Community Service Opportunities

 
Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club has partnered with The Boys and Girls Club, Virginia G. Piper Branch for a Charity Basketball game on Saturday, Sept. 30.
 
The event takes place 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club located at 10515 E Lakeview Drive, Scottsdale, AZ  85258. 
 
Please visit www.bit.ly/charityallstar for information on tickets and sponsorships. Proceeds will assist in the resurfacing of the basketball floor at the Boys and Girls Club.
 
We have community celebrities, a great half-time show, entertainment throughout the event, and food for sale.  So please join us!
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
 
Welcome to the 2023 Scottsdale Rotary Charity Golf Classic.  The 2023 Scottsdale Rotary Charity Golf Classic will be held at Topgolf in Scottsdale, 9500 Talking Stick Way, on Monday October 16, 2023, from Noon to 4:00PM.
 
We are in need of auction items, raffle prizes, tournament prizes and sponsors.
 
Proceeds from the 2023 Scottsdale Rotary Charity Golf Classic will go into the Scottsdale Rotary Foundation, to benefit local high school scholarships and all the great local, national and international organizations we support.
 
This year, a portion of the tournament’s proceeds will go to Amanda's Hope, making a difference for children fighting cancer. Find out more at: www.amandahope.org.
 
The Scottsdale Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization (86-6054024) so donations are tax deductible.
 
There are many ways to support this important fundraiser for our club.
 
First and foremost, we need players.  Reach out to PJ Wolff, pj.wolff@bbrown.com and JD Mowlds, JD.Mowlds@bbsi.com or sign up online at www.scottsdalerotarygolf.com
 
We've reserved 20 bays. Each bay will have teams of six players. Put together your own team or we'll build your team for you. Singles, Doubles, Triples, Quadruples and Quintuples are welcome.
 
Second, we need silent auction items. Reach out to Ken Brown...kwbint@cox.net
 
Third, we need sponsors...reach out to David Pastor...dpastor1957@gmail.com
 
There will be food, drinks, awards, prizes, raffles, silent auction and more!
 
You are welcome to join us in the tournament. Visit www.scottsdalerotarygolf.com to learn more.
 
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

New gear belts, under belts and holsters for the Sedona Police Cadet program have arrived!  All provided courtesy of a $1,300 donation from the Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks. 

Sedona Red Rocks’ treasurer, Donna Hawk, presented the check to some of the cadet team, their advisors and Sedona Police Department leadership staff at their evening meeting on August 17.

The Sedona Police Cadets are currently comprised of eight recruits. A mix of six guys and two gals all currently enrolled in grades 9 - 12 either at Sedona Red Rocks High School or the private Verde Valley School. The program is open to any student that meets the qualifications and lives within the Verde Valley. Three cadets graduated as seniors last May and have exited the program. As the current school year has just started, they are actively looking for new recruits. The maximum number the program can accommodate is twelve.

As a result of a press release in the Sedona Red Rocks News, the club became aware of the program. Officer Catherine Beers, the cadet’s co-advisor was contacted and the need for new equipment was expressed. As Sedona Red Rocks budgeted its giving for the 2023-24 year, the cadet’s wish for some new gear was included.

Officer Beers and co-advisor Officer Mike Lucas train the cadets in real-life police tactical situations, following the written law and treating the public with respect and kindness. The highlight for the cadets is the opportunity to compete against their peers. Their next nationwide competition is in Chandler, AZ in January 2024. Forty states have teams participating.

No longer sporting used, mis-matched equipment, the cadets will be proud to wear their new Sedona Red Rock’s provided gear into competition. Good luck SPD Cadets!

Ben Burke, executive director of Manzanita Outreach, was on hand at the Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks’ August 16 meeting to receive the first installment of District Grant funds for his organization’s School Supplies for Teachers program.

This is the second year Sedona Red Rocks has used its District Grant opportunity to work in partnership with Manzanita Outreach on this program. The 2022 grant funded the purchase of a fully stocked cabinet of school supplies for Sedona Charter School. This year, grant monies plus the club’s matching contribution will be used to replenish $3,152 worth of supplies in that same cabinet.

Manzanita Outreach has cabinets in 14 schools across the Verde Valley at a total annual cost of $135,000. The supplies are re-stocked monthly during the 10-month long school year and are provided at no cost to the teachers or staff. This results in educators no longer having to reach into their own pockets to assure their students have the necessary classroom resources. Healthy snacks and personal grooming items are also supplied.

DG Kevin Pitts, on his annual club visit, was pleased to have the opportunity to connect with Burke. Manzanita Outreach is principally a food distribution organization. It will be working with the district on the meal packaging project at RYLA 2024 at Camp Pinerock.

Long-time Verde Valley businessman Phil Martinez was also recognized at the meeting for his philanthropy. He was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship for his $10,000 donation to the club’s Vocational Scholarship Fund. During the presentation, club treasurer Donna Hawk stated it was the largest single donation the club had received in its 21-year history.

It was also announced during the meeting that Sedona Red Rocks will be sending a $2,000 donation to the Maui Fire Relief Fund.

 
 
 
By John Thornton
Rotary Club of Scottsdale
 
I am sponsoring the Naumenko family from Kyiv Ukraine under the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) humanitarian program.  U4U is a program of the United States Citizenship and Immigration section of the Department of Homeland Security.
 
My role as sponsor is to provide free housing and utilities for two years and to help them through the systems of obtaining licenses, Social Security numbers, work permits, schooling, bus passes, integration into American life, etc.  Other non-required assistance will likely be provided as well for humanitarian support and simple friendship. 
 
Sponsoring a refugee family with whom I have no relation makes no economic sense whatsoever so don’t look for one.  I just got so repulsed by a notion of a war in Europe in my lifetime and the war atrocities committed on the Ukrainians that I had to do something big and bold.  The U.S. has a strategic interest in supporting Ukraine as well, so this form of citizen diplomacy serves the national interest.
 
The Naumenko family is a dad, Slava, a mom, Tanya, and 6-year-old Tima and 2-year-old Misha.  Slava is an implantologist (dentist, DDS) and Tanya is (was) an economist.  The parents speak English quite well and I selected them because they seemed highly motivated to become self-sufficient, they are intelligent and energetic.  Slava is giving up a thriving dental practice to protect his two boys and wife.
 
They arrive June 28th at 10:20 a.m. after travelling overland into Poland, flying to L.A. on the 21st, debriefing with Ukrainians there before the final leg to Phoenix.  They’ll be living near Shea and Tatum in a condominium I bought and am fixing up for them.
 
If you are inspired to support a refugee family, then you’ve got an opportunity with this family. The kids are in need of essentials and toys.  The Rotary Club of Scottsdale is hoping to fill a toy box before they arrive on June 28.
 
Below is the link to the Amazon wish list. The club is encouraging Rotarians in District 5495 to purchase an item or two. When you purchase items, they will be sent directly to the family.
Amazon link:
 
 
Contact John Thornton at 602-717-0730 for additional information.
 
UPDATE JULY 1, 2023:
 
The Naumenko Family that John Thornton has sponsored arrived last Tuesday.  They are settling nicely in Arizona, but may be a bit surprised with our triple digits weather!
 
We would like to thank the generous Rotarians that supported the children with toys and books.  54 packages of toys, books, backpack, swimming gear, wagon, grocery cart, car seat, and much more were delivered to them.
 
Thank you for your generosity in helping this family and the kids!  They are very grateful.
 
Sincerely,
 
Jan Gray
 
 
Members of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale North participated in the club’s semi-annual road clean up as part of the city of Scottsdale’s Adopt-A-Road program during Rotary Week of Service. Seventeen members worked together as part of Earth Day April 22, 2023. Supporting the environmental is an important focus area of Rotary International.
 
For information on the City’s Adopt-A-Road program, contact Bruce Wall at bwall@scottsdaleaz.gov
The three Rotary clubs in the Prescott Area participated in a two-day Food Drive at the Safeway stores in Prescott and Prescott Valley during Rotary Week of Service.
 
Safeway was very accommodating in allowing us to utilize both doors of their stores to contact Safeway store customer to ask for donations, which increased our reach. Our Rotarians worked in two-hour shifts with other Prescott area club members. Everyone seemed to have a great time doing this service project.
 
The results were fabulous as we blew the minds of the two local Food Banks with the quantity of cans, rice and pasta that will be distributed to those local citizens in need. The Prescott Valley Food Bank told us that we gave an equivalent of three months food for their shelves. We collected, from the two stores, over 5,000 pounds of food, equivalent to 2 1/2 tons, which was boxed up and delivered nightly to the food banks. In addition, we collected over $2,000 in cash and checks which will be split between the two food banks.
 
A big shout out goes to all the Rotarians, their family members and many Interactors that gave up their Friday and Saturday to help out. A few Rotarians even worked double shifts. The organizing committee of Mike Payson (Frontier) and Christy Manning (Sun-Up) did a great job in planning and executing an almost flawless Drive. Preplanning made all the difference.
 
Please shop at Safeway as they were wonderful to work with again this year.