s core areas of service. When we help young people explore real career pathways and understand the education behind them, we’re investing in their confidence, their direction, and the future strength of our community,” said Del Rae Cruzen Youth Committee member of the Rotary Club of Sedona Village.

The Pathways to Careers program is offered twice yearly, providing hands-on exposure to technical and professional career opportunities available within the region.

Teens throughout the state will be able to attend their high school prom this spring without having to spend a single penny on purchasing needed attire thanks to the efforts of Arizona Rotarians.

For two weekends in March, The Prom Closet – a project spearheaded by the Peoria North Rotary Club -- will provide formal prom attire to boys and girls at absolutely no charge.

This year’s Prom Closet takes place 9 a.m.-2 p.m. March 14-15 and 21-22 at the GESD System of Care Campus, 7677 W. Bethany Home Road, Glendale.

All high school teens are invited. There are no financial requirements and no application to be completed. All items are available at absolutely no cost.

The Prom Closet has thousands of formal prom dresses to choose from, as well as shoes and accessories. In addition to women’s clothing and accessories, items available to men include suit coats, shirts, slacks, shoes and ties.

The club has been presenting the Prom Closet for 15 years. The event is supported by volunteer Rotarians from throughout Arizona. 

“It’s really grown into a community-wide project,” said Sharon Jarnagin, a member of Peoria North Rotary Club and chair of this year’s project.

“Not only do we have Rotarians from throughout the Valley, but we have many other residents who have joined on as volunteers – many of whom felt the impact of the program when their sons or daughters visited The Prom Closet in the past.” 

There are no reservations needed, however, there may be a short wait depending on the amount of people in attendance. Rotary volunteers accompany students individually through The Prom Closet to assist them with their selections.

Formal attire is only available to students. 

The event has steadily grown over the years as word continues to spread. Last year, over 600 students from 70 Arizona high schools were served.

“We had several students come from as far away as Winslow,” said Ms. Jarnagin.

Volunteers, too, are needed and welcome. Gina Schmitz, co-chair of the event, said volunteers are needed not only to help students select their formal attire, but to help with registration, set-up, steaming clothes and more.

“We have short, four-hour shifts and we’ll find a role for anyone who wants to help,” said Ms. Schmitz. 

Rotary is an international service club with members throughout the world. Eliminating polio is a major focus of the organization, but other areas of focus include improving literacy, providing sustainable fresh water and helping those in need.

“Rotary’s motto is ‘People of Action,’ and we think The Prom Closet lives up to that credo about as well as anything we can do,” said Darlene Eger, president of the Peoria North Rotary Club.

All items – from the dresses to sport coats to shoes – have been donated to the club over the years. 

Donations are currently accepted at several locations throughout the Valley. For more information and a complete list of drop-off sites, visit www.thepromcloset.com.

Rotary District 5495 is celebrating a major milestone in its ongoing partnership with the American Red Cross: local Rotarians surpassed their previous year’s goal for pints of blood collected—helping strengthen the region’s lifesaving blood supply and supporting patients in need throughout Arizona and beyond.

In recognition of this achievement and Rotary’s continued commitment to saving lives, the American Red Cross honored the Rotary partnership with a special commendation and appreciation recognition through its Community of Giving program, presented to “Rotary Arizona.” 

Rotary Red Cross Acknowledgment

“Every blood drive is a chance to turn service into something immediate and measurable—lives saved,” said Joe Sweeney, Rotary’s Blood Program Leader. “This recognition belongs to every donor who rolled up a sleeve, and to every Rotarian who helped organize, promote, and staff these drives. Now we want to help more clubs across District 5495 do the same.”

The accompanying photo features Rotarians Joe Sweeney, Tom Hendershott, and Carl Marsh alongside Terry Xelowski, American Red Cross Area Booking Manager, at a recent Rotary-sponsored blood drive in Prescott.

A call to action for District 5495 clubs: host a blood drive every other month:

Rotary District 5495 is encouraging more clubs to join the effort by hosting bi-monthly blood drives in their communities. Blood drives are one of the most effective repeatable service projects a club can do—high-impact, community-facing, and achievable with a small team of volunteers.

“A consistent blood drive schedule helps the Red Cross meet ongoing needs—not just during emergencies,” said Terry Xelowski, American Red Cross Area Booking Manager. “Rotary’s leadership and reliability make these drives successful, and we welcome additional Rotary clubs throughout District 5495 to step in and host in their local areas.”

Why a Rotary blood drive works

• High community impact: a single drive can help supply local hospitals and emergency needs
• Repeatable service: easy to schedule every other month
• Strong visibility: brings Rotary’s mission to the public in a meaningful way
• Built-in partnership: the Red Cross provides the collection team and process; Rotary helps recruit donors and support operations

How Rotary clubs can get started

Rotary District 5495 will help interested clubs connect with the American Red Cross to:

• select a date and location,
• coordinate scheduling and staffing needs, and
• build a simple promotion plan to drive donor appointments.

Clubs ready to explore hosting a blood drive should contact:

Joe Sweeney, Rotary District 5495 Blood Program Leader
Phone: (928) 642-4252 or (602) 935-6910 | Email: rotaryjoe5495@gmail.com

Terry Xelowski, American Red Cross Area Booking Manager
Phone: (480) 369-3043 | Email: terry.xelowski@redcross.org

The American Red Cross supports patients by collecting, processing, and distributing blood products nationwide and relies on community partners and volunteer donors to maintain a safe, stable blood supply.

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Making a list and checking it twice. That’s the mission of Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks and its merry band of shopping elves this holiday season.

 Partnering for the second consecutive year with Sedona Oak Creek School Unified School District and its Winter Wishes project, Red Rocks Rotary is providing much needed items for 10 students selected by the district to be in the program. This year’s students that Red Rocks Rotarians will be shopping for range in age from pre-kindergarten to tenth grade. The boys and girls each complete a “wish-list” for the school district that includes clothing, shoes, an item for school use and a personal item. Wanted items included sneakers, backpacks, water bottles, toys and mechanical pencils.

 Stacy Smith the SOCUSD Registrar and coordinator of the Winter Wishes program received the initial two gift bags packed with items furnished by the Rotary club on December 11. Smith expressed appreciation for the continued partnership with Red Rocks Rotary.

 Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks established its own holiday gifting program in 2012. Every year since, Red Rocks Rotary has worked with other local charitable organizations to identify individuals, families and seniors in need during the holidays. The club has furnished everything from clothing to household items, gasoline gift cards, toys, items for sports and pet food. Seniors have received socks, blankets, yard clean-up and housekeeping services.

 Red Rocks Rotary treasurer Donna Hawk said that the club has spent an average of $2,800 per year on the program for the past 13 years. “The funds have come from both the club’s fund-raising efforts and from contributions from the individual club members. It’s always one of our favorite annual ways of giving back to those in need in our community."