Stories

Marble Falls Daybreak Earns Two Rotary Foundation Awards

On Jan 14, Jeff Matera, Asst District Govenor, presented Daybreak Past President, Neal Kennedy, with two prestigious Awards from the Rotary Foundation for his Presidential year, 2018-2019.

Rotary Club of Hillsboro honored the January Students of the Month from Hillsboro Junior High School in their noon meeting on Wednesday, January 15.

Operation Vacation provided the Searcy family with a holiday weekend full of fun and great memories. In partnership with Rotary Clubs of Austin & Killeen, The Austin Hotel Lodging Association and County Line Restaurants, SSG Searcy and his family of three had a suite at the new JW Marriott Hotel with meals and access to all the downtown attractions.

The Rotary Club of Flatonia was chartered by Rotary International on December 8, 1939 and held their official charter meeting on January 23, 1940. On Saturday, January 18, 2020, Rotary Club of Flatonia shared its 80 years of service with their community with past memorabilia, current projects, music by The Mike Stroup Trio, beef stew lunch catered by Red Richter, and cake

A big round of applause to the Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary Club for their FOOD DRIVE at H-E-B. They helped to sell 392 meals, almost $2000 worth! That is a lot of meals that help feed many families and children in their community.

District Vocational Scholarships 2020

The application deadline for District Vocational Scholarships is April 30, 2020. These scholarships are meant for students who live in one of the 23 counties that comprise District 5870 and are planning to study at a community college or technical school located in one of these 23 counties; or in an adjacent county if that school is closer or a more economical option than a school located in a District 5870 county.

La Grange Rotarians were hard at work at the Fayette County Texas Habitat for Humanity project. Several members helped to dismantle ramps between two homes that will be moved and go to local families.

Grants Management Training in Bastrop

Attend the first Grants Management Training in Bastrop! January 18th the first GMTS will be held at the Bastrop Library. We will have the one hour (9:15-10:15) and the 3 hour (10:15-1:15) training back to back due to space limitations. To participate in Foundation programs your President Elect and one other club member must attend GMTS. Click to Register

Mark your calendar on January 25, 2020 for the Branding and Public Image Training Day held at the Georgetown Public Library, Hewlett Room 402 W. 8th St, Georgetown from 9AM to 2PM. All Rotarians are welcome to attend! This is a FREE event however, we ask that you register as we are providing lunch. For more details on this event and to register: click here.

Temple South Rings in the New Year with Service

Posted by Rich Kaye

Bravo to the Rotary Club of Temple-South! 17 members of the club got up early on New Years Day for a community service project at Feed My Sheep, a ministry located in downtown Temple that provides a hot meal and sack lunch to needy and homeless people each day. 100+ people received a chili lunch prepared and served by club members. What a great way to start the new year!

South Austin Help The Homeless

Members of South Austin Rotary constructed dignity bags to pass out to people living on the street and others in need. The bags contained basic hygiene, snacks, socks, water, etc. By the time all the members finished the bags, there were over 200!

More than 300 Rotarians and their friends showed up at the Bastrop Convention Center on November 23, 2019, to celebrate the Bastrop Club’s annual Men Who Cook fundraiser. 2019’s theme was “Men Who Cook - International Edition”, and each chef chose a dish from a different country’s cuisine to prepare.

The Waco Rotary Club has partnered again this year with the YMCA of Central Texas, Junior League of Waco and Waco ISD Education Foundation to distribute a personalized book to every kindergarten, first and second grade student at each elementary campus in the district.

Rotarians Make Peace

Posted by Kent Miller

Conflict and violence displaced more than 68 million people in the past year, and half of those are children. We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.

The Rotary Club of Austin Southwest was excited to supply over 200 coats for the SW Travis County Teddy Bear Christmas. Thanks to BancorpSouth, Boone elementary school, SW Family Fellowship Church and Oak Hill elementary school for putting out barrels to collect coats. We were gratified that we could help kids warm with new coats this winter!

Salado Rotary Calendar Fundraiser

The Rotary Club of Salado and the Salado Independent School District teamed up to create a 2020 calendar fundraiser from students in the 5th and 6th grades and high school. Twelve winners and one grand prize winner were chosen from 75 submissions.

Rotary Club of Hillsboro honored Students of the Month from Hillsboro High School in the noon meeting on Wednesday, December 4 at Lone Star Café in Hillsboro.

The Rotary Club of Flatonia is celebrating 80 years of Service Above Self. All Rotarians are asked to come join them on Saturday, Janaury 18, 2020 11AM to 2PM at the American Legion Hall, Flatonia Texas. Tickets cost $10 per person. Contact Pat Satterwhite at pat.bernie@mac.com.

Georgetown Builds Ramp For Boy With Cerebral Palsy

Alessandro Rodriquez is a 5 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy living in a modular home with his family in Georgetown. The previous condition of the trailer required his mother to carry him up and down the stairs.

The registration for the Foundation Gala on Saturday, February 8th, 2020 at the Sterling Event Center, Austin is now open! Our guest speaker is Past R.I. Vice President & Past Rotary Foundation Trustee, Tom Thorfinnson. Tickets are the Foundation Gala are $80. Seating is limited! A club table will be reserved once 5 members have registered. Click here to Register

Food for Families: We couldn’t do it without you!

Food for Families is the largest one-day food drive in Texas. It is an annual event sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, H.E.B. Grocery Company, and KWTX News 10.

Throughout the week of Veterans Day (11/9 to 11/17), the Rotary Club of Georgetown held its 3^rd annual “Field of Honor®: a Tribute to Service Above Self,” at San Gabriel Park.

Santa is ready, gifts are being wrapped, and plans are set for the 34th Annual @Bluebonnet Trails Community Services Enrichment Center Christmas breakfast. This is one of our Club’s most anticipated events of the year and is slated for Friday, Dec 6 at our regular meeting venue, Balcones Country Club.

The Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary Club recently held a Car Raffle to raise money for their projects. Austinite John Jackson won the Mercedes! Funds raised by the club will go to support local scholarships, a water well project in Tanzania, ShelterBox, an Adoption Awareness event, and more.

Annual Veteran's Day Luncheon

Rotarians from around the District, serving five hundred plus Veterans with Rudy’s and the City of Austin. Thank you for your Service Above Self!

South Austin's Clothes Closet Project

South Austin Rotary members met in November to refurbish a clothes closet for a south Austin nonprofit that serves low income and homeless folks, as well as many recently released from prison. This was a project financed by the DAP grant.

Georgetown Field of Honor Luncheon

Posted by Mary Reynolds

The Rotary Club of Austin hosted a table at the Georgetown Field of Honors where veterans and first responders were recognized and told their stories. It was inspiring and such an incredible events for unsong heroes. I especially was moved not only by the hundreds of sponsored flags flying in the wind but by the new section which was for recognition of K9 heroes. I sponsored a K9 who died yesterday risking his life to save his unit from a shooter.I have a heavy heart for his handler who lost his best friend and hero!

Austin NxNE's Rise Against Hunger Service Project

The North by Northeast Rotary Club conducted its annual Rise Against Hunger Service Project this past Saturday, November 16 at Casa Chapala Mexican restaurant located at 9041 Research Blvd #100, Austin, TX 78758.

Join us over Veterans Day week – November 9th through the 17th, 2019 – as the Rotary Club of Georgetown hosts the 3rd Annual Field of Honor® at the Activity Field in San Gabriel Park on Chamber Way.

It is a stunning display of over 1500 full-size U.S. flags, each of which can be purchased and dedicated to a veteran or first responder for a donation of $40 per flag. Those who have already bought flags can bring them back anytime during that week (flags must be in perfect condition) to re-post for only $20.

This past Thursday Oct 17^th, members of the Rotary Club of Temple South had the privilege of listening to Mayor Timothy Davis at the city council meeting. During the meeting Mayor Davis Proclaimed Oct 24^th 2019 as World Polio Day for the City of Temple. Jinger Pajestka, Club President even had the chance to talk briefly about Rotary and what the Club does in the community.

Champions- Helping Hand Home Luncheon in Austin

The Rotary Club of Austin sponsored a table at the Champion for Children luncheon that raising money for the abused children that we support at the home. The home is one of our major projects each year.

Temple South Supports Rotary Petersborough, Ontario project

District Rotarian Beverly Luedke and the RC of Temple South hosted members of the Rotary Sponsored Monarch Ultra Relay project from Peterborough, Ontario on October 14th. The team started their project on September 19th in Peterborough and will conclude their Run Relay on November 4th near Mexico City. The team is following the route of the Monarch Butterfly as they migrate to Mexico for the winter.

"Opportunity", "Inspiration", "Creativity." A simple gift of a dictionary can change the life of a child, providing the words that unlock a world of reading, writing and advanced learning. This is the guiding principle behind The Dictionary Project and it has inspired two Rotary Clubs, Rotary Club of Austin University Area (RCAUA) and Club Rotario Reynosa, to bring the magic of dictionaries to Escuela Primaria Ramon Mario Bahena Rodriguez in Reynosa.

Come out and enjoy our Czhilispiel Parade on Sunday 27, October at 12 noon in Downtown Flatonia The Rotary Club of Flatonia’s float will be celebrating Rotary, Interact, our Community, and being the Center of Service by displaying our "Flags Over Flatonia Project”.

Plates For Polio

Come out and support Temple South Rotary's Plates For Polio Event on October 24 from 11:30AM to 10:00PM at BJ's located at 3550 S. General Bruce Dr. Building G in Temple. With each flyer (printed or digital) presented during the event, BJ's will donate 20% of food and soft drink sales to END POLIO. Click here to download flyer.

District 5870 Rotary Foundation Recognition Awards

At the Rotary Institute for Zones 25B-29 in Kansas City, District 5870 received a Recognition Award for our District giving for Rotary year 2018-2019. We received recognition for First in our Zone for Annual Fund Giving. The total was $753,842. A recognition for First in Annual Fund Per Capita Giving. The per capita was $306.94. And a recognition for Second in Total Giving. The amount was $1,004,530. These were all records for our District and reflect the generosity of Rotarians in District 5870.

PDG Rich Kaye Honored at Zone Institute

PDG Rich Kaye was recognized at the Rotary Zone Institute in Kansas City for his generous contribution to the Rotary Foundation. Rich was recognized as a member of the Arch Klumph Society Chair’s Circle and a new member of the Legacy Society. What an inspiration to us all!

Bastrop County's 9th Annual Men Who Can Cook Fundraiser

Mark your calendars to be in Bastrop, Texas on November 23, 2019! The Bastrop County Rotary Club will be hosting its 9^th Annual Men Who Cook fundraiser at the Bastrop Convention and Exhibit Center. This “International Edition” of our all male chef extravaganza will highlight world class cuisine from the kitchens of 24 chefs. Your $100 ticket includes opportunities to bid on Live and Silent Auction items, and an open bar, live entertainment and dancing will make the 2019 Men Who Cook a special experience.

Rotary Club of Cedar Park-Leander working “Doing Good in the World.” This time helping pack out food for local Texans in need as well as Bahamians temporarily knocked down by hurricanes.

9/11 Day of Remembrance Ceremony

On 9/11/19, the Rotary Club of Marble Falls noon club held their 18^th annual Day of Remembrance Ceremony at the Lakeside Pavilion in Marble Falls and it was both impressive and well-attended. Burnet County Judge James Oakley was the keynote speaker, Mayor John Packer proclaimed an official “Day of Remembrance” in Marble Falls, and many local first responder groups and Chiefs were present and/or involved.

Rotarians across the District and Variety’s Peaceable Kingdom partnered up to build an amazing interactive playground that will serve thousands of children each year. Other partners include Cinemark, KaBoom and Keurig Dr. Pepper. In the three days with over 2015 volunteers they built a KaBOOM! playground Variety Texas / Variety's Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children. 7000 children a year will play here!!

Director of Killeen-Heights Rotary Service Projects, Clarence Enochs adds, “By participating collectively we can make a significant impact across communities and continue to serve children for years to come.”

Get Ready for World Polio Day 2019

24 October is World Polio Day!
World Polio Day is a time for Rotarians all over the world to raise awareness about our efforts to eradicate polio for good. Join us by hosting an event in your community. Not sure what to do for World Polio Day? Here are a few ideas:

The Rotary Club of Round Rock volunteered at the Round Rock ISD Partners in Education Foundation Back to School Celebration. The Celebration was attended by 13,000+ students and their families. Rotarians served alongside 100’s of volunteers as well to ensure a successful start to the school year!

Temple South's 8th Annual Casino Royale

The Rotary Club of Temple South will be hosting their 8^th annual Casino Royale fund raiser at the Mayborn Convention Center on September 28th. Tickets are available in advance at www.tsrotarycasino.com. Ticket price is $60 per person this includes food, $50K in playing chips, and 2 drink tickets (cash bar available). Sponsorship are also available for reserved seating. There will also be a live and silent auction.

The Cameron Rotary Club will hold their annual Spaghetti Supper on Friday, September 27, 2019 before the Cameron vs. Troy Football Game. Dine-In or Take-Out Plates are available at the Yoe High School Cafeteria from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. The meal includes spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread, dessert, and tea. Tickets are $8.00 each and may be purchased from any Cameron Rotarian.

Operation Vacation Ft.Hood

Rotary Club of Austin & Killeen host another military family in Austin through Operation Vacation. PFC Cisneros and his wife and children were hosted at the AT&T Conference Center fora fun, complimentary weekend in Austin to thank the family for their service. The hotel hosted their room and meals and provided them a safe environment for them to spend quality time together and explore Austin. The County Line is hosting their bbq dinner Saturday with all the trimmings and the kids will get to feed the turtles, fish and swans. Sunday they will have a chance to play games and eat pizza at Austin Parks N Pizza. This project is sponsored by Austin & Killeen Rotary, Killeen Toyota, Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line, Visit Austin.

Rotary Club Welcomes District Governor

Rotary Club of Hillsboro welcomed District Governor Jim Henry from Austin in its noon meeting on Wednesday, August 21 in the Alamo Room at Lone Star Café. Governor Henry announced the District Theme for the year, “Think Rotarian: Why Do We Do What We Do?

Several Rotary Club of Waco members undertook the club’s first service project of the year this past week, partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to build a wheelchair swing for a Hewitt boy.

Syria is experiencing the worst humanitarian Crisis since World War II. Over 400 lives have been lost, 5 million refugees, and 6.5 million internally displaced people. Click the photo to see how ShelterBox is helping.

Austin-Southwest Rotary Supports Start-Up Kid's Club

Rotary Clu of Austin Southwest was excited to present Amber Wakem,Executive officer & Founder, a check for $5000 for Start-Up Kid's Club. This program to teaches entrepreneurship to kids elementary school through early high school.The club is helping provide mentors at Boone Elementary in Southwest Austin this year in this after school program in entrepreneurship. Scholarships are available to help offset registration fees.

Rotarians Meet n Alaska

You never know when you will run into a fellow Rotarian but you better be on your best behavior. While traveling with a tour group throughout Alaska earlier in August, two District 5870 members met each other.

Summertime for our Military

Posted by Mary Reynolds

Austin has really turned out for our military during these summer months. First the City of Austin and the Military hosted a big Appreciation Day Downtown in June where the public was invited to come and visit with our military forces, see their equipment ,share in summer activities and thank our troops. This made me very proud that much of the city turned out for this event to support our troops. This month our Rotary Club of Austin along with Killeen Rotary also hosted another R&R weekend for Sgt. First Class Lon Fonseca and his wife Jennifer from Ft. Hood at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin. The staff greeted them with their favorite Summer drinks and catered to them all weekend in “Four Season first class style”. They spent Saturday visiting many of the most popular attractions in Austin as well as a dinner fit for a king at the County Line on the Hill. Sgt. Fonseca was so impressed with the love shown to them that he was going to go back to the base and tell the commander in chief about these R&R weekends so more of their families could be involved. Thank you Austin for your support of the military.

Rotary Club of Giddings Welcomes New Member

Thursday, August 8th the Giddings Rotary Club was pleased to welcome Mason Becker as a new member of the club. Thanks to Wayne Galipp for nominating Mason for membership and also thanks to Joe Green for inducting Mason into the Rotary.

Rotary Night At The Ball Park

Rotary Night at the Ball Park hosted by the Round Rock Rotary Club with the Round Rock Express VS New Orlleans Baby Cakes on Friday August 23, 2019 at Dell Diamond in Roundrock. Open to all Rotarians! Gates open at 6PM, game starts at 7:05PM. Includes a post game firework show.

Why Rotary?

Posted by PDG Rich Kaye

Many of us joined Rotary in order to network. That’s the way my sponsor sold Rotary to me, “You’ll get to meet lots of businessmen who can help you out.”

It was only several years later after I was introduced to our Foundation, and learned what Rotary does in the world, did I become a Rotarian, committed to providing service to others, promoting integrity, and advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace.

If you’re going to a Rotary meeting once a week simply for the local fellowship, you’re missing out on the majesty of Rotary.

“We really feel strongly about helping out families who are in need of a safe place,” said Susan Kurth of the Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club. That message was delivered in 48 individual backpacks.

“One of the most powerful symbols of welcome and support and kindness that we give our families is a travel backpack,” says Jan Olsen of the Interfaith Welcome Coalition.

During the month of June, a contest was held to challenge the Rotarian advisors of District 5870’s Interact Clubs to register their Clubs with Rotary International in time for the start of the new Rotary year. Six Rotarians representing ten Interact Clubs entered the contest. All of the clubs were entered in a drawing for $50 to be awarded to an Interact Club that met the qualifications.

And the winner is… Benold Middle School Interact Club, Mr. Julian A. Grant, Advisor!

If you missed the contest deadline, you can still easily register your Interact Club(s) by going to https://my.rotary.org/en/report-your-interact-club-advisor Complete the information, submit and your annual reporting requirement for Rotary International is finished.

What are you waiting for? Why not get ‘er done today?

During these fun summer months, the Rotary Clubs of Austin & Killeen had an opportunity to host a military family for the weekend at the Omni Austin Hotel through Operation Vacation-Ft. Hood. The family, Sgt. Tarelle Jackson, wife Melisa, sons Cameron (4) and Cauden (2), enjoyed a luxury suite for two nights, all their meals, pool fun and free time to explore Austin. It is rare that these families have much quality time with their families while serving their country. They were also hosted by the staff of the County Line on the Lake for a fantastic Saturday night dinner with all the trimmings.

Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Austin gathered to help build two new houses for very deserving families. Sharing valuable time on two different days, the Rotarians invested their ’service above self’ spirit and goodness while enduring our C. Tx. heat and humidity…ouch! Board member, Andy Swanson, spearheaded this project and gets double kudos for the sweat equity. Way to go Rotarians!

Welcome Austin Central!

On June 20th, we inaugurated Austin Central to Rotary District 5870 Central Texas. Receiving the club banners are Ed Bellingrath and Howard Brunson. Austin Central meets every other Thursday at noon at Santa Rita-Twenty Six Doors Shopping CTR, 1206 West 38th Street, Austin.

Rotary Christmas in May

Its Rotary Christmas in May for children on these islands and main street as the Lakeway/Lake Travis and Mattamorris Industrial Rotary Clubs gave away 17 bicycles. Why, because these kids have a long walk to school each day..and..every kid needs a bike. These are families of local fishermen who cant afford the luxury of a kids bike. Rotary is here to help. This is the 10th year in a row for this project.

Arctic Scholar Sponsored By Rotary

South Austin and Austin-Southwest Rotary Clubs are proud to announce the sponsorhsip of Seyi Odufuye, a scholar chosen to represent the United States and participate in a 12-day carbon neutral Expedition to the Arctic hosted by the renown British polar explorer and environmentalist Robert Swan, that will take place June 15 – June 26, 2019. Among 90 other young leaders from across the world, they will gain knowledge about the latest, up-to-date research and issues of climate change along with training that will build skills in the areas of collaboration, teamwork, public speaking and problem-solving.

On May 30^th 2019 The Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis presented 6 Lake Travis High School graduating seniors with $5,000 scholarships each. Over the last 20+ years this Rotary Club has provided local students with over $650,000 in college scholarships.

Deutschen Pfest is Pflugerville's largest annual fundraiser. It is a wonderful weekend of service and fellowship where all of their members come together to sell imported beer, German sausage, and Bratwurst.

SPC Cody Lara and his wife Jesse and son Cameron were hosted for a complimentary weekend at the Archer Hotel Austin through a program called Operation Vacation to thank military families for their service. The Rotary clubs of Austin and Killeen make the arrangements each month and in partnership with our sponsors: Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line Restaurants and Visit Austin we provide a fun filled weekend in Austin. This is a rewarding experience for all involved. Thank a soldier!

Heritage Pride Project

Rotary Club of Flatonia’s USS Lexington "Heritage Pride" Project was held on Thursday, 16 May 2019. We sponsored all the Juniors at Flatonia High School who are taking History to a full day of touring and entertainment at the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi.

Celebration of Life 2019

Posted by Kent Bohls

Most days, I take a few minutes to read the obituaries in the local papers. I am not looking to see if my name or picture is there. Every obituary is a capsule life story

Congratulations to PDG Rich Kaye, 2019 recipient of Rotary’s highest award, the Service Above Self award! No one deserves this recognition more!!

Inter-Club Cooperation

Posted by Betty Richardson

The Rotary Club of Austin University Area board voted in early April 2019, to send money earned from participating in the Lakeway club car drawing ticket sales in 2017 and 2018 to Club Rotario Reynosa. This is an effort to replace the original computers for the TB Center.The money is earmarked for purchase and installation of 10 used computers for the Reynosa Tuberculosis Center.

The Marble Falls Daybreak Rotary has long supported the Boys and Girls club of Marble Falls. Recently Daybreakers built a Gaga Pit for the Boys and Girls club.

This month, the Rotary Club of Saipan welcomed two visiting Rotarians: Dr. Lily Muldoon of San Francisco Rotary Club and Rob Glass, founding chair of the Rotary Club of Corsicana of District 5870 Central Texas.

Community Garden to Help Local Neighborhood Grow

About 60 volunteers representing local organizations came together on April 27th on what used to be a vacant field behind the Food Care Center in downtown Killeen.

Now, visitors to the location will find 16 cement, 4-foot by eight-foot plots lined neatly together, eight with plants sprouting through the soil in a community garden.

On April 17, 2019 the Rotary Club of Pflugerville members gathered with our amazing sponsors and members of the Pflugerville community to award $35,000 in scholarships to 15 deserving PfISD High School Seniors!

Anyone driving past Murphy Park or Bull Branch Park at night will see lights shining on brand new fountains courtesy of the Taylor Rotary Club. "This is Rotary's gift to Taylor," said Dennis Ritcher.

The Rotary of Club of Temple used a DAP grant to sponsor several college campus visits by Temple High School and Belton High School students. Temple Independent School District (TISD) and Belton Independent School District (BISD) selected the students to go on these college campus tours.

This is the 20th year that the East Austin Rotary has help sponsor the "Role Model" fair with elementary schools. This school year 2018-2019 they will be serving around 10,000 students. At the fair, club members talk about the 4-way test to students from 3rd through 5th grades, to stay in school and how to decide what they want to be. Picutured is Nora Comstock, President of East Austin Rotary and Margarine Beaman, treasurer.

The Flamingos of Change

On February 2, 2019, 404 Rotarians and friends gathered for dinner at the Austin Hilton to celebrate the District’s support to The Rotary Foundation in Calendar Year 2018. The attendees experienced an uncommon treat, as Rotary International President Barry Rassin served as the guest speaker; it is not every day that the RI President visits an event in one of Rotary’s 539 individual Districts!

President Rassin shared amazing stories about our progress towards polio eradication, the importance of the Rotary Peace Fellows program, how work within our Areas of Focus helps bring peace to the world, and how Rotary was the first organization to respond to the earthquake in Haiti. He challenged us, as Rotarians, to think bigger - to find even more ways to have impact on our communities and the world.

It is my distinct honor and privilege to formally announce that Beverly Luedke of the Rotary Club of Temple South has been selected by the District Nominating Committee to serve as our Governor for Rotary Year 2021-2022. Beverly is a great Rotarian and good friend who I know to be exceptionally well prepared for the job! Please join me in congratulating Beverly on her selection as our 107th District Governor.

Register Now For Conference of Clubs Early Bird Pricing

District Governor Jerry Chapman is asking all Rotarians to join him "Be The Inspiration" at the Conference of Clubs on May 3-5, 2019 at the historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio. Event Pricing: 3-day $180 (early bird) til March 22 or Sunday only ($50) (meals are included in the pricing). Register here: http://bit.ly/2XxFbih

Over 100 Rotarians and volunteers gathered the morning of Feb. 23 to package 32,616 meals for the hungry and malnourished in our world. The Rotary Club of Austin doubled the number of meals packed this year! With strong leadership from Rotarian and Project Manager, Dr. Ann Marie Ellis, the fellowship hall was packed with Boy Scouts, friends and Rotarians with hearts for service.

District Assembly will be held on Saturday April 13, 2019 at Central Texas College in Killeen. Come learn what incoming District Governor Jim Henry has planned for Rotary 2019-1920 and get training that will expand your Rotary leadership skills. Price is $25 and includes lunch. To register: http://bit.ly/2H2o0zN

Waco Rotary Promotes Literacy

Waco Rotarians have been busy promoting literacy with the with 1st and 2nd graders in Waco ISD. Thanks to a partnership with YMCA OF CENTRAL TEXAS and Junior League of Waco we have been handing out personalized books to some precious children!

Pecan Spring Elementary Career Day

A group of Rotary Club of Austin Rotarians spoke to Pecan Springs elementary school children about their respective careers for Career Day. The children were inspired and in awe of everyone who spoke of their professional lives…paying it forward for our future generations!

Celebrating the Month of Love with our Military

What better way to celebrate the month of love by passing that love to our military by bringing them to Austin for a fun complimentary weekend with all the trimmings. The Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen sponsor a program called Operation Vacation

On Friday, February 15th, the Yoakum Rotary Club loaded up a van provided by Marty Garrison of .Wendel Motor Company with 276 teddy bears and headed for Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi.

The International Youth Exchange Team piled into Bastrop Rotarian Sarah Brightwell’s new car and trekked to Tulsa for the annual South Central Rotary Youth Exchange Winter Conference. Sarah and Jennifer Graham (Rotary Club of Temple) attended workshops and classes for two days while our Inbound Students enjoyed time with the 100 other international kids in our region.

The Marble Falls Daybreak Rotary received a 2018 DAP Grant from Rotary District 5870 to provide Open Door Recovery House (ODRH) in Marble Falls with two new computers and a new printer. The Open Door Recovery House is a 501(c) non-profit that operates a residential facility for women in Marble Falls who are working on recovery from drugs and or alcohol.

On Saturday, January 26^th, 30 members and friends of the Rotary Club of Killeen Heights came together to build a wheelchair ramp for a very special little boy, Edward.

Edward lives with cerebral palsy and spinal scoliosis, which results in him spending most of his time in a wheelchair. Edward’s stepfather, Chaz Dumas, has to carry him up and down a set of stairs to get into their house. Chaz heard about the club’s efforts in serving the community, so he approached several members of the about the potential for getting a ramp built. The family had exhausted every traditional resource for getting assistance for a special-needs child; governmental organizations would not help, and the family’s insurance companies denied every request on the grounds that Edward might “get better” one day and walk on his own.

Westlake Rotary presents the newly formed St. Stephens Interact Club with their charter. Receiving the charter are President Lillian Sims and Jae Clark (to the right). Westlake Rotarians are David Jessich (presenting) with Lance Hay and Club President, Paul Keith (behind).

The East Austin Rotary Club has a new home! East Austin has seen many changes, including the closing of restaurants that had served as our meeting places for years. In 2019, however, the East Austin Rotary Club found a new home at the perfect location: Huston Tillotson University.

We can never thank our military for their service and sacrifices that they make daily for us. Our Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen partnered with our hospitality industry to set up R&R free weekends each month for military families from Ft. Hood to say thank you and show our appreciation. This family for this month was Staff Sgt Wing and his family of five.

Rotary International President-Elect Mark Maloney has revealed the 2019-2020 theme "Rotary Connects The World". In his address at International Assembly, he explained his vision for building a stronger Rotary, calling on leaders to expand connections to their communities and to embrace innovative membership models. Read the story.

Waco ISD Students Receive Personalized Books

The Rotary Club of Waco, the YMCA of Central Texas and the Junior League of Waco have started passing out personalized books to all first and second graders in the Waco Independent School District. The My Very Own Adventure Book program promotes reading that provides a personalized book to each student.

The Pecan Springs EAFK service club collected gifts, blankets and toiletries for the residences at the Walnut Hills Nursing Home and took them to them the last week before school was out and sang Christmas Carols to them to make their holidays brighter. They were accompanied by members of the Cosmopolitan and Austin Rotary Club as well as their teacher, Mr. Salinas.

Coats For Kids 2018

Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest had their Annual Kids Coat Drive this month. They are proud to report that they met and exceeded their goals in collecting and purchasing Coats for Kids in SW Austin. They had a fun day handing out coats and topped it off with a special visit from Santa.

3rd-Graders Receive Dictionaries from Rotary Club

Copperas Cove Rotary Club members Thomas Pursel and Norm Mitchell hand out dictionaries to Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary School third-graders. The club ensures every third-grader in the the Copperas Cove Independent School District receives a new dictionary each year.

Santa came to the Helping Hands Home on December 18th, complete with Christmas carols, cookies and granted the specific wishes of about 30 abused and neglected children whom have been removed from their homes. The Rotary Club of Austin gifted the real property and home for this institution close to 100 years ago. Year after year RCA Rotarians have bought and wrapped the gifts; shopped for the snacks; and, most importantly, shared unconditional love to these children in need.

West Austin Rotary Hosts Christmas Shopping Spree

The West Austin Rotary Club once again hosted 23 children from Wooldridge Elementary on a Christmas Clothing Shopping Spree on Sunday, December 2. They have been hosting the Spree for more than 20 years.

Rotary Club of Cedar Park Leander helping at Reveal Ministeries Food Pantry. Selflessly serving over 200 families/ week who find themselves in need.

Georgetown Sun City's Breakfast With Santa

Great turnout for the Georgetown Sun City's Annual Breakfast With Santa! Special thanks to the Georgetown Fire Department for doing all the cooking.

Branding & Public Image Training Day

Save the date of January 19, 2019 for the Branding and Public Image Training Day held at the Georgetown Health Foundation Community Rooms located at 2423 Williams Dr., Georgetown from 9AM to 2PM. This is a FREE event however, we ask that you register as we are providing lunch. For more details on this event and to register: click here.

Taylor ISD Interact Bell Ringing

The Rotary Club of Taylor assisted in “ringing the bell” for the Salvation Army on Thursday, November 29 as part of our regular club activities.

Join DG Jerry Chapman, DGE Jim Henry and 47 other currently registered district Rotarians at the Rotary International in Hamburg, Germany June 1-5.

The Rotary Club of Temple recently conducted it’s 35^th Annual Spaghetti Dinner on November 9, 2018. Rotarian Jack Morris, who is 86 years young, has led the effort every year since its inception.

Hats Off to the Recipients of the Interact Presidential Citation!

Posted by Nancy Keck

The Interact Clubs that earned the 2017 – 2018 Interact Presidential Citations are Burnet High School, Burnet Middle School, and the Impact Club of Manor New Technical High School.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to remember those that are special to us. The Rotary Club’s of Austin and Killeen in partnership with County Line and Austin Hotel Lodging Association entertained a delighting Army family from Ft. Hood with a very unique Thanksgiving.

The Rotary Club of Temple recently conducted it’s 35^th Annual Spaghetti Dinner on November 9, 2018. Rotarian Jack Morris, who is 86 years young, has led the effort every year since its inception.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving, volunteers from the Boy Scouts, H.E.B. Grocery Company, and area Rotary Clubs collect food in 9 counties. Food For Families is the largest one-day food drive in Texas. This year they collected 317,000 pounds of food!

The Rotary Club of Yoakum obtained a grant from Rotary International District 5870 to provide additional security measures for St. Joseph school students and faculty. Each year the club has an opportunity to apply for grant money to benefit some facet of our Yoakum community. Rotary Club President, Bill Lopez, presented a check to Principal Sean Mooney on November 9th.

Once a year the Rotary Club of Austin helps Pecan Springs School, the librarian and Bookspring run a program called Books for Me. During that week, students come to the library and the librarian reads them a story. There is a theme for the event and this year the theme is fairy tails.

Corsicana Rotary Club’s Yellow Dot Program is a free program that may help save your life. When seconds count, make sure first responders have the information they need.

DG Jerry Chapman invites you to attend the Foundation Gala on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the Downtown Hilton in Austin with guest speaker R.I. President Barry Rassin. This is going to be an awesome event! Tickets are $80 person. Registration closes January 27! REGISTER NOW: http://bit.ly/2qjR7VI

UPDATE: Highland Lakes Area of Central Texas Flood

You have all seen the photos and TV coverage of the devastating floods that impacted hundreds of homes in the Highland Lakes area. Rivers gushing, boats and boat docks flowing over dams, a State Hwy. bridge washing away. Heavy rains for several days swelled the Llano and Colorado Rivers to historic high levels.

It's Tamale Time In South Austin

Tamale Season is here again, and The South Austin Rotary Club has a great way for you to get the BEST Tamales in Texas... and MAKE A DIFFFERENCE at the same time! Each CASE contains 2 dozen DELIA’S Tamales of the same flavor and is packaged in an insulated sport pack.

“Thank you for the benches and improvements to the facility. Fortunately, the homeless shelter was available for me, as I am battling cancer and have no place to go. The shelter has been and is a Godsend for me. Again, thanks for your support and help.”

Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Georgetown, Forbes Middle School Interact and Benold Middle School Interact spent a Saturday building a needed wheelchair ramp on Lindeman Lane in Leander, Tx. Thank you for your service! Another great example how as Rotarians, we are people of action!

Yoakum Carries On Tradition

Keeping up a much-loved tradition, Yoakum Rotary Club began their distribution of "I Like Me" books to Yoakum, Sweet Home and St Joseph Kindergarten students. The books are personalized with the students name, their teacher's name, friends name, pets name and more.

Lakeway/Lake Travis's Annual Car Raffle

Tickets are going fast! Don't miss your opportunity to win a new car plus a fabulous trip to Germany to pick it up. Tickets are $100 each, or buy 2 get one free. Each Each ticket includes over $200 in special offers for local restaurants and other businesses. To purchase your ticket - go to www.laketravisrotary.org

10,000 Meals Packed For Rise Against Hunger

Rotarians from around the District came out this past Saturday to join the Rotary Clubs of Austin NxNE, Northwest Austin and Universtiy Area to pack meals for the Rise Aganist Hunger. The goals was to pack 10,000 meal kits. As always, we Rotarians like to rise to the challenge. Total meals packed for the day were 10,152. Rich Hill of Austin NXNE led the organizing effort, and special thanks to Lupe Barragan for providing space to pack the meals (and margaritas!) at Casa Chapala.

The Rotary Club of Georgetown proudly presents the Field of Honor® in Central Texas presented by Hewlett Chevrolet. This truly inspiring event will pay tribute to our valued veterans, active and reserve duty military and first responders, during the week of Veterans Day from November 4th to November 12th, 2018. Flags are $40 each and may be purchased online at www.georgetowntxfieldofhonor.org.

Record amounts of rain in the Highland Lakes and surrounding areas has led to wide spread area flooding. Many area residents have lost everything, including District Rotarians. Others are experiencing various levels of loss. Marble Falls, Cottonwood Shores, Kingsland, and Granite Shoals are the major towns in this area. Granite Shoals and Cottonwood Shores have been the hardest hit and have the greatest economic threat to recovery.

Navarro County Rotary Club president, Bob Young, is pleased to announce that as of August, 2018, the club is now a "100% Paul Harris Club". Special guest at the September 17th meeting is district governor, Jerry Chapman (pictured left), presenting the 100% Paul Harris Club banner to Bob Young. Congratulations to the Navarro County Rotary Club!

September Operation Vacation

Every month our Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen partner with the Austin Hotel and Lodging Association to host a military family for the weekend so they can spend quality time with their families. It is always a grand event because we get to thank that soldier for his service and we get to entertain his family and thank them for carrying on when their dad or mom is serving our country. But it is a rare occasion when that simple weekend turns into so much more.

World Polio Day Competition – Your Club could win $500 for its WASH Projects!

World Polio Day is celebrated on October 24th. World Polio Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis. Use of this inactivated poliovirus vaccine and subsequent widespread use of the oral poliovirus vaccine, developed by Albert Sabin, led to the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Polio is a disease caused by a virus that affects the nervous system and is mainly spread by person-to-person contact. Polio can also be spread by drinking water or other drinks or eating raw or undercooked food that are contaminated with the feces of an infected person.

Earlier this month, Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary showed off their building skills when they joined the Austin Habitat of Humanity to help build Daniel and Rosa Martinez their first home. What a rewarding project!! #PeopleOfAction #BeTheInspiration

Youth Leadership In La Grange

A big welcome to all those inducted to the La Grange Interact Club. 60 members strong, good things to come this year!!

Pflugerville Interact Paint War Olympics

Posted by Barbara Najera

For the past two schools years, Pflugerville High School Interact Club has held an Olympic Paint War to raise money for ShelterBox. This year we are excited to have Pflugerville HS Interact,

All Rotarians and Rotaractors are eligible for this exciting new program, which offers discounts on products and services such as travel, hotels, car rentals, dining, entertainment, and more. Download the Rotary Global Rewards app. Visit Rotary Global Rewards at rotary.org/globalrewards

Joint Rotary Social

You're invited to the the District 5870 Joint Rotary Social hosted by the Killeen Heights Rotary Club on Thursday, September 27 from 6PM-9PM at the Walburg German Restaurant, 3777 FM 972, Walburg, TX. The event will be inside the restaurant. Dinner & drinks at your own cost. We will have the room upstairs for the evening.

D5870 Helps Bring Literacy To India's Children - GG#1863742

India is an enormous country both in land mass and population. It is made up of a multitude of different states that all speak different regional languages. English is considered the ‘link’ language in India.

Each year the Marble Falls Rotary Club, with support of the Mayor and City Council of the City of Marble Falls, Texas, holds a ceremony on September 11^th, for personal reflection, prayer and thought in remembrance of the victims’ families and rescue workers involved in the 9/11 tragedies, and to honor, remember and reunite with our area First Responders. The public is invited to attend the “Day of Remembrance Ceremony” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 11^th, at Marble Falls Lakeside Pavilion to help us honor, remember and reunite with our area First Responders.

August Operation Vacation

The Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen were able to thank a soldier and his entire family of six for serving and protecting our country through a program called Operation Vacation Ft. Hood. The Rotary clubs partner with Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line Restaurants, Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, Toyota Killeen and Around Austin to honor these Army families from Ft. Hood every month.

Several Killeen Heights Rotarians met at the Girl Scouts Building on 2909 Lake Road in Killeen ready to work with their gloves, shovels, rakes, chainsaws, and friends! They worked on the landscape in front of the Girl Scouts Building. Afterwards, They gathered in the Girl Scouts fellowship hall for some amazing smoked meat and banana pudding. GREAT JOB!!

La Grange Commemorates Hurricane Harvey

Rotary Club of La Grange partnered with the La Grange Volunteer Fire Department for a Community Meal commemorating the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. The LGVFD grilled up 600 hamburger patties and everyone enjoyed a free meal with their friends and neighbors.

Friday August 10, Austin SW Rotary assisted the West Rural Community Center, Travis Co. Pct 3 Constable and Southwest Family Fellowship handing out backpacks, providing fun and food for deserving kids who are headed back to school soon. These kids needed our help in starting school ready to go. We had fun too!

Helping At Risk Kids by Stuffing Backpacks for Cap City Kids

Members of Austin University Area Rotary Club helped stuff over 1300 kids' backpacks for distribution by Cap City Kids. Every year, Cap City Kids provides backpacks with school supplies to at-risk children. Having all the supplies they need can make a huge difference for kids who are already struggling with staying in school. Cap City Kids is one of the groups supported by Austin University Area Rotary Club, and when the asked for volunteers, they stepped up.

Membership Message from RI President Barry Rassin

Click on photo to play video

Sushil Kumar Gupta Selected To Be 2020-21 Rotary President

Sushil Kumar Gupta, of the Rotary Club of Delhi Midwest, Delhi, India, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2020-21. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

Several members of the Rotary Club of Killeen Heights met at Friends in Crisis in Killeen to fulfill another need at the homeless shelter. People using the facility had nowhere to sit when they waited outside so here comes "Rotarians At Work" to meet the need. People standing outside were more than happy to move out of the way for Rotarians to do their work. The Rotary Club of Killeen Heights purchased and installed five amazing Rotary International benches in front of the shelter.

I have said it before but one of the greatest gifts anyone can receive is an opportunity to thank a soldier for serving and protecting our country and Rotary and the Austin Hotel Lodging Association gets to do it every month with a family from Ft. Hood. SSG Ryan Bentley, his wife Victoria and sons Lincoln (2) and Lyle (8 mos.) were hosted last weekend at the Residence Inn Hotel Downtown by General Manager Andy Zinni.

Shout out to the Rotary Club of La Grange as #PeopleOfAction. They donated school supplies to Tejas Health Care for their upcoming Back 2 School Festival

How To Host A Rotary Day

RI President Barry Rassin has challenged clubs and Rotarians to Be the Inspiration in 2018-19. One of the ways Rassin would like to see clubs do this is by hosting a Rotary Day. Any club big or small can host a Rotary Day, and several clubs can combine to share ideas, talent, and resources.

For a number of years, the Jerry Johnson Trust has been asked if there is any way that the Trust can match contributions made by Rotarians who are already a Paul Harris Fellow. While doing that falls outside of the scope of Jerry’s trust, we heard you loud and clear. So, for a limited time starting on August 1, 2018, the Trustees will do the following:

Tickets are $12.99 - To order tickets, contact Gary Franke at Gary Franke <gfranke@rrexpress.com>

DG Jerry Chapman July 2018 Update

Happy New Rotary Year

Wow! A new Rotary year is underway. It started off on a good note with a very successful RYLA camp. One hundred teenagers came from all corners of our district. New friendships were made. Campers learned about service and inclusiveness. There was some work and lots of fun.

Rotary is the only organization that changes leadership annually at all levels; from the Rotary International President to the Club President. For me, the journey to serve as your governor started two years ago. There has been a lot of preparation. I’ve met many of you during club visits along with Rotarians around the world.

Clean Water For Healthy Families

Posted by Kent Miller

It stared with a trickle as great rivers often do; as great hopes do, as great plans do; as great movements do; as great changes in lives and communities around the world do.

Yes, Rotary started in Chicago with just a trickle of four men meeting in an office. And it grew into a great river of 1.2 million members that circle the globe making great changes.

The Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen had the great pleasure of hosting the cutest little military family from Ft. Hood in June @ the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel in downtown Austin. !st Sgt. Casey Brinkley, his wife Heather, daughter Aubrey (3) and their new twins Willie Ray & JoLee (5 weeks old) arrived Friday just in time for dinner and were greeted by Mary Reynolds, the chair of Operation Vacation for both the Rotary Club of Austin and the Board of the Austin Hotel Lodging Association.

Caroline received her bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Virginia, where she specialized in Water Resources. While at UVA, she worked on a student-led water and health project in the rural Limpopo Province of South Africa that established a factory to produce ceramic water filters, a cheap but effective point-of-use treatment.

EAFK Program in District 5870 2018-19

Thank you to all the clubs and Rotarians who have helped get us ready this year for camp! Check out this year's photo album of RYLA in the Rough.

You're Invited to 69th Marble Falls Fish Fry

You're invited to the 69th Annual Marble Falls Fish Fry on Friday, July 13th at the Lakeside Pavilion! This event is open to all Rotarians and their families. For more details

Rotarians At Work

Fellow Killeen Heights Rotarians doing great things at Aware Central Texas, an organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and family violence. To learn more about Aware Central Texas go to: https://awarecentraltexas.org/

Governor's June Message

As you read this, we are only 2-3 weeks from the end of the 2017-18 Rotary year. For me, it means I add a final letter to my string of DG titles - from DGN to DGE to DG and finally graduating to PDG - Past District Governor - a title I will proudly wear for the remaining years of my Rotary involvement (Hopefully many).

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

On June 9th, we held the DG and Club Leader Installation Brunch at the Oasis Restaurant at Lake Travis. PDG Rich Kaye officiated the installation of DG Jerry Chapman, DGE Jim Henry, District officers and Club Presidents. A Breakfast Fajita Brunch was served and The Oasis developed a featured “Blue Rotarian” signature drink for our event. See photos

Georgetown Rotary Builds 40th Ramp

Shout out to Rotary Club of Georgetown, Texas! This past weekend they volunteered to build a 41ft wheel chair ramp in Liberty Hill, TX. Thank you for your #ServiceAboveSelf!! This was the 40th ramp built by volunteers from Rotary Club of Georgetown.

Austin Cosmopolitan Team Up With Book Spring

Austin Cosmopolitan doing their part to support literacy. They volunteered at the Book Spring event this past weekend.

Books and calculators headed to the school in Reynosa

Austin University Area Rotary is on a mission to deliver books and caluclators to their school in Reynosa, Mexico. Great job!

May Operation Vacation

E- 5 David Bucklas, wife Kaylee and two daughters Sophia and Harvey spent Memorial Weekend at the Holiday Inn Express Airport Austin with all expenses paid as a thank you for the soldier’s service and his family’s sacrifices. The family was treated to a fabulous BBQ dinner at the County Line on the Lake, giftcards and passes to the amusement park, Austin Parks & Pizza. This was a chance for this family to have quality fun time together since this soldier has been on emergency duty for months where he could not be more than 15 minutes from Ft. Hood so a weekend in Austin was a real treat. Operation Vacation is made possible by the partnerships of Austin & Killeen Rotary Clubs, Austin Hotel Lodging Association and County Line. Let’s thank our soldiers for your service not just on Memorial Day but every day.

La Grange Awards $40,000 In Scholarships

La Grange Rotary was proud to present over $40,000 in scholarships to outstanding La Grange HIgh school students. Each scholarship awarded was worth $2,000. A big thank you to the La Grange Optimist Club for partnering with them in this initiative.

Books for Me at Pecan Springs

Rotarians Karen Collins and Liz Ingersoll of the Rotary Club of Austin helping Ms. Williams in library with Dig It activities. Each child got a book to take home from BookSpring.

Pflugerville Tree Planting Project

Rotary Club of Pflugerville completed their DAP Grant project on May 12, 2018 with over 40 volunteers from the club, the American Legion Kerlin-Lyerly 154, Pflugerville Community Development Corporation (PCDC), and the City of Pflugerville. Their service project this year was to plant 55 trees in Pflugerville.

District 5870 Rotarians at Recognizing Good Ethics in Business Community Awards luncheon at the ATT University of Texas Conference Center in Austin.

Flatonia Rotary Hosts "Hertiage Pride Tour"

Monday wasn’t a normal school day for a group of juniors at Flatonia High School. Students traveled to Corpus Christi to get a unique tour of USS Lexington.

The Flatonia Rotary Club along with USS Lexington planned the second annual “Heritage Pride Tour.” It’s a tour meant to teach students the value of history, and learning about those who served before them.

Tanner Tipton, who visited the Lexington for the first time, said her classmates recently learned about World War II and the history of the Lexington.

“I’m definitely about all hands-on and going and seeing and learning about, so that this is like a great experience in itself,” Tipton said.

If I was in Northeast Texas today doing the Celebration of Life, I would tell you about Carl. We met when we were both visitors to the Rotary Club in Angel Fire, New Mexico. He was 19 years older than me; I was pretty new to Rotary and he had several decades of Rotary perfect attendance. We found that we both had a love for church, the mountains, art, and music; he was generous and kind; he loved his wife and family. One day we met up on a walk and right away I noticed his ball cap and instantly realized we were on opposite ends of the political spectrum. But he and I lived by the motto, “Service above Self”. Our friendship never wavered because we were bound together by the strong bond of Rotary, service and compassion.

Click on image to see video on how Rotary District 5870 Central Texas made a difference this past year as #PeopleOfAction #1DistrictStrong

Public Image Award Winners

Congratulations to the following District 5870 Central Texas Clubs for being amazing examples of #PeopleOfAction and the #CenterOfService in each of their communities!

The Public Image Team is so very proud of ALL of the clubs in this amazing District and especially proud of these 4 ROCKSTAR CLUBS!

Way to GO Rotary Club of Flatonia, Corsicana Rotary Club, Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club, and Killeen Heights Rotary

Operation Vacation

Sgt. Isaias Perez and his wife Callie stationed at Ft. Hood enjoyed a complimentary weekend in Austin on April 6-8 @ the JW Marriott compliments of Operation Vacation sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Killeen and Austin, the Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line Restaurants and Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. This program provides a military family with all the trimmings from meals to entertainment for a fun weekend to thank them for their service and to provide them with qualify time together. This couple are both members of the Army and their comment when they left was that they had never had such an incredible time and were treated so well.

Georgetown Supports Local Heros

Georgetown Rotary presented Field of Honor checks to the Georgetown Texas Fire Departmentand Police Department - Georgetown, Texas. Georgetown is so blessed to have great heroes that help keep them safe!

Volunteer Of The Year

CONGRATULATIONS to Mary Reynolds!! She has been selected 2018 Volunteer of the Year for Pecan Springs Elementary School. WELL DESERVED!! Thank you Mary for your Service Above Self!

District Vocational Scholarships for RY 2018-19

The District Vocational Scholarship Selection Committee met this past Saturday to interview candidates who applied for a District 5870 Vocational Scholarship. The following individuals will each be receiving a $5,000 vocational scholarship to start school in the Fall 2018 term:

Student	Sponsoring Rotary Club	College
Luke Petru	Shiner	Texas State Technical College (Waco campus)
Wes Jennings	Corsicana	Navarro College (Corsicana campus)
Dajana Karmi	Harker Heights	Texas State Technical College (Waco campus)
Andrew Tovar	Killeen Heights	Texas State Technical College (Waco campus)
Wyatt Allison	McGregor	Texas State Technical College (Waco campus)
Bella Rosenbusch	Georgetown	Texas State Technical College (Waco campus)

These scholarships are funded by the generous donations made to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International by the Rotarians of District 5870.

Caldwell Rotary Supports Local Ministries

The Caldwell Rotary Club presented Area 3:16 and Rocking A Ministries with $500 each to help further the programs they offer in Caldwell, Texas. They are proud of the work these groups are doing and thankful they can be a part of it!!

Georgetown Supports R.O.C.K

Georgetown Rotary Club presented the second check to R.O.C.K. (Ride On Center for Kids) ROCK Ride On Center for Kids as a beneficiary of the Patriots Ball, one of the Field of Honor events. This will help pay for a session of Camp Courage this July, a fabulous equestrian therapy camp that helps kids of military families (8 to 12 years of age), some of whom may have a disability. It is a healing and wonderful program at no cost to the families that the Rotary Club of Georgetown is proud to support.

Hutto Rotary Participates in the 2018 Great Hutto Cleanup

Hutto Rotary braved the cold and the wind Saturday, April 7th, along with 400 other volunteers to help with the 2018 Great Hutto Cleanup. An annual event put on by the Keep Hutto Beautiful Foundation, the Great Hutto Cleanup is a day for citizens to help make Hutto a cleaner, better place to live. Citizens can drop off trash, hazardous waste, brush, etc to be disposed of properly. Volunteers line every street and major area cleaning up trash and beautifying common areas.

The Rotary Club of Marlin has partnered with the city of Marlin to develop and maintain a community garden. Awesome service project!

Fulmore Middle School Interact Club Cleans Up

The community service committee for Fulmore Middle School's Interact Club performed a park clean-up project on Saturday, April 7. Two of the kids in the Interact Club - Colby and Nate - along with Colby's dad Brian and Andy Swanson picked up trash and debris at Little Stacy Park. Thanks to Sherry Workman for providing gloves to all of the volunteers!

TAP Purse Project

Joint service project led by the Rotary Club of Centennial Rotary and included Club of Austin, South Austin, University Club and East Austin. They collected 500 handbags for the Texas Advocacy Project Handbags for Hope program. This was a special collaborative project from the Presidents Council.

Austin Cosmopolitan "Flo Party" Service Project

Austin Cosmopolitan held a "Flo Party" aimed to help women in need in a particular way: building “flow kits” filled with feminine hygiene products. Flo Code, a nonprofit organization that provides aid to local organizations for women, teamed up with UT’s Texas Rotaract and the Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club to host a “Flo Party” at The Clay Pit, during which participants packed kits using menstrual products purchased for the event and donated by Rotary members.

The E-Club of District 5870 was joined by the Manor New Tech Interact Club to plant 25 tress at Burnet High School. Awesome job!!

Killeen Heights Helps Neighbors

This past weekend, Killeen Heights Rotary built two ramps for neighbors in need - one in Killeen and the other Copperas Cove! This club loves to show how they are #PeopleOfAction! For the ramp in Killeen, they partnered with members of First National Bank and the Central Texas College Rotaract Club. For the ramp in Copperas Cove, they partnered with the Rotary Club of Copperas Cove, and led them through their first ramp project! They were also joined by members of the CTC Rotaract Club.

The Rotary Club Of Pfluggerville likes to do things in a big way! For the tree planting challenge, they have decided on a total of 55 trees - 10 of these will be at the Pfluggerville Animal Shelter and other 45 will go to the new 1849 Park. They had a great time Making A Difference and adding more beauty to their community.

The Rotary Club of Taylor responded to RI President Ian Riseley's Tree Planting Challenge with the planting of 25 sapling trees - 15 Eastern Red Cedar and 10 Arizona Cypress on city land. Awesome job!!

Area Rotary Clubs Helping to Control Cholera in Mexican Mountains

The Rotary International Foundation of Evanston, Illinois has awarded a $50,000 Global Grant to the Rotary Club of Marble Falls and the Huejutla (way-hoot-la) Centenario Club of Huejutla de Reyes, Mexico. The purpose of the grant is to establish water purification stations primarily in the indigent Sierra Madres Mountains just outside of Huejutla. The program will be a joint effort of the Rotary, the County of Huejutla and the CECyTE magnet school also located in Huejutla. In addition to the Marble Falls Noon Rotary Club, the project is also being funded by other area clubs including the Rotary Daybreak Club of Marble Falls, The Rotary Club of Burnet and the Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis.

Skeeter Miller, the owner of the County Line Restaurants In Austin was presented a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow for his Continued support for one of the Rotary Club of Austin’s most important service projects, Operation Vacation. The club sponsors a military family from Ft. Hood for an R&R weekend in Austin once a month for the past twelve years and the County Line furnishes a BBQ dinner with all the trimmings for their Saturday night dinner and makes them feel very special. We appreciate the continued partnership with County Line and Skeeter in thanking our soldiers. You are truly a role model for Service Above Self!

Proposed Resolution Changes

In accordance with District 5870 Resolution #2, Section #2, the attached proposed changes to Resolution #5, Section #5 and Resolution #5, Section 8, and a proposed new Resolution #14 have been forwarded to the clubs for review and discussion. These proposals will be voted on at the annual business meeting to be held at the District Conference in San Antonio. This year’s business meeting is scheduled to begin at 2 pm on the afternoon of Saturday, May 5, 2018.

Please contact PDG Rich Kaye at 254-291-4890 or richkaye@hot.rr.com if you have any questions.

Georgetown Supports Clothes Closet at the FUMC

Georgetown Rotary once again has shown how they are #PeopleOfAction! This past week, they used their carpentary skills to build a clothes donation box for for the Clothes Closet at the FUMC. GREAT JOB!!

FORMAL NOTICE OF SELECTION OF THE 2020-21 DISTRICT GOVERNOR

Posted by Gene Holiman

The District Governor Selection Committee, comprised of fifteen members appointed by DG Gene Holiman to equally represent grouped clubs in fifteen geographic sectors within District 5870, each comprising approximately the same numbers of Rotarians, met in Georgetown on Saturday, March 17, with three candidates nominated for the position of DG 2020-21. After extensive interviews, the committee voted to recommend Rick Stacy of the Marble Falls Rotary Club as their selection.

Per the printed selection guidelines available on the District 5870 website, any formal written objections from the clubs which formally submitted candidates for consideration, must be received within 30 days (prior to April 20) by District Governor Gene Holiman. Pending the resolution of any objections, Rick will officially begin his governing track as District Governor-designate April 20, then automatically become the District Governor Nominee on July 1, 2018.

We offer our congratulations to Rick and thank him for his continuing contributions to the growth and strength of District 5870 of Central Texas and wish him well in the new chapter of his Rotary leadership.

2nd Annual Women's Day Project

The 2nd Annual Celebration of Women in Rotary for District 5870 Central Texas was a HUGE success! In collaboration with Todos Juntos Learning Center and 11 different club's throughout the District we were able to paint 3 classrooms, install artificial turf, and build several interactive play stations for the kiddos! In total there were 12 different installations of stations and projects, but with the donations of clubs and the efforts of our volunteers we were able to complete all of them in 1 day! It was a very successful group effort and we appreciate ALL the time, treasures, and talents of everyone involved! Click photo to play video.

Register Now For Celebration Of Clubs Conference

Conductor Gene Holiman is calling for all Rotarians to join him on the "Rotary Express" for the Celebration of Clubs on May 4, 2018 to the Eilan Hotel & Spa in San Antonio. For more details & pricing - click here. To register: http://bit.ly/2FaBlq0

District Assembly - Be The Inspiration

Strengthen your club leadership and get inspired for Rotary year 2018-2019 at District Assembly in Killeen at Central Texas College. To register: http://bit.ly/2CPDwJG

Women In Rotary - History of D5870

In celebration of International Women's Day and 30 Years of Women in Rotary, here is the reaccount of how and when women joined Rotary District 5870. The following is a speech delivered to the Rotary District 5870 District Assembly at the Sheraton

Resort in Bastrop, Texas in 2012 at the request of District Governor Suresh Pahwa.

The advent of women in Rotary is noteworthy. Let me say this to the many women who registered for this meeting: Possibly, you saved Rotary by increasing our membership to a number that would sustain us through the periods of economic troubles that were to come. You brought varied viewpoints toward the services we offer, You have brought a to our previously all=male organization a depth to the Rotary experience.

Finally and perhaps most important, it is noteworthy because, it simply had to be done. It was a step that, in the names justice and decency, had to be taken. Females had not excluded from presenting programs; as visitors, they sat at the same table and shared good conversation. To many of us, it just seemed weird that the president of a bank or owner of a business should prohibited from filling out a membership application because of gender..

One of the greatest and most valuable projects our Rotary club does is Operation Vacation. Every month Ft. Hood selects a family to be honored with a free R&R weekend in Austin. The Austin Hotel Lodging Association Partners with the Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen and the County Line Restaurants to make this a fun, worry free and all expense paid event for the soldiers so they can have quality time with their families. This month we actually had two families: one hosted by The W Hotel and the other by the Hilton Austin Airport. Both families were treated to dinner at the County Line Saturday nite with all the trimmings. What a great way to thank our military for their service and let them know they are appreciated.

LaGrange Donates To Rebuild KC Hall

It's been over 6 months since Hurricane Harvey and rebuilding efforts are still needed in the community of La Grange. Rotary Club of La Grange is worked hard to make a differrence - donated $2,500 towards the rebuilding of KC Hall. KC Hall was submerged in water due to the raising floods from Hurricane Harvey.

Women in Rotary Project

JOIN US, SATURDAY MARCH 10 9AM-3PM! ALL members of District 5870 Central Texas are invited to join us for a day of service in celebration of women in Rotary! (this includes the guys!). This was SUCH a FUN & SUCCESSFUL project last year and we all agreed it should be an annual celebration.

This year's project will be to landscape and install interactive playground features and we will also have a crew painting inside classrooms at TODOS JUNTOS Learning Center. To register to join us please click here: https://1districtstrong.wufoo.com/forms/z1t9x7bk1wikw5h/

The Rotary Club of Austin worked together to package 22,000 thousand meals for Rise Against Hunger!! Thank you for your #ServiceAbove Self! Great job!!

Meet Rotarians Lee Chesney (left) and Michael Holmes (right), both of whom are long-term volunteers in the Waterloo District of the Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Austin, Texas. Between them is Jericho Reymundo, the Senior Patrol Leader of The Great Troop 8. TGT8 is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Austin-NXNE

South Austin Rotary Celebrates 60yrs!

South Austin Rotary celebrated 60 yrs of #ServiceAboveSelf on February 12, 2018!

D5870 Arbor Day Tree Planting Challenge Was A Success!

On February 10th, Rotary District 5870 accepted the tree planting challenge from RI President Ian Riseley. The Rotary Club of South Austin planted 49 fruit trees at the Community First Village. The Rotary Clubs of Austin Cosmopolitan, Austin Centennial, Austin NXNE along with the University of Texas Rotaract planted 400 saplings a home at Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park! The Rotary Club of Flatonia made their tree planting project a community event, with the Mayor of Flatonia Bryan Milson reading a Proclamation “recognizing Rotary Club of Flatonia’s efforts to improve the quality and beautification of the City’s parks” and declared February 10, 2018 as Flatonia Rotary Arbor Day!!! They planted 31 trees. Click here for photos

Mayor Presentation of Rotary Arbor Day

On February 15th at Austin City Hall , District Governor Gene Holiman received an official Proclamation from Mayor Steve Adler proclaiming February 10th as Rotary Arbor Day. Rotary is being recognized for all of the amazing tree planting projects that were completed on February 10th throughout Austin and surrounding communities.

PDG Rich Kaye Receives Governor's Trophy

Governor's Citation: A beloved saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, let me let you in on a little secret. It takes a whole lot more than that to raise a district governor!

Those of us privileged to serve in this leadership role here in District 5870 walk down an arduous path before we even take the reins as Governor. Usually, several years as an Assistant Governor, other district roles. Then a year as District Governor Nominee. The District Governor Elect title creeps in. Then a full year of continual surprises as the DG itself. This progression is no walk in the park, as I am sure all my predecessors will attest. It's three grueling years of planning... organizing... setting goals... recruiting teams... and continual surprises (fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and the like). Yes, it's rewarding and fun, but it is also challenging.

Some District Governor job descriptions and requirements are written down in the Rotary Internal Manual of Procedure - the MOP. Unfortunately, many, many more are not. I - and all the PDGs before me - have had three sources of guidance and leadership to lean on - (1) the aforementioned MOP, (2) the RI website and (3) trusted advisors.

The 2018 District Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award was awarded to Nancy Lehmann-Carssow of the Rotary Club of Northwest Austin.

The District 5870 Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award is the highest award our district can bestow to an individual Rotarian.

To receive the Distinguished Service Award, the nominee must have demonstrated sustained superior service in support of The Rotary Foundation programs. Financial contributions, however notable, are not a relevant consideration for this award. The recipient must have shown service on a broad basis with a substantial level of activity. First awarded in 2013, the Distinguished Service Award has been presented six times.

Congratualtions to Abbey Tootle from the Austin Cosmopolitan Club for earning the Rotary Foundation Certificate for Meritorious Service! The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service is the second highest award the Foundation gives to individual Rotarians and, since 1975, has only been awarded fifteen times to a member of District 5870.

Below is the Foundation Banner Status Report.

Celebrating - Rotary Making A Difference

Celebrating the first 6 months of Rotary District 5870 - Rotary Making A Difference

Ft. Hood Operation Vacation

Sgt. Chris Hirsch, wife Paige and three beautiful daughters were hosted this weekend by the Courtyard Marriott/ Residence Inn Austin for a complimentary weekend sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Killeen and Austin, Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line Restaurant and Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau thanking the family for his service to our country.

La Grange Supports Habitat For Humanity

La Grange Rotary kick starting off the new year in a big way! They donated $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity for a home that will be built for a family affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Flatonia Rotary Sponsors Livestock Award

The Rotary Club of Flatonia sponsored the Senior Hog Showmanship at the Livestock Awards Presentation and Premium Sale at the Carl Smith Pavilion held on Flatonia ISD campus. They presented the award, a beautiful silver belt buckle to the winner, Emma Klozik. Helping Patricia Satterwhite, President of Rotary Club of Flatonia, with the presentation was Jyl Stavinoha and Stuart Mica. Congratulations to Emma and to all winners at the Livestock Show this year!

Rotary Club Of Burnet Partners With LCRA

LCRA presented the Rotary Club of Burnet with a $25,000 check as part of the LCRA's Community Development Partnership Program. The grant, with a match of $25,000 from the Rotary Club and up to $50,000 from the City of Burnet, will fund a new pavilion, playground shade cover, resurfaced basketball court and new goals, tables, benches and energy-efficient lighting at Live Oak Park in Burnet. This is a great example of the power of partnerships and the Rotary Club of Burnet making the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self" come to life.

Rotary Club Of Taylor Making A Difference

Rotary Club of Taylor spreading the holiday cheer in the community this past month with donations to the Taylor Police Department and Shepherd's Heart. Thank you for all that you do!

Rotary Peace Fellowship Alumni current stats

Posted by Laraine Lasdon

Citation: Mike Pfriem – Rotary International

For those of you who are new to this mailing, at the beginning of each quarter I compile and send updated employment statistics about alumni of the Rotary Peace Fellowship.

Here are the Rotary Peace Centers alumni statistics as of 2 January 2018. This update includes all of the 2015-17 peace fellows. Peace fellows from the most recent class at Bradford will be included in the next update.

RI President Ian Riseley has challenged each Rotarian in each district WORLDWIDE to plant one tree for each member during this Rotary year. It can be planted in your yard, a park, in a business area, wherever your personal desire to plant your tree. It can be a 12" tall sapling or a towering 20' oak. Your choice.

To garner the most publicity possible for our Rotarians' actions, we have designated Saturday, February 10, 2018, as Rotary District 5870 Arbor Day, similar to the district-wide Pints for Polio event last month. So that we can garner the most possible publicity, we are encouraging all clubs in the district to concentrate their planting efforts on or around this specific date. We want to highlight to our communities that Rotarians in District 5870 planted 2500+ dresses locally on a single, united day, to Make a Difference.

More details will be forthcoming. Regional Urban Foresters from the Texas A&M Forest Service will be working closely with us, via regular communiques (to come) and other helpful hints regarding which types of trees to plant where, etc. They will also guide us through proper planting procedures for our respective regions, to assure strong growth.

Please mark your calendars with this district-wide date so you will be ready to join the initiative when further details are formalized.

Happy New Year 2018!!

Helping Hand Home For Children

For over 90 years, the Rotary Club of Austin has organized a festive holiday party for the kiddos full of cookies, Christmas songs, gifts and even a visit from Santa! This year's party was one for the books. The children couldn't wait for the big party and some of them brought handwritten letters for Santa and his elf.

Killeen Heights Rotary and KPEA Team Up in the Spirit of Christmas!

Killeen-Heights Rotary Club members and Killeen Police Employee Association teamed us this year to "start a Blue Santa" program that shares the Christmas spirit with local families that are experiencing difficulty this holiday season. Through coordination and collaboration, KPEA members and Killeen-Heights Rotary Club members were able to provide Christmas presents, winter jackets, clothes, and full Christmas meals to 7 families, including 18 children!

Cameron's Global Grant Project With Parchur Central In India

Cameron's global grant was to provide Medical Equipment to Primary Health Centers (PHC) located at Pedanandipadu and Karamchedu Villages and Eye Hospital located at Macherla. The PHCs and Eye Hospital are not fully equipped with the required Medical Equipment and Patients are required to travel several hours to Guntur to take proper treatment.

The Rotary Foundation has AGAIN earned a perfect 100 rating from Charity Navigator!! As a point of reference, Charity Navigator rates 8,000 of America's best-known and some lesser known, but worthy, charities. Of these, only 65 have earned a perfect 100 rating. Our Foundation is one of those 65. Read More

KBTX Food For Families Food Drive

The Rotary Club of Caldwell making a difference with their volunteer efforts at the KBTX Food For Families Food Drive this past weekend. Demonstrating once again that we are People Of Action in our community! Thank you for your Service Above Self!

The students in the Pecan Springs EAFK service club were invited to a big citywide school Christmas party sponsored by the Omni Soithpark Hotel. Each school had a tree to decorate with homemade decorations that would’ve donated to a needy family for Christmas. Then the hotel escorted all the students in the ballroom for cookies and milk and Christmas entertainment by Ortega. This trip was arranged by the school counselor and the club’s coordinator, Patrick Salinas, 5th grade teacher and three Rotarians(Betty Richardson, Margaret Curtis, Mary Reynolds) who work with the school came to help. Fun for all, a great cause sponsored by the hotel and a reminder to our service kids that there are lots of ways to give back to your community and city.

The Hotel Van Zandt is hosting our December military couple for Operation Vacation. Sgt. Mitchell and his wife Kate were so surprised to find out about this trip and can’t wait to explore Austin! This program is sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Austin and Killeen, the Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line and Super Shuttle.

Great Rotarian Project and An Honor For One Of Our Rotarians

On Veteran’s Day, one of our own Rotary Club of Austin members, Mary Reynolds was honored by the Georgetown Rotary Club with a flag flying in their hero’s garden from November 5^th through November 12^th, a tribute to “Service Above Self”. The display of 1400 U.S. flags in San Gabriel Park in Georgetown was in honor of heroes whose dedication to the preservation of freedom in our country, and/or protection and service to our communities both locally and internationally. This new Rotary project is called the Field of Honor and Mary was sent the flag and the ribbon attached to the flag that flew in that garden. What a surprise and such a touching moment for one of our own. Congratulations, Mary and thank s to Georgetown Rotary Club. For more info: www.georgetowntxfieldof honor.org.

Annual Food Drive For Families

Killeen Heights Rotary making a big difference in their community with their Annual Food Drive. They kicked off this annual effort during their weekly Club meeting on 10 November 2017, where the members contributed funds for the local food center. Since the Killeen Food Care Center can provide seven meals per dollar donated, their Club effectively provided 31,300 meals to the needy in their community! Next, they had 11 volunteers pack 600 bags of dry goods for sale at the local Walmart on 13 and 15 November 2017. Finally, on 17 November, 36 members of their Club worked at the Walmart selling the bags of dry goods to Walmart customers - they sold all 600 bags in 11 hours; the last 42 were bought by one generous woman who really wanted to help those in need. They also collected $1,365.98 in cash donations that day - the equivalent of another 9,562 meals! What an awesome project!

PDG Rich Kaye Honored

On Nov. 18th, KIlleen Heights Rotary honored PDG Rich Kaye with the Patsy Derr Sustained Service Award. Rich is the second club member to receive the award, which is awarded to a club member who has distinguished service at the club and district level.

Giving Tuesday, 28 November, happens once a year, but your gift to The Rotary Foundation will make a difference for a lifetime. This Giving Tuesday, consider making a gift to The Rotary Foundation, and together we can continue Doing Good in the World. To donate: www.rotary.org/give

Northwest Austin Rotary Spreads Holiday Cheer

Northwest Austin Rotary Club spreading the holiday cheer with food & HEB gift cards supporting St Thomas More, Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ effort to provide Thanksgiving dinner for families in need. Thank you for your #ServiceAboveSelf!

Remembering A Rotarian

It’s with deep sadness that I report the passing of a great Rotarian and a good friend, Richard Wells Diller.

On November 1^st, 20117 The Rotary Club of Lakeway/Lake Travis (RCOLT) and the Ladies of Charity/Lake Travis Thrift Shop (LOC-LT) entered into a strategic partnership that will leverage both non-profit organizations’ long-term goals in supporting humanitarian projects in the Lake Travis Area. The $60,000 donation from the RCOLT will help the LOC-LT Building, Community, Service Capital Campaign program and in return the LOC-LT will support the 18-year effort of the RCOLT’s Lake Travis High School College Scholarship program.

Make A Difference Day

Killeen Heights Rotary putting their talents to use at the "Families in Crisis Domestic Viloence Shelter" on Make a Difference Day. Thank you for your Service Above Self!!

Congratulations to Beatriz Zilveti

Congratulations to Beatriz Zilveti from the Northwest Austin Club for winning the "Like,Share and Comment" Contest for the Multi-District Reunion.

World Interact Week Oct 30 - Nov 5

This week, World Interact Week, we honor the accomplishments of an estimated half a million Interact club members. And we are recognizing the positive impact young people have made through Interact for more than 55 years.

Prizes for Multi-District Reunion

The Central Texas College Rotaract Club making a difference by spending the day helping at the Friends in Crisis homeless shelter. Thank you for your Service Above Self!

Cameron's Annual Fundraiser

Cameron Rotary Club held their Annual Spaghetti Dinner at the YOE Homecoming Game on Oct. 6. Lots of smiles and fun were had by all who attended and worked!

We are excited to announce our newest EAFK School in Austin is Hart Early College Prep! This program is sponsored by Northwest Austin Rotary Club and Rotary Club of Austin-NXNE. The students were awarded for the character trait of respect by Sir Cass and congratulated by PDG Tim Buckley.

Rotary Club of Pflugerville held their "Pocket Change For Polio" event on Oct. 12th at the Growler Bar. Local businesses joined them to make this a spectacular event! The Idle Vine Brewry donated a $1 for each pint sold and Garbo's Lobster Truck ATX donated 10% of their sales. This community really comes together to support each other! Awesome job!!

South Austin's Annual Tamale Fundraiser

This year we are proud to announce that we are bringing back DELIA'S Tamales.

Delivery will be December 3^rd and orders must be received by November 27^th!

Tamale Season is here again... and The South Austin Rotary Club has a great way for you to get the BEST Tamales in Texas and MAKE A DIFFFERENCE at the same time!

Each case contains 2 dozen of the best tamales in Texas packaged in an insulated sport pack. This packaging makes them the perfect Holiday gift for family, friends, neighbors, or clients.

Choose from Pork, Chicken, or Bean each $35/case.
Tamales are also ideal to serve at your Christmas party or family gathering and we do have large order discounts available. (10 or more dozen… please contact Jose Guerra jguerra@guerra.com)

Austin Cosmoplitan Rotary demonstrating how they are "People of Action" with their service project - Keep Austin Beautiful street clean along Riverside Drive. They followed up with a night of fellowship at Draft Pick.

As part of the ongoing partnership with the Texas Ramp Project, on September 30, 2017, a group of volunteers from the Georgetown Rotary Club completed their thirty-fifth ramp build. These ramps accommodate the special needs of disabled and handicapped people who would otherwise be confined to their homes. The applicants must submit an application and show specific need for such a ramp.

This was just one of over two-hundred ramps built by various organizations under the guidance of Rotarian Larry Baird. With the leadership and guidance of Larry and George Lourigan, a group of Rotarians including Glenn Beck, Felix Boston, Brett Derning, Jim Deuser, Dave Kellermen, Denis Pepin and organizer Myra Page, this Pflugerville project was completed in record time.

Congratulations to the following clubs & groups for earning the 2016-2017 Presidential Citation: Austin Westlake, Killeen, Killeen Heights, Waco Sunrise, Temple South, Harker Heights, Austin Cosmopolitan, Marble Falls, Rotaract - Central Texas College, Interact - Burnet Middle School, Interact - Burnet High School, Interact - Fulmore Middle School and Rotary District 5870. Great job!!!

Pflugerville Adopt-A-Trail Project

Pflugerville's Adopt-A-Trail Service project is an awesome project that exemplies community spirit, service above self and how as Rotarians we make a difference! The Pflugerville club was joined by the American Legion Kerlin-Lyerly 154, Cele Middle School, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Connally High School Interact Club to help clean the Pflugerville Park this past weekend.

The Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen brought the Stricklin family in from Ft. Hood for a little R&R to thank them for their service to the USA. Sgt. 1st Class Sarah Stricklin and her husband are both in the Army and have a daughter 3 yrs. old and a son 19 mos. The Doubletree Guest Suites in Downtown Austin provided them with a complimentary stay with meals -thanks to the staff shown in the picture. The County Line on Hill provided a family style Texas BBQ dinner with all the trimming on Saturday nite. This is just a way for us to say thank you to our military for their sacrifices for us.

Lakeway/Lake Travis and Bee Cave Spicewood Merge

Lakeway/Lake Travis and Bee Cave/Spicewood clubs have OFFICIALLY merged! They received the formal approval from Rotary International this past week. They are so excited to become one club.

"The merger between the two clubs will result in stronger support for existing service project efforts and improved awareness of Rotary impact within the local Lake Travis Community" says Donald Zielinski, former President, Rotary Club of BeeCave/Spicewood.

"Merging our clubs will allow us to support in the Lake Travis Community in a more robust fashion. Together we can be the center of service for our community", says Kris Shelstad, President, Rotary Club Lakeway/Lake Travis.

Top 10 Reasons To Attend Multi-District Reunion

Have you registered yet for the Multi-District Reunion? Check out the top 10 reasons why you should attend! Early bird registration ends October 12th. To register: http://bit.ly/2wKKvnB

La Grange Rotary Helps Community

The Rotary Club of La Grange paid the August utility bills ($51,604) for over 300 families residing in the City of La Grange that were affected by Hurricane Harvey. This is their 2nd grant since establishing their Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

Center of Service Harvey Recovery Fund

Rotary has a stellar reputation of handling funds and is considered one of the very top organizations to donate to because of the integrity and actions of Rotarians.

As a District, we wanted to be able to collect and send funds directly to the Club’s in the communities affected. These Clubs are the “Center of Service” in each of their communities and 100% of the funds donated will go directly to those clubs that need support during the recovery in the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.

Areas currently in need of Recovery Funds: Rockport, Beaumont, La Grange, Port Aransas, Cuero, Victoria & Houston Metro.

Click below now to make a fully tax deductible donation and select an affected area.

Donate now

To donate by check, download this form and follow directions.

Your contribution is fully tax deductible as the (District 5870 Keyway Inc.) is an exempt organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the IRC. Our tax ID # is 20-0539278.

You're Invited To Rotary Oktoberfest

Early Pricing for Multi-District Reunion

Register now for the Multi-District Reunion for Rotary District 5870 - Central Texas, District 4130 and District 5930 and receive early bird pricing of $130 per attendee - includes meals, entertainment and hospitality suite! This rate ends Sept. 28th. To register: http://bit.ly/2wKKvnB

Austin-Southwest's Literacy Project

Rotarians from Austin Southwest Rotary Club delivered free dictionaries and thesaurus' to students at St. Elmo elementary, Oak Hill Elementary and Patton Elementary to start the school year off in the right foot.

Shelter Box USA In Texas

A ShelterBox Response Team is on the ground in Texas to determine how best to assist displaced families following Hurricane Harvey's catastrophic flooding. 100,000 homes affected by the flood. 32,000 people forced into shelter. More than 1 million students in 244 school districts impacted.

ShelterBox aid has arrived in the form of blankets, groundsheets, school kits, and solar lamps, while a provision of hundreds of tents is expected today. These tents may be used as privacy tents to area shelters where large numbers of families are being housed, allowing for medical treatment, childcare, and a host of other critical options.

A designated fund for ShelterBox's response to the Harvey disaster has been launched. This fund provides support for all costs associated with ShelterBox’s response to Hurricane Harvey. ShelterBoxUSA.org/harvey

EAFK program in District 5870 for 2018

Below is a list of the EAFK schools and sponsoring Rotary clubs within District 5870

The Rotary Club of La Grange is raising money to help with the impact of the flooding in La Grange. Their focus includes helping children displaced from their homes to start school, helping families who have been displaced from their homes, helping small businesses who have been impacted by the floods and cooperating with other organizations in the La Grange area that are supporting these needs . Their initial concentration will be to help children who are starting school with school supplies, clothing and shoes and then helping displaced families with basic needs for the families. To donate:

https://www.gofundme.com/harvey-response-to-lagrange-victims

Navarro County Coriscana Supports Special Olympics

Rotary Club of Navarro County/Corsicana #MakingADifference for the Corsicana Special Olympics Awesome service project!

Operation Vacation - August

In- spite of a hurricane coming to Texas, Staff Sgt. Thaddeus Sterling and his wife Kelly and daughter Morgan decided to come to Austin for their Operation Vacation free weekend @ the AT&T Conference Center sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Killeen and Austin and the Austin Hotel Lodging Association. They had passes for the IMAX at Bob Bullock and Austin Parks and Pizza. They were treated to a fabulous BBQ meal with all the trimmings at County Line on the Lake. Thaddeus said he was so excited about the weekend because it was his first day off in three weeks. Operation Vacation was created to give military families quality time with their families all expenses paid and AHLA and Rotary have been hosted a family once a month for over ten years. What a rewarding experience for all!

Harker Heights Dodge Ball Challenge

The Harker Heights Rotary Club has thrown down the gauntlet to all Clubs in the District - including Rotaract, Interact and RYLA Alumni - Are you up for the challenge? Registration ends Sept. 15th

Fairfield Rotary Making A Difference

Fairfield Rotary gave $1200 to the Pleasant Hill Children's Home to purchase school shoes for the kids Pictured is Rotarian, Glenda Brooks, Martha Thomasson, Marketing Director and Club President, Donna Tyus

New RI President Selected

Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, has been selected to be 2018-19 Rotary president. Rassin’s nomination follows Sam F. Owori’s death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect. http://on.rotary.org/2uneguS

Killeen Evening Support Children In Mexico

Killeen Evening Rotary Club doing great work this past weekend! They sent out dental chairs and a lot of hand me down medical equipment to Mexico to help special children. Awesome project! #MakingADifference #PeopleOfAction

Race Across America (RAAM) Sponsors Needed

I am seeking supporters for our bicycle team in Race Across America, better known as RAAM. We are entering a four person team for Rotary’s Polio Plus program to eradicate Polio from the world. The Race starts June 16^th, 2018 in Oceanside, CA and we should finish by June 24^th in Annapolis, MD. 3,000 miles and it is one of the toughest events in the world.

The Rotary clubs of Austin and Killeen took on a meaningful and unique project over ten years ago when They started hosting a military family from Ft. Hood every month.

Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary Club celebrated its 25th anniversary June 22. The group plays an active role in the community by sponsoring its annual Lake Travis ISD Special Olympics Banquet, giving more than $450,000 to Lake Travis High School students for vocational career training and college scholarships, and raising $50,000 for the Lake Travis Community Library meeting room.

With a saddened heart, we report that Northwest Waco Rotary Club has disbanned after 64 years of service. However their spirit, service and legacy will carry on in the community. They have established an endowed scholarship at MCC that will benefit generations of students in perpetuity. That's something that's always been important to the club, giving back through scholarships.

Great turnout for the meeting at UT with the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders including Ambassador Peacock and Council Member Ora Houston of the Austin City Council. These young leaders presented how they are creating opportunities for their country. It was an amazing event with infectious energy of service, courage, innovation, leadership and humanity! Building a Bridge from Austin to Africa.

Great multi-club service project from the Austin, Austin University Area and E-Club of 5870! They supplied a new book van for Bookspring. Great example of why we are #1DistrictStrong!

Killen Heights Rotary Making A Difference

Killeen Heights Rotary and Central Texas College Rotaract Club joined together to replace the ramp at the Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter in Copperas Cove. #PeopleOfAction #MakingADifference

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share the sad news that the President-elect of Rotary International, Sam F. Owori, died last night as a result of post-operative complications from a planned surgery.

On June 24-26, the Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen along with the General Manager, Chris Coleman of the Omni SouthPark figured out a way by giving a Ft. Hood military family a fun filled weekend in Austin through Operation Vacation.

RYLA 2017

It's official RYLA 2017 is in the books... and here is the RYLA SLIDESHOW to prove it! Congratulations and Thank You to all involved in this very successful year of The Rotary Youth Leadership Award. Click here to view video

Congratulations To The Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the Club Public Image Awards for 2016-17! Best Facebook page was tied between Pflugerville and Northwest Austin. Both clubs have vibrant and active pages, great use of hash tags and displaying the Rotary brand. Best Overall Media Coverage went to Temple South for their use of social media, website, video and news placements. Best digital newsletter went to Austin Centennial.

Austin-Southwest Celebrates 35 Years of Service

On Saturday June 17, 2017, members of the Rotary Club of Austin Southwest (formerly Austin-Oak Hill Rotary) and honored guests gathered to celebrate 35 Years carrying out Service as a Rotary Club and to install the board of officers for the 2017-2018 Rotary year.

Rotary Night at the Ball Park

Save the date of Tuesday, August 1, 2017 for Rotary night at the ball park! Tickets are $8.66 each plus there is a $1 handling fee. This is a great family fun event. The perfect way to spend a summer evening - all for a great cause!

Click to download order form

Dawson Elementary EAFK

The Dawson EAFK service club presented the program at the Rotary Club of Austin meeting along with Sir Randall and Lady Amber. Then the students celebrated the end of the year with their Rotary service coordinator Karen Waryas at Dawson Elementary with Balloons and party favors. This EAFK service club had a great year doing a community, local and international project making the world a better place.

In March, 2017 BMS Interact was one of four schools in the nation to receive a visit from Sandy Hook Promise during "Start with Hello" week. That was a tremendous honor and fueled empowerment across the BMS campus that was nothing short of awesome to watch.

This program did so well with the students that the "Start with Hello" is now slated to become a Burnet CISD District wide program during the 2017 - 2018 school year, led by BMS Interact and their advisers. One of the advisers, Sara Te, not only originally located the program but also decided to apply for the 2016 - 2017 Start with Hello national grand prize. They won! Read their story

Help Us Drop To Zero

Rotary Club Total For Scholarships Awarded Exceeds $170,000

Back Row (l-r) Alexa L. Sanchez, Elizabeth Ann Henry, Lacie Brooke Herrin. Front Row (l-r) Gary Cataldo, Chapter President, Sunmi Kim, Kassidy Blair, Thomas Kyle Dunn, Heather E. Orellana, Jack Gilchrist, Committee Chair

The Rotary Club of Austin - Southwest (formerly Austin - Oak Hill) presented eight $1000 scholarships at Thursday’s, June 8, 2017 awards luncheon hosted at DK Marias Restaurant.

The Rotary Club of Austin – Southwest firmly ascribes to the sentiment expressed by the South African leader Nelson Mandela “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” In over 19 years, 150+ scholastic and vocational students have benefited from the club’s ‘Lend A Hand’ scholarship program.

This year’s recipients are working adults, many with families. Fields of study at Austin Community College and Baldwin Beauty School include vocational nursing, occupational therapy, chemical dependency counseling, dental hygiene, cosmetology and diagnostic imaging radiology. Theirs is a common theme of persistence and hard work, overcoming personal and systemic obstacles as they seek to better themselves and the lives of those close to them.

Rotary Bandstand was held at the Sun City Ballroom on Saturday, June 3. This was an annual fundraiser sponsored by the Rotary Club of Georgetown-Sun City that benefits the youth of Williamson County. CBS Austin celebrity, Chikage Windler, once again was the Emcee at this event and she, and a few others, were decked out in their “poodle skirts”. A fun time was had by all and the monies raised will be put to great causes by the Sun City Rotary. See newsclip

New Major Donor, Gonzalo Garza

On June 2, 2017 , Gonzalo Garza became the newest Major Donor at the Georgetown Rotary Club. Thank you Gonzalo!

D5870 World Community Service Project

The Rotary District 5870 - Central Texas World Community Service Project with Grid Earth Project is underway! There are several Rotary clubs from our district and from Belize working to provide solar lighting to families who normally rely upon kerosene lamps. Solar lighting is cleaner, cheaper, fume-free, burn-free, and sustainable. Audrey Bennett Cochran and her husband Jack are there representin' the us.

(Pictured are (from left) Tony Ruff, President of Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club, Nicole Watson of Hotels for Hope, and Monique Hodges, member of Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club.

On March 9, 2017, Hotels for Hope presented Austin Cosmopolitan Club with a donation of $11,300 that will be sent along to Rotary International’s Polio Plus Campaign.

Hotels for Hope (hotelsforhope.com) books hotel rooms for corporate events and, at no cost to the client, sends $2 of each booked room onto a children’s charity. They have partnered with Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club as a recipient of those donations due to the Club’s work in areas of education and children’s welfare.

Carnival CORC 2017

Thank you to all who attended this past weekend in Corpus. We hope you had as much as we did! But none of that would have been possible without your participation. Our focus was intended to be a celebration of your year in Rotary and we could not think of a better way to do so than with a carnival.

Austin's Operation Vacation

SPC David Floyd got to treat his wife and one year old daughter to a fun filled weekend in Austin thanks to the sponsors of Operation Vacation. The Rotary Clubs of Killeen and Austin set up a complimentary weekend at The W Hotel with all the trimmings for the family through the Hotel Lodging Association and the County Line on the Hill gave the family the royal treatment on Saturday night for a dinner set for a king. The sponsors put together gift bags with snacks, treats, toys and attraction passes and arranged for the them to have quality family time totally on the hospitality industry as our thank you to the soldier for his service and to the family for their sacrifices. "It is always a heartwarming experience for all of us and we have been doing it every month for over ten years, says Mary Reynolds, the Rotary Club of Austin Operation Vacation chair and an advisor to the Austin Hotel Lodging Association Board and we hope to continue as long as there are soldiers serving our country."

Join Us For The Big Party!

The Rotary District 5870 Governor Installation Banquet will be held at the centrally-located Reunion Ranch in Georgetown on Saturday, June 17, from 11:30AM-2PM. Incoming DGE Jerry Chapman, incoming DGN Jim Henry and DG Gene Holliman will be formally inducted in that ceremony. All Rotarians and their family are invited. It will be a family-friendly informal affair in a western-themed venue, so formal attire is NOT required. Come, relax, and have fun.Tickets are $40 for adults; $20 for kids. Click here to purchase tickets.

Early Bird Pricing Extened! Register Now For CORC 2017!

Do you still need to register for the May 19-21 "Carnival 2017" Conference of Rotary Clubs? We have great news! Early bird pricing for tickets has been extend for May. Tickets are ($125) and First Time Attendee pricing ($100). To register: http://bit.ly/2m5q388

This is going to be an awesome event with live music, food and games. At our "Carnival Night" everyone is a winner! Here is just a sample of the games that will be available: Western Shoot-Out, Racing Derby, Ring Toss, Penny Pitch, Donut Dunk and a twist on the old game, cake walk - "Wine Walk". All guaranteed to be lots of fun! To register: http://bit.ly/2m5q388

Polio Eradication Update

Posted by Terry Ziegler on May 06, 2017

The Gates Foundation is currently matching all Rotarian Raised Polio Donations $2 for each $1 Contributed (Up to $35Mil/Yr.) Our Rotary-wide 2016-17 Rotary Year Polio Fundraising Goal is $45 Million + the Gates Foundation Match

Foundation News For May

Posted by Rich Kaye

Our 100^th Anniversary

This year – 2017 – marks the 100th Anniversary of our Foundation, and we need your help to celebrate this anniversary in a big way. We are asking every Rotarian in the district to help us achieve 100% participation in the 100th year – meaning, we are asking every Rotarian in District 5870 to contribute something (preferably $25 but anything will be appreciated) to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund between now and June 30th. We’ve never done that before, reach 100% giving. The best we’ve ever done is 87.5%. This is definitely the year to make that magic happen! UPDATE: As of April 30, we are only at 67.3%. If you haven’t contributed to the Annual Fund yet we NEED your help.

Waco Rotary donated materials for Early Literacy Kits for Waco McLennan County Libraries. These kits are geared for children ages 2 to 4.

They are centered on themes like colors, shapes, and numbers. They include books, age-appropriate games, and an activities list so parents can get creative when working with their children. These kits help support the Prosper Waco Initiative on education which aims to build an environment that promotes life-long educational attainment for all residents.

Global Grant - Policy Changes

Clubs and districts can now use global grants to build low-cost shelters and simple schools, under a recent policy change that will be in effect through 2019. The construction must be part of a comprehensive project related to an area of focus. (Projects that involve construction alone are still not eligible for global grants.)

Please note that these structures are limited. Low-cost shelters are intended to provide housing for the destitute or homeless. Simple schools provide very modest schools in areas that previously had none; they aren’t intended to enhance existing schools. To get started, see the low-cost shelters and simple schools guidelines and application appendix.

Send any questions you have to Abbey Tootle.

EAFK Program Makes The News

Kudos to Harker Heights Rotary for making the news twice with their Early Act First Knight program - ceremonies for Willow Springs Elementary and Harker Heights Elementary. Articles focused on the students being honored for their character trait of perseverance.

Help Shape the Future of Rotary

Dear Rotarian,

Thank you for your continued and valued involvement in Rotary. Your opinions matter greatly to us.

Rotary is developing a vision for the future so that we can stay relevant and thrive in the years ahead. Our goal is a compelling, inspirational, and aspirational vision that reflects the impact Rotary strives to have on the world.

We're asking for your input on this brief online survey. With your help, we'll better understand what about Rotary excites and inspires you and how we can make the greatest possible impact.

Follow this link to the survey:
https://rotary.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_czG05nuA9r6w8FT?Q_DL=7QfnMSzoVDqmkwB_czG05nuA9r6w8FT_MLRP_9Gpzgu8zrG8agkZ&Q_CHL=email

Your participation will be vital to our success. Thank you for your assistance in shaping our future.

Warmest regards,

Rotary International Strategic Planning Committee

Congratulations to PDG Melinda Osburn

Posted by Bruce Golden

It is my pleasure to announce that PDG Melinda Osburn has been selected as the 5870 representative to the Council of Legislation and Council of Resolutions.

Help me congratulate Melinda on her new role representing 5870!

Rotaract/Interact Social at Zilker Park 4-22-17

Joint Brunch social between UT Rotaract and Anderson High Interact at Zilker Park on 4-22-17 - Earth Day - sponsored by Cosmo Rotary and attended by University Area Rotary as well; a couple of 4-legged Rotarians also attended! Thanks too all participants!

Copperas Cove Noon Rotary creating some big smiles at their Annual Bicycle Giveaway.

Harker Heights EAFK Ceremony

Black Prince knights honored at the Harker Heights EAFK ceremony with Sir Cass and District EAFK chair Mary Reynolds. This character program is sponsored by Harker Heights Rotary and KISD.

Pecan Spring Book Presentations

Don't miss out on Grants Management Training! There are only 3 sessions left for this year. This is a free event. Click here for details, locations and to register.

Message From District Governor

Posted by Bruce Golden

To Rotarians of District 5870 Central Texas:

Foundation:

We are getting close to our goal! Currently, we are in 5^th place from previous years.

We sure would like to end the year #1!!!!!!!

Our district members have now contributed over $462,000 to TRF ytd!

For first timer PHF’s, if you have not already contributed or taken advantage of the Jerry Johnson trust matching funds, please consider doing so as we are going for 100% district participation.

View the breakdown of Historical Giving of the Top 25 Clubs

View Clubs & Schools that participate in EAFK

Attention First Time Attendees!

Firs

Special pricing for First Time Attendees for the Conference Of Rotary Clubs! Save $50 til April 31st! To register: http://bit.ly/2m5q388 Click here for details on this event, traveling on the party bus and hotel registration.

Soil and Seeds Sprout to Success

The Rotary Club of Temple-South held its RibbonCutting for thier DAP grant project-The Un-Included Club Greenhouse at Blackland Research Center. A big "Thank You" to their partnering sponsors- The Rotary Foundation, Lowes Temple, USDA-ARS, AgriLife, Boley Smart Foundation Repair and FastSigns.

Save the Date for Flatonia's Annual Golf Tournament

EAFK Knighting Ceremony

Round Top -Carmine Elementary had their EAFK knighting ceremony for the trait of perseverance with Sir Cass honoring the students. It was an emotional event for all and thanks to the La Grange Rotary for their support.

Register in March for the Conference of Rotary Clubs and save $$s!!! This will be a family fun filled event in Corpus Christi on May 19-21st. Early bird registration $100 but good only thru March! Special pricing also for first time attendees! To register: http://bit.ly/2m5q388

Women of D5870 Service Project

In celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8th, and in recognition of 30-years of women in Rotary, members from all over Rotary District 5870-Central Texas came together for a multi-club service project. This project provided the landscape needs and playground beautification of the Temple Area Family Crisis Shelter. The Temple Families in Crisis (FIC) is a non-profit organization that provides housing, offers support, and empowers people experiencing family violence, sexual violence, and homelessness. FIC envisions families and individuals that experience comfort and safety through the shelter and services of FIC, leading to restoration, wholeness and self-sufficiency. A special moment from the day was when we realized that in attendance was Betty Richardson a 30-year member and the District's most tenured woman in addition to the Districts newest induction Abbigail White. Such a FUN celebration of Women in Rotary & SERVICE ABOVE SELF!

Sylvia Whitlock - First Female Club President

Special guest at Lone Star PETS was Sylvia Whitlock, of the Rotary Club of Duarte, first female Rotary club president in 1987. This year marks the 30th anniversary for women in Rotary. Click here to read "History of Women in Rotary. " (pictured Sylvia Whitlock and Sara Pantin, PE of RC of Austin .)

Message From The District Governor

To Rotarians of District 5870 Central Texas,

Foundation:

February was Foundation month and we celebrated it in style. We held the Foundation Gala at the Sheraton Hotel in Austin on the 4^th. There were over 380 that attended. The speaker was Paul Netzel, (the incoming RI Foundation Chair) who did a great job of explaining all the good works the TRF has completed over the past 100 years. There was a proclamation read from Honorable State Representative Paul Workman and signed by the Speaker if the Texas House, Joe Strauss. There was both a silent auction and a live auction. Our district members have now contributed over $358,000 ytd!!!! That leads both zones again. Were still #1

For first timer PHF’s, if you have not already contributed or taken advantage of the Jerry Johnson trust matching funds, please consider doing so as we are going for 100% district participation. Meaning every member in every club has contributed a least $25! Never been done before, so let’s make that happen!

Jim Henry Selected District Governor 2019-20

Posted by Bruce Golden

It is my distinct honor and privilege to formally announce that Jim Henry of the Rotary Club of Northwest Austin has been selected by the District Nominating Committee to serve as our Governor for Rotary Year 2019-2020. Jim is a great Rotarian and good friend who I know to be exceptionally well prepared for the job! Please join me in congratulating Jim on his selection as our 105th District Governor. Read Bio

The History of the First Women in D5870

This story was told by Howard Brunson at the 2012 District Assembly by the request of PDG Suresh Pahwa. "I didn't expect to be before a district meeting twenty-five years later discussing the event of brining women into Rotary. The expectations might have been either to be expelled from organization or, if not, that the occurrence be long forgotten.

But, now we are here, remembering history; and, that is good. But, remember, it is HIS Story, one person's account told from a single viewpoint. However, I have checked the facts with others who were there.

The advent of women in Rotary is noteworthy. Let me say this to the many women who registered for this meeting: Possibly, you saved Rotary by increasing our membership to a number that would sustain us through the periods of economic troubles that were to come. You brought varied viewpoints toward the services we offer, You have brought a to our previously all-male organization a depth to the Rotary experience.

because of gender..

In celebration of International Women's Day ( March 8th) and to celebrate 30 yrs of Women in Rotary, we think this is a perfect reason to come together from all clubs in SERVICE!

Please Join us at the Temple Public Library 100 W Adams Ave, Temple, TX 76501 at 3:00pm where we will travel to the unmarked location of Temples Family in Crisis Location. We will be cleaning, and spring-ing up their family playground area...tools, plants, and supplies will be provided, but bring a pair of GLOVES!

We will wrap up there by 6pm and head over to Belton's newest Wine Bar @ 208 N. Penelope Street Belton, TX and hope to be joined there by many of our ROTARIAN MEN!

More details to come... but for now please SAVE THE DATE AND PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD!

This is such an awesome opporutnity for us to serve together as women, as friends, and as Rotarians!

LaGrange Doing Great Work In The Community

JoAnn Ayres, President, Rotary Club of La Grange proudly presented a check to Kelly Frankie for $500.00 for Meals on Wheels.

Happy Anniversary to Waco Lake Brazos

RC of Austin Service Project "Rise Against Hunger"

The Rotary Club of Austin, along with friends and family helping others in the world and having a blast.! Prepared 22,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger who will send to those in need around the world. Great service project!

Request for Nominations of Candidates to Board of Directors, ESRAG

State of Texas House of Representatives Honors D5870 for TRF100

Foundation Dinner Recap

The foundation dinner was a huge success! Over 30,000 dollars was raised for the foundation thru an awesome silent auction with amazing items like the highest bid item a private chef dinner for six from Chef Heidi Wittenborn of Austin Centennial Club, and the exciting live auction with incredible items including a Crystal Cruise to Alaska which raised 10,000 dollars alone.

383 Rotarians and their guests attended this special celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Rotary Foundation at the beautiful Sheraton Austin Downtown.

The gala was full of fun, fellowship, laughter and a celebration of the amazing work Rotary District 5870- Central Texas does for the community and for The Rotary Foundation's 100 years of amazing works felt around the World.

FBI Special Agent Speaks to Jarrell Interact Club

The Rotary Club of Georgetown-Sun City along with the Jarrell High School INTERACT Club sponsors a Career Guidance Program throughout the school year. This exposes students to different promising, long term careers where there will likely be jobs waiting for them after the post-high school education.

Pecan Springs Elementary got a great gift from a major corporation. After sending out a request to find someone to paint a mural on their cafeteria walls for their cafeteria walls, BookSpring found one of their corporate partners that not only would paint the mural but brought 150 of their employees, families and professional landscaping crew to clean out, replant and mulch all the gardens, remove a deteriorating goat pen, Japanese fountain and gazebo, clean up the school grounds and ran off and laminated materials for the teachers.

January Operation Vacation

Staff Sgt. Robert Hoover, wife Stephanie and children Hayden and Riemann were hosted last weekend at the Hampton Inn Oak Hill by the General Manager Cynthia Tirana. The Rotary Club of Austin and Killeen provide the program called Operation Vacation Ft. Hood and arranged a rent car, free meals, entertainment packages, toys and goodies to let the family know how much Austin appreciates the sacrifices these families make for all of us daily.

RI Recognizes District 5870 Grant

Rotary Grant Video for 5870. Created by Sarah Carriker - Northwest Austin

Congratulations to RC of Temple & RC of Killeen

Congratulations go out to:

The RC of Temple for becoming only the 3^rd club in the history of District 5870 to reach the $600,000 all-time giving level.

The RC of Killeen for becoming only the 4^th club in the history of District 5870 to reach the $500,000 all-time giving level.

Visit the NEW Rotary.org

Visit the NEW Rotary website for interactive features and stories. https://www.rotary.org

Gold Award Project on Literacy

Posted by Mary Reynolds

My first involvement with Ana Menchaca was through her Girl Scout troop. They volunteered to work on a project the Rotary Club of Austin was coordinating for BookSpring of Austin which is a literacy organization that works to get books in the hands of children who need them and to create a love for reading.

January - Rotary Awareness Month

Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary Literacy Project

The Lakeway/Lake Travis Rotary and the Tocker Foundation recently donated $2,000 to the Lake Travis Community Library in support of their new bookmobile service. The bookmobil service targets people in the library district who are unserved or underserved.

What a wonderful way to spend Christmas in Austin for a sweet little military family in a beautiful suite overlooking the Capitol with all the holiday lights at the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel. SSG John Bell, his wife Crystal and daughter Sophie (2 hrs. old) arrived to a giant Christmas tree in the lobby greeted by the General manager, Steve Juscen and two members of the host group, Mary Reynolds and Brad Wiewel of the Rotary Club of Austin.

These are pictures from the RC of Georgetown Sun City’s 16th annual Community pancake breakfast w/ Santa. They provided over 1100 meals for low income families in the Georgetown area. The local fire dept. cooked & employees from Khols dept. store serve while the local interact kids help disperse presents while the kids waited to have their picture taken w/ Santa.

On Giving Tuesday, CNBC, one of the leading consumer and business news media outlets in the U.S., named its top 10 charities in the world, ranking The Rotary Foundation No. 5. Charities were chosen for changing the world while maintaining excellent financial standards. The article highlighted Rotary’s tremendous work in eradicating polio. An excerpt of their reporting:

“They're big and global, with budgets exceeding $100 million and net assets of at least $65 million. Yet these 10 charities manage to do exceptional work throughout the country and overseas, all while maintaining stellar financial management and transparency.

Rotary International is honoring 20 projects funded through global grants with special recognition to celebrate 100 years of giving and projects. One of those grants is from RC of Austin and RC San Nicolás de los Garza. Read More

RC of Austin Oakhill Changes Name

It's official! RC of Austin Oakhill has changed their name to RC of Austin-Southwest.

Foundation Gala Sponsors

Congratualtions to Georgetown Rotary!

We are pleased to announce that Global Grant 16-33516: Microcredits for Entrepreneur Women of Tamaulipas, submitted in Melinda’s year (Rotary year 2015-16) by the Rotary Clubs of Georgetown (D-5870) and Ciudad Victoria (D-4130), has been approved by The Rotary Foundation. The award is in the amount of $40,400 USD.

This Global Grant will make a significant impact that will help alleviate poverty in vulnerable sectors of the population in Cuidad Victoria, Mexico by creating an economic resource and skills development for women entrepreneurs. The microcredit loans will help stimulate successful and sustainable self-employment which will contribute to a better local economy and the reduction of the crime rate in our community.This Global Grant will make a significant impact that will help alleviate poverty in vulnerable sectors of the population in Cuidad Victoria, Mexico by creating an economic resource and skills development for women entrepreneurs. The microcredit loans will help stimulate successful and sustainable self-employment which will contribute to a better local economy and the reduction of the crime rate in our community.

Jerry Johnston Milestone Reached!

On behalf of the Trustees of the Jerry Johnson Testamentary Trust, our most sincere congratulations go out to Tonda Campbell, the newest member of the RC of Killeen Heights, for becoming the 1,000^th recipient of a Jerry Johnson Testamentary Trust match. This match, along with her contribution, also results in her becoming the newest Paul Harris Fellow in District 5870.

Now in its 8^th year, the Jerry Testamentary Trust Match Program has distributed in excess of $203,000 to match the contributions made by 1,000 Rotarians in Districts 5730 and 5870, and to help them earn a total of 528 first time Paul Harris Fellowships.

So far this Rotary year, the Johnson Trust has distributed $28,093 to help 76 Rotarians become Paul Harris Fellows.

Rotary District 5870 - Central Texas Supports Local Veteran

Rotary District 5870 - Central Texas in conjunction with Helping a Hero.org, US Senator Ted Cruz, and renowned singer Lee Greenwood partnered to present a new home to medically retire Marine SGT Steve Land who lost both legs in an IED explosion while serving our nation in Afghanistan. The district was represented by members of Rotary Club of Killeen Heights, Harker Heights Rotary, Belton Rotary Club, Temple-South and Rotary Club of Georgetown, Texas. The Rotary Club of Killeen Heights presented SGT Land with a Paul Harris Fellowship, and the Rotary Club of Temple-South has make him an Honorary Member.

The Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of Rotary – a global network of volunteers committed to improving lives and communities around the world – has been named the 2016 Outstanding Foundation by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

From its first contribution of $26.50 almost a century ago, The Rotary Foundation’s assets have grown to approximately $1 billion, and more than $3 billion have been spent on projects that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, support education, save mothers and children, and grow local economies.

According to The Rotary Foundation, District 5870 contributed $540,935.27 to the Annual Fund last year, resulting in a district per capita of $204.20. Both these numbers lead all 22 districts in Zones 27 and 21b. This coming year – 2017 – marks the 100^th Anniversary of our Foundation. As we begin November, Rotary’s Foundation Month, we looking for every Rotarian to celebrate this anniversary in a big way.

To make this celebration special, we are asking every Rotarian in the district to help us achieve 100% participation in the 100^th year – meaning, we are asking every Rotarian in District 5870 to contribute something to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund between now and June 30^th. We’ve never done that before, reach 100% that is. The best we’ve done is 87.5%. This is the year to make that magic happen!

The Rotary Foundation has just announced they have selected one of our 2013-14 Global Grants (GG 14-11450 between the Rotary Clubs of Austin and San Nicolás de los Garza in D-4130 to help a mobile medical unit for rural medical care) for recognition as part of the Foundation’s centennial celebration. During the coming months, The Rotary Foundation will be sharing this exciting news throughout the Rotary world and highlighting this project along with the others that were selected. Congratulations to John Braun, Ellen Hunt and Mavi Chapa for championing this grant, and to Ken Adams and Brenda Osbon for creating the conditions that made it successful.

This past Saturday, Killeen Heights Rotary with the help of CTC Rotaract, Officers from Killeen PD, and other community members worked together at the Friends In Crisis Homeless Shelter for a great cause. 25 bunk beds and 50 mattresses were replaced at the shelter for the less fortunate. #RotaryHasHeart #100ActsOfGood

District PR Team Wins Top Honor

Congratulations to the District PR Team! They received top honor at RI Zone 21B/27 for their accomplishment in 2015-16. Step and take a bow for your great work!

Taylor's Pints For Polio

Chili on Election Day: Voting and Rotary Fundraiser Go Hand in Hand

When you go out to vote on Election Day, plan to indulge in a hot “cup of red,” when the Annual Corsicana Rotary Club Chili Fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cook Education Center at Navarro College on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Tickets are $8 each and includes: chili, all the fixings, plus drink and dessert. Tickets will be available at the door or from any Wednesday Rotary Club member. The club will also be making deliveries if you have 10 or more orders.

The money from the chili fundraiser is used to support Food for Fitness, Students of the Month from Corsicana High School, scholarships, sending students to RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and The Salvation Army.

For additional inquiries about tickets please contact Michael Hickerson at 903-654-4500 ormhickerson@mybanktx.com.

October Operation Vacation

Last weekend the Austin Hotel Lodging Association along with the Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen in partnership with the Greater Austin Restaurant Association did just that-took care of a soldier’s family from Ft. Hood and the soldier got to go along, too and share in the fun.

EAFK Ceremonies at Dawson Elementary

Dawson Elementary sponsored by Rotary Club of Austin

Georgetown Rotary - Ramp Building Project

On Oct, 8 - Rotary Club of Georgetown completed a "Ramp Building Project" in Bartlett, TX. Thank you for your Service Above Self!

Multi-Club Service Project - Shoes For Children

Rotarians in Austin got to help Samaritans Feet and Movement Mortgage hand out over 500 new shoes to the students at Pecan Springs Early College Prep School on Saturday and it was a heartwarming event for all. There was a contest and to win Movement Mortgage had to raise $10,000 to get the opportunity to give a non profit of their choice 600 brand new shoes and the company chose Pecan Springs. The event was held that the school and the Rotarians worked hand and hand with the employees of both organizations measuring the kids, washing their feet and then putting on brand new socks and shoes on each kid that arrived and waited their turn. Each student was also given a backpack of goodies and a snack with juice. It was a grand day at Pecan Springs and Rotary got to help give back to the community. Thanks Samaritans Feet and Movement Mortgage. And it was covered on Fox News at 9.

Rotary In Action

Congratulations to The Rotary Club of Austin Centennial members Christine and Kathy Kempff! They were recognized in Los Angeles by LA Style for co- founding Moja Tu, a non profit organization that helps provide scholarships and mentorship to students in Kenya. Also pictured fellow board member and Acrc member Monica Sharp #RotaryHasHeart #1DistrictStrong #100ActsOfGood

Northwest Austin's Annual Fruit Sale Is Here!

Get Ready For Annual Multi-Club Monster Dash

Fun At Multi-District Reunion

Belton Rotary Is Honored By Chamber Of Commerce

The Belton Rotary Club is honored by the Belton Area Chamber of Commerce A bench has been added to the Belton Police Memorial, which allows visitors to reflect on those who have paid the ultimate price. The memorial opened in May, but there was no place for visitors to sit. The Belton Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Belton program added the bench in honor of the Belton Rotary Club’s contribution to construction of the memorial.
The $600 bench was specially designed to highlight what Rotary Club’s values, quoting the organization’s iconic Four Way Test.
“We really want them to be singled out, and really praised, for everything they have done,” said John Burgess of Leadership Belton.

The Rotary Foundationl Receives Highest Rating

The Rotary Foundation has received the highest possible score from Charity Navigator with a rating of 100. on.rotary.org/2bVC9f1

Rockdale EAFK Jousting Event

The Rockdale Intermediate School students got a real treat today sponsored by the Rockdale Rotary Club. The Knights of the Guild brought a jousting event to the school for the kick off of their EAFK character building program.

Killeen Heights Rotary Ramp Project

Approximately 24’ of wheel chair ramp was built this past Saturday on Duvall in Killeen. We had a GREAT TURN OUT! Over 30 folks gave up their Saturday morning to help someone they didn’t even know. Not only was a ramp built but we had a very special surprise as General (Ret) Pete Taylor pined a Vietnam recognition pin on a well-deserved Vietnam Veteran. Now if that does not make the hair on your hairs go up I don’t know what will! There was two things that stood out: one everyone had a smile on the face and we had a very wide range of ages on this project from the very young to the very mature! This proves there is something for everyone to contribute as once again we had Unity in The Community .

Operation Vacation

The Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen and the Austin Hotel and Loading Association hosted a military families during the summer month of July for Operation Vacation. Sgt. James Spence, his wife Anna and their four kids Steels(13), Drew(11), Marek(8) and Anna(5) had the time of their lives exploring Austin the weekend of July 29-31.

Congratulations to BeeCave Spicewood for being awarded the 11th RecognizeGood Lighthouse Award for their good work in the community, proving that a small group can make a big impact!

Congratulations to North West Waco!

Congratulations to Northwest Waco Rotary Club for reaching 100% PHF! They are the 20th club in our District to reach this status.

Don't Miss the Marble Falls 67th Annual Fish Fry

Happy Rotary New Year!!

District 5870 Rotarians,

Happy New Rotary Year!

Sharon and I are so excited to be your DG & spouse for the year as we start to embrace this year’s new RI theme – Rotary Serving Humanity & our districts theme of Serving Humanity in your Community.

It's time to unfold new horizons and realize new dreams, to rediscover the strength within you, to rejoice in simple pleasures and gear up for some new challenges.

This is going to be a FUN year as we celebrate The Rotary Foundations Centennial Year – 100 years of giving back to the world’s needs.

Buckle up – it’s going to be a fabulous ride!

Best regards,

Bruce Golden

5870 DG / 2016 – 17

Are You Ready To Dodge?

$25/per person Registration Fee

Click to register as a team

Click to register as an individual

My Rotary Story Contest Winners

Jennifer Graham - Most Creative

Ronney Reynolds

Christine Kempff

My Rotary Story - Christine Kempff from Stuart Phillips dba Grateful Dog on Vimeo.

ESSENTIAL CHANGES FOR CLUBS AND DISTRICTS

To download document

The Rotary Club of Killeen broke ground at the noon meeting on Wednesday for its new community service project. The Past District Governor Patsy Derr pavilion will be constructed at the Killeen Rotary Children's Park on S. WS Young Dr. The pavilion will honor PDG Patsy Derr's 22 years of Rotary service to the community and international youth programs of Rotary International. Manning the shovels are Killeen Parks and Recreation Director Mr Brett Williams, PDG's Rich Kaye, Mike Pinson, and Rex Weaver, and The Killeen Rotary Club President Jay Early Contributions for inscribed paving bricks are being accepted by the president of The Killeen Rotary Club Foundation, Club President Elect Raymond Perez, at PO Box 1032, Killeen TX 76540-1032.

Girl Scout Gold Award Project for Literacy

Ana Menchaca, daughter of Rotarian David Menchaca of the Rotary Club of Austin and Scout leader/ mother Marla, built these permanent collection boxes for gently used or new books for students at Cedar Creek and Spicewood Elementary to donate for BookSpring of Austin to give to children who have no books in their homes or to clinics to distribute during well checks. Ana did this project for her Girl Scout Gold Award and has arranged for the Westwood Rotary Interact Service Club sponsored by Northwest Rotary to monitor the boxes and deliver the books collected throughout the years to the Bookspring office. Thanks, Ana for your support for literacy in Austin and making a difference in your community.

Interact Fulmore Middle School Students Receive International Recognition

Fulmore Middle School Interact club was presented their Presidential citation award at their last meeting of the year. They were so excited and proud to know that not only are they one of the few Middle School interact clubs but they won a Presidential Citation award their first year and did it without knowing there was a citation to earn. This was a great Interact Club sponsored by the Rotary Club of Austin.

Breaking Polio News

The Trivalent to Bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine Switch

Between 17 April and 1 May, the type 2 component of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) is being removed from use through a globally synchronized switch from the trivalent to bivalent oral polio vaccine. This is the first stage of Objective 2 of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 to withdraw OPV in a phased manner starting with the type 2 component following the eradication of wild poliovirus type 2 in September 2015.

Thanks to the efforts of a wide range of stakeholders from Ministries of Health, health workers, volunteers, switch monitors, WHO, UNCEF and partners of the World Health Organization, confirmation has been received that 152 countries have completed the switch.

Rotarians were thanked by the students and staff at Pecan Springs after the Tournament of Champions EAFK event may 6.

Austin's RIF Program

The Rotary Club of Austin sponsors these darling little toddlers at a day care center for the Reading is Fundamental program so they all get free books several times during the year to develop a love for reading. Making a difference early!

Congratulations to Round Rock Sunrise!!!

Congratulations to Round Rock Rotary Sunrise club which was awarded 1st place for the best 5k in the Best of Round Rock. The Reindeer Run is their club's biggest annual event that supports the Play for All Abilities Park in Round Rock.

Come Join The Fun at Conference of Rotary Clubs 2016

Don't miss out on all the fun that will be had at Conference of Rotary Clubs!!

Register Now

My Rotary Contest Challenge

All "My Rotary Stories" must be submitted by April 30th to qualify for the contest.

Bono's Message to Rotary Members

Rotary/UNESCO-IHE Scholarships Available

The Rotary Foundation and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education are offering up to 10 scholarships for graduate study at UNESCO-IHE's Delft campus in the Netherlands. The application deadline is 15 June. Scholars will receive a Master of Science degree in urban water and sanitation, water management, or water science and engineering. Graduates work with their Rotary club sponsors on a related project to benefit their local community. For more information, review the application toolkit and scholarship terms and conditions.

Killeen Heights 30th Anniversary Celebration

The Killeen Heights Rotary Club celebrated its 30th anniversary on June 26 at the Courtyard Marriott in Killeen. The featured guest speaker for the gala event was Ron Burton, immediate past president of Rotary International.

Melinda at RC of Killeen Heights 30^th Anniversary celebration with Miok Duranski, Editor of the Korean Weekly News.

PRIP Ron Burton being presented a memento of Central Texas by outgoing RCKH President Jose Segarra and PDG Rich Kaye.

Join Austin Cosmopolitan's Sunday Funday

Mary Reynolds wins "Service Above Self Award"

Posted on May 03, 2015

Mary Reynolds was presented Rotary's highest honor, Service Above Self from Hanspeter Tobler, Rotary District Governor and Greg Podd, Rotary International Director at our District Rotary Conference in San Antonio. Only 145 Rotarians out of 1,250,000.00 members get this award.

EarlyAct FirstKnight Trailer

Posted by Tami Kyle

May 9th - Bosque County Golf Tournament

Rotary Joins Other Interantional Agencies in Nepal

View the latest images from ShelterBox's response in Nepal. These photographs have come from two friends of ShelterBox - Nabin Subedi and Ashish Chaulagain who both live in Kathmandu and a 'before the earthquake' picture kindly donated by a climber who has spent a lot of time in Nepal. Your support is vitally needed to allow ShelterBox to help families in need in Nepal and around the world - https://www.flickr.com/…/shelterbox…/sets/72157651806499948/

Literacy scores hundreds of books for BookSpring through the Rotary Club of Austin and Half Price Books!

The members of the Rotary Club of Austin took advantage of a beautiful Austin day and instead of doing taxes went to the Parmer Half Price Book Give Away on April 15 and received over 2700 books for kids and Bookspring. Rotary’s literacy committee’s objective is to get books in the hands of children who do not have any so they can develop a love for reading by building their own home libraries. This goal partners well with BookSpring Austin which also believes in providing free books to infant through high school through their clinic and school programs. These two organizations are changing the world one book and child at a time. Thanks for your help-Half Price Books! Pictured: Todd Coleman (Rotary volunteer), Vicky Lindsey (Rotary literacy chair), Wayne Holstine (Bookspring staff), Mary Reynolds (Rotary volunteer). Not shown: Rachel Ruiz, Laurianne Balkum, Liz Ingersoll-all Rotarians.

Career Day at Pecan Springs

Posted by Mary Reynolds

Rotarians share their careers with the students at Pecan Springs Elementary in East Austin on Career Day. Laurianne Balkum shows the kids how to do conflict resolution kindergarten style. What great role models. Proud to be a Rotarian! Way to go.

110th Anniversary of Rotary

Posted by Pam Blankenzee

Today, February 23, marks the 110th anniversary of Rotary. Over our 110 years, Rotary members have created access to education, empowered communities, pushed polio to the brink of eradication and improved lives around the world. Help us celebrate our birthday by sharing your favorite Rotary memories on social media. Read more: http://ow.ly/Jhsfv

Rotary Foundation Earns Top Honors

Every year, the Chronicle of Philanthropy ranks the top 400 nonprofit organizations in the United States. The Rotary Foundation has continued its steady growth, moving up 35 spots to 85th. The ranking is based on monetary contributions from private sources and reflects the increasing generosity of those who support Rotary's mission. According to the Chronicle, the Foundation received $239,576,000 in 20l3, a 32.4 percent increase from the previous year.

The Foundation recently earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the largest and most prestigious independent evaluator of nonprofits in the United States. In the 20 l3-14 Rotary year, 92 percent of the Foundations expenditures were applied to programs, with only 6 percent spent on fundraising and 2 percent on administrative expenses. The Foundation funded $23.5 million in district grants and $47.3 million in global grants. These grants support local and international humanitarian projects as well as scholarships.

2015-16 Rotary Presidential Theme Announcement

Posted by Pam Blankenzee on Jan 25, 2015

2015-16 Rotary Presidential Theme Announcement from Rotary International on Vimeo.

Marble Falls Rotary Club on pace for record amount of giving!

Posted by Jeff Matera on Jan 22, 2015

The Rotary Club of Marble Falls new community giving program is providing local charities a chance to fulfill their goals in 2015. As a result the club has given out a number of cash awards for projects for a variety of local needs.

Among the largest has been a $27,750 grant to the Boys and Girls Club of the Highland Lakes for a portion of their facilities upgrades to their Marble Falls facility. The award was presented to Boys and Girls club president Randal Dahl by Rotary Club of Marble Falls president Mendy Ritche at the club’s December 11^th meeting.

Other awards given recently were a $5000 grant to the Highland Lakes SPCA for a dog run at it’s new facility, $2000 to the Literacy Council of the Highland Lakes for new laptop computers,$2999 for new equipment at Camp of the Hills, $1500 to the Helping Center for Christmas Turkeys and $999 to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Highland Lakes for a new laptop and printer.

Rotary's Vision for a Better World

Posted by Pam Blankenzee on Jan 07, 2015

Rotary of Austin's Memberhsip Soiree

Posted by Amy Jackson on Jan 06, 2015