The Lamplighter 
Rotary Club of Parker
April 5, 2024
 
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Don't forget to check out the club's website at parkerrotary.org for the latest news and updates to our club calendar.
Save the Dates!  Open World is Coming

The Rotary Club of Parker has the honor of hosting an Open World delegation from the Republic of Uzbekistan from April 26 – May 4.  The delegation will be travelling to the United States to learn more about Tourism Development.  Alvaro Pisoni of our club is in charge of putting together the program for the delegates’ visit.  Delegates are hosted in Rotarians' homes.
 
Open World is a joint program between the US Congress and Rotary International (https://www.openworld.gov/).  Our club has hosted other delegations, most recently a delegation from the nation of Georgia, who came to Colorado in 2019 to study Agricultural Tourism.  We are the only Rotary club in Colorado to be hosting an Open World delegation this year.  Our club's past participation in Open World was cited in this article from Rotary International: https://rotaryserviceblog.org/2018/05/02/promoting-world-peace-through-the-open-world-program/
 

There are two key events which ALL club members are strongly encouraged to attend.  If you have not already done so, please RSVP to both events with Alvaro Pisoni ASAP: 

  • Friday, April 26, 6:00-8:00 p.m.  Welcome reception and potluck.  The delegation will have arrived from Washington D.C. earlier that day.  This is your opportunity to meet the members of the delegation and welcome them to Colorado.  The reception will be held at the St. Matthew's Hall in downtown Parker; click here for a map.  Also, if you would like to bring food to the potluck (either a salad/side dish or a dessert), click here to sign up online.  Questions on the potluck?  Please contact Janice Beller.
  • Thursday, May 2, 7:00-10:00 a.m. Open World Day – a special event during an expanded club meeting time; breakfast included.  We will once again get to meet the delegation and hear from them about their experiences over the past week.  We will also have the opportunity to learn more about the nation of Uzbekistan.  Please feel free to invite family members or guests to this special presentation, but let Alvaro know how many are attending to get a good head count for the breakfast.

Questions?  Please contact Alvaro Pisoni.

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!

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.

Spread the Word -- RYLA is Back for Summer 2024!

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards are back in person for summer 2024!  RYLA (for high school students who are currently a sophomore, junior, or senior) and Young RYLA (for students going into eighth grade) are week-long youth leadership conferences in Estes Park. The Rotary Club of Parker sponsors students to attend so that there is no cost to participants.  Our sponsorships are open to youth living in Parker.  Participants describe this as an awesome, life-altering experience.  If you know a young person who would be a good fit for this experience, please spread the word!

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 30, 2024.  For more information and a link to the application, go to our website at https://parkerrotary.org/page/rotary-youth-leadership-awards-(ryla)  Questions?  Contact Sue Garwood.

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.

Supporting the Denver Indian Center

Our Club has a long-standing relationship with the Denver Indian Center, "an urban cultural gathering center for the American Indian and Alaska Native community of the Denver Metro area."  Mike Oldham has been our point person with the DIC during that time.  If you would like to join Mike in serving on the committee to support the DIC, please contact him at meoldham@msn.com.

The photo below shows Rotarians helping with the holiday toy distribution this past December.

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.

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