The Lamplighter 
Rotary Club of Parker
March 22, 2024
 
Check Out the Website
Don't forget to check out the club's website at parkerrotary.org for the latest news and updates to our club calendar.
Something Wonderful!

There are times in the life of a Rotary Club when something wonderful happens. This is one of those times. The Dean and Ann Weaver family foundation has given our club a gift of $17,862.48 this year.  We have been told that it will be an annual gift, in an amount consistent with the estate wishes, each year for approximately ten years. Dean and Ann believed that our Rotary Club was a great force for good and thus included us in their estate as a beneficiary. Dean Weaver was a member of our club for about ten years from 1995-2005, and financially supported many of our club activities, attended meetings and social events, and often gave the inspirational message at our meetings. Year after year, Dean sponsored a hole at our annual golf tournaments as the Weaver Construction Company. Dean died, at 95, in January of 2019. Ann died, at 99, in 2022.

Dean and his wife Ann grew up on the west slope of Colorado near Delta. Dean and Ann were married in 1944, went to the University of Denver with Dean obtaining a degree in Civil Engineering and Ann a degree in Physics. They had four children, Katherine, Wes, Mary Jane, and Brenda. Dean began Weaver Construction, was its President and Owner, which was well known in Colorado with the construction of the 16th Street Mall Road surface, the lining of the Eisenhower Tunnels with tile, buildings in downtown Denver, and other commercial work. Ann was a Teacher’s Aide at Pine Lane Elementary school. They moved to Parker in about 1959 and bought a large tract of land along Cherry Creek where all the auto dealerships and apartment buildings are currently located. They built their family home on Cherry Creek where they has a barn and many ranch-farm creatures. They became members of the Parker United Methodist Church and other Parker-Denver organizations. Dean and Ann, and their family, have been part of Colorado for many generations.

If you sat and talked with the Weavers about their lives, you were always imbued with a sense of love, caring and respect. The Weavers led their lives reflecting the Four Way Test and Rotary’s Motto of Service Above Self.

A committee of veterans will be formed in the club to make recommendations for the use of this wonderful gift. Please let Michele Schultz know if you’d like to serve on this committee.

Heroes in Our Midst -- 2024 Parker Impact Award

We have heroes in our midst -- people whose service to the Parker area goes above and beyond the call of duty, who exemplify Rotary’s motto of Service Above SelfIf you know one of those heroes (whether an individual or a group), nominate them for a Parker Impact Award!   Our club sponsors the Parker Impact Award, which is presented at the State of the Town event every year (May 7, 2024).  For more information, click hereThe deadline to nominate someone is March 31.  Questions?  Contact Dan O’Neill.

Upcoming Service Opportunities -- April and May

Project CURE – Monday, April 22, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

It’s a date -- we’re back on track to volunteer once a month sorting medical supplies at Project C.U.R.E.  Mark your calendars for the fourth Monday of the month, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  No medical experience is required – just the ability to recognize that one item is the same as another.  Click here to register online for the April sorting.  Questions?  Contact Susan Gustin.

 

Parker State of the Town -- Tuesday, May 7, 7:00-10:00 a.m.

We need the help of Rotarians at this event, both at the registration table and as greeters.  Click here to sign up for a shift from 7:00-8:15.  Questions?  Contact Sue Garwood.

 

Valley Hope Golf Tournament -- Monday, May 20

Valley Hope is having its big fundraising golf tournament on Monday, May 20 at Black Bear Golf Club in Parker.  If you would like to help out at the event with tasks such as registration, they would appreciate your participation!  Click here to view the event flyer.  Of course if you would prefer to help out by playing golf, I'm sure they would welcome that, too!

International Reach -- South Africa

Rotarian Steve Budnack organized financial support from the Rotary Club of Parker to participate in a project to rebuild homes destroyed by a fire in Jim se bosh, South Africa in late December 2023.  We received the following message from Pastor Raymond of the Love in Action Movement:

Rotary Club of Parker

Thanks again for helping rebuild some of over 100 homes that were lost in the fire on Christmas Eve at Jim se bosh, South Africa.  Your gift helped with buying materials to rebuild homes as well as provide food and clothing for those who lost everything.
Your support brought hope and joy to many.  Thanks again for sharing your gifts and so quickly, it truly made a difference.

Pastor Raymond

Love in Action Movement

The photos below show some of the fire's devastation as well as ongoing food support efforts. 

Thank you for your support of the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Parker which makes these service projects possible -- both locally and internationally.

 

March Giving -- Parker Task Force

Thank you to members of the Parker community who helped support the food drive for the Parker Task Force on March 9!  Here is part of the smiling Rotary crew at the Stroh Ranch King Soopers who accepted and packed your donations.

Play Ball!  We're Watching the Rockies and Fighting Polio

What a fun way to support Rotary's polio eradication efforts! Mike Oldham will organize ordering the tickets for club members, families and friends to attend the baseball game Rockies vs. the World Champion Texas Rangers on Sunday, May 12, starting at 1:10 p.m.  Tickets are $33.00 in Section 144 this year;  $5.00 of each discounted ticket goes to polio eradication.  Please let Mike Oldham know how many tickets you would like!

New Members

We have welcomed several new members in the past few months!  Please be sure to greet them and help them get acquainted with the club.  You can use the brief information below to start a conversation and learn the rest of their stories...

From the left: Jim Boyd, Doran Woolf, mentor Alex Doyle

Doran Woolf

Doran Woolf was born in the United States but grew up in Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada.  He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance at BYU in 1982 and later a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Metropolitan State University of Denver.  Doran served as an accountant with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.   He and his family moved from Lakewood to Parker in 2019.

Doran attributes his desire to help others as his grandfather (50+ years of service as a Lions Club member) taught him from a young age.  He eagerly seeks to help someone by doing small deeds every day and looks forward to becoming involved in our community service projects.

 

From the left: Kitty Peterson, Brian Plentyhoops, Jim Boyd

Kitty Peterson

Kitty Peterson is a 20+ year Rotarian and has requested a transfer from the Sterling (CO) Rotary Club.  She grew up in Sterling.   Kitty received a Colorado State University degree in accounting and worked for Touche Ross & Company.  In 1992 she left the firm to start her own accounting business.  Kitty continues to serve on the Larimer County 4H Foundation Board of Directors, and in February through April, she is volunteering with AARP to help seniors complete their tax filings.

Kitty is service-oriented as is her daughter and granddaughter (social workers) and knows that Rotary Clubs help people in need locally and internationally.  She wants to be active in her new community, meet new people since she has recently moved here, and be a part of helping others.

 

Brian Plentyhoops

Brian Plentyhoops was born in San Francisco, California and was raised his first five years on his father’s Crow Indian reservation in Montana.  He graduated from Sonoma High School where he lettered in track, cross country, and basketball.  He studied at Santa Rosa College and worked for Sonoma Pacific Company before becoming an apprenticed electrician.   Brian worked as a licensed electrician for the Department of Defense in Vallejo, California and in Colorado Springs and Aurora, Colorado. 

Brian has a strong gratitude for his upbringing and is seeking an opportunity to serve others.

 

From the left: Cedric Woodard, Jim Boyd, Connie Woodard, mentor Janice Beller

Cedric Woodard

Cedric Woodard grew up on his family’s farm in central Iowa, where he helped his Rotarian father manage a feed mill and an animal health distributorship as he grew older.  Upon receiving a BA in Economics and Marketing from Drake University, Cedric worked for Exxon in Chicago and Houston, then for Glen Eden Ranch near Clark, Colorado and finally with the pharmaceutical animal health world.

Cedric’s goals are to support and have fun with his family, continue his personal growth, and give back to the world. He wishes to follow in his Rotarian father’s footsteps.

 

Connie Woodard

Connie Woodard was born and raised on a farm with her five siblings in Seneca, Kansas.  After business school, she worked for a garment company and then Hallmark Cards while living in Shawnee, KS.  Connie married and worked for 18 years as the accountant for her husband’s painting business. After a divorce in 1985, she worked as the meeting and event planner at Bayer Animal Health until 2001 when she started her own event planning company. 

Connie is hoping to get to know more people, be involved in community service projects, and learn more about our community.

 

 
State of the Town -- Tuesday, May 7, 2024

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Parker State of the Town -- one of our club’s signature fundraising events. 

We put on this event in conjunction with the Town of Parker.  The Town is handling many of the details, while our club is responsible for others. 

What can we each do to help with the State of the Town?

  • Make a donation to the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Parker to be a sponsor of the State of the Town.  Click here for more information on how to make a donation
  • Solicit sponsorships from local businesses.  If you plan to solicit a local business to be a sponsor of the State of the Town (e.g., your dentist, the shop where you get your car serviced),  please notify Harold McCloud (hdmccloud@comcast.netof your intention ahead of timeWe do not want a situation where a local business is being solicited by several different Rotarians

  • Volunteer at the event.  Click here to to volunteer for tasks such as registration on the day of the event

  • Attend the event.  This event is a wonderful way to network with the Parker civic and business communities.   If you make a donation to the Foundation to sponsor this event AND you plan to use the tickets that you are entitled to as a sponsor, please tell Harold McCloud (hdmccloud@comcast.net) how many of your tickets you DO plan to use.  We have to be careful not to oversell the limited number of seats available at the PACE Center.

SAVE THE DATE!  May 18, the Epic day of service

Save the date!  On Saturday, May 18, Rotarians from all over Colorado and Wyoming and points east will participate in an Epic Day of ServiceWe've been talking with Affinity Ranch (formerly Praying Hands Ranch) about projects -- it looks as though we will be painting the outsides of some of their buildings that day.  Stay tuned as details are firmed up.

Scholarships 2024

Every year one of our club’s major contributions to the community is to offer one-time scholarships to Parker-area high school seniors who are going on for further education after high school graduation, whether in college or in a vocational school.  This year’s scholarship application is available now on our website at https://parkerrotary.org/page/scholarships

Our focus in selecting recipients is on need and on Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self.  Please spread the word about this opportunity for high school seniors to anyone you think might be interested -- neighbors, grandkids, whoever!  The deadline to apply is Friday, April 12, 2024.

Did You Know? – Ways to Donate to the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Parker

All of the service projects our club undertakes are supported by funding from the Foundation of the Rotary Club of ParkerWhen we support the Foundation, we help make service projects possible.

We have several fundraisers for the Foundation planned in 2024:

  • State of the Town (May)

  • Palisade peach sales (August)

  • Parker Uncorked wine festival (October)

With State of the Town and Parker Uncorked, we solicit sponsorships from local businesses.  You can get an idea of our current sponsors on the Home page of our club website.

As a Rotarian, in addition to supporting the fundraisers through your volunteering and soliciting of sponsorships, you can make direct donations to the Foundation through four mechanisms:

  • By Zelle (the preferred method)

  • By check

  • By credit card

  • With a vehicle donation.

For more information on donation mechanisms and links, go to the Foundation page on the club website.  Your donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible.

For more information on the Foundation itself – its bylaws and current Trustees – check out the Foundation page on the club website.

How to Sign Up Online with ClubRunner

Our club uses software from ClubRunner to

  • send emails
  • set up and track membership information
  • set up the website
  • create the Lamplighter newsletter. 

We also use ClubRunner to set up the club's online calendar and allow for online registration for service projects and events.

ClubRunner can be quirky!  If you would like to sign up for events online but ClubRunner has you stumped, click here for instructions on how to register online for service projects and social events.  Now you can sign up online for social events or service projects!

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