Out of the Ashes ~ Santa Rosa Sunrise Rises
This story goes beyond our recent meeting at Pacific Coast Air Museum at Santa Rosa's Charles Schulz Airport last week. Given this date five years prior in 2017, our club, its members, and our district have witnessed over 1500 sunrises into new dawns of personal and community challenge. MJ Girard a member of Sunrise Rotary at the time was quoted in the Press Democrat with recollections of his acute awakening the morning of the Tubbs fire.
Each of us have experienced deep adaptations to events of that first fire and of those in succeeding years. As individuals, as members of Rotary, our landscapes are permanently changed. This article is dedicated to the remarkable resilience inspired by the events set ablaze back then.
Members lost homes: Amend's, Bridge's, Carlenzoli's, Chaney's, Coffey's, Girard, Olsen's, O'Rear's parents, Riels'. Relocation stress eventually claimed Rolf Wessman. Evacuations affected all. Arising amidst the recovery efforts was Rotary Fire Relief, an expanded outreach from Lake County area Rotary Clubs local response to earlier fires. Members of Sunrise joined dozens of other District 5130 members in interviewing and assisting in applicants for recovery grants, funded by worldwide contributions and distributed to survivors putting their livelihoods back on track. Over one million dollars were raised and the model of administration shared with other districts, including 5150 in Marin County, where Sunrise made a presentation to the Novato club. Kagoshima generously contributed over $40,000 towards our recovery! Members donned heavy duty PPE to assist Leroy Carlenzoli clear and prepare his lot for rebuilding. We adjusted, we adapted. We continue to learn and better understand our interdependence.
The Fountaingrove Inn which had been our weekly meeting venue was lost to the fire. Del knows the story on how our club banners badges and supplies survived. Our first in person meeting was at Church of the incarnation weeks after. More moist eyes than dry were seen in our faces as our sagas were shared. Our resilience and focus on leveraging the ongoing recovery process is echoed in Sunrise' community engagement, at Redwood Empire Food Bank, Women's Recovery Center, The Living Room and Forget Me Not Farm to name a few. President Doug Shureen and his Board had to navigate to a new venue in a sea of competing priorities. They led us through!!
Taken shortly before the Tubbs Fire incinerated our venue at the Fountaingrove Inn, this photo displays the enthusiasm embedded in Sunrise. That vitality is our DNA to act and serve, each other and the wider community, regardless of the season or time of day.
And, we had an invigorating and informative Sunrise meeting at the Pacific Coast Air Museum.
Lori Rodirgues and Steve Zwick braved the hour and the temp. We all heed the call.
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