This Friday we honor our teachers with our Annual Diamond Awards. They have had quote a lot to deal with since March. Friday, we celebrate some great teachers who have stayed the course for our kids. I’m looking forward to this excellent program and I think everyone who has worked so hard to put it together. We also recognize one of our honorary members, Ken Schinstine, who has recently gone on to Glory. He was an integral part of this club for years before Claudine came on board to assume those club duties. Rest in power my friend.
Flight is NEXT WEEKEND!!! We will have the dress rehearsal on 24 September. We have the Pre-Flight Social Event Thursday, 16 September from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Lawrence Dryhurst Gallery (122 E. Kiowa). Bring your masks and we look forward to seeing you there. Thank you Wayne Smisek for hosting this event for us. The silent auction is live on www.csflight.org. Please start your bidding and share the link with your friends. There is a post on the club Facebook page about the silent auction. Please share it and encourage people to engage with it. This event is going to be outstanding and we can all breathe a sigh of relief on Sunday the 27th. It will be well deserved!
I’m looking forward to seeing you all online this Friday for the Diamond Awards. That day is also the 150th anniversary of Colorado Springs. #OlympicCityUSA
This October, arts & culture takes center stage in Colorado Springs and across the Pikes Peak region, as our community celebrates Arts Month 2020! Orchestrated annually by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, Arts Month elevates the visibility of arts & culture across El Paso and Teller Counties by showcasing local talent, providing opportunities for arts advocacy, supporting cross-sector collaborations, and creating new avenues for arts engagement and cultural enrichment. Despite the challenges of COVID19, our seventh annual Arts Month celebration promises to be our biggest and best ever, with lots of new and exciting ways for community members and visitors to: “Have at least one new cultural experience [virtual or in-person] with family or friends this October!”
Rotarian Andy Vick is an experienced leader and arts administrator who believes in the power of the creative sector to drive economic development, build community, grow tourism, and enhance quality of life for everyone. As the Executive Director of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, Andy oversees the daily operation and financial management of the non-profit, local arts agency serving El Paso and Teller Counties. In conjunction with his work at the Cultural Office, Andy has been appointed by the Governor of Colorado to serve as a Council member for Colorado Creative Industries (the State Arts Agency), and a Board member for the Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority. At the national level, he serves as the Vice-Chair of the United States Urban Arts Federation (an advisory council for Americans for the Arts). Locally, Andy is a Board member of Visit Colorado Springs, an ex-officio Board member of the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC, an Honorary Commander at the United States Air Force Academy, and a member of the Regional Leadership Forum, the Pikes Peak Heroes Legacy Committee, and as we know, the Downtown Colorado Springs Rotary Club. In addition, Andy is a graduate of the 2016 Colorado Springs Leadership Institute program, the 2015 Leadership Pikes Peak Signature program, and Colorado Creative Industries’ 2015 Change Leaders Program. Andy is also an experienced public speaker and consultant on the topic of using the arts as a tool for economic development and community vitality.
Rotarian Wayne & Betz Smizek have opened their gallery at 122 E Kiowa St tonight for a properly masked and socially distanced evening to view and admire the beautiful petite butterflies and dragonflies - 5:30 pm - 7 pm. You can buzz in and pick up your raffle tickets or deliver your raffle ticket money
2020 has been a year of extreme challenges world wide. The pandemic . coupled with natural disasters, violence and resulting economic impacts have had a major negative impact on millions of people around the globe, including Rotarians. While it is too early in this Rotary year to make any real projections, overall giving to Rotary programs is down since the pandemic began. This is not surprising but, unfortunately, is occurring as the needs for Rotarian help are dramatically increasing.
The engine that drives our ability to help others through District and Global Grants is the Annual Fund. Please make an extra effort to encourage all Rotarians who are able to contribute to the Annual Fund . Not everyone may be in a position to make a large contribution but most of your members can probably contribute something to the Fund.
On August 31, 2020 the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs put on a golf tournament honoring long time Rotarian Craig Whitney who passed away last summer.
Craig was a good friend to all of his fellow Rotarians and the Club decided that a fun event was the best way to honor and remember him. Craig was a big supporter of the Salvation Army as well and led our club in turning out bell ringers for the Red Kettle drive every year.
Craig was also an active member of the Flight Committee.
The tournament netted a little over $15,000.00. A $7,500.00 check was presented to the Salvation Army at the event and the balance of $9,750.00 will be transferred to the Flight Account to support the efforts of Flight to raise funds for D11 and Club projects.
The golf tournament was a great success! 104 golfers, most of whom were friends of Craig and his son Kyle, participated.
24 Rotarians volunteered to work at the tournament making the event possible .
18 hole sponsors contributed to the success of the event. They were:
Amnet
Blazer Electric Supply Co.
C &C Sand and Stone Co
CD Specialty Contractors
Colorado Hazard Control
Dignity (Swan Law)
FirstBank
Gaddis Group Anyhomenow.com
GE Johnson Holding Company
Groninger Concrete
The Kiemel Family
Level up
Michael McGrath
Olson Plumbing & Heating Co
Pikes Peak Club
The Saturday Breakfast Club
Stockmens Bank
Wash & Roll Laser Car Wash
Many individuals generously donated as well, including:
John Buckley
Donley Law
Nunn Construction
Gavin Light
Incognito Marketing
Sam Masias
Jim Mundt
Tom Naughton
Tom Nelson
Dan Rockhill
Vicki Scandrett
John Weiler
The support for the event from the community and the Club is a testament to Craig Whitney’s life.
*** The club thanks Donna Dell'Olio for all of HER tireless efforts! Service Above Self in action!
Where were you born and where did you grow up?I was born and grew up in Yuba City, California, a smallish farming community north of Sacramento. Yuba City has the distinction of being the home of Sunsweet Growers Inc., manufacturer of Sunsweet prunes, and therefore home in the 1990’s of the annual Prune Festival. We were also rated by Rand McNally the worst place to live in America in 1985, the same year Pittsburgh was rated #1. We consoled ourselves by blaming city leaders who thought pitting a town of 20,400 against actual metropoli was a good idea. I mean, sure, our only symphony is composed of students and other volunteers, but have you ever heard the 1812 Overture playing with popping brown paper bags in lieu of cannons? It’s a unique experience, and you surely can’t find that in Pittsburgh.
Have you lived outside the US? If so, where and for how long? I lived in Grenoble, France for a year in college. I took courses at l’Institut Politique and taught English to make travelling money. I got short-changed at the Vatican, stranded in the Cotswolds, England, and generally had a marvelous time.
Coffee or tea? Both! Either! All caffeine is good caffeine. Except Diet Pepsi. Diet Pepsi is gross.
Do you currently or have you ever played a musical instrument? I play the piano and the string bass.
Favorite sport to watch? Favorite sport to play? Favorite sports teams? What are sports? (Editor's note: )
What board positions have you held in our club or in prior clubs? In our club, I’ve been the Director of International Services, Club Secretary, the Director of Membership, Club President, and Immediate Past President. I’m also currently the Administration and Management Chair for Rotary District 5470.
As you're doing your shopping online, did you know that you can support our Rotary Club with every Amazon purchase? Here’s how:
Go to smile.amazon.com (not amazon.com). Amazon Smile is the same company, same account, same password, but the Amazon Smile program gives one half of one percent of every purchase to charity. No, it’s not a lot, but it’s also not nuthin’ (to be exact: about $150 for the Club so far). So again, go to smile.amazon.com
Sign into your Amazon account as you normally would
On the very top left of the page, next to the AmazonSmile logo, are three horizontal bars. Click there for the drop-down menu.
Scroll ALL the way down to “Your AmazonSmile”; it should be the last option right before “Sign Out”; Click on “Your AmazonSmile”
On the right side of the page, click on the “change charity” box under Your current charity (Note: If you are currently supporting another charity, that’s awesome! These instructions are for those who are not doing so. Also, if you have not previously selected a charity, your default option will be St. Judge Children’s Research Hospital.)
Type in Community Service Fund of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs; click Select
That’s it. You’re all set. Just remember to go to Smile.Amazon.com when you shop from now on.
I learned a valuable lesson this week. I've stayed home SOOOOOO much since March and even for someone who is USED TO being home lots, it gets to me. But in those moments when I do meet with someone, I'm reminded how much it means to be around people and how much it means to have great people in my life. I don't mean negative-nellys. I mean the friends who empower you and validate you and laugh with you and give you a fancy ankle bump! I have a bunch of those so I'm working my way through my friends with some zoom or coffee dates! I belly laughed today like never before when I met one of my friends for lunch to celebrate her birthday. I had a lovely coffee date with Dr Finkleman after that to celebrate his birthday from August 31 (and I got to see his beautiful new Tesla!) I'm learning that it's possible to get out while still wearing a mask, social distancing and still get to belly laugh across the yard with the people who rock your world. I challenge you to find creative and safe ways to get your peopling on! Of course we all have our areas of concern so if you don't feel good about getting out, please start up a free Zoom account and start zooming with your friends or FaceTime or Duo or Discord or . . .there are many programs that have free video capability. It's not exactly like being in the same room with them, but certainly better than not seeing them at all.
That brings me to another point. I am incredibly grateful for our technology! Can you imagine Covid without our phones, computers, and other electronic devices? I don't even want to think about that!
I am also very grateful for the Rotarians that keep showing up and/or checking in. Friday is still my favorite day of the week!
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