Sunup Rotary Reconnects with Yarnell

Pres. Christy Manning, Frances Lechner and Emmett Jones, who arranged for Frances' presentation

 

It will be 12 years on June 30, since the Yarnell Hill Fire claimed the lives of 19 of our Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighters in 2013.  We appreciated the opportunity to have Frances Lechner, from the Yarnell Area Resource Group, with us to to give us an update, and  help reconect us with this neighboring community, which we helped back then when that fire devastatd their community.  YARG is the successor to the Yarnell Fire Recovery Committee, which for 5 years worked hard to help families recover and rebuild after the fire.  Due in large part to the effective work of that committee which coordinated community resources, Yarnell set a record for the fastest disaster recovery of any town in Arizona.  Today the successsor Yarnell Area Resource Group continues to help those individuals and families in the commuinity who are still struggling with their greatest needs.  Besides supporting a food bank to help alleviate hunger, Frances said the most pressing need has been to help them with their utility bills.  She said 81 families use the food bank, 60 are served by Meals On Wheels, and 100 need heating/cooling devices,

 

John Stewart, Todd Clancy and Christy Manning, who were in Yarnell for the dedication of this plaque in the Hotshots Memorial Park

 

.

A close-up of the inscription on the plaque which commemorates our Sunup Rotary Club's Yarnell Water Project

 

 

We are fortunate to live in a community which, we understand, has the highest percentage per capita of community service organizations in Arizona.  Consequently, we have many groups and many hands addressing the majority of the most recognizable needs in our immediate community.  This is one of the reasons why our Prescott-Sunup Rotary Club has traditionally had a greater and wider vision of "who is our neighbor," and the scope of what we have believed we should consider to be our neighbor — such as our neighboring communities of Mayer and Yarnell.

 

When the Yarnell Hill Fire totally destroyed the water system in Yarnell, including melting many of the water meters in that neighboring town, our Sunup members and leaders said, "Someone should do something: we believe our Sunup Rotary Club can and should help."  As Christy and John reminded us at last week's meeting, our club's leadership sprang into action by sponsoring a Rotary Foundation Global Grant to raise the necessary $90,000 to replace the essential SCADA "brain" of Yarnell's water system, along with providing replacements for many of the homeowners' water meters which had melted in the fire.  A tremendoius anount of work went into structuring and applying for that grant, along with recruiting contributing Rotary partners from around the world.  Our club put up the first $1,000, and other inspired individuals and clubs followed our club's lead, to bring about the success of what was, at that time, the largest US-based water project ever granted by The Rotary Foundation.

 

Our Sunup leadership continues to perpetuate this larger vision of what Community Service should always mean to our Prescott-Sunup Rotary Club/ 

 

 

 

Birthday Boy Bob Keys had the club's help last week celebrating his special day.  We love you Bob, and we apprecuiate all of the photos you take at our club meetings and events.  No one does it better than Bob!

 

 

 

 

 

Our Family Fun Fest is coming up quickly —.in just two weeks!

 

If you have any questions about your assignment, call Jane White at (717) 878-9586,

 

Sponsorships in any amount for our fundraising event continue to be needed.  This is how we raise the funds we need to provide the scholarships, support the Rotary Youth Services Programs, and accomplish all of the other great work our club does each year.  In addition to being a Sponsor of the Fun Fest, you can contribute to the Sunup Rotary Foundation at any time during the year, to help support the work that we do. 

 

 

 

When: Wednesday July 9th at 5:00 pm

Where:  Goldwater Lake Ramada

Price per person:  $10 (includes dinner and dessert)

Drinks:  Bring your own beverage of choice

Master of Ceremonies:  Col. Russ Davis

 

We need to know how many will be coming.  Let Marsha know by June 18th:  marsha.byrne@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JR RYLA, our fantastick leadership training program for 6th, 7th & 8th grade youth, kicks off this Wednesday at Camp Wamatochick.  Isaiah Spires is serving as Registrar, Clent & Josh Walker lead the archery program, and Art Harrington leads several activities.  Our Sunup Rotary Club has provided $350 scholarships for four of the student delegates.

 

Our Interact Ambassadors to Mexico Team leaves this Friday for their service trip, helping enable the disabled poor in central Mexico.  Our Interact Amnbassadors to Kenya Team leaves on June 27 for their mission.  Our Sunup Rotary Club contributes $5,000 each year in support of this unique international leadership training and service program for selected high school Interact club members.  Our Interact District 5495 is the only Interact district in the world which offers this opportunity to exceptional youth.  This will be the 4th team we have trained and sent to Mexico, and the 8th team we have sent to Kenya.

 

 

. 

Troy Campbell, Bruce Murrill, Interact Advisor, and David Heiss, President of the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Rotary Club

 

Troy Campbell, who began his Rotary Journey as a member of the Beaumont High School Interact Club in Beaumont, CA, had the privilege this past week of returning to the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Rotary club to serve as the guest speaker for a program honoring his Interact Club Advisor, Bruce Murrill.  Bruce is retiring after serving as the Rotarian Advisor to that Interact club for 31 years.  Troy credits Bruce as being his inspiration to continue on the Rotary Rosd until he became a Rotarian.

 

Today Troy, who is the Director of ASU's Program for Refugee Students on the Tempe campus, is a member of the Mesa Rotary Club.  In addition to serving as an adult volunteer leader at RYLA and JR RYLA, he has, for the past year served as the Assistant District Interact Chair.  As of July 1, Troy Campbell and Art Harrington will be switching hats, as Troy becomes the next District Interact Chair, and Art will be assisting him.  Troy is a prime example of the Rotary leadership we are developing through our Interact and RYLA programs.