In a recent visit to the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke, District Governor Sue Archibald stated that this club was the number one club for service projects in the district. Members of the club put in an enormous number of hands-on hours into serving the community, area youth, vocations in our area, and international projects. Some projects are annual, others occasional or monthly. Still, other projects are weekly. With a number of our projects, we actively participate with other organizations. But who benefits the most from these hands-on experiences? The members of the SaddleBrooke Rotary Club.

On an annual basis, here are some of the ways SaddleBrooke Rotary touches the lives of many with hands-on projects that make a difference. Rotarians help the town of Oracle put on a Fourth of July celebration for kids in the community. In addition, we help cook and provide a holiday party for seniors in need and shut-ins who reside in Catalina, Oracle, and the Copper Corridor. We also spend months working on a holiday party for the children of Oracle, where the kids make a treasured ornament to take home. Our Rotarians count our many blessings as we deliver Thanksgiving turkeys and all the fixings to families in need in Catalina, Oracle and the Copper Corridor. Then, there are other hands-on projects such as Building a House in a Day in Mexico, Cooking up a batch of chili, and supporting the San Manuel Restoration Chili Cook-off fundraiser, as well as regular responsibilities with the food bank. There is also our active participation at two cemeteries with Wreaths Across America, National Night Out in San Manuel, cleaning up the Y camp for the summer, collecting food for the food bank, teaching classes on ethics at San Manuel and delivering dictionaries at Coronado. In addition, there is so much joy that comes from interviewing and selecting Citizens of the Year, Business/Organization of the Year and College and Vocational Scholarships. Each year, we hold a golf tournament to fund scholarships and projects in the area. While the list goes on and on, these annual projects light up our lives as we make a difference throughout the year.

There are also other regular hands-on projects such as cooking and serving lunch to those in need at the Oracle Community Center, road clean up in Oracle as well Catalina, sorting food for the food bank, packing bags of food the IMPACT, collecting personal care items for the food bank and collecting soft plastics for recycling. The volunteer hours are many, but so are the rewards of helping others and making a difference.

With many of our projects, we actively participate with other philanthropic organizations, communities, SaddleBrooke Clubs, Rotary Clubs and individuals. This provides us with numerous opportunities to develop friendships as we work in harmony to change the world. We are so fortunate!

The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke meets every Thursday at the Ranch House! For more information, email Diane at rotarysbaz@gmail.com.

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