Aurora Rotary History

print this page

History

 Rotary Club of Aurora

The Aurora Rotary Club was chartered April 14, 1954 at the Townhouse Restaurant at
Colfax and Peoria.  There were 28 charter members, none of whom are still in our club.
Roy Miller, manager of  Penney’s was our first president.  We were sponsored by the
Denver Club.

Listed below are some of the highlights and projects of the club.  The dates are approximate.

1955 A project that lasted several years was bringing Santa Claus to Aurora City Park
at 16th and Dayton, by helicopter.  Candy and gifts were handed out to the kids.
They then went to the Aurora Fox Theater to see cartoons.

1958 Started the Aurora YMCA.  The entire board consisted of Rotarians.

1959 Started participating in the Youth Exchange program.  Our first incoming student
was from Australia.

1960 Organized and promoted a bicycle safety program with the Aurora Police       Department.  Dollars for Scholars was started this year.

1962 A fire that destroyed the Townhouse forced us to move to the Emporia Lounge at
Colfax and Emporia.  This building known as the Cityscape Building was recently
razed to make way for the new development.

1963 The Rural-Urban Project was a huge success.  Lou Tandy chaired the program.
We purchased an animal for a young 4H student to raise.  He then sold the animal
and the proceeds were used to further his education or to purchase more livestock.

1964 Our meeting place was moved to the China Doll, which proved to be a popular
location for make-ups from Denver.  Sometimes the visitors out numbered our
members.

1965 The Salvation Army bell-ringing started this year.  Our first location was the old
Woolco store at 6th and Peoria.
Fund raisers were held to finance the project of lighting the swimming pool in
north Aurora.

1966 The International Convention was held in Denver.  Entertainment consisted of the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Westernaires and a musical program at Red Rocks
Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Lord Caradon, British Ambassador to the
United Nations were featured speakers.
Initiated project to light baseball fields at Highline Park.  This project was taken
over by the Aurora Jaycees. Our first outgoing Exchange Student was Jane
      Radcliffe who was hosted by the Pajala, Sweden Club.

1968 Tracy Burt was our first delegate to an International Convention. It was held in
Mexico City.

1969 We purchased a bus for handicapped children at First Creek Elementary School.
A new car was raffled off as a fund raiser.  Also many Rotarians donated cash
for the privilege of cutting President Ed Legate’s hair.

1971 We sponsored a group study exchange to Wales. A project honoring the City
Employee of the month was started.  Rotarian Jim Murray was the first recipient
of the award for instituting  Student Day in Government.

1973 Pickens Tech was named after past president Tom Pickens
Our meeting place was moved to Wyatt’s Cafeteria in Hoffman Heights.

1975 The Outstanding Student award was started.

1976-77 John Fuhr was our district governor.  President Ben Wintergalen, Ray Nichols,
and Bob Solomon co-chaired the district convention at the Broadmoor.

1978 The Rotary Ann group was formed.  The spouses of Rotarians met once a month
and were very helpful in our projects. Our meeting place as moved to the
Holiday Inn at I-70 and Chambers to accommodate the increase in membership.
Celebrated the Club’s 25th Anniversary

1979 `We purchased a van for the Red Cross.  We furnished drivers for several years.

1980 Sponsored a Flea Market in a vacant space in the Hoffman Heights Shopping
Center.

1981 Lyn Gamber and Bill Nakaoka became the first Aurora Rotarians to receive the
Paul Harris Fellowship. The Aurora Rotary Foundation was organized.

1982 The very successful Art Auction was our major fund raiser for the next 5 years.

1983 The Pride in Aurora Project chaired by Jerry Allen was a major event.  A BalloonFestival was held as the featured attraction

1984 The club moved to the Holidome on Chambers and I-70

1984 The Pride In Aurora Project moved to Front Range Airport and had 63 hot air balloons participate.

1984  The first woman, Skip Schlenk, joined the club.

1986  The club moved to Heather Ridge Country Club at Iliff and I-225

1988 The Polio Plus Project was chaired by Jim Suss and raised nearly $45,000.

1991 Organized an immunization project for low income families

1992 Established a Sister City Program relationship with the Toyohashi Rotary Club.
Started Raffle Program as major fund raiser.

1993 Chartered the Parker Rotary Club along with the Castle Rock Club.  Jerry Kraus and Doug Evans headed up the effort.

1994 Held Talent Show as fund raiser and entertainment

1994  Gayle Glaser was the first woman president of the club.

1996 Toured Norad.  Tracy Burt headed the committee to establish the Gateway Rotary Club

1996-97 Jerry Kraus was District Governor and Doug Evans was chair for the District Conference.

1997 The Live and Learn Program was started and spearheaded by Dave Myers and Chuck Truzinski.
The Live and Learn Program won district honors as the Best New Program and the Best Youth Program.  An ambulance was sent to Central  America.

1999 Flower Power, a program to deliver flowers from the Garden Show to nursing homes proved to be a great success. thanks to Bob Stanbery and his many volunteers.

2000 The Cambodia Project is a tremendous International Project that has the cooperation of other clubs in the district.

2003  The Cambodia Project, now a joint effort by Aurora, Parker, Smoky Hill, DIA, and Gateway won the World Community Service Award.

2006  The club moved from Heather Ridge Country Club to the Double Tree Hotel.

   The Aurora Rotary Club has had a history of dynamic members who have
lived up to our motto, Service Above Self.  They have been a part of the many
projects and accomplishments of our club.  Some additional projects are listed
below in no particular order or time frame.

Fishing Derby, Golf Tournaments, Trash Pickup, Habitat for Humanity, Gateway
Parade, Reforestation in Jamaica, Interact Clubs, RYLA, October Fest, Pumpkin
Fest, Homestead Home, Reading to the Kids, and most recently the terrific
Web Site.

rememberwhen

Historical Video of Aurora Rotary's first 50 years

Historical Video Chronicles Aurora Rotary's first 50 years

To help celebrate the Club’s first 50 years, a committee led by George Peck compiled historical information including photos and documents to help capture the long and distinguished history of The Rotary Club of Aurora.  Serving on the Committee that gathered and sorted through a number of boxes of material were Jerry Allen, Pete Engelken, Lyn Gamber, Jerry Kraus, Bill Nakaoka, Ev Sequeira and Lois Tafoya.

The final product, a 58 minute DVD, was written, directed and narrated by Peck, and produced in association with  the production company “Remember When.”   It included not only pictures from the past, but interviews with several members of the club, including Lynn Gamber, Tracy Burt, Bill Nakaoka,  Karen Johnson and John Paroske to help place each of the club’s five decades in proper perspective.  Many memorable moments including a number from past Rotary Talent (and No-Talent) Shows made their way into the production. 

The video was presented in big-screen splendor at a special celebration luncheon that included family members and the District Governor, Diane Kassel on Nov 3, 2004.  It was such a hit that through the generosity of Doug Evans, Ron Maclachlan, Jerry Kraus, John Paroske and Paul Suss, a copy was presented to each of the 84 members at the Annual Holiday Party in December 2004. 

A copy of the “Rotary Club of Aurora 50^th Anniversary Celebration 2004” DVD may be borrowed from the Club Secretary. 

 Past Presidents

1954-55                                                        Roy J. Miller

1955-56                                                        George R. Day

1956-57                                                        Clarence A. Rutz

1957-58                                                        Bentley A. McMillin

1958-59                                                        Paul E. Rouse

1959-60                                                        John D. Savier

1960-61                                                        Bill H. Holt

1961-62                                                        Jack Fleming

1962-63                                                        Verner H. Crayne

1963-64                                                        Raymond E, Nichols
1964-65                                                        John Fuhr

1965-66                                                        William B. McMurry

1966-67                                                        William T. Nakaoka

1967-68                                                        Tracy N. Burt

1968-69                                                        John E. Legate

1969-70                                                        Joe W. Sullivan

1970-71                                                        Thomas H. Pickens

1971-72                                                        Robert J. Solomon

1972-73                                                        Roger A. Yarwood

1973-74                                                        Gerald A. Allen

1974-75                                                        M.L. Webster

1975-76                                                        Edgar J. Engelken

1976-77                                                        Henry R. Graves

1977-78                                                        Bernard J. Wintergalen

1978-79                                                        Charles Kirk

1979-80                                                        Joseph Shadt

1980-81                                                        Gerald Kraus

1981-82                                                        William Rapp

1982-83                                                        Vic Barker

1983-84                                                        Robert Brooks

1984-85                                                        Stanley Whitaker

1985-86                                                        William Wiggins

1986-87                                                        Douglas Evans

1987-88                                                        Brian Daigle

1988-89                                                        Jack Alexander

1989-90                                                        Kevin Evans

1990-91                                                        John Kennedy

1991-92                                                        Arlen Cohn

1992-93                                                        Paul Suss

1993-94                                                        Rex Covault

1994-95                                                        Gayle Glaser

1995-96                                                        Douglas Anthony

1996-97                                                        Richard K. Richard

1997-98                                                        Craig E. Wagner

1998-99                                                        Jerald K. Mastenbrook

1999-2000                                                    Ruth Ann Kirschman

2000-01                                                        Karen Johnson

2001-02                                                        Steve Marshall

2002-03                                                        Kevin Hougen

2003-04                                                        Stephen Brunston

2004-05                                                        John Paroske

2005-06                                                        George Peck

2006-07                                                        Ken Hostetler

2007-08                                                        Kimberly Armitage

2008-09                                                        Debbie Lynch

2009-10                                                        Susan Perkins