Club Projects
1. 14th Annual Flight Lite:
Our biggest Club project during the year was held online Saturday, September 25, 2020! We featured 64 works of art and like last year, DRAGONFLIES! The Club raised approximately $120,000 divided between the Service Fund and School District 11's art programs. The Club enlisted local artists to design and make metal butterflies, dragonflies and 'petites' that were displayed at The Pioneer's Museum and the Lawrence Dryhurst Gallery and then auctioned at the Gala.
2. Rotary Champions:
In partnership with other local Rotary clubs, we recognize the outstanding scholar athlete in each sport at all 37 high schools in the Colorado Springs area. Scholar/athletes receive certificates and awards recognizing their individual achievement when they and their families are treated to a gala banquet held in May of each year. Also, the outstanding boy and girl scholar/athlete receive a $5,000 scholarship to continue their academic and athletic achievement. See Curt Ormond for additional information. The 2021 event scheduled in early May, was cancelled because of COVID19. Information is available at https://rotarychampions.com
3. Rotary Making a Difference:
This Club-sponsored program provides dental services for children age 1-18. Dental care is provided through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Peak Vista Community Health Centers. Rotary Makes a Difference received a Rotary International grant and more recently, a District 5470 grant. Through this program the Club provides needed dental treatment to 15 to 30 children in El Paso County each year.
4. Queen Palmer Elementary School Reading Program:
This literacy program engages Club members tutor children at Taylor Elementary School one on one. Tutors meet with assigned students for 30 minutes each for 24 sessions during the school year.
5. Diamond Awards:
Recognition for six outstanding high school teachers in Colorado Springs School District 11 - one from each High School. Teachers are nominated by their students and a club panel reviews nomination packages and observes finalists and students interact in the classroom and selects the award winners.
6. Salvation Army Bell Ringers:
The Club partners with the Salvation Army to brighten the Christmas for needy families in El Paso County. Club volunteers manned the Red Kettles to collect Christmas time donations.
7. High School Needs Based Scholarships:
The Rotary Club of Colorado Springs generally offers two $5,000.00 needs based scholarships to seniors graduating from either Palmer or Wasson High School in Colorado Springs School District 11. The purpose of these scholarships is to help local students further their academic studies or vocational training and aid them in achieving their full potential in life. Scholarship award is based on a demonstrated financial need, commitment to community service, and scholastic performance. We seek to provide opportunities to a wide range of students who give of themselves to their communities. Our scholarships are not just for students entering traditional four year college programs but are also available for students entering vocational/technical schools and programs, apprenticeships, and two-year colleges. In 2020 the program had to be modified and the Scholarship Committee comprised of eight Rotarians chose eight scholarship recipients from the twenty-four applications received. Each scholar will receive $1,250 toward the college, university, or trade school of their choice. The students and their college choices are:
1. Leo Zook, Palmer High School, CU - Boulder
2. Lovie Fairbanks, Odyssey Echo, UCCS
3. Julie Riddle, Achieve Online, University of Chester, England
4. Sabastian Ortega, Odyssey Echo, Colorado School of Mines
5. Cheyenne Merriam, Palmer High School, UCCS
6. Maria Torres-Gonzales, Mitchell High School, Fort Hays State University
7. Wesley Wright, Palmer High School, Rice University
8. Cambria Germann, Palmer High School, Point Loma Nazarene University
8. Mock Trial Competition:
The Rotary Club of Colorado Springs partners with local high schools, El Paso County Court, and the El Paso County Bar Association to sponsor an annual Mock Trail competition in the County Courthouse. Winning teams go on from this competition to represent their school in state and then national Mock Trail competitions. Our local event had 17 competing teams this year. Each team has 10 members and a teacher or school administrator to guide the team. This year there were 25 trials to decide the final winner. These trails were conducted in the County Courthouse. Supporting the trials were volunteers through out our community. Our Club supplied 40 lay volunteers to serve as judges and time keepers. The County Bar Association supplied approximately 50 lawyers and several local judges to oversee the competition.
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