Every year at the change of leadership moving from one Rotary year to the next, we celebrate the Change of Command -- recognizing the members who have served the club during the past year and welcoming the incoming officers and directors for the upcoming year. This year's Change of Command has two parts:
During the regular club meeting on Thursday June 27, which will take place at Ave Maria Catholic Parish in Dwyer Hall (9056 E. Parker Road, Parker, CO 80138). Dwyer Hall is downstairs; enter through the blue doors. DO NOT enter through the main doors
A special social event at Purgatory Cellars (18921 Plaza Dr, Parker, CO) on Saturday evening, June 29 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Please let Kelly Young know if you and a guest plan to attend
We as a club have much to celebrate this year -- just look at this Lamplighter for evidence of our wide range of projects!
Thank you to the Rotarians who helped prepare several small cabins that were being moved from Mustang Ranch in Deer Trail to Affinity Ranch. They removed the decks from the cabins prior to the cabins being moved. Click here for more photos of the project, which extended over two Saturdays.
Why the cabins? Here’s a note from Alicia Engebretson, President of the Board of Directors of Affinity Ranch:
The cabins are intended to be meeting spaces primarily with the intention of having sessions in a shaded area with viewing areas of animals. Psychotherapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists can use these cabins as office spaces to work privately with animals and achieving their individual goals. Many of the cabins will develop our mental health spaces where we can provide private counseling for youth and adults in the neurodiverse community. The mental health and other therapy programs will be human - animal as assisted and provided by licensed professionals.
Two of the smaller cabins will be converted for small-animal living spaces as their current spaces are literally falling apart and we are wanting to do more activities with these chickens, goats, sheep and alpacas.
We would also use one small cabin potentially for prevocational skills like processing honey from the bees on site.
One small cabin will also be needed for storing small animal care supplies near the small animal enrichment area. Our plan is to incorporate a close supply area so it’s more of a natural habitat and participants/clients can be close to animals as they are assisting them in daily chores. This is safer for the client and the animals.
Rotarians know how to work AND have fun! We help staff a beer tent at Parker Days -- work AND fun. And we staffed a booth to advertise the two Rotary clubs in Parker and provide information on Shelter Box. Thank you to all who helped have fun AND work during Parker Days! Click here for more photos of Rotarians in action.
Saturday, May 18 was a glorious day in Colorado for Rotary clubs to participate in Rotary's Epic Day of Service. The Rotary Club of Parker worked on several projects at the therapeutic riding center Affinity Ranch (formerly Praying Hands Ranch), including
painting a corral
maintaining the sensory garden, and
driving posts for a new fence.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the community service! Click here for more images of Rotarians in action.
On June 12 we celebrated the official launch of the new lighting on the gazebo in O’Brien Park, a partnership between the Rotary Club of Parker, the Town of Parker and the Parker Chamber Foundation. The new lights can be programmed with different colors to celebrate different events/seasons. Check it out some evening!
Club member Edith Blankson attended the 2024 Rotary International Convention this past May in Singapore. Here’s her report on some of the highlights:
Embarking on a 20+ hour journey from Denver that ended up being about 36 hours due to deplaning at the last minute in San Francisco when all seemed set!!
Being a part of the 14,000 Rotarians who came together in the beautiful and neat country of Singapore to what seemed like a “still” moment in time is an experience
From the scheduled formal sessions and breakout sessions, to the informal sessions, including planned and unplanned social meets, you are sure to learn a lot more about Rotary beyond what your Club does, to make new connections and build friendships.
You don’t attend an RI convention and come back the same; it is a lifetime experience that will forever bring a smile to your face. I encourage every club member to put it on their bucket list if you haven’t attended an International Convention yet! In case you haven’t heard, Convention 2025 will be "next door" next year in Calgary, Canada. Who is coming with me?!
Our club gave $635 from our funds to help support Repire Haiti and its staff as a result of recent gang activity, including the slaying of police officers, in the town of Gressier, Haiti where Respire is located. The note below from Director Josh Anderson provides a recent update on Respire. Respire has been an ongoing project of our club, beginning in 2014 with the first District International Grant for outdoor solar lighting, followed by a Global Grant for solar power for the campus finished in 2018, followed by a District International Grant for computers, library books and lab equipment finished a year ago. Our recent cash gift for $635 will go a long ways in helping gang-induced displaced families. Here is Josh’s thank you:
“This is incredible news Mike. Please pass on my deepest thanks to the entire club.
Thank you for the continued support, we are most grateful.
As for Respire Haiti, the campus remains untouched, for now. We continue to provide assistance to as many families as possible.
We will continue to provide updates as we gain more news. Blessings abundantly. Josh Anderson”
Cedric Woodard shared this wonderful poem on "retirement" during his vocational talk in June:
Day Off, by Cedric Woodard
Here’s a word on retirement folks No work, just fun, but here’s the joke I had plans of things that I could do. Traveling, fishing, and napping too.. If only I had a day off.
On Monday morn I rise and shine Have things to do; this should be fine Then I see the “honey do” list And my fishin trip is gone like the mist. If only I had a day off.
Why I’d use my shop the entire day But forgot I have to stack the hay! Then clean the stalls and water Blue, And mow the yard and trim it too. If only I had a day off.
Now Tuesday seemed to show some hope But doctors, lawyers and taxes broke The plans I had to use my boat Instead I met with all those folks. If only I had a day off.
So Wednesday and Thursday flew by And finally Friday – can’t believe my eyes – The garden we planted with loving care Grew mostly weeds-they’re everywhere! If only I had a day off
Saturday came and to my surprise There are no weekends, it’s all been lies! Then church on Sunday and some errands did... But you know I love my life, my wife, my kids But sure could use just one day off.
Yes, you can help the Foundation by your grocery shopping! See more information below.
The Foundation of the Rotary Club of Parker is where most of the funding comes from to support the club’s service projects. (We can also receive grants from the District and from Rotary International, depending on the nature of the project.) The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Colorado corporation.
There are many ways you can support the Foundation and therefore support our service projects:
Participate in the club’s fundraising activities, from State of the Town in May to the Palisade peach sales in August to Parker Uncorked Wine and Spirits Festival in October
Make a donation yourself to the Foundation
Donate a car to support the Foundation. At our last meeting, Foundation Treasurer Dave Selden reported that we received our first funding from a donated car – thank you!
Link your store loyalty card (King Soopers and City Market) to the club so that as you shop the stores will donate money back to the linked organization. For more information on how to link your card, click here.
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