The Club’s Service Committee, led by Dottie Tonkowich and Maria Kidner, has a number of service projects coming up in May and lots of volunteer hands and hearts are needed.  On May 12-13 (weather permitting), Rotarians will be sanding, staining and generally refurbishing the 13 wooden benches along Main Street. Bryan Neely is leading the project.  Also on May 13, volunteers will be putting together 300 “Adventure Bags” to be given to children on the Northern Arapahoe and Eastern Shoshoni reservations for summer use.  The emphasis will be on health and wellness, and the bags will contain books, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc.  This is a joint project of our club and the Riverton Rotary Club.  The Riverton club and the Ft. Collins Breakfast Rotary Club have each contributed $1,000 for the project.  Social hour to follow at the Gannett Grill!  Contact Dottie, dtonkowich@verizon.net,  or Maria, m2kidner2@gmail.com,  if you can help on either (or both) projects.

 

Avoid fines at all weekly meetings in April by bringing canned goods to help stock the Little Pantries in Lander, to provide food for the hungry and needy in our community.  The dollars collected through fining at all April meetings also will be dedicated to purchasing food for the pantries.  The donated food items will be used to restock the four pantry locations from 10-12 a.m. on April 29.  Contact Dottie or Maria if you can help. (Addresses above)

 

Our Club Facebook page is getting a facelift (pun intended)!  The Public Relations Committee, chaired by Jerry Venters, is working on a new front-page banner and more videos will be posted of events like the Buffalo BBQ.  And be sure you “Like” our FB page and share postings whenever possible.  This is one easy way we have of telling others about the good things the Lander Rotary Club is doing!

 

July 4 is now less than three months away, and the wheels are starting to turn on planning for the Club’s 41st annual Buffalo BBQ in City Park.  President Sarah Hamlin, slancast@gmail.com,  has graciously taken the lead on the event, which has long been a key component of Lander’s July 4 celebration, sandwiched between the morning parade and the evening rodeo and fireworks. Many volunteers will be needed, and Sarah will be circulating sign-up sheets soon!  The Club has received an $8,000 TAD grant from the City to reimburse us for a significant part of the expenses.  Watch for our new “feather flags” to be displayed at the BBQ to publicize our Rotary Club’s sponsorship of the event.

 

The Service Committee is looking for volunteers – yes, more volunteers – to screen and review applications for the club’s $1,500 high school scholarship to be awarded this spring.  The Committee has developed a new rubric for the scholarship so there will be a slight learning curve for the reviewers.  Also, Jackie Nelson, a Committee member, has been exploring development of an adult literacy program and/or Rotary’s involvement in an existing program.  If you’re interested in helping, please contact Jackie, nelsonjackie87@gmail.com.

 

Thanks to Missy White, MaryJo Green, Ernie Over and Joe Quiroz for completing delivery of 300 dictionaries/thesauruses to third graders in Fremont County’s elementary schools!  All of the books had a Rotary sticker on the front.  The librarian at Gannett Peak Elementary developed a curriculum for teachers to incorporate the new books in the kids’ lessons.  Good job, all!