Welcome to District 5495 Club News

Rotary Club of Silver Creek holds annual golf ball drop fundraiser
The 2023 Silver Creek second annual Golf Ball Drop, a thrilling in-person event where you can witness golf balls raining down to win money! 
 
Buy 1 ball for $5 or 5 balls for $20.
 
All profits from this event go to fund our nonprofit charitable works in the White Mountains community of Northeast Arizona. Most of our work is helping children through our Community Prom Closet, Community Prom, dictionaries for third graders, Christmas for kids and so many more projects.
 
The golf ball drop takes place 5 p.m. Oct. 7 at 2051 Silver Lake Blvd., in Show Low.  Win $500 and help a small club raise money for all our small-town projects!
 
Raffle tickets will be sold through 11:59 p.m. Oct. 4.
 
Rotary International is the world's oldest and largest charitable organization made up of clubs in almost every community, all over the world. Each club is operated independently and works to better their community through sometimes small and sometimes enormous projects.
 
Click here to buy a ball and a chance to win & THANKS!
Glendale Elementary School District recognizes PNRC Prom Closet project
The Glendale Elementary School District each month recognizes a business or organization in the community for its strong support of students and for September, the district recognized Peoria North Rotary Club's Prom Closet community service project. A district official surprised members of The Prom Closet Planning Committee during its September meeting and presented the group with a certificate of thanks.
 
The GESD "Champion of Our Students" certificate reads: "Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. We are so grateful to be part of this amazing program. Thank for bringing so much joy to our students and community.
 
The Prom Closet Committee consists of, from left, Sandra Eng, Maura Gill-Millette, Sharon Jarnagin, Bret McKeand and Gina Schmitz. The 2024 Prom Closet is scheduled for the first two weekends of April 2024 at the Glendale System of Care Center, 7677 W. Bethany Home Road, Glendale. For information, visit thepromcloset.com.
Dayna Gustke: The story behind my Rotary pin collection!
 
 
By Dayna Gustke
Club Secretary, Rotary Club of Tempe Downtown
 
 
Hi, my name is Dayna Gustke. I am a member of The Rotary Club of Tempe Downtown, and currently serve as club secretary.
 
My first day of Rotary was Sept. 12, 2011, as a regular member, and of course, there was a Rotary Induction Award, and a Rotary Pin.
 
The whole Rotary Pin Vest started when my mother, Lynn Gustke, started in Rotary in 1997 in The Rotary Club of Tempe East.
 
She was heavily involved with Rotary for many years, many club and District 5510 and 5495 events throughout the years and collected many pins.
 
When she passed in January 2021 due to COVID-19, she left behind over 100 Rotary Pins -- so I started working on my Rotary Pin Vest.
 
It is still a bit of a journey to finish, but overall, I have about 300-plus Rotary Pins and will continue to strive for more Rotary Pins to add to the collection. I thank my mom, Lynn Gustke, every day for letting me have this opportunity to join Rotary back in 2011 to learn and experience everything after 12 years.
 
I am looking forward to the future. I am also looking forward to the future to helping with more charitable causes around the world, just like my mother, Lynn Gustke did, and wanted me to do as well for Rotary.
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Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks slates Oktoberfest fundraiser!

Drink beer = help kids.

Donn a dirndl, sport some lederhosen, hoist a stein and do your math because that’s exactly how the equation adds up.

Red Rocks Oktoberfest is back for its ninth time. Hosted by Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks, the event raises funds for the club’s youth-oriented projects and programs.

Craft beer, food trucks and live music anchor the festival. Various tasty brews, grub ranging from wursts to noodles, oompah tunes to home-grown Sedona rock. This lively festival has it all.

Saturday, October 14 from 3 – 8 p.m. is the day and time to mark your calendar. The Lower Ball Field at Posse Grounds Park is where you’ll find the action.

Pre-buy tickets are $25 and include a festival cup and two drink tokens. Tickets at the door are available for $35. Minors are free but must be accompanied by a ticketed adult. Extra tokens will set you back $3 each and garner an eight-ounce taste of any beer poured.

Commemorative glass mugs are a bargain at only $10. Wine drinker? Don’t stay home as that is another adult-beverage option.

Please leave your “fur-friends” at home as this event only welcomes ADA recognized service animals. This is a City of Sedona regulation and will be enforced by the AZ Rangers and event security staff.

Direct from the “Black Forest” of Flagstaff, Polka Katzen will make you dig those accordion flavored tunes. The Johnny Malo Band takes over the stage at 5:30 and will rock your socks until close.

A stein-holding contest caps off the evening so start doing your push-ups now. The guy and gal with the greatest arm strength and endurance each take home a champion’s medal and year-long bragging rights.

Everything that you could possibly want to know and more is at www.redrocksoktoberfest.com. Prost!

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Twelve D5495 Clubs earn Rotary Citations for 2022-23

Great news!!

Rotary International has just announced that 12 clubs in District 5495 have earned the Rotary Citation, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2022-23.

During a year that was challenging for many Rotarians around the world, these clubs demonstrated a commitment to achieve their goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future.

The 12 clubs receiving RI President Jennifer Jones’s Rotary Citation for 2022-23 are: The Rotary Club of Anthem, The Rotary Club of Gilbert, The Rotary Club of Glendale, The Rotary Club of Mesa, The Rotary Club of Scottsdale North, The Rotary Club of Scottsdale Sunrise, The Rotary Club of Sedona, The Rotary Club of Sedona Village, The Rotary Club of Sun City, The Rotary Club of Sun City West and the Rotary Club of Sun Lakes.

Congratulations to Immediate Past District Governor Larry Horton and all clubs on a successful year!
Rotary Club of Sedona Village experiences rich history of Verde Valley Ancestral Garden
The Rotary Club of Sedona Village had the privilege of exploring the captivating Verde Valley Ancestral Garden during a recent visit to the Verde Valley Archeology Center in Camp Verde.
 
Led by Robert Estrada, an expert from the Archeology Center, the group braved the early morning 80-degree temperatures to embark on a remarkable journey through the 10-acre garden. At the heart of the garden's allure are its stunning rock terraces, meticulously crafted by hand, which serve as a reservoir for rainwater. This ingenious ancient technique played a crucial role in sustaining agriculture during the monsoon seasons that Camp Verde occasionally experiences.
 
Even today, this remarkable rock technology can be employed to conserve water for the Verde River, located less than a mile east of the garden. The Verde River holds the distinction of being Arizona's sole federally designated Wild and Scenic River, and it served as the primary water source for indigenous populations.
 
Through the Verde Valley Ancestral Garden, visitors gain valuable insights into the river's significance while learning effective gardening methods to conserve water.
 
The Verde Valley Ancestral Garden showcases ancient seeds and plants once cultivated by the Hohokam, Sinagua, Yavapai, and Apache tribes. It offers visitors a unique opportunity to
observe and learn about the plants that sustained these cultures centuries ago. Moreover, the site encompasses an ancient village featuring Sinagua pit houses dating as far back as A.D.
540. This historically rich location is officially documented with the Arizona State Museum and the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office.
 
When not embarking on captivating site visits, the Rotary Club of Sedona Village convenes on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7:30 am at the former Big Park School. For
further information, please visit sedonavillagerotary.org. The club warmly welcomes visitors to join their meetings.
 
About the Rotary Club of Sedona Village:
 
The Rotary Club of Sedona Village is a community-oriented organization that fosters fellowship, promotes ethical practices, and serves local and global communities through impactful initiatives. Meetings are held regularly, providing an avenue for individuals to make a positive difference in the world. To learn more, please visit sedonavillagerotary.org.
Mesa West presents Rotaract scholarship to Colton Cagle
 

Building Bridges from Interact to Rotaract: Colton Cagle has been awarded the Rotary Club of Mesa West Rotaract Scholarship for being an outstanding Rotaract leader. 

This check will help him finish out his bachelor's at ASU in Mass Communications and Media Studies this year.  Colton joined Westwood Interact in 2015, not aware of the power of Rotary and how this journey will shape his life. 

In 2016 he attend RYLA for first time as a delegate and was hooked into our Mesa West family with Westwood Interact and our club. In 2016/18 he joined the D5495 Interact District Council as AG, was President of Westwood Interact Club. 

In 2018 Colton travelled to Kenya on the 2nd trip for Crutches for Africa, which opened his eyes to the global vision of Rotary.  In 2018/19 he was elected as the D5495 Interact District Governor, graduated high school and then was a RYE student to the Netherlands.   

Last year, he served as a senior counselor and on the planning committee at RYLA Ponderosa.  Today, for the 2nd year – Colton Cagle is the current President of the Phoenix Rotaract Community Club that serves his community with graduates of ASU and the working young professional in Phoenix.

Congratulations to Colton – we are all so proud of him.