Chartered by Rotary International on March 15, 2002, Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks celebrated its twentieth anniversary at the club’s March 16 meeting held at Sedona Public Library.
Of the club’s twenty-five original charter members, Allen Bradley, John Bradshaw, Ron Draxler, Donna Hawk and Randy Sosin remain active. Each of these five were awarded an honorary Paul Harris Fellowship presented at the meeting by Rotary District 5495’s Governor Bret McKeand. Paul Harris, for whom the fellowship is named, founded Rotary in Chicago in 1905. Rotary is now the world’s oldest and largest service organization with over 1.4 million members in 46,000 clubs around the world.
Other Rotarian guests at the celebration were Rotary District 5495 Assistant Governor Joe Sweeney, Heather Hermen, president of the Sedona Village of Oak Creek Rotary club and Tom Taylor a long-time member and past president of the Rotary Club of the Verde Valley located in Cottonwood.
Red Rocks Rotary provides service to the local community and, in partnership with Rotary districts and clubs worldwide, brings much needed assistance where needed. The club’s principal focus is youth-oriented projects and programs throughout the Verde Valley. Since 2002, according to the club’s treasurer Donna Hawk, Red Rocks Rotary has funded more than $300,000 in support.