If you would like to help review the scholarship applications that we have received and choose the scholarship recipients, please contact Sue Garwood.  The committee is currently planning to meet at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 25.

We have been looking for ways to support Make-a-Wish Colorado, and here's an opportunity that is nothing but yummy.  You are invited to attend an ice cream social at the Vehicle Vault in Parker on Sunday, April 28 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.  This party will celebrate

• kids who are waiting for their wishes and their families,
• two kids who just received their wishes and their families, and
• volunteers at Make-a-Wish. 

The Vehicle Vault donated the space and our club is providing the ice cream.  There is no formal program, so you can drop in for part of the time and enjoy the ice cream and celebrate with the participants.

If you have questions or wish to attend, please RSVP to Sue Garwood by April 25.

To view the event flyer, please click here.

Yum!

Project CURE – Monday, April 22, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

It’s a date -- we’re back on track to volunteer once a month sorting medical supplies at Project C.U.R.E.  Mark your calendars for the fourth Monday of the month, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  No medical experience is required – just the ability to recognize that one item is the same as another.  Click here to register online for the April sorting.  Questions?  Contact Susan Gustin.

Parker State of the Town -- Tuesday, May 7, 7:00-10:00 a.m.

We need the help of Rotarians at this event, both at the registration table and as greeters.  Click here to sign up for a shift from 7:00-8:15.  Questions?  Contact Sue Garwood.

Valley Hope Golf Tournament -- Monday, May 20

Valley Hope is having its big fundraising golf tournament on Monday, May 20 at Black Bear Golf Club in Parker.  If you would like to help out at the event with tasks such as registration, they would appreciate your participation!  Click here to view the event flyer.  Of course if you would prefer to help out by playing golf, I'm sure they would welcome that, too!

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Parker State of the Town -- one of our club’s signature fundraising events. 

We put on this event in conjunction with the Town of Parker.  The Town is handling many of the details, while our club is responsible for others. 

What can we each do to help with the State of the Town?

• Make a donation to the Foundation of the Rotary Club of Parker to be a sponsor of the State of the Town.  Click here for more information on how to make a donation

• Solicit sponsorships from local businesses.  If you plan to solicit a local business to be a sponsor of the State of the Town (e.g., your dentist, the shop where you get your car serviced),  please notify Harold McCloud (hdmccloud@comcast.net) of your intention ahead of time.  We do not want a situation where a local business is being solicited by several different Rotarians

• Volunteer at the event.  Click here to to volunteer for tasks such as registration on the day of the event

• Attend the event.  This event is a wonderful way to network with the Parker civic and business communities.   If you make a donation to the Foundation to sponsor this event AND you plan to use the tickets that you are entitled to as a sponsor, please tell Harold McCloud (hdmccloud@comcast.net) how many of your tickets you DO plan to use.  We have to be careful not to oversell the limited number of seats available at the PACE Center.

From the left: Rotarian Sue Garwood, Chaparral Interact Club advisor Carolyn Ford, Chaparral Interact officers Grace Clemens and Olivia Heisler

Our club has long been a sponsor of the Interact Club at Chaparral High School.  (What's an Interact Club?  Interact Clubs are an outreach of Rotary International and local Rotary clubs that bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self.)  We welcomed two of this year's officers at Chaparral, Grace Clemens and Olivia Heisler, along with their advisor Carolyn Ford, to our meeting on April 18.  Thanks to the efforts of dedicated club officers such as Grace and Olivia, the Chaparral Interact Club has had a particularly successful year in terms of both money raised and number of projects undertaken.  How exciting to see this extension of Service Above Self!

Our club also sponsors an Interact Club at Gold Rush Elementary School in Parker, the first-ever Interact Club at an elementary school.

Saturday, April 13 was a perfect day to be outside King Soopers soliciting donations for the Parker Task Force.  Thank you to the Parker community for your continuing support!  We collected

• 63 Boxes of Food
• $921 in Cash
• $615 in Gift Cards
• 101 Lbs of Butter
• 63 Packages of Cheese
• 97 dozen eggs

For more photos of Rotarians in action, click here.

Save the date!  On Saturday, May 18, Rotarians from all over Colorado and Wyoming and points east will participate in an Epic Day of Service.  We've been talking with Affinity Ranch (formerly Praying Hands Ranch) about projects -- it looks as though we will be painting the outsides of some of their buildings that day.  Stay tuned as details are firmed up.

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards are back in person for summer 2024!  RYLA (for high school students who are currently a sophomore, junior, or senior) and Young RYLA (for students going into eighth grade) are week-long youth leadership conferences in Estes Park. The Rotary Club of Parker sponsors students to attend so that there is no cost to participants.  Our sponsorships are open to youth living in Parker.  Participants describe this as an awesome, life-altering experience.  If you know a young person who would be a good fit for this experience, please spread the word!

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 30, 2024.  For more information and a link to the application, go to our website at https://parkerrotary.org/page/rotary-youth-leadership-awards-(ryla)  Questions?  Contact Sue Garwood.

It is with great sorrow that we let you know that Nancy VanderHeiden, wife of long-time Rotarian Tom VanderHeiden, passed away on March 24 in Cortez, Colorado.

The family shared the following obituary with us:

Nancy was born in Hendricks, Minnesota on June 24th, 1944. She died on March 24th, 2024, in Cortez, Colorado, in the BeeHive Assisted Living Facility. She was preceded in death by her parents, Kathryn and Adolph Wahlstrom, and her two brothers, Danny and David Wahlstrom.

Nancy graduated from Hendricks High School in 1962. She then attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and graduated with honors in 1966 with a degree in English literature. Following graduation from Augustana, Nancy accepted a Fullbright scholarship from the University of Colorado, where she earned a master's in English Literature. She then became a high school English teacher in Englewood, Colorado, and later in Brunswick, Maine. 

Nancy met Thomas L. VanderHeiden at Augustana College in 1966. They were married on June 11th, 1967, in Hendricks, Minnesota, her hometown. Thomas then accepted a commission from the U.S. Navy. Nancy spent the next eight years traveling with him to many duty Stations worldwide. They moved from Denver to Lemoore, California; Pensacola, Florida; Brunswick, Maine; Bermuda; and Rota, Spain. Nancy and "Tom" returned to Denver in 1974, remaining until 2023.

Nancy's family was her greatest joy. She gave birth to 3 sons: Thomas Joseph ("T.J."), Todd Fredrick, and John David. Her love extended to her six grandchildren – Lauren, Danielle, Nicole, Luke, Alice, and Tilly. She cherished her role as "Nana" in their lives. The family resided in Centennial, Colorado, until July of 2023. Nancy, Tom, and John moved to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, due to Nancy's diagnosis of Dementia and Alzheimer's. Nancy passed away on March 24th, 2024, succumbing to the disease.

Nancy's life will be celebrated at her memorial, which will be held at 2 PM on June 22nd, 2024, at the family home at 7862 South Argonne Street, Centennial, Colorado. Further details of her homegoing to Heaven will be provided.

In place of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to the Alzheimer's Association in Nancy's name. 

Our Club has a long-standing relationship with the Denver Indian Center, "an urban cultural gathering center for the American Indian and Alaska Native community of the Denver Metro area."  Mike Oldham has been our point person with the DIC during that time.  If you would like to join Mike in serving on the committee to support the DIC, please contact him at meoldham@msn.com.

The photo below shows Rotarians helping with the holiday toy distribution this past December.