Welcome to District 5495 Club News

Prescott Sunup salutes memory of Granite Mountain Hotshots
It will be 12 years on June 30, since the Yarnell Hill Fire claimed the lives of 19 of our Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighters in 2013. 
 
The Rotary Club of Prescott Sunup appreciated the opportunity to have Frances Lechner, from the Yarnell Area Resource Group, with us to to give us an update, and help reconnect the club with this neighboring community, which we helped back then when that fire devastated their community. 
 
YARG is the successor to the Yarnell Fire Recovery Committee, which for 5 years worked hard to help families recover and rebuild after the fire. Due in large part to the effective work of that committee, which coordinated community resources, Yarnell set a record for the fastest disaster recovery of any town in Arizona.  
 
Today the successor Yarnell Area Resource Group continues to help those individuals and families in the community who are still struggling with their greatest needs.  Besides supporting a food bank to help alleviate hunger, Frances said the most pressing need has been to help them with their utility bills.  She said 81 families use the food bank, 60 are served by Meals on Wheels, and 100 need heating/cooling devices.
 
 
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Rotary Club of Sun Lakes presents annual awards
 
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) and Club President Peter Meade honored Rotarians for their exceptional Club and community service from July 1, 2024, to present day – i.e.:
 
·         Rotarian of the Year Award to Jon Lyons – Jon a past RCSL Club President and current Rotary International District Assistant Governor has served the Club and district in a wide variety of service activities – Splash newspaper deliveries; Corporate member recruitment and retention; liaison with East Valley professional organizations such as Chandler Business Alliance and Chamber of Commerce, liaison with ASU’s Rotaract Rotary Club and much more.
 
·         Service Above Self Award to Bill McCoach – Bill has served as Club’s Sergeant-of-Arms which manages club’s weekly meeting program speakers, setup, fellowship. invocations and fundraisers.
 
·         John K. McCain Annual Good Guy/Gal Cup Award to Debbie Bailey – Debbie has served on RCSL’s Board as Membership Director, Golf Committee fundraising lead; electronics recycle project lead; Splash deliveries; and has participated in many club service engagement projects. John K. McCain was a member of RCSL before he passed away. John served in the Air Force during WWII and was a POW in Germany. To RCSL, John became known as the “Good Guy” who always had a smile, told a good joke, and provided a positive outlook. As such, the “Good Guy” trophy was born and is presented each year to an RCSL member.
 
For more information about RCSL – See  www.sunlakesrotary.com
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Update on Imagination Library project in Surprise-Sun City West
 
Submitted by Ron Klaphake
Assistant Governor
 
The Rotary Club of Surprise & Sun City West (a recently merged Rotary club) entered into an agreement on January 15, 2025, with The Dollywood Foundation, a 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization, to become a local partner to provide Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – a Book Gifting Program – in the Surprise, Arizona, geographic area.
 
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) has, for 30 years, been and continues to work with local Partners in providing FREE BOOKS to children ages zero to five, once a month with the express intent to assist in early educational development of children, i.e., literacy. For several years, Rotary Clubs in the United States have been Partners in this effort. 
 
As the local DPIL Partner, our Rotary Club has committed to pay for the wholesale cost of the books and postage using a non-profit USPS mailing permit obtained by our own 501 (C)(3), the Surprise & Sun City West Rotary Charitable Fund. The current obligation of our Rotary Club is $31.20 per child, per year. Our local program became fully operational on March 14, 2025, and our Charitable Fund, upon the recommendation from our Rotary Club, committed $10,000 for the FY ending June 30 of this year. This amount was expected to cover the initial start-up cost (approximately $1,000) plus allow for the enrollment of 300 children this year. With our first official event on April 5, the Surprise KIDZ Jamboree, we started signing up children but noted that a sizeable number were from nearby El Mirage. 
 
As a result of our initial experience, we approached the Dollywood Foundation on April 8, 2025, and added El Mirage, with another 2,627 children under the age of five, to our geographical area. We also heard directly from parents asking us to allow “on-line” registrations.  We opened “on-line” registrations on April 9, 2025, and within hours had an additional 265 registrations.
 
Knowing our limited funding of $10,000, we paused the on-line process after four days as we had already exceeded our goal and approved 330 registrants. The total eligible population for our program is now at 10,488 children. The average participation/penetration rate for a Partner like us, according to the Dollywood Foundation, is approximately 15%, which means a demand of more than 1,500 children expecting to receive FREE books each year. Hence, we are seeking more individuals and partners to help fund this remarkable literacy program now and into the future. (1,500 X $31.20 = $46,800 per year.) 
 
Major funding of our local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is from the Surprise & Sun City West Rotary Charitable Fund at $10,000, which is expected to continue. (Administratively, the Charitable Fund has set up a separate bank account to monitor and account for all receipts and disbursements.)  In addition, we are extremely excited to announce that the Sun City Rotary Foundation and the Kellam Foundation have joined us as funding partners for FY 2025-2026.  As a result, we have reopened the online registration process and currently have 443 youngsters between the ages of 0 and 5 registered to receive FREE books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in the coming months.   
 
The Rotary Club of Surprise & Sun City West is also planning additional fundraising events this year, including the reinvented Taste of Surprise & Arts Festival. In addition, we have created a “donation” form for individuals desiring to support our local DPIL program. 
 
In the future, we hope to secure financial support from the City of Surprise and the City of El Mirage to help support this amazing early childhood literacy program for our local residents.  Also on the horizon is potential support from specific industries and foundations such as the Arizona Public Service.
Sun Lakes Rotary Awards Annual Educator and High School Scholarship Awards
Submitted by: Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
 
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes was honored to present its 2025 Educator of the Year Awards to Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) teachers and scholarships to CUSD High School Students.
 
At a recent morning RCSL breakfast meeting Peter Meade, RCSL President and Becky Kerr, RCSL Education Committee presented award checks to: Angelica Abbey—6th Grade Teacher at CUSD Frye Elementary—RCSL’s Educator of the Year—$2,000 award; Monica Garcia-Larson—English Language Development Teacher at CUSD Hamilton High School—Runner-up—$500 award; and Kim Meyer—Pre-AP Biology Teacher—CUSD Arizona College Preparatory Middle School—Runner-up—$500 award.  Thank you to Earnhardt Automotive for RCSL‘s Educator of Year sponsorship and TrustBank for RCSL’s runner-up sponsorships.
 
Additionally in May 2025, Leo Schlueter, RCSL Rotarian/CUSD Executive Director of Elementary Education presented scholarship awards to: Courtney Hartle—graduating from CUSD Perry High School—attending Arizona State University—Service Above Self Scholarship of $2000.00; Deborah He—graduating from CUSD Hamilton High School—attending Vanderbilt University—Service Above Self Scholarship of $2000.00; Tessa Chadwick—graduating from Casteel High School—attending University of Utah—Service Above Self Scholarship of $2000.00;  Tecate Phair—Incoming Junior at CUSD Hamilton High School—attending EVIT Cosmetology Program for two  years—Vocational Scholarship of $2000.00. RCSL Scholarship Awards are sponsored by proceeds of RCSL’s Annual Golf Tournament—thank you to all its supporters.
 
For more information about RCSL see www.snlakesrotary.com
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Leo Schlueter named Sun Lakes Rotarian of the Month
 
Submitted by Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
 
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes has named Leo Schlueter the RCSL April 2025 Rotarian of the Month. March 2025’s ROM Dave Ouradnik presented Leo with the ROM plaque.
 
With this award, RCSL acknowledges Leo’s support of the Club’s education programs, especially teacher of month/year awards, high school scholarships, procuring CUSD leaders as meeting program speakers and more.
 
Leo is often the facilitator of RCSL Fireside chats in which new Rotarians receive information about Rotary International, club programs and ways members can volunteer within the community and beyond. 
Leo has been associated with Chandler Unified School District for over 28 years. For the past three years, as Executive Director, Elementary Schools West Region, Leo has overseen CUSD elementary operations for the second largest school district in Arizona.
 
For more information about RCSL – see  www.sunlakesrotary.com
Happy 39th birthday to the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes!
 
Submitted by Gary Whiting, Past District Governor, and Past RCSL President,
and Dr. Honora Norton RCSL Public Image Director
 
April is a special month for our Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL). RCSL, chartered on April 22, 1986, celebrates 39 years of service within the Sun Lakes Community.
 
RCSL was conceived in 1985 when Chandler Rotarian Andre Felix put an advertisement on the Sun Lakes Club House Bulletin Board to see if anyone was interested in attending a Rotary meeting at the Palo Verde Country Club. Rotarian, Wayne Johnson, had just moved to Sun Lakes responded. Wayne and seven other Sun Lakes retirees met with Andre and decided there was a need for a Rotary club in this fast-growing Sun Lakes Community.
 
After working with the Arizona Rotary District 5510 and Rotary International, final approval was granted and RCSL was charted as a Tuesday morning club with 15 members. Allan Gustafson was elected the Charter Club President. Over the years RCSL, has become known as the “Education Club” because of its youth projects, teacher recognition, and scholarships provided for K-12 education, vocational education, and higher education.
 
RCSL has participated in several RI “Global Grant” projects through the RI Foundation and Sun Lakes/Chandler community projects. For example, a RCSL Rotarian delivered the Sun Lakes Splash Newspaper to your driveway. If you hear about inside running tap water being furnished to off-the-grid Navajo homes on the Navajo Nation, that was RCSL providing this humanitarian project through an RI Foundation Global Grant. RCSL provides over 4,000 dictionaries each school year to third graders in the Chandler Unified School District.
 
This school year, RCSL provided dictionaries to the Casa Blanca Community School and the St Peter Mission School on the Gila River Indian Community.
 
RCSL grew to 140 members in year 2000 from the start of 15 members and now there are over 85 men and women members. In Rotary year 2001, RI recognized RCSL as one of the most involved Top 50 clubs in the world with the 21st Century Challenge Award at the Rotary International Convention held in San Antonio, Texas. Rotary celebrated its 100th year in 2004-2005. Arizona Rotarians selected RCSL Past Club President Gary Whiting as Arizona Rotary District 5510 “Centennial” Governor overseeing 46 Rotary clubs and 1,648 members in the Northeastern part of Arizona, USA.
 
Sadly, Charter Member, Wayne Johnson recently passed away. He was a Rotarian for 66 years and served as club president, director, and committee chairmanships and was a RI Paul Harris Fellow in support of the RI Foundation.
 
To learn more about RCSL, visit www.sunlakesrotary.com and our Facebook page. Come for a visit and join us as people of action.
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Rotary Club of Winslow installs new president
 
Kristy Armijo was inducted Wednesday March 5, 2025, as the new Winslow Rotary Club President.  Jessica Atha Cox was on hand for the Swearing in Ceremony.  Jessica has been the President of the Winslow Rotary Club for the last 2 1/2 years. Thank you, Jessica!

DG Michelle Holcomb pays visit to Winslow Rotary Club
 
Michelle Holcomb, Rotary International District Governor 5495, visited the Winslow Rotary Club on Wednesday February 5, 2025.  Michelle's presentation updated the Winslow club on the district goings-on, including activities and fundraisers around the district.  Some of the presentation included Rotary International updates as well as some history of Paul Harris and the Paul Harris fellowship.  
 
Jessica Atha-Cox, Winslow Rotary Club president, on the right, presented Michelle a gift bag of Winslow Standing on the Corner essentials, while on the left is Kristy Armijo, Winslow Rotary Club president-elect.  Kristy Armijo brought the District Governor up to date on Winslow Club St Mary's Food Bank distribution project including its successes and challenges. Michelle had an opportunity to talk one on one with a few members of the Winslow Rotary Club.  
 
Michelle's presentation included ideas on ways Rotary clubs can work together.
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Scottsdale North Rotary Foundation awarded Candid Platinum Seal
The Scottsdale North Rotary Foundation announced it has received Candid's coveted Platinum Seal of Transparency, previously recognized as GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency.
 
Candid is the world's largest source of nonprofit data and this designation demonstrates that the Scottsdale North Rotary Foundation (SNRF) is an organization focused on measuring progress and results in order to provide current and potential funders accurate and detailed information. The designation is only awarded to charities illustrating the highest level of responsible fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.
 
"It is with great pride that we accept Candid's Platinum Seal " said Scottsdale North Rotary Foundation Chairman Ron Junck. "Our Board of Directors and our members work hard to maintain a transparent and efficient organization while ensuring the highest possible portion of the money we raise is directed to funding vital charitable organizations in North Scottsdale, Carefree and Cave Creek as well as throughout Arizona and around the world."
 
Established 14 years ago to serve the growing community, SNRF has provided more than a quarter million dollars in grants to support worthy causes with six areas of focus: Community Health, Family and Community Support, Youth Education and Development, Cancer Research and Treatment, Food Bank Support, and Global Water, Health and Disaster Recovery.
 
Rotary Club of Scottsdale North President, Tom Lewellen, added, "Candid's Platinum designation is reflective of our success in attaining full financial transparency. This seal is crucial for financially trustworthy and responsible non-profits. This designation enhances our ability to fund new and existing programs and to continue Rotary International’s mission to eradicate polio and promote lasting peace."
 
In today's ever-changing philanthropic environment, donors seek transparency and accountability from the organizations they choose to support. The Candid Seal of Transparency reconfirms that SNRF and the Rotary Club of Scottsdale North are worthy of its donors' confidence and generosity.
 
ABOUT ROTARY INTERNATIONAL and the SCOTTSDALE NORTH ROTARY FOUNDATION
Rotary International is a global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
The Scottsdale North Rotary Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) organization is the charitable arm of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale North. We are a casual Arizona evening club with a passion for both community service and friendship, exemplified by our motto; “Helping others while celebrating life!”   Our grants and community service projects help those in need in the North Scottsdale, Carefree, and Cave Creek communities, and across the globe.
For more information, visit  https://www.rotaryscottsdalenorth.org/