Always Busy!
At the recent Activity Fair, Maggie deBlock and Mary Thompson explain the merits of being a member the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club.

Always Busy!At the recent Activity Fair, Maggie deBlock and Mary Thompson explain the merits of being a member the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club. ![]() |
New President Takes the Gavel!![]() Welcome to Roger Lindeken, the new president of SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club! Roger brings extensive business and community acumen to our club. A big thank you goes to Jack Stebbe for his deft leadership in the past year. We are fortunate to have such talented (and friendly) folks in our club. |
Hybrid Meeting!SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club is now doing hybrid meetings! Thanks to the technical expertise Ron Lenz, members can meeting in person at the Mountainview Country Club or online with Zoom. If you are on vacation, in isolation, or still in your pajamas, you can join our happy faces. ![]() |
Shelter Box: Helping families displaced by conflict or disasterOur work means we can help organizations like Shelter Box. ![]() |
Service Above Self at the Food BankSaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club works hard to lessen the problems of hunger in the Copper Corridor. In spite of aging backs, members load and store LOTS of pallets of food to storerooms and freezers, all while trying to not drop frozen chickens on tender toes! ![]() |
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary ZoomsNo, this is not a panel from HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. It's a screen shot of our latest regular meeting via Zoom. See all those smiling faces? We would love to have you join us. If you're shy, you can opt out of having your lovely/handsome face showing, but then we'd miss your smile. ![]() |
Project Based Clubs Have More Fun![]() SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club is now a cause-based club, which focuses on projects members enjoy doing. We work on carefully chosen projects and have fun while doing it! And without the added organizational obligations of a standard Rotary club. Below are some of the things we do: Volunteering at the Golden Goose and Tri-Community Food Bank, creating and maintaining Little Free Libraries in the Copper Corridor, among other activities, as well as HAVING FUN! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
District Governor Visits SaddleBrook Sunrise Rotary![]() District Governor Ellie Patterson visited SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary. Pictured are Mary Thompson, Maggie deBlock, and Ellie Patterson who are admiring the Rotary flag Mary brought all the way from Borneo. |
Team Building Through Fun!![]() |
More Help at the Food BankNotice the smiles...we have a good time working together! |
A Helping Hand to Fight HungerOne activity of SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club is to help alleviate hunger. In the following photo you can see Rotarian Mark Douglas loading produce for the Tri-Community Food Bank in Mammoth. ![]() |
New President for SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary ClubS ![]() |
Earlene Sings and Reads at the Egg Hunt! |
SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Members Helping with Annual Trip-Y Ranch Clean-up![]() Spiders, and dirt, and scat, oh my! |
Social Fifth Thursdays![]() 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! |
The Giving of Trees![]() 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. ![]() |
What We Do |
Welcome, Brianne!
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Celebrating Veteran's Day![]() Emerson Knowles and Savo Fries |
Welcome, Alyce!![]() Welcome to new member Alyce Holbrook! |
Another STUFF the BUS Success!On August 19, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary members again contributed materials and time to help stuff a bus with school supplies. ![]() |
Y'all Welcome New Leadership![]() 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 |
Protein for Growing Minds![]() 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. |
Fun Evening at Cadillac Chaparral Steakhouse![]() 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! |
Honoring Golder Ranch Fire DistrictSaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club honored the Golder Ranch Fire District with a luncheon to celebrate their life-saving work, time, compassion, and educational programs.
![]() 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.
![]() 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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Local school kids make special care packages for returning soldiersTo 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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Rotarians at the Goose![]() 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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Two New Members and a District Governor!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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2017 RYLA Recipient Olivia OrtegaSaddleBrooke 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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Tabitha Yim: An Inspiration for Success![]() 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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SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotarians get the grand tour of the Triangle Y Ranch Camp ![]() 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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