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We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:15 PM
Rendezvous at Heather Gardens
2888 S Heather Gardens Gardens Way
Aurora, CO 80014
United States of America
Aurora, CO 80014
United States of America
November 5th meeting
Grant given to the Interact Club at Rangeview High School
Carmen Curtis Basham, the Interact Sponsor, Javier Gurrola Vargas, the Interact President, and Linda Witulski Rotarian Mentor are receiving a grant from President Ryan Turbyfill to support the Interact Club with all their activities for this year.
Volunteering at the Rangeview High School Interact Fall Festival
Our Rotary Club recently volunteered at the Rangeview Interact Fall Festival held at Rangeview High School, where the students successfully raised $1,500. The funds will be donated to our Rotary Club's International Project and The Gathering Place, a women's shelter. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Doug Anthony, Sheila Anthony, George Peck, Ryan Turbyfill along with his wife, Linda Witulski along with her husband, and Paul Suss and his wife for their invaluable help in making this event a success.
Tom Klein Glasses Donations
In October, Tom Klein, a Rotarian, and his wife, a member of the Lyons Club, traveled to Club Rotario Cuernavaca Obregon in Morelos, Mexico. Their mission was to assist the Lyons Club in distributing glasses to individuals in need. Together, they successfully provided glasses to 1,500 people.
Spotlight on Club Projects
On October 22nd, our Club assembled book bags for all the 3rd grade students in Aurora's Cherry Creek School District. The Rotarians enjoyed the process and will deliver the bags to each of the 72 classrooms in the district.
October 1st Meeting
Spina Bifida Receives Grant from Aurora Rotary Foundation
Also today - Deb Burcham Rotarian Sponsor from our club and the new Officers of the DU Rotaract Club are accepting a grant to kick off their first year. The students were treated to lunch and are excited to be a part of our club. Deb Burcham, the Rotarian Sponsor from our club, and the new Officers of the DU Rotaract Club are thrilled to announce the acceptance of a grant to kick off their first year. The students enjoyed a delightful lunch and are eager to be part of our club.
Amazing Speaker on October 1st
Our guest speaker at Rotary today was Adrian Miller a two time James Beard, award-winning author, a professional speaker, a certified barbecue judge and what he likes to call a recovering attorney born and race in Denver. He served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with the Initiative for One America from 1999 to 2001. He later worked as a senior policy analyst for Colorado governor Bill, Ritter Junior. His work reached Global audiences through his appearance in the Netflix hit “High on the Hog: How African-American cuisine transformed America. He is also the author of four celebrated books. His debut was Soul Food the surprising story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, won the James Beard Award for scholarship Reference in 2014. His second book The President‘s Kitchen Cabinet, the story of the African-Americans who have fed our first families was a finalist for both a 2018 NAACP image award and the Colorado Book Award. His most recent book Cooking to the President’s Taste; Asian Heritage Chefs in the White House. History was published this year by the White House Historical Association and has already received multiple honors. Adrian serves as the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches, where he is both the first African-American and the first African American and the first layperson to hold that position.
Our guest speaker at Rotary today was Adrian Miller a two time James Beard, award-winning author, a professional speaker, a certified barbecue judge and what he likes to call a recovering attorney born and race in Denver. He served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with the Initiative for One America from 1999 to 2001. He later worked as a senior policy analyst for Colorado governor Bill, Ritter Junior. His work reached Global audiences through his appearance in the Netflix hit “High on the Hog: How African-American cuisine transformed America. He is also the author of four celebrated books. His debut was Soul Food the surprising story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, won the James Beard Award for scholarship Reference in 2014. His second book The President‘s Kitchen Cabinet, the story of the African-Americans who have fed our first families was a finalist for both a 2018 NAACP image award and the Colorado Book Award. His most recent book Cooking to the President’s Taste; Asian Heritage Chefs in the White House. History was published this year by the White House Historical Association and has already received multiple honors. Adrian serves as the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches, where he is both the first African-American and the first African American and the first layperson to hold that position.
A Thank You from Second Chance Center -
I want to start by saying thank you again for the funding you provided for our families at Providence at the Heights. Our families were able to experience new adventures over the summer. They took a trip to the Denver Zoo, the Natural History Museum, and participated in several art projects. They were able to go swimming and even to a local amusement park. The funding helped support all the activities and was also enough to cover school clothes, supplies and school fees. Some of our families had never gone to a museum before and were amazed at what they learned. Overall, this summer was a learning experience, while having fun, for all our families and they all shared their gratitude and thanks to the Aurora Rotary for making it happen.
Alzheimer’s Walk Fundraising Success
Community Service Director’s Update
The Community Service Director reported that the Alzheimer’s Walk held on Saturday, September 20th was a great success.
Fundraising Achievements
The Alzheimer’s organization raised over one million dollars to support their cause during the event. Additionally, our club contributed significantly by raising $3,000 for this important initiative.
Vocational Talk Highlights
On September 24th, Paul Christensen delivered a vocational talk to the club. Paul was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended the University of Baltimore, where he majored in accounting. He is married, has two children, and is the proud grandfather of five granddaughters.
Paul’s career included working at Coca Cola, and he was fortunate to retire at the age of forty-nine. In retirement, he traveled extensively around the world. Paul also enjoys playing golf and has achieved the notable feat of making two holes in one.
Jeff Timian, originally from Oklahoma, gave a vocational talk on September 24th. A lifelong hockey enthusiast and former Michigan State goalie, he started his career in the car business and now works in reverse mortgage brokerage.
September 10 Meeting
Senior Communications Strategist Rory Franklin has been with Aurora Water for more than 20 years. Before coming to Aurora Water, she worked as an editorial assistant for The Denver Post and as communications director for a national non-profit. Rory has an M.A. in Communications from the University of Colorado. You can reach her at rfrankli@auroragov.org or 303.325.8854.
On September 3rd, our District Governor Cindy Rold visited our club for the annual meeting. She shared that this year's Rotary theme is "Unite for Good," which encourages collaboration with other organizations - something we already excel at. Cindy also recounted her trip to Kenya this summer, where she observed our International Project, the Adopt a Village program. She was highly impressed with how our contributions are being utilized, from the water jugs for handwashing and the cleanliness of each village to the ways they are generating income.
Cindy highlighted three key actions for us this year: First, reach out to members who are not attending our meetings and remind them that they are missed. Second, invite someone to participate in an activity with you. Third, show appreciation to someone and let them know how important they are.
Cindy Rold presenting a pin to Bill Rapp, a distinguished member of our club for 50 years of service, he also received our challenge coin from President Ryan Turbyfill (not pictured).
- Kyle Lephart Club Rotarian is receiving a check for Canine Partners of the Rockies. Their mission is to train highly skilled service dogs to enable Coloradans with disabilities to lead more independent and gratifying lives while enriching community connections.
Leisha from YMCA received Grant from the Aurora Rotary Foundation
