(Sedona/Prescott, AZ | May 2025) The Rotary Club of Sedona Village recently donated $15,000 to the VA Hospital in Prescott to support veteran’s programs and daily essentials and activities not covered by the Veterans Association.

 

The donation was presented during a special Veterans Picnic hosted by the club at the VA Center, officially known as the Bob Stump Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 500 Highway 89 North in Prescott.

 

The donation, presented to Shana Shatzer, chief of the VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement, supports the veteran patient discretionary fund. The donation was raised by three raffles held in front of Clark's Market in Sedona Village, donations from Clark's Market, and generous donations from club members.

 

The picnic, made possible by a gift from Sedona Village residents Paul and Mara Majane, welcomed over 100 veteran hospital residents to an outdoor pavilion on hospital grounds. Twenty Village Rotary Club members and friends of the Club volunteered to grill hamburgers and hot dogs, served plates of potato salad, potato chips and cookies, creating a warm and festive event.

 

"Service to our community, local, national, and international, is what Rotary is all about," observed Village Club President Chuck Marr.

 

"The camaraderie created, by working together doing good for others, energizes our members and makes the club incredibly active."

 

The club’s annual Veterans Raffle, started nearly 20 years ago by World War II veteran Army First Lt. John Cornelius, has now raised over $350,000 in support of the Veterans Hospital.

 

Launched to provide daily essentials and activities not covered by the VA, the fundraiser was brought under the Rotary umbrella in 2020. Since then, the Sedona Village Rotary Club has proudly continued the tradition, now led by retired Air Force Col. Rob Schaefer, and Lt. Cornelius's daughter, Cathleen Banister Marx.

“This is one of the most impactful projects we do as a club,” said Col. Schaefer. “It’s about honoring our veterans not just in words, but through action and ongoing support.”

 

For more information about the Rotary Club of Sedona Village, its veteran’s initiatives, and community service, visit sedonavillagerotary.org.

 

Rotary members improve lives and bring positive, lasting change to communities around the world by promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, supporting education, saving mothers and children, growing local economies and protecting the environment. Rotary’s top priority is the global eradication of polio. Rotary launched its polio immunization program, PolioPlus, in 1985, and in 1988 became a leading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

 

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.4 million members of more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

 

For more information about Rotary in Arizona, visit the District 5495 website. For information on joining a local Rotary Club, email membership@rotary5495.org.