Pictures of 8 of our Rotary Club members planting trees along the Quil Cedar stream that was previously cleared for farming. The tree planting in time will help salmon who require shade and cool water temperatures during the summmer months. The goal of the project is to plant a variety of tree species and large shrubs to create a natural habitat and give Salmon and other species a better chance of survival. Thanks Errin for heading up this project on a rain filled day.
Danielle Mullen from the Rotary Club of La Conner was at our club on Friday selling tulips. This is an annual event and our club members enjoy buying fresh tulips from Danielle.
Rotary Hands Across the Border
Rotary Hands Across the Border has become a valued annual tradition for Rotarians in
our district. As the Peace Arch District, we gather beneath the Peace Arch to join hands
in a visible demonstration of our shared commitment to peace, friendship, and solidarity
with Rotarians on both sides of the international border.
As in past years, each club is encouraged to make a meaningful contribution to The
Rotary Foundation and to bring a large presentation check for a commemorative group
photo recognizing that gift. Since the days of Golfun fundraising for TRF, many clubs
have included this annual contribution in their budgets and in their goals through Rotary
Club Central.
This year’s Rotary Hands Across the Border event will be held on August 8th 2026 at noon. A separate
invitation will be sent to all Rotarians in the district. The purpose of this message is to
help you add the event to your club calendar now and to ensure your club has budgeted
funds for a contribution to The Rotary Foundation at this special gathering.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Shawn
Shawn O’Donnell
District Governor 2027–28
shawn.rotary5050@gmail.com
Our guest speaker on Friday, April 10th was Dr. Anshu Chandra, Haiti Eye Clinic Director, Global Eye Project and fellow Rotarian. Dr. Chandra has worked in Haiti for the last 15 years building and advancing eye care for the poor. She is working to end disparities in eye care globally by brining this service to remote areas and giving them health equity. When she went to Haiti, she referred to it as a “Life Changing Journey”.
Our guest speaker on Friday, April 3rd was Melanie Ryan, the Founder of Beck's Place. The non-profit removes pet related barriers to human health, safety, and security. Beck's Place fosters temporary pet boarding while Snohomish County families access essential services like housing, medical care, or domestic violence support. The program ensures families can focus on achieving stability while knowing their beloved pets are cared for and will return home to them.
Who do they Serve: the average Beck's Place family is a household of three persons, two pets and an average income below $16K. They are currently looking for an organization in Lake Stevens that Beck's Place can partner with.
Each week at our weekly meeting, Ilene provides our members with a thought for the week. Here are the two most recent thoughts. This “thought for the week” was mentioned at our meeting on Friday, April 03.
A couple of weeks ago, the “thought for the week” was "Lemonading: a way of approaching problems or challenges in lifw involves remaining positive and optimistic and seeing them as opportunities for growth or improvements". The members look forward to Ilene's thought of the day each week, enjoying the positive messages that just make your day.
As he prepares to move permanently to the Boise, ID area, Mayor Brett Gailey, a member of our Club was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow framed certificate by President Brian Rewis. The award was a result of a generous transfer of points by Rand Southam. The award was given for his support of our Rotary Club and his work on behalf of the citizens of Lake Stevens. Congratulations Brett!!
This week's program included an update on the Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue. Jim Steinruck, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners introduced Chief Brian Park. On his first day in the community, Mayor Brett Gailey took him on a walking tour of the lake. The Chief congratulated the Mayor who is resigning on April 13th to relocate to Idaho for his work on behalf of the community.
SRFR is a multifaceted organization. In 2023, SRFR became the first accredited department in Snohomish County reflecting a commitment to continuous improvement. The Chief stated that accreditation focuses on enhancing service delivery and business practices, which may help lower citizens insurance costs.
Our guest speaker on Friday, March 20th was President-Elect Lance Morehouse. He began is conversation with stating that at the Leadership Symposium, Rotary announced that the number of wild polio virus cases in the world is 0. Surveillance mode over the next two years. This could be the second time in history that we have eradicated polio.
During his lifetime, Lance has attended many, many leadership conferences. But, Rotary has the best leadership program of all and something that is worth attending when you are the President-Elect. Like the slide above, Rotary is a Leadership Organization and Rotarians are People of Action. A video followed that was all about sharing our knowledge, vision and connection and turning ideas into action. You can see his presentation on our YouTube Channel-Lake Stevens Rotary.
On Friday, March 13th, Mayor Brett Gailey, a member of our Club provided our members an overview on the State of the City. The Mayor started his presentation by stating that the city was going to honor former Councilman Marcus Tageant by naming the pond by the new City Hall complex in his honor. The Mayor said that Marcus often commented that he got fish in the pond when he was young, The city has embarked on the City of Lake Stevens Learn Center of Excellence Mission Statement which is a 14-16 person course.
Our wonderful treasurer, Laurie Westover shows off her "You Might Be A BIG DEAL, but I know RICKELLE tee-shirt on Friday, March 13th. Ahh, Friday the 13th, something must be in the air around us.
The fourth of our new members, Tony Matesi, receives his membership packet including badge from Past President Ron and Amy Lewandowski his sponsor on Friday, March 13th. Welcome to the Lake Stevens Rotary, Tony.
Our Club has been a sponsor of Troop 88 since its beginning. Time to order your mulch from a great organization of Scouts in Lake Stevens, follow the order request above.
Lake Stevens Rotary Charitable Foundation co-chairs from left Bob Howe and Pierce Roberts were are speakers on March 6th talking about the importance of The Rotary Foundation internationally and locally on projects important to each Rotary Club. The Rotary Foundation was established in 1917. The Foundation has given away over $3 billion. Both speakers talked about the importance of each of our Club members giving $100.
In 2024-25 there were 468 district grants at $29 million. 74 disaster response grants amounting to $1.9 million. 1,423 global grants at $88.2 million and 1 program of scale grants at $2 million. 8% of funds are spent on program awards and operations. Impressive!
Erinn Matesi, the third of four recent new members receives her membership packet from Membership Co-Chair Rickelle Pegrum. Included in the kit is her membership badge, Rotary pin, Certificate and so much more.
Rotary and partners deploy health workers to confront malaria and more through the five-year-old Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia program.
Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai to speak at the Rotary Convention in
A Rotarian works to dispel myths about polio vaccinesDiana Maria PirgaRotary Club of Türkiye Evrensel, District 2430Digital community engagement specialist, UNICEF PakistanI was looking for
Rotary International moves Barcelona convention to 2027BARCELONA (April 6, 2026) – Barcelona, Spain, has been selected to host Rotary’s international convention, which is often described by attendees as a mini-United
Learn how Rotary clubs are taking action in Mexico, Canada, Latvia, and India.
