By: AG Donna HawkThings were literally on fire at the August 2 meeting of the Sedona Red Rocks club with the surprise celebration of member Raye Speirs’ birthday. A cupcake display was set ablaze with all 90 of the candles necessary to commemorate Raye’s nine decades of life. Sedona Fire Marshall Jon Davis, sporting full firefighter gear, rushed in amid much laughter to help control the conflagration. Raye is not only an active board member but got things rolling for the club’s first Red Rocks Fashion Show which will showcase styles from seven local boutiques at the September 7 fund raiser. Other fund raising events on the Red Rocks calendar are Glow Golf the night of September 15 and its annual Oktoberfest event October 21.
Things were literally on fire at the August 2 meeting of the Sedona Red Rocks club with the surprise celebration of member Raye Speirs’ birthday. A cupcake display was set ablaze with all 90 of the candles necessary to commemorate Raye’s nine decades of life. Sedona Fire Marshall Jon Davis, sporting full firefighter gear, rushed in amid much laughter to help control the conflagration. Raye is not only an active board member but got things rolling for the club’s first Red Rocks Fashion Show which will showcase styles from seven local boutiques at the September 7 fund raiser. Other fund raising events on the Red Rocks calendar are Glow Golf the night of September 15 and its annual Oktoberfest event October 21.September 3 is the inaugural Eddie’s Promise Memorial Golf Tournament co-sponsored by Sedona Rotary and the Passov family. Eddie Passov was a 20+ year resident of Sedona, an avid golfer and true Rotarian. After his sudden passing last November, the idea for this charity golf tournament was conceived in order to keep his humanitarian spirit alive. The event will feature an Ice Cream Social and profits will benefit one of Eddie’s favorite causes – the Verde Valley Chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which distributes free books to pre-school children. Sedona Rotary also hosts the Great Sedona Chili Cook-off every May.
Ducks ahoy! Verde Valley Rotary’s signature fund raising Duck Race will splash down as part of the Verde River Days festivities in Cottonwood on September 30. Sponsorships are available starting at $150. Individual ducks are on sale for $5 each. Come watch the fun at Dead Horse State Park as hundreds of colorful rubber duckies are dumped into the watercourse to start their float to the finish line. The first, second and third place finishers of the numbered ducks win cash prizes for their assigned owners. The 2016 event raised $17,000. This year’s goal is $22,000 which the club will use, in part, to support additional RYLA delegates.
The newest addition to the Area 17 Rotary family is the VOC Satellite club – an adjunct of Sedona Rotary. Gearing up for not just a fund raising event but a two day spectacular – VOC Rotarians will be supporting Big Park Elementary School with their efforts. The fun starts off the evening of Friday, October 6 with a Sip & Savor Tequila Tasting and Live Auction at The Collective. The following day - Saturday, October 7 will see a helicopter ball drop and BBQ at Sedona Golf Resort.
Rounding out an exciting Rotary month in the Verde Valley will be DG Nancy’s official visit. All four area clubs are uniting for an evening reception of fellowship and information on September 13. And, kudos to all of my clubs for posting their goals in Rotary Club Central an entire month ahead of the September 1 deadline. Way to go Area 17!
Photo: Red Rocks Rotarian Raye Speirs at her 90th birthday celebration along with Sedona Fire Marshall Jon Davis.