Community Service Projects
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale has a strong commitment to local community projects.
- GOLF TOURNAMENT: (David Pastor) Our annual Golf Tournament provides the opportunity for a day of fun and fellowship on the links of some of the Valleys notable golf courses. This event serves as a fundraiser for the club's educational scholarship program.
- ROTARY CLOCK: (Jason Washo) Scottsdale Rotary Foundation is managing installation of a Howard Post Clock Replica in the Civic Center Mall as part of a 2013-2014 Fundraising Project. Scottsdale Rotarians provide financial support to Scottsdale area youth and community projects through the Scottsdale Rotary Foundation. Programs currently supported by the Foundation include Youth Scholarships, Youth Salute, RYLA and Youth Exchange. Support for the Scottsdale Rotary Foundation comes primarily from contributions made by Scottsdale Rotarians, area businesses.
- ROTARY PARK: (Craig Miller) This eight acre park and memorial plaza in the heart of Gainey Ranch was built by the Rotary Club of Scottsdale and donated to the City of Scottsdale. The park's Unity Plaza remains the focus of much of the club's fundraising on behalf of the Scottsdale Rotary Foundation.
- PAPAGO ROTARY PARK: (Kevin Bollinger) This one acre community "pocket park" is located at 7316 E. Garfield Street in Scottsdale. It was part of the original housing subdivision from the 60's and then built by the former Papago Rotary Club members in 1994.
- SALVATION ARMY: (Pat Rile & Merv Morelock) Each and every year, just prior to the holidays, members of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale perform a variety of services and lend their support to the Salvation Army. Scottsdale Rotarians are "Bell Ringers," accumulate coins for the "Changing Lives" program, donate toys to under privileged children through "The Angel Tree" program and make outright gifts to the Salvation Army.
Forty-two volunteers representing the Rotary Club of Scottsdale Arizona and members of Scottsdale Preparatory High School's Rotary Interact Club joined forces to complete a community service project with Arizona Helping Hands. The mission of Arizona Helping Hands is to provide essential needs for children in foster care (over 14,000 kids in Arizona) through programs promoting safety, permanency and health.
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale's Foundation provided $3,000 in support of this project and the volunteers provided much needed smiles for kids by making Birthday Bags for 40 children in foster care. Each volunteer was given a foster child's wish list. Arizona Helping Hands' warehouse in Northeast Phoenix has beds, cribs, clothing, backpacks and school supplies, toiletries, and toys from ongoing toy drives.
Per the Club's Community Service Project Director, Laura Biever, the volunteers selected the birthday toys and books to go in each child’s gift bag. They gift wrapped the items and then decorated the bags especially for each individual child. Forty children in the foster care system will have a special birthday because of this volunteer event.
Arizona Helping Hands' Corporate Engagement Officer Sherie Siegel stated: Arizona Helping is truly appreciative of The Rotary Club of Scottsdale for participating in a Birthday Dreams Team Building Experience and sponsoring 40 birthday packages for boys and girls in foster care throughout Arizona. The group helped to personalize and decorate birthday bags specific for a child turning 1-12, select the perfect gifts and new book, wrap the presents and finish by tying a bow at the top of the bag. In 2019 Arizona Helping Hands made birthdays special for 3,596 children in foster care turning 1-21 throughout the state of Arizona. For more information about Arizona Helping Hands please visit AzHelpingHands.org.
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale celebrated its 65th season/year, by wrapping gifts at the Club's Childhood Cancer Awareness Wrap-A-Thon. The community service project was done in partnership with Scottsdale's Arizona Cancer Foundation (ACF) for Children. ACF's mission is to provide social, emotional and financial support for Arizona families who are managing the health and well-being of a loved one with pediatric cancer. ACF provides financial support to families for needed expenses related to the care of their "Cancer Warrior" child and living expenses.
The Founder and CEO of the Organization is Chrisie Funari, whose daughter, Ava died of cancer at the age of 5. Instead of giving into her despair, Chrisie vowed she would do everything she could to help families going through the same devastating experiences.
Twenty-six enthusiastic Rotarians, friends, family and colleagues participated in the 3-hour Wrap-A-Thon on September 21, 2019. Over 200 donated and beautifully wrapped gifts will distributed in a few weeks to six ACF sponsored families.
At the event, Monica Graffius, Executive Director of Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children, stated that no request by a family of a cancer warrior child is turned down. The median income of these families is $41,000/year. The Rotary Club of Scottsdale Foundation's donation of $2,500 will help families with their needs.
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale's Club President, Don Loose, extended gratitude to the event's many sponsors and supporters - Northern Trust, at 14624 N. Scottsdale Road, graciously provided their large conference room for the event. Refreshments and rolls of wrapping paper were supplied through the Club's Foundation funds. One of the many sponsors of donated gifts was Old Navy. A special thank you was extended to Monica Graffius, Executive Director of the Arizona Cancer Foundation for her support and coordination with the Club's event's project leader, Rotarian Laura Biever.
For more information about Arizona Cancer Foundation see - www.azcancerfoundation.org.
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