Stories
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 Spiders, and dirt, and scat, oh my! |
 On the fifth Thursday of each month SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary takes a break from formal meetings and gets together for a social. On August 30, club members and friends met at the Mountainview Country Club and shared drinks, stories, and dinner. Pictured is one of several tables. The smiles tell the story! |
 A hardy crew of SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club tree planters braved the cold and hard dirt at the Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Marana. Pictured are Maggie DeBlock, Doug Sweetland, Dick Kroese, Mark Douglas, and Roger Swett.  |
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Our own Debbie Foster created this video of the many activities our members do to make a difference in our community. Click on the image.  |
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.jpg) Emerson Knowles and Savo Fries |
 Welcome to new member Alyce Holbrook! |
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On August 19, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary members again contributed materials and time to help stuff a bus with school supplies. .jpg) |
 The members of the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club are going to hear plenty of "y'alls" and "all y'alls" now. Past President Tim Johnston handed the gavel over to Debbie Foster, the club president for 2017-2018. Debbie spent forty years in community college education and recently retired as academic dean for the Central Arizona College District Communications Division and the Campus Dean of Aravaipa Campus located in the Copper Corridor. Her hometown is Jacksonville, Texas, which is “Behind the Pine Tree Curtain” in the heart of the Piney Woods of East Texas. She is married to Glen Foster, has one daughter and son-in-law and a two year old granddaughter, Hazel Jane. They live in Texas. And if you know Debbie really well, she might tell you the story of her bullet wound. Other officers and committee chairs include: President Elect, Gary Haslett; Treasurer, Roger Swett; Past President, Tim Johnston; Secretary, Savo Fries; Membership Chair, Ron Lenz; Vice President, Dick Kroese; Foundation Chair, Roger Bogard; Vice chairman, Mark Douglas; Administration, Maggie deBlock; Service, Mary Thompson; Public Relations, Patti Albaugh |
 On May 25, 2017, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary launched the project Protein for Growing Minds to help ease hunger in Pinal County children and senior citizens. Cynthia Chevalley of Tri-Community Food-Bank inspired the project. At an earlier meeting, she told Rotary members that hunger is especially problematic in the Copper Corridor of Pinal County because of the collapse of the mining industry. Adding to the problem is lack of access to school lunches during the summer. Those most affected are young people who need nutrition for developing brains. When asked what food item is most in demand, Cynthia replied “peanut butter.”On the third Thursday of each month, members bring in jars of peanut butter or cans of tuna that will be collected and taken to the Tri-Community Food-Bank. Members are reminded that whenever they pass the peanut butter at the grocery store, grab a jar of protein. As a result, more children will have increased access to protein foods that help brain development and enhance attentiveness in school and play. The project includes other sources of protein such as tuna fish and dried beans. |
 SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club had a great time at the ol' steakhouse March 23, as our fifth Thursday social. Some dressed the part, some spoke the part, some acted the part. But we all had fun! |
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SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club honored the Golder Ranch Fire District with a luncheon to celebrate their life-saving work, time, compassion, and educational programs.
 Over one hundred eighty people attended the luncheon at Mountain View Country Club February 16. Tables were decorated with fire hats, bright flower arrangements, fire insignia plates, and Life Saver candies. SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotarians seated themselves randomly among the tables to greet and talk with the Golder Ranch personnel. Family was a continual theme in the remarks made by speakers. Fire Chief Randy Karrer spoke enthusiastically of the family of firefighters, EMT personnel, training, and administrative staff who make up the Golder Ranch Fire District “family.” A portion of the Fire District values statement includes “Compassion is treating each other and our customer as an extension of our family.
 Trust is building and strengthening relationships through our words and actions.” As guests and Rotarians discovered while they sat and interacted with the District personnel, the Golder Ranch Fire District does indeed serve with “strong hands and caring hearts.”The luncheon concluded with Past President Doug Sweetland presenting a plaque from the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary honoring the District. Rotarians, guests, and District personnel exited with new knowledge, appreciation, and new friends.
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To see the video from KVOA click here. SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club members Barb McKenzie, Jack Stebe, and Patti Albaugh traveled to the Tuscon International Airport to help with troops traveling back to Fort Huachuca. In the photo below, the Rotary members are pictured with the soldiers who are waiting for their trainees to arrive from all over the United States. You can also read the story from KVOA.com by clicking here.
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 Every third Wednesday of the month, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotarians lend their hands to Golden Goose for their monthly Moonlight Madness Sale. The Golden Goose is a renowned thrift store that has raised more than $8 million dollars for SaddleBrooke Community Outreach & Impact of Southern Arizona. The "Goose," as many refer to it, has received multiple awards including the 2016 Northwest Explorer "Best in the Northwest."
All that fame leads to a heavy demand for volunteers, and the Rotarians and their spouses are eager to pitch in on the Goose's busiest night. They serve as baggers, schleppers, clerks, re-stockers, gophers, and sales assistants. Pictured to the left are Ruth Larsen, Mary Thompson, Roger Swett, Jack Stebe, Tony and Sharon Ingle, Mark Douglas, Garret Ressing, Bobbie Sweetland, and Tom Basting.
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District Governor Sheryl Christianson visited SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary and helped install two new members, Maggie Dublock (left) and Barbara McKenzie (on the right). Welcome, ladies!
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SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary is proud to sponsor the 2017 RYLA recipient Olivia Ortega, a sophomore at San Manuel High School. This is the second year that SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary has sponsored a student. Olivia is a dynamic student who hopes to study marine ecology in the northwest.
What is RYLA? The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an intensive 4-day workshop for youth ages 14 to 17 in grades 9-11. These young adults are chosen for their leadership potential to attend an all-expense paid training program designed to build, strengthen, and exercise leadership skills used in all aspects of business, community, school and life. RYLA includes recreational and cultural activities, which emphasize individual and team development.
RYLA was organized and officially adopted by Rotary International in 1971 and has since proven to be one of the most sought after and highly recognized leadership training programs of its kind. Each year thousands of young adults, RYLA delegates, from incoming freshman to juniors in high school, take part in this experience worldwide. RYLA delegates come together from communities across District 5500 (Southern Arizona) and Exchange students from other countries. Olivia will be attending the workshop January 13-16, 2017. Congratulations, Olivia...we are proud of you!
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 SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club was honored and privileged to have Tabitha Yim, head gymnastics coach of the University of Arizona. Tabitha came to the University in May of 2015 after serving as an assistant coach at Stanford. She has competed at the highest levels of the sport and established herself as one of the top up-and-comers in college gymnastics. She quickly established herself in our hearts!
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotarians were impressed with her charisma and the fact that she is such a wonderful role model for young women. A couple of the women in the audience said that they wished that they had had a role model like her when they were growing up. Tabitha is gifted in inspiring young women who might not have the confidence to succeed to be a success in gymnastics and then to succeed in life beyond gymnastics. She talked so passionately about her parents, how they inspired her to succeed, and how she wanted to pass confidence on to future generations of young women.
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotarians went to watch her team compete last year and are committed to doing it again this year. She considers her team as her family and, once on the team, you are part of her team for life. Her team and family mentality are evident in the photo for this article. She insisted that everyone in attendance be in the picture. “We are family,” she said. Thank you, Tabitha, for being an inspiration to all of us. In the photo from left to right: Earline Lewis, Mary Toth, Jack Marley, Terry Stobbe, Jack Stebe, Barbara McKenzie, Tabitha Yim, Dick Kroese, Tony Ingle, Patti Albaugh, Roger Bogard
Story by Dick Kroese
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This was a joint project with the the noon SaddleBrooke Rotary. In attendance were Rotarians from both clubs, an honor guard from the Marine Corp and
World War II and Korean War Veterans and their guests
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 On June 30th, SaddleBrooke Sunrise held a "Changing of the Guard" at SaddleBrooke Mountainview Clubhouse. The event honored the Last President, Doug Sweetland, and introduced the New President, Tim Johnston. Observing the celebration are Earline Lewis, Roger Bogard, Roger Swett, incoming President Tim Johnston, outgoing President Doug Sweetland, Dennis Hill, Tony Ingle.
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 Recently Executive Director of the Triangle Y Ranch and Retreat Center, Chip Hutler, hosted a group of Rotarians for breakfast and a tour of many of the camps buildings. He not only talked about the many connections between the camp and the community, but also wanted to share the need for volunteers and assistance with maintenance. Further, the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary agreed to be a part of an upcoming volunteer day at the facility to work on building maintenance.
Registration has already begun for 2016 for children who want to attend camp (visit tucsonymca.org). Each camper signs for a week and each week has a different theme. The camping season is seven weeks long. Some 60% of the kids who go to camp do so on a scholarship provided by the YMCA and other community organizations and businesses, so fundraising is a real priority. Hutler said their goal this year is to host 1,100 kids. Many of these children will be hosted by organizations that focus on the children of military families, both active duty and those who have lost a parent.
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