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ShelterBox
May 12, 2022
Leo Lawrenson is the President and Founder of Lawrenson Services Inc. (LSI), a firm providing a wide range of technical public and corporate financial services, including pool structuring and management, loan and lease origination and servicing, cash flow analyses, arbitrage compliance and computer consultation. He is a Registered Municipal Advisor and the manager of the day-to-day technical aspects of LSI, including all project management. He has more than 40 years of progressive experience in municipal finance, debt analysis, and financial consulting, and more than 45 years of IT, networking, and MIS management expertise. Before starting his own firm, Leo worked for Lehman Brothers in the Student Loan, Education, Health, Housing, Power, Special Products, and Banking Services Groups. He was also the recognized in-house automation and technology expert, and the Atlanta Office Manager. Before joining Shearson Lehman Hutton, Mr. Lawrenson was hired by Kutak Rock & Campbell, a national 200-attorney law firm specializing in public finance, in his first year at Georgetown University Law School. Besides doing legal work for Wall Street clients and the Soviet Union, he served as National Director of Information Processing. Mr. Lawrenson attended the US Air Force Academy, New Mexico State University, California State University, and Stanford University, and has degrees in Physics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. He retired from the United States Air Force Reserve in 2005 as a Colonel with 30 years of active and reserve military service. His last assignment was with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, providing Homeland Security and Military Support to Civil Authorities. He was the Air Force Battle Captain for 9-11. Leo has been in Rotary since 2009 and has held nearly every Club position, including serving as President in two different Clubs. He has been Club Rotarian of the Year twice, District Rotarian of the Year, and is a Major Donor, Benefactor and Paul Harris Society member. He has been District 6910 Interact Chair, Youth Services Director, and on the Board of Directors. He is a Rotary Leadership Institute Discussion Leader and Tech Support Specialist, as well as a ShelterBox Ambassador. Before relocating to Tucson, he was tapped to be District Communication Officer, and asked to be DGND. He is a new member of the Oro Valley Club and its Club Service Chair. He has gone to Myanmar with Alliance for Smiles (cleft palate/lip surgery group) and is scheduled to go to Bangladesh in 2022. Leo sings in church choirs, was in a prison band, plays many different musical instruments, is a pilot, scuba diver, hiker, soccer and tennis player, and loves to cook. |
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Antarctica
May 19, 2022
Myron L. Donald has been to every state, every continent and more than 80 countries. He was once upon a time fairly fluent in Spanish, French and German, but edits the Club bulletin and the District newsletter in English. He is a retired Air Force officer, fighter pilot and finish carpenter. He grew up on a corner of his grandfather’s farm near Moravia, a town in central New York. His dad was a carpenter; his mother was a housewife. He has two younger brothers and a younger sister, three sons, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. One son is a registered nurse, another is a mechanical engineer at Raytheon and the third is a computer programmer and materials tester for prosthetics. He graduated from the Air Force Academy with a BS in Basic Science in 1965, entered basic pilot training at Craig AFB, Selma, AL, just a few months after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s civil rights march to Montgomery, then transitioned to the F-4 Phantom II at George AFB, Victorville, CA, before heading off to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in September, 1967. After flying mostly night truck-hunting missions over Viet Nam and Laos, he was shot down by a Mig-21on a day mission near Hanoi during the Tet Offensive in February, 1968, and immediately captured after parachuting into a rice paddy. He was released in March, 1973, after more than five years as a POW. After receiving an MA in English Literature from the UofA, he was assigned to Ramstein AB, Germany for four years and then finally to Griffiss AFB in Rome, NY. He retired to Tucson in 1986, joined Tucson Sunrise Rotary and returned to the UofA for an MBA in Entrepreneurship. He then worked for 25 years as a finish carpenter before completely retiring in 2012. He continues to travel whenever possible, reads lots of pulp fiction, goes to plays, concerts, and movies, attends many adult-education classes and is a ballroom and country dancer. |
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Plant the Water First: Landscaping for an Arid Climate
Jun. 02, 2022
Plant the Water First: Landscaping for an Arid Climate Charlene Westgate is owner of Westgate Garden Design, an ecological landscape design firm in Green Valley, creating beautiful landscapes in harmony with nature. By making Nature an ally in the design process, landscapes are not only more attractive but are easier and less expensive to maintain, save water, and provide greater year-round enjoyment. Charlene is a proud Rotarian, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Green Valley where she serves on their Foundation Board. Charlene stays active in the community as a member of the Board of the Green Valley-Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce, and the Green Valley Council’s Architecture and Planning Committee and the Park Advisory Board. Westgate Garden Design was named the Chamber Home Based Business of the year in 2017, and the Pima County Rural Small Business of the Year in 2019. In a region where water is becoming more scarce and outdoor water use accounts for as much as 70 percent of our residential water consumption, rain gardens provide a beautiful solution. A rain garden, also known as passive water harvesting, is “a simple depression in the ground that becomes a watery oasis every time it rains.” Rainwater harvesting earthworks contour the soil to make use of rainwater runoff. This approach adds interest to the landscape, saves water and reduces our reliance on groundwater, while providing plants with free, clean, salt-free water. Best of all, rain gardens are an easy and impactful way that we Rotarians can contribute to the environment—one of Rotary International’s Areas of Focus—and to do it in our own backyard. |
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Citizen Diplomacy
Jun. 09, 2022
Pat has been the Executive Director of Citizen Diplomacy Alliance since 2010, shortly after moving to Tucson from Southeastern Iowa. |
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Tohono Chul
Jun. 16, 2022
Jamie Maslyn Larson FASLA Executive Director, Tohono Chul Park Jamie Maslyn Larson FASLA is the Executive Director of Tohono Chul, a 49-acre public garden in the Sonoran Desert region of Tucson, Arizona. Jamie is an award-winning landscape architect whose career has focused on creating transformative public spaces for people to enjoy, including projects such as the Longwood Gardens Master Plan, NYC’s Governors Island Park, Miami Beach Soundscape, and Houston Botanic Garden Master Plan. With more than 25 years of experience and over $200 million in built works, Jamie’s work is globally recognized, locally loved, widely published and has garnered multiple design awards. Her commitment to creating inclusive community engagement processes and innovative ideas insures that projects not only look good, bur perform better socially, environmentally and economically. Jamie is known for her dedication to equity, having co-founded WxLA, a gender justice initiative in landscape architecture. Tohono Chul is a private non-profit 501c3 whose mission is to enrich people’s lives by connecting them with the wonders of nature, art, and culture in the Sonoran Desert region and inspire wise stewardship of the natural world. Deemed “One of the World’sTen Best Botanical Gardens” by Travel and Leisure Magazine, Tohono Chul has been celebrated in the greater Tucson area as one of its “best kept secrets” for nearly 40 years.
Media Contact: Michelle Armstrong, Office (520)742-6455 ext.221, marmstrong@tohonochul.org |
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Bali Sewing for Living Project
Jun. 23, 2022
Sewing for Living In 2019, before the pandemic began, then President of Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset [RCBUS], Kartika [Tika] Dewi, launched a new program. Called Sewing for Living, it teaches local women to sew using sewing machines and to crochet. Balinese women have always had multiple jobs: take care children and family, doing all the housework, providing help to the community, and assisting at temple and cultural events, among other duties. It is important for women to make their own money, not only for their self-esteem, but to enable each of them to support her entire family. Sewing For Living teaches marketable skills that women can use from their homes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these women are the sole providers for their families. Thanks to Tika, Rotary Club of Seaford Australia stepped forward to donate sewing machines. In 2021, RCBUS introduced crochet lessons to Sewing for Living. They quickly discovered that yarn was scarce and expensive in the local markets, so they reached out to Rotary Clubs Tucson Sunrise and New Tampa Noon in the United States who both donated financial support, fabric, and boxes of yarn. Private citizens from Australia and the US also donate yarn. Rotary Club E-Cologne in Germany is also involved. They supply vital markets for the items that the Sewing for Living women produce. The holiday season found E-Cologne staffing a Christmas Market where attendees could donate to Sewing for Living and receive a gift of a handmade item in return. The money donated went directly to the women who crocheted and sewed the items in the market. People in Bali also purchase handmade items which are then sent to charities in Australia, in Rocky Point in Mexico, and in the US. Marion Hook – Bio Marion has lived in Eastford, Connecticut; Elkins, West Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Jakarta, Indonesia; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Tucson, Arizona. She currently lives in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia where she intends to stay. Her educational background includes a degree in English literature, drama and journalism and another in education. She has studied applied linguistics at a graduate school level longer than anyone needs to –her words. She has been employed as a high school English teacher, a professor of communications skills in a community college, and as a director of several not-for-profits. She has been self-employed as a consultant for Board and fundraising development in the not-for-profit sector and as co-owner with her late husband, Jim, of the Adobe Rose Bed and Breakfast in Tucson, Arizona. She currently writes an occasional article for Tucson’s DesertLeaf. Marion just can’t resist volunteering and has been appointed to serve on over 12 Boards of Directors in three different states and one national Board in Washington, DC. She also served on the advisory board of Enterprising Women magazine, the advisory board of the School of International Business at Duquesne University, and served on both the Small, Minority and Women-owned Business Commission for the City of Tucson and the Pima County Small Business Commission. Marion has two daughters, one who lives with her family in Blackmans Bay, Tasmania, Australia, and one who lives with her husband in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
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Club Assembly
Jul. 07, 2022
Mara Robinson was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the 4th child with 3 older brothers. She moved to Fargo N. Dakota at age 2 where she grew up. In her second year of high school her family moved to Minneapolis, Minn., where she finished high school. She attended Moorhead State College in Moorhead Minn. She married her first husband in 1976, in 1981 she moved to Tucson and had her only child Faye. In 1986 she rented space and started her own Drapery workroom. In 1990 she married her husband, Daniel Robinson. In 1999 She purchased her 6,000 SQ Ft. building where she runs her business now. She has served on the Board of the “American Society of Interior Designers”, which she has been a member for 30+ years. She joined the Rotary Club of Tucson Sunrise April 15, 2003 (19 years and 2 months). While growing up her father, Ray Coleman, was President of his Rotary Clubs in Fargo, Minneapolis, and Tucson. The family hosted foreign exchange students, and as a family attended the International Rotary Convention in Denver CO. One of Mara’s favorite memories was in Fargo, at a Rotary Father/ Daughter Christmas lunch, a very special day with her dad. Mara says her Dad was very happy when she joined Rotary. Starting her business on her own as a single mother was difficult, and challenging. Many long days into nights to meet deadlines. In the beginning she did it all, sales, manufacturing, shipping and billing. Today she has 6 employees and does residential and commercial projects. Some of her more recent projects include the draperies for Casino Del Sol Hotel and Resort. Her longest residential client is in Martha’s Vineyard where she has shipped thousands of shades. Her company also does model homes for Arizona, Utah, and Nevada for Richmond American Homes. In her free time, she rides her horse “Zip n Slide”, spends time with her daughter Faye, her husband Billy and her 3 Grandsons, William, Dylan, and Jackson. She has 2 dogs, 3 lovebirds, and a pond full of fish. Mara is a two-time Breast Cancer survivor and is always grateful for her added time to enjoy life. Induction of Board and Directors by Julie Reppenhagen,Past President of Danbury-Sunrise and Green Valley Rotary Clubs, District Governor 2010-2011 District 7980 (So CT) . Julie moved from Connecticut to Green Valley, AZ in 2014. She worked as Chapter Manager of the Western CT Chapter of the American Red Cross. Julie serves in various leadership positions both here and CT. Community Service Projects / Fundraiser: Rebecca Craig Membership Director: Jeff Farmer Global Grant: Anne Harman
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Evening Off-site, UA Tree Ring Lab, 5:30 pm
Jul. 14, 2022
Join us for an evening tour of the UA Tree Ring Lab, a favorite of our club members. We will adhere to University Covid-19 health and safety protocols, details of which can be found at https://covid19.arizona.edu/. Welcome to the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona, where the science of dendrochronology wasi nvented. Tree Ring Lab scientists are dedicated to expanding the use and application of tree-ring research around the world to improve our understanding of past climate and environmental history. Throughout the Tree-Ring Lab, you’ll find pencil-thin wood cores under microscopes and growth rings being measured with precision. They come from trees all over the world, and together they hold thousands of years of climate, forest ecology, and archaeological history. On your one-hour tour, we will explore the exciting world of dendrochronology. In 1937, the scientific study of tree-rings in America was formalized by the creation of the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR) here at the University of Arizona in Tucson. By that time, founder Andrew Ellicott Douglass had been working with wood for over 30 years, and so the tradition of dendrochronology here in Tucson is older than the Lab itself. The LTRR has long since given up the distinction of being the nation's only dendrochronology lab, but we have helped to found many dendrochronology labs around the world. Our unique heritage is still a source of pride, and it encourages us today to remain dedicated to our ideals: excellence in research, excellence in teaching, and excellence in outreach.
Parking: We advise all visitors to the UA campus to allow for extra time to access campus and parking. The closest parking is in the Sixth Street garage, which is adjacent to our building. A map and directions may be found here: http://ltrr.arizona.edu/map Parking Rates may be found here: https://parking.arizona.edu/visitors/garage_rates.php
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How to use Club Runner
Jul. 21, 2022
Georg will talk about Clubrunner, an online platform most Rotary Clubs and Rotary Districts in the world are using to manage their members and activities. Clubrunner is a great online platform and tool for clubs to stay connected. Even though Clubrunner has been around since 2002 / 2003 and was adopted by our club in 2010 or so, many questions still seem to be unanswered and or the power of clubrunner has not been taken full advantage of. We would like to change that and Georg will answer questions such as but not limited to
What is Clubrunner?
Why do we use it?
Why is it important to our club / Rotary?
How do we use it effectively?
What can you do with Clubrunner?
...and others.
So, if you have any questions you like to see addressed, please email them to Georg at hg.haubner@gmail.com not later than Wednesday afternoon.
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Evening Off-site Tohono Chul, 5 -8 pm
Jul. 29, 2022
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Kino Rotary Club Peace Pole Project: Ridin' the Peace Train
Aug. 04, 2022
Ridin’ the Peace Train Join the members of Kino Rotary Club’s Peace Pole Committee as they take you on the journey of their traveling peace poles. Travel through its initial concept, it implementation and future plans. Emma Carrillo was an educator for 45 years in the Sunnyside School District. After 2 years of retirement, she was asked to return for the 2021-2022 school year as the Interim Principal at Santa Clara Elementary School. Before becoming a principal she had 13 years as a Title 1 facilitator, providing professional development for certified staff and an elementary school teacher. Emma is a three year Rotarian and is currently serving as the Tucson Kino Rotary Club President. She serves on the Tucson Kino Peace Pole committee and is also a Kino Club Character Award committee member. Maria Patterson was in the field of education as a teacher, literacy coach, school principal both at elementary and middle school and retired as a principal supervisor for the superintendent’s cabinet. Upon her retirement she immediately joined Tucson Kino Rotary. She is involved in many of their committees and club activities. She is a Paul Harris Recipient, sponsor of the annual golf tournament fundraiser and currently co-chairs Character Awards Fall and Spring Celebration honoring high school students for their character. Ralph Nickl was born and raised in the New York metropolitan area. He attended St. Leo University in Florida where he received a degree in mathematics with a minor in Education. Ralph pursued a career in education as a teacher, coach and administrator in middle and high school. Upon retiring he moved to Southern Arizona where he has been involved with a school district as a board member and volunteer. Ralph joined Kino Rotary three years ago where he is a member of the Peace Pole, Character Awards and Golf committees. Dennis Bergquist taught a Dairy Science Program in the Minnesota state college and Universities System for 26 years. Upon Retirement 20 years ago, he joined Tucson Kino Rotary. He contracted with USDA in Washington DC providing training domestically to professionals from around the world. He volunteered to teach agricultural skills abroad traveling to 52 countries. Dennis is a Paul Harris fellow +3, past president of Kino Rotary. He is CEO of the Bergquist Foundation providing community development in Guatemala and Kenya in partnership with the Rotary Foundation. He is founder of Rotary Action Group (RAG) for Environment and Peace.
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Tucson Parks and Recreation
Aug. 11, 2022
Jennifer Psillas is the GIS Project Manager for the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department. She has a background in physical sciences and natural resources, with degrees in Geology, Geography, Watershed Management, and GIS all from The University of Arizona. Jennifer has worked for Tucson-area local governments and parks departments since 2004 and provides wide-ranging GIS and asset management support. A Tucsonan since 1998, Jennifer enjoys road trips and camping, dabbles in many craft forms, and adopted a sweet but mischievous dog named Stella during the pandemic. Tucson Parks and Recreation
Tucson Parks and Recreation’s mission is to enrich our community through inclusive, innovative, fun programs and safe, beautiful, sustainable places. The department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of 130 parks, 19 recreation centers, 26 swimming pools, three tennis centers, three urban fishing lakes, one seasonal ice rink, nature trails, sports fields, open space and undeveloped properties, special places, and hundreds of programs, including large special events that are offered throughout the year. The department also manages contracts with the nationally accredited Reid Park Zoo, five city-owned public golf courses, and the region’s largest convention and event space, the Tucson Convention Center.
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Evening social event
Aug. 18, 2022
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Bat Conservation International
Aug. 25, 2022
Kathy Gerst is an ecologist who cultivates strong partnerships across science and management applications in the Southwest. In her current role at Bat Conservation International, she coordinates bat monitoring efforts across Arizona and New Mexico to support the North American Bat Monitoring Program. She aims to bring together stakeholders, researchers, and agencies to ensure that science is collaborative and useful for the health and resiliency of ecological communities. She enthusiastically promotes the use of standardized monitoring protocols and data accessibility. Over the past 20 years, Kathy’s work and interests have led her to carry out field research across mountains, deserts, and tropical rainforests. She speaks and publishes regularly on phenology and Sonoran Desert natural history. Kathy received a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona where she studied plant reproductive ecology.
Bat Conservation International The mission of Bat Conservation International (BCI) is to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet. Bats lead us to the best opportunities to protect nature anywhere in the world. Bats are vital to our world’s ecosystems and economy, but hundreds of species face threats to their existence. Founded in 1982, BCI has grown into a globally recognized conservation organization dedicated to ending bat extinctions. Working together, our goal is to redefine what is possible in global conservation, through the utilization of cutting-edge tools, technology, and training to create a real, measurable impact.
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Polio Eradication in Arizona
Sep. 08, 2022
Johanne Harrigan is a history PhD student at The University of Arizona. She has a master’s degree in social work and worked as a medical social worker prior to returning to school to study history. Her area of concentration is medical history, with a particular focus on epidemic diseases and public health. Her history master’s thesis centered on the political evolution of the American Medical Association and its impact on the Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Protection Act of 1921. Most recently, she co-wrote a book chapter entitled, “Silence is Golden-Or is It? Presidential Communication During Pandemics,” to be published later this year. A homeschooler since 2005, Johanne likes to tell people that she was homeschooling long before the COVID pandemic made it popular.
Arizona and the Global Campaign to Eradicate Polio
Popular memory has a tendency to mark the 1950s as the era in which polio was defeated. But that memory is flawed. The introduction of Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine in 1955 was a seminal moment in the conquest of the disease. But Salk’s vaccine did not end the story of polio. By 1960, most of the world remained unvaccinated and polio epidemics persisted. Johanne will tell you the story of how polio eradication got started, right here in Arizona, and how the model for mass vaccination piloted here set the precedent for eradication efforts worldwide.
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Note time change to 7:30 am. Off-site visit to Roman Shades by Mara, 609 West Rillito Street, Tucson
Sep. 15, 2022 7:30 a.m.
Mara was interested in sewing at a young age and landed her first job in the industry at a high-end Women’s Fashion Store in downtown Minneapolis, where she was a fitter and seamstress under the wing of a very talented Japanese woman, who thought Mara was trainable. She was tough and demanded perfection, which has shaped my goals for quality and attention to detail. Starting her business” Roman Shades by Mara” in 1986, she rented a 1300 sq ft space in the Grant Road Industrial Center where she remained for 13 years. In 1999 she purchased her present location at 609 W. Rillito Street, expanding to 6,000 sq ft. When starting out she specialized in Roman Shades, manual and motorized. In response to her customers’ needs, she expanded her line to include draperies, swags, cornices, bedding, pillows, cushions, and many more items. Also, she is an Authorized Hunter Douglas Window Coverings Dealer. She has been a member of the Rotary Club of Tucson Sunrise for 19 years and is current President. She has been a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) as an Industry Partner for over 30 years, and has served on the Board. Her clients include, Interior Designers, Builders (Local and National), and Architects working on Commercial and Residential projects. One of her oldest and largest clients is in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, where she has sent an extensive number of projects over 35 years. In the beginning she did it all, sales, manufacturing, shipping, and office. Her first project was to make a boat cover in trade for her new IBM Typewriter! She had to drive down the street to send a fax! Being a single Mom with 1 daughter Faye, she had a bedroom set up at the shop so Faye could play or sleep while Mara would work late to meet her deadlines. Mara presently employs 5, + 2 sub-contractors, a seamstress, and an installer. Her Manager has been with her for 22 years. Large Commercial Projects require hiring extra hands for a demanding output. An example is draperies we made for the Casino Del Sol Hotel, using literally thousands of yards of fabrics. Interesting projects:
Mara always had a dream of having her own workshop, she enjoys working with beautiful fabrics, and creative people. It hasn’t always been easy to say the least, but she has overcome many challenges in her business life and personal life. She is proud to be a 2-time Breast Cancer Survivor |
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Caleb's Assist
Sep. 22, 2022
Caleb's Assist Michele Steenson is the founding president of Caleb's Assist. After the unexpected and tragic passing of Caleb in 2020, Michele and her family chose to channel their grief into developing an organization that would make a lasting impact and celebrate the memory of Caleb. His mother, Michele, and his six elder siblings dearly loved Caleb. He lived 10 incredible years. Caleb's personality reminded his family so much of his sister, Jessica, and he wanted to follow in his brother Matthew's footsteps by playing collegiate soccer. As a student at Sonoran Science Academy in Tucson, Caleb was well-known for his quick wit, daredevil spirit and unique fashion choices. He was an old soul. He was passionate about sports, Parkour (a physical training discipline), golf, bowling, basketball and his favorite, soccer. As part of the local RSL (Real Salt Lake) Southern Arizona Soccer Club, Caleb left behind his teammates, coaches and friends, including his ultimate forever best friend, Marcus. It is in his name that Caleb's Assist strives to provide resources and athletic scholarships to children in kindergarten through high school so that they too can play sports so Caleb loved.
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Club assembly
Oct. 06, 2022
President Mara Robinson will share our current status as a Club and our upcoming activities. Building on our successes from last yea., We are planning a Fundraiser at Top Golf. Celebrating World Polio Day with a gathering at Meet me at Maynard’s. Looking forward to another Clean-up Day for our Day of Service. Please join us for an interactive forum to educate our members on the changing face of our Club. |
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District Governor's visit
Oct. 13, 2022
Raised in the Detroit area, Anita earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in mathematics and mathematic education respectively fro Wayne State University in detroit and her Ph.D in Eduication from St Louis University. Anita retired in December 20212 from Penn State University as Chancellor of the Dubois campus, as role she served for 10 years. In appreciation for her service her Board and the staff established an endowment for children and youth in Dr.McDonald’s name because they knew serving this population was very important to Anita. Prior to her position at Penn State, she spent 11 years at the University of Arizona as Dean of the Extended University and Summer Sessions and seven years as the first African American ACADEMIC Dean at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. Anita has always been an active member in the communities where she has lived. Since returning to Tucson in January 2013, she continues her volunteer work focusing primarily on her involvement in Rotary and the ALS Association, Arizona Chapter. Professionally, she serves on the Board of Directors of Walden University that has as its mission, “Fostering positive social change”, and is a Trustee for Columbia College Hollywood. Anita will tell you that all of her chosen activities have one value in common: making a difference in the lives of others. Anita has been a Rotarian since 1998 when she was invited to join the Catalina Rotary Club of Tucson. She served as Club President in 2016-2017 and Public Image Chair 2017-2019. Some of her District service includes serving as a member of the Training team, as the first Awards chair in 2017, co-chair of the 2018 District Assembly on Leadership, and as Region 8 Assistant Governor and Annual Fund Giving chair from 2019 to 2021. In 2019 Anita was selected by a 12 member interview team, comprised of representatives from the entire District, to
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Cancer Conquerors and Bag It
Oct. 20, 2022
Dr. Elizabeth Almli grew up in Tucson and received her undergraduate degree in Nursing and her Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Arizona. She completed a residency in Anesthesiology at University Medical Center and has since been in private practice. Diagnosed in 2005 with an aggressive form of breast cancer, Liz underwent bilateral mastectomies, chemotherapy, and drug therapy specific for her type of cancer. Liz became passionate about helping others navigate their cancer journey, focusing on the role that exercise, nutrition, education, and peer support play. She is a Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer and volunteers teaching fitness classes for cancer survivors and their supporters. She is proud to be the President of the Tucson Cancer Conquerors, a survivorship program designed to educate, inspire, and encourage cancer survivors to be proactive about their health. Cancer free for nearly 17 years, Liz enjoys spending time on outdoor family adventures and with her two grandchildren. Amy Cojanis became an “expert” at self-advocacy by doing most everything wrong. She received a Bag It bag when she was first diagnosed with DCIS at the end of 2016, but she had no idea what type of journey was ahead of her. Her full thought process was that 2017 was going to be rough, but then it was smooth sailing after that. Having not taken advantage of all the tools the first time, she picked them up again when she was diagnosed a second time in 2018. Amy spent a year serving as the Survivor Ambassador on the Pink Panel for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. After several chance encounters with the Executive Director of Bag It, she was very happy to join the team in 2019 and has since learned all those things she wished she knew in 2016. Amy currently serves as the Administrative Services Manager with Bag It. She also serves on the board of the Tucson Cancer Conquerors. Amy considers herself lucky to be surrounded by amazing people throughout her journey and she wants to help others find similar support and education materials so they don’t have to learn the hard way.
Bag It: Cancer Assistance for Patients, Caregivers and Medical Providers
Cancer doesn’t come with a map, so we help create one with our take-everywhere binder designed to organize appointments and records. Need reliable cancer information, coping tips, support, questions to ask? It’s all in the bag. Don’t feel lost during or after treatment with Bag It as your guide.
Tucson Cancer Conquerors is a non-profit support group dedicated to empowering cancer survivors to achieve optimal wellness. We offer a peer support environment along with creative wellness programs designed to educate, inspire, and encourage cancer survivors to be proactive about their health both during and after cancer diagnosis and treatment. With a focus on exercise, nutrition, education, and support, we are here to help you successfully navigate the journey that lies ahead. You are not alone. We have your back.
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Offsite visit to Mission Garden
Oct. 27, 2022
Kendall grew up in Southern California and earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology at the University of California, Riverside. After college he worked for four years on archaeological and conservation projects and became a bird watcher. Later Kendall received a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, San Diego after twenty months of field work in central Mexico. Kendall held post-doctoral research positions at UCLA and at the Tucson VA Medical Center. In February 2002, in a departure from social science, Kendall joined the staff of the Tucson Audubon Society. There he was involved in communications, rural habitat restoration and creation of an urban bird habitat program. Kendall has served on a variety of community advisory committees including the Tucson Parks and Recreation Commission. He now works as Community Outreach Coordinator at the Mission Garden. He enjoys gardening, birding and walking dogs with his wife Mary Beth Tyndall. Mission Garden’s primary mission is to preserve, transmit and revive the region’s rich agricultural heritage by growing garden plots representative of more than 4000 years of continuous cultivation in the Tucson Basin.
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Ride to End Polio
Nov. 03, 2022
Kirk served as pastor of United Methodist congregations in the Chicago area for 37 years, including the church featured in the Hollywood movie Home Alone. He moved to Arizona in 2011 to be closer to family. His two books about the Christian faith are available from Amazon. If you’re interested in having a better understanding of healthy religion, you can ask him about the titles. He received a bachelor’s degree from Davidson College in North Carolina and graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and two other schools in the Chicago area. Kirk is an Eagle Scout, a U.S. Army veteran, a passionate fan of University of Arizona sports teams, and a Chicago Cubs baseball fan. There are four generations of Rotarians in his family, going back to his grandfather, who joined Rotary exactly 100 years ago in 1922. Kirk has served as President of three Rotary clubs and was selected to be our Southern Arizona District Governor in 2018-2019. This year he is chair of the District Finance Committee and the Ride to End Polio Committee. He has 3 children and 7 grandchildren, living in Oregon, California, and Indiana. THE RIDE TO END POLIO is almost certainly the largest fundraising event in the history of Rotary. Now in its 12th year, the idea was conceived by Rotarian Mike Harris (Rotary Club of Casas Adobes). Thanks to some remarkable developments, the Ride grew steadily and has raised more than $56,000,000. The stories are sometimes surprising and always inspiring. The program at Tucson Sunrise Rotary on November 3 will share some of the stories and help all of us District 5500 understand and take pride in the Ride!
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