If you haven’t yet signed up to help with the July 4 Rotary BBQ in City Park, now is the time to get on board with our major fundraising and public service event of the year.  We typically serve 1200-plus meals to Lander’s many July 4 visitors and residents after the morning parade and gain valuable exposure for the Club and its projects.  Contact Shelby Rohrbacher at shelbygcronk@gmail.com to help. All hands and skills are needed! 

 

Lander and Riverton Rotarians gathered in Riverton on June 10 for fellowship and food and the annual induction of officers for the upcoming Rotary year.  George Case, 2026-27 Club President, was inducted, succeeding 2025-26 President John Brown, along with those Board members who were present and will serve next year.  Foundation Chair Jerry Venters presented Paul Harris Fellow recognition pins to Maria Kidner (PHF+4), George Case (PHF+1), and Jackie Nelson (PHF+1).  President John honored Maria Kidner as the club’s Rotarian of the Year for her dedicated leadership of our Service Committee and its more than 20 different service projects.

 

Thanks to budgeted funding and some extra giving by club members, four LVHS students -- Cira Hampton, Sara Kearns, Brianna Ong and Lyla Rounds – are headed to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) this summer in Estes Park, CO, and five Lander 7^th graders will attend Junior RYLA (JRYLA) -- Azlynn Balderston, Zoey Brown, Rylee Norris, Bannen Reisig and Starlee Wesaw.  Lisa Dawson, RYLA Chair, led the selection process, with assistance from Jackie Nelson, Carol Chidsey, and Perry Cook in the interviews and final selections.

 

After a hiatus of several years, the Rotary Youth Exchange program is back! This report just in from Past President Joe Quiroz:

We are very happy to report that our Rotary Student Exchange Program is underway and on schedule. Joe Quiroz, our club Youth Exchange Officer, and Mike Lilygren, our Youth Exchange Counselor, have been busy getting US Department of State clearance, extensive background checks, and essential training from RI in current practices and policies in student protection, crisis management, and school relations. Our incoming student, a young man from Vichy, France is Camille Dall’Acqua. Camille will be hosted by three local families - Jason and Lori Hunter, Dannine Donahoe and her husband Mike Lowham, and Rotarian Jeremy Wilzbacher and his wife Sarah.

 

Our outgoing student will be Cy Wilzbacher, who will  be going to Brazil for the school year.  He is the son of Jeremy and Sarah Wilzbacher. We are looking forward to Camille’s arrival in August and introducing him to the club. Remember that these exchanges work both ways. Our responsibility is to show him why Lander, WY is home to the best people on earth, and his job is to convince us that Vichy, France is just as wonderful. This will be fun!

 

Our members’ giving to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund has exceeded $12,000 for the 2025-26 Rotary Year, Jerry Venters, Foundation Committee Chair, has announced.  This is believed to be the highest contribution amount to the Annual Fund in the Lander Club’s history!  In addition, the club has contributed more than $3,400 to PolioPlus, Rotary International’s fund to support the worldwide drive to eradicate polio.  Congratulations, Lander Rotarians!

 

President John Brown reminds all members that the $175 increase in annual club dues -  approved at the annual business meeting last December - will take effect July 1.  Individual memberships will increase to $675 and corporate memberships to $1,150 (plus the $200 service fee, which is unchanged).  Should any member decide to discontinue their membership after July 1, whether because of the dues increase or for other reasons, they are asked to notify John or another Board member before June 30.  The club will be charged $135 in District and RI dues for all persons on the club roster on July 1.