Rotary Action

F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T S

at Home and Around the Globe

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

Index

www.steamboatrotary.com

Did you know that there are over 34,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide with 1.2 million members? Very

impressive when you consider that Rotary was founded in 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, as a “businessman’s club.” Today, it has grown to a force for good throughout the world. The theme that unites all Rotarians is “Service Above Self.”

Did you also know that Rotary International, the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been working tire-lessly to eradicate polio around the world? It was recently announced that India is now “polio free,” but there remain isolated cases of polio in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rotary is “this close” to eradicat-ing polio from the face of the earth.

Our two Steamboat Springs Rotary Clubs — Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs and Ski Town USA Rotary Club — are very active organizations in this communi-ty. The latest project that achieves high vis-ibility is the Rotary Peace Pavilion on the Core Trail in Rotary River Park. The Peace Pavilion is designed to celebrate Rotary’s fourth objective “The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of busi-ness and professional persons united in the idea of service.”

For our community, the Peace Pavilion will provide a sanctuary adjacent to the Rotary Boardwalk to foster community gatherings, shelter, respite and a place for quiet ref lection along the picturesque Yampa River.

Local Rotary Club members are involved with international service. We partner with the Rotary Club in Agua Prieta, Mexico, where we work on service projects, most recently linked to improv-

Bob KuusinenPresident, Ski Town USA Rotary Club

Rotary scholarships ............................3Rotary Foundation .............................5Red Bell Express .................................6Ski Town Golf Classic .........................6Students of the month ........................7

RYLA programs ..................................7Mike Roberts tribute ...........................8Barn Dance ..........................................9Kenya project ......................................10Rotarians in the news .........................11

New members .....................................12Rotarians in action ..............................12Young Rotarians ..................................14Rotarian of the year ............................15Peace scholarship ...............................15

Rotary: International scope,

local visibility

Jim MoylanPresident, Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs

> See Presidents on Page 12

ActionRotary ActionRotaryNovember 2014

A new structure has risen quickly along-side Steamboat Springs’ popular Yampa Valley Core Trail at Rotary

River Park.Since ground was broken in mid-July, the

Rotary Peace Pavilion has become a new com-munity landmark thanks to the efforts of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs and the Ski Town USA Rotary Club.

Rustic timbers, locally fabricated from bee-tle kill pine, rise from the earth to create a gathering place that is envisioned as a peaceful spot for those seeking solace or a rest from a walk or bike ride along the trail.

In July, two work days were held with local Rotarians staining the hand-hewn wood components that were used to construct the pavilion. A large crane eventually was used to

place the large timber pieces on the concrete foundation. Wooden pegs were used in the construction, which was guided in large part by Rotary member Michael Roberts.

More Rotary volunteers, led by Eric Rabesa, assembled the roofing materials, and wooden shake shingles were added to the roof in early October.

A place of peaceRotary Peace Pavilion quickly takes shape

to become community landmark

October 11, 2014: The roof is finished on the pavilion building and landscaping begins.

> See Pavilion on Page 4

Rotary_112014.indd 1 11/18/14 10:26 AM

w w w . S t e a m b o a t R o t a r y . c o m w w w . F a c e b o o k . c o m / S t e a m b o a t R o t a r y

2 | November 2014 Steamboat Springs Rotary Clubs

Special thanks to the following Rotarians who have generously sponsored this edition of Rotary Action

Holly RogersMortgage Loan Originator

Summit Bank & Trust970-846-9644 [email protected]

Joan LazarusExecutive Director

Friends of Perry-Mansfield, Inc.Perry-Mansfield Performing

Arts School & Camp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40755 County Road 36 Steamboat Springs, CO 80487970-879-7125 main

www.perry-mansfield.org [email protected]

Ray MartinezHD Solutions

Custom Residential Audio/VideoSteamboat Springs

970-870-8706

Kerry SheaMcKnight’s Irish Pub

685 Marketplace Plaza(next to Sports Authority)

970-879-7881

Suzanne Schlicht, Lisa Schlichtman, Eugene Buchanan

Steamboat Pilot & Today1901 Curve Plaza

970-879-1502www.SteamboatToday.com

www.ExploreSteamboat.com

John Kerst, Debbie Wright and PJ WhartonYampa Valley Bank

970-879-2993www.yampavalleybank.com

Jeff SwoyerNorthwest Graphics Inc.

625 S. Lincoln Ave., Suite [email protected] 970-879-5444

Todd A. Hayes, CIC, MBASteamboat Insurance Group, Inc.675 Snapdragon Way, Suite 200

970-879-1363 office970-819-8054 cell

Pam Palmquist and Dan BonnerTHPK Certified Public Accountants

330 S. Lincoln Ave.970-879-1787www.thpk.com

Rod HannaSidney Peak Ranch

Offered by Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty

970-875-2424www.sidneypeakranch.com

Scott MarrHoliday Inn

1390 S. Lincoln Ave.970-879-2250

www.holidayinnsteamboat.com

Alice Klauzer and David High

Alpine Bank1901 Pine Grove, Suite 101

970-871-1901

www.holidayinnsteamboat.com

John CentnerSteamboat Motors2310 Lincoln Ave.

970-879-8880www.SteamboatMotors.com

Randy RudasicsColorado Mountain College

1330 Bob Adams Drive970-870-4444

www.coloradomtn.edu

Kristal EckleySheraton Steamboat Resort

2200 Village Court970-879-2220

www.sheratonsteamboatresort.com

Rotary_112014.indd 2 11/18/14 10:26 AM


November 2014 | 3Steamboat Springs Rotary Clubs

The two Steamboat Springs Rotary clubs awarded $23,500 in scholarships to 21 Routt County students for this

past year.Of that total, 18 scholarships were given to

graduating high school seniors and three were awarded to previous scholarship winners who are still attending college.

The Ski Town USA Rotary Club presented scholarships totaling $7,000 to seven gradu-ating seniors from Steamboat High School. Scholarship recipients included:

Dustin Andres, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Andres is attending Colorado State University.

Marley Loomis, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Loomis is attending University of Colorado.

Kira Lorenzen, Steamboat Springs

High School, $1,000. Lorenzen is attending Colorado College.

Margaret O'Connell, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. O’Connell is attending University of Colorado.

Charles Toye, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Toye is attending Colorado State University.

Ryan Walker, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Walker is attending University of Colorado.

Emma Wilson, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Wilson is attending Colorado College.

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs presented 11 scholarships totaling $15,000 to graduating seniors in Routt County. They included:

Malia Fraioli, Steamboat Springs High

School, $2,000. Fraioli is attending Furman University.

Andrew Hitchcock, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Hitchcock is attending Montana State University.

Mackenzie Holmberg, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Holmberg is attending University of Wyoming.

Kathryn Huselton, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Huselton is attending Colorado Mesa University.

Ryan Jeep, Soroco High School, $1,000. Jeep is attending Lassen College.

Kestral Johnston, Steamboat Springs High School, $2,000. Johnston is attending Northeastern University.

Carter Kounovsky, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Kounovsky is attending Lake Forest College.

Hope Nelson, Steamboat Springs High School, $2,000. Nelson is attending College of Wooster.

Heather Nereson, Hayden High School, $2,000. Nereson is attending Colorado State University.

Jessie Selby, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,500. Selby is attending Colorado State University.

Ben Wharton, Steamboat Springs High School, $1,000. Wharton is attending University of Colorado.

The club also renewed three scholarships at $500 each for previous scholarship winners including Haley Brookshire, Colorado Mesa University, Mary O’Connell, Dartmouth College, and Lorin Paley, Dartmouth College.

Steamboat Rotary awards over $23,000 in scholarships

Dustin Andres Malia Fraioli Andrew Hitchcock Mackenzie Holmberg Kathryn Huselton Ryan Jeep

Kestral Johnston Carter Kounovsky Marley Loomis Kira Lorenzen Hope Nelson Heather Nereson

Margaret O’Connell Jessie Selby Charles Toye Ryan Walker Ben Wharton Emma Wilson

Rotary_112014.indd 3 11/18/14 10:26 AM



The most recent site work has included landscaping. Cottonwood trees have been planted around the pavilion, and concrete steps leading up to the structure also were built. On Oct. 25, nearly 20 Rotarians and friends planted dogwood bushes to complete the landscaping before winter.

Railings were installed on the steps lead-ing up to the pavilion during the first week of November.

The project has been a labor of love for local Rotarians, especially for Roberts, who was on site almost daily until suffering a devastating fall while hiking in Summit County on Oct. 19. Roberts died from injuries Nov. 7.

For Roberts, the pavilion was designed to be a beacon of peace, which is ref lected in the words carved on the beam marking the struc-ture’s entrance - “Peace is in Your Hands.”

“The Peace Pavilion has grown into some-thing much bigger than any of us imagined and is a true testament to what Rotary can accomplish given an inspiring vision,” Roberts said in an earlier interview.

He explained the purpose of the pavilion was ref lected in its evolving design, which now includes plans for gardens and artistic sculp-tures surrounding the main structure.

“Circles are a sign of connectiveness that repeat throughout the entire design,” Roberts said. “We want this to be a place that evokes peacefulness for people that enter the space.”

John Holloway, another Rotary volunteer and member of the Peace Pavilion Committee, has enjoyed spending time on the job site to see the reaction the structure elicits in people who walk by or stop to watch the construction.

“The response has been incredible,” Holloway said. “People stop and say ‘it’s beau-tiful,” or they say ‘wow, I can’t believe you’re doing this for the community.’ It’s just awe-some.”

And it’s that type of response that makes Holloway believe the Peace Pavilion will fulfill its intended purpose.

“I envision the Peace Pavilion as a gather-ing spot — a place where people can rest and contemplate peace, their surroundings and the beauty of our valley,” Holloway added.

The project has been supported by dona-tions from Rotary members as well as others in the community. A crowd-funding site — www.rotarypeacepavilion.com — has helped spur fundraising, and to date, 71 different donors have contributed $54,072 to the project with donations still being accepted.

One of the project’s final phases will be the installation of brick pavers to commemorate the individuals, businesses and organizations that have contributed toward the $140,000 cost to construct the pavilion. Anyone who donates $250 to the project will have a small brick recognition paver placed at the site.

Carolyn Gibson, of Steamboat Springs, is one of the many donors who is choosing to support the project in memory of a loved one. She is donating two trees to the project in honor of her son, an arborist who was killed at age 30. She said seeing the trees planted at the pavilion will help her family heal.

The installation of pavers to create the pavilion f loor will be completed this spring, and a formal dedication of the structure will be held in August.

The Peace Pavilion marks the Rotary Club’s 40th anniversary, and it expands anoth-er Rotary project, which also exemplifies the local club’s commitment to volunteerism and bettering the Steamboat Springs communi-ty. In 2005, the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs designed, funded and built the Yampa River Boardwalk, which the Peace Pavilion now overlooks. The club also adopted and expanded Rotary Park.

When the new Peace Pavilion is complet-ed, it will be gifted to the city of Steamboat Springs. The club also has pledged to main-tain the building into perpetuity with an escrow fund established to cover future main-tenance.

> Pavilion continued from Page 1

A labor of love for clubsJune 22, 2014:Work begins on fabricating timber out of beetle kill pine for the structure of the Peace Pavilion.

July 7, 2014: Excavation work at the new Peace Pavilion on the Core Trail at the Rotary Boardwalk is underway.

July 16, 2014: Members of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs gather for an official groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the Peace Pavilion.

July 30, 2014: The concrete foundation for the pavilion takes shape.

August 4, 2014: Volunteer crews work to get the pavilion structure completed on schedule.

August 5, 2014: The pavilion’s timber frame structure is erected.

October 12, 2014: The roof is shingled and more landscaping is completed.

Rotary_112014.indd 4 11/18/14 10:26 AM



Members of the two Steamboat Springs Rotary clubs contribute well over $10,000 each year to help eradicate

polio worldwide, provide drinking water and sanitation to remote villages in Africa, Asia and Central America, and grant peace and conflict resolution scholarships to hundreds of graduate students in some 90 countries.

How do so few do so much to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, save mothers and children, support education and grow remote economies throughout the world?

The 130 Rotarians in our community join some 1.2 million of their brethren in 200 countries to support The Rotary Foundation. Last year alone, $284 million was contributed by Rotarians and friends of Rotary to The Rotary Foundation — the second largest foun-dation in the world, second only to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Thanks to a unique granting program, these dollars are used by Rotary clubs throughout the world to fund programs, large and small, that make a difference in local communi-ties. While many projects are done in poorer, developing countries outside the United States, a fair share meet local and regional needs here.

Rotary Foundation dollars helped local Rotarians build a new 4-mile multi-purpose trail on the west slope of Emerald Mountain several years ago and contributed to the cur-rent Rotary Peace Pavilion building now under construction on the Core Trail.

Local Rotarian Dr. Paul Hebert led a team of five Coloradans to Kenya last summer to help train villagers on health and sanitation procedures. Their Kenyan Rotary counterparts visited Steamboat Springs and other Wyoming and Colorado communities several weeks later to study water and sanitation techniques.

The $70,000 project was funded by The Rotary Foundation. Based on what was learned from this project last year, the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs has received Rotary Foundation approval on a second $52,000 project in Kenya that will be underway by the end of the year.

In an interesting twist, Rotarians in Brazil have launched an $180,000 project with Colorado Rotarians using Rotary Foundation funds to restore community services that were damaged severely in last year’s floods in Glen Haven, Colo.

For nearly 30 years, Rotary has led the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of polio, another Rotary Foundation initiative. Today, PolioPlus and its role in the initiative is recognized worldwide as a model of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal.

Earlier this year, Steamboat Rotarian Mike Forney traveled to Shimoga, India, to assist Rotarians there in the distribution of polio drops to more than 22,000 children in that city.

High school students in the local Rotary Interact Club have sponsored several events to raise funds for polio eradication. Forty-six Rotary clubs in Wyoming and Colorado

raised $128,547 through a wide variety of End Polio community fundraisers including a quilt show in Loveland, a Halloween party in Estes Park, "Purple Pinkie Days" at several clubs and a "Kiss the Cow" event in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Proceeds from the Steamboat Rotary Community Barn Dance several years ago also were directed toward polio eradication.

Overall, Rotarians worldwide have contrib-uted more than $1 billion and many thousands of hours to the eradication effort.

As a result, since 1988, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99 percent, from about 350,000 cases annually to fewer than 200 cases reported in 2013. Since the program began, 2.5 billion children have been immunized and 135 countries have been certi-fied polio-free.

Since its inception, the not-for-profit Rotary Foundation has funded $3 billion for a wide variety of health, humanity and hunger grants, some 41,732 international education scholarships and 769 peace and conflict reso-lution scholarships to six worldwide Rotary Peace Centers.

Local Rotarians make a difference worldwide

Steamboat Rotarians have been working with their counterparts at Rotario de Agua Prieta near the Mexican border on a variety of Rotary Foundation-funded projects including school repairs, water storage tanks and the distribution of Christmas gifts to orphans. The gifts have been given out there by high school students from the Steamboat Springs High School’s Interact Club.

Children on the island of La Gonave, Haiti, receive donated toothpaste and toothbrushes at a week-long medical clinic staffed by Rotarians after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Rotary_112014.indd 5 11/18/14 10:26 AM



Get ready for The Red Ball Express

Ski Town USA Rotary Club launches new philanthropy project

Like those rubber ducky races down the river in the summer?

Well now you can join in a wintertime alternative benefiting local charities and the Ski Town USA Rotary Club.

The club recently announced it will be hosting The Red Ball Express fundraiser in conjunction with Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. on April 4 as part of the resort’s Springalicious celebration.

Borrowing the idea from the Rotary clubs of Durango, which have used it to raise nearly $300,000 for the community since its inception in 2004, the event lets donors “adopt” large red balls for a fee and then watch them careen down a special course on the Headwall run at the base of Steamboat Ski Area. The balls that reach the bottom first win, awarding prizes to their “owners.”

“Red Ball Express is a fun and unique way to raise funds for a great cause,” organizer Loryn Kasten said. “Durango has proven what a successful fundraiser it can be and have offered other Rotary clubs the opportunity to host successful events. It’s the perfect fit for Steamboat’s mountain community.”

More giving announcedThe Ski Town USA Rotary Club

donates more than $37,000 each year to worthy causes locally and abroad.

Last year, its philanthropic efforts included donating $10,000 to everything from orphanages to school and water projects worldwide, with an addition-al $26,000 in donations going to local recipients — a number that will increase to $31,000 in 2015.

Included in its local gift-giving chari-ties are the Steamboat Springs Booster Club, After Prom Party, Partners in Routt County, Junior Livestock Sale (4-H and FFA), Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association/Hospice House, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Suicide Prevention/It Takes Courage, Girls to Women, high school schol-arships, Penguin Plunge/Healthcare Foundation, United Way and STARS and Wounded Warriors.

“It’s why we exist,” Assistant Club Secretary John Kerst said. “Helping out those in need is a basic tenet of the club.”

For the past 17 years, the Ski Town Golf Classic and Benefit Auction has been a Rotary f lagship fundraising event, and

this year’s tournament and auction were no exception with over $36,000 raised for local nonprofits.

Held June 20 and 21, the Golf Classic fea-tured a golf tournament played at Haymaker Golf Course and Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club and a lively cocktail party and auction at the Steamboat Sheraton.

“It’s rewarding to be involved in an event that year after year continues to give back so much to the community,” event co-chair Jeremy Behling said.

The origin of this fundraiser is a prime example of perfectly timed collaboration – thanks to a 1997 conversation between Margaret Sabin, then CEO of Routt Memorial

Hospital, and Jim Swiggart, who at that time was the incoming president of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs.

Swiggart mentioned to Sabin the significant challenge presented to him by Bob Maddox, who was serving as president of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs. Maddox had challenged the club to double their fundrais-ing goal at a time when two major fundraising events — a popular motorcycle race and the classic auto races — were being discontinued.

Sabin and Swiggart agreed that a fundrais-ing golf tournament could be the solution, and so the idea of collaborating on one golf event to benefit both organizations was born.

Another perfectly timed opportunity was the opening of the new city-owned golf course at Haymaker, which created the unique abil-ity to offer a two-day golf tournament taking

place at two golf venues. For 10 years, the collaboration success-

fully continued between the Rotary clubs and the hospital, and eventually, the Healthcare Foundation for the Yampa Valley.

In 2008, a new collaborating partner was named — Routt County United Way.

“Thanks to this event, we are better able to support our primary impact areas: To sta-bilize and strengthen Routt County families, empower healthy lives and build strong youth foundations,” United Way Executive Director Kate Nowak said.

As John Kerst, who chaired this event for the third time, said, “With Alpine Bank, our presenting sponsor for many years, with the support of so many other sponsors and the commitment of our two Rotary clubs, this event is a gift that keeps on giving.”

Ski Town Golf Classic is an event rich in history, collaboration and giving

Grant Fenton chips onto the green at the Haymaker Golf Course.

Laurie Beulow hits out of a sand trap at the No. 3 hole at Rollingstone during the first round of the Ski Town USA Golf Classic.

Ernie Theil hits a long drive on No. 4 at the Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club.

Rotary_112014.indd 6 11/18/14 10:27 AM



Mariam Worster, an eighth grader at Emerald Mountain School, had a blast at the Young RYLA program this past summer.

Rotary International has recognized the Rocky Mountain Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and

Young RYLA programs as the premiere model the world over for fostering and developing youth leadership.

Next summer, 240 eighth grade stu-dents from Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Western Nebraska will converge on the Ponderosa Retreat and Conference Center in Larkspur to participate in the Young RYLA retreat.

Similarly, 400 high school sophomore and junior students from the Rocky Mountain region, almost twice the number that partici-pated in past years, will travel to Estes Park to attend RYLA. The week will feature activities and adventures tailored to develop and explore the meaning and application of leadership. This all-expenses-paid, week-of-a-lifetime experience fosters growth and truly makes the world a better place.

The Rocky Mountain RYLA program was established in 1986, and the region’s Young RYLA program began in 2002. Rocky Mountain Young RYLA is the f lagship of only four such programs in the world and only two in the U.S.

These youth leadership programs are real-ized in an action-packed week of activities that build confidence and leadership skills by exploring natural strengths and various approaches to leadership. Activities include

problem-solving games, challenge courses, zip lines, skits, group discussions and team-building exercises that allow each participant to challenge themselves and grow as leaders together in a mutually supportive environ-ment.

Dave Amen, registrar for Rocky Mountain RYLA, said the programs are “building Rotarians for the future,” and for these young folks, the future is made brighter by having experienced this amazing fellowship oppor-tunity.

Rotary clubs in Colorado each are given the opportunity to send two students to the program. Approximately 1,200 applicants will compete next summer for the 640 available slots (400 RYLA and 240 Young RYLA). Participation is free thanks to direct funding, $450 for each student, from each participant’s sponsoring Rotary club.

There are 235 Rotarian representatives involved in the interviewing, planning and organizing of the events, 75 of whom are counselors at the camps during the events (an increase from 57 in years past).

Rotary International, having recognized the value of these programs, uses RYLA graduates as experts to participate in plan-ning and development of leadership programs and events worldwide. The experience for the Rotary planners, interviewers and counselors is life-changing as well. It is a mutually ben-eficial relationship that fosters greater under-

standing of leadership for everyone involved.Applicants are asked tough questions, such

as “how do you help people when the very act of helping fosters dependency and reinforces entitlement?” The answers often reveal hope for the future of humanity, with responses like, “meet people where they’re at, get to know them, be a friend and explore how to support them to reach goals, rather than assume we know what’s best for people in a culture differ-ent than our own.”

The mother of one local Young RYLA participant said her daughter changed after attending the program.

“She goes out in groups more, is in her room less, looks people in the eye, is not afraid of social situations, radiates confidence, speaks comfortably before groups, and more,” the mom said. “She was a co-team captain of her swim team this fall and was recognized by coaches and teammates as being both a great leader and an enthusiastic supporter of other swimmers. She is constantly surrounded by friends. She smiles a lot, and she seems more confident and happy than I have ever seen her.”

When it comes to making a difference in the world, one individual at a time, the RYLA and Young RYLA programs are a stand-out success in fostering and developing leadership among youth.

For more information about the program and how to apply to participate, visit www.rmryla.org.

Rotary youth leadership programs provide experience of a lifetime

Tyanna Zabel, who graduated last spring from Hayden High School, was chosen as the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs’ Student of the Month for April.

Hayden High School guidance counselor Heather Rau said Tyanna was an impressive and hardworking student, “who always has a great attitude, respect and maturity.”

“Tyanna has continuously challenged herself by taking rigorous courses including Advanced Placement and honors courses in English and science, along with taking advantage of dual-enrollment courses in mathematics,” Rau wrote in her nomination letter.

Tyanna has been a member of the concert band and involved in multiple high school theater productions. She also has served as the high school wrestling manager for four years.

Tyanna currently attends Colorado State University in Fort Collins.

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs chose eliZa leeson as Student of the Month for September. Eliza is a senior at Steamboat Springs High School and was nominated for the award by college and career counselor Danica Moss.

“Eliza is a stellar young woman who has strong leadership qualities, a driven desire to learn and a smile that lights up the room,” Moss wrote in her nomination letter. “Eliza is an intelligent young lady that takes life for all it is worth and has a heart to make her community a better place.”

Eliza, whom Moss described as a strong student, is a member of the varsity soccer team and this fall is serving as a development soccer coach for the U-8 and U-9 girls teams. She also is a high school ski team member and actively involved in the Eco Club.

As an accomplished musician, Eliza is proud of finishing the “Bach Double” on her violin, which she has played for 11 years.

“Because of her vivid imagination, she has many ideas a day and is great at finding creative ways of solving problems or overcoming obstacles,” Moss continued. “She is a young woman with a lot of admirable qualities.”

Paige eivins was named the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs’ Student of the Month for October.

Paige is a senior at Steamboat Mountain School where she excels academically. She takes honors and Advanced Placement courses and is an honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society. In addition to her academic dedication, Paige is an active member of student government, serving this year as a prefect.

Paige, a student of Chrystal Houston, is a talented singer who has performed at Strings in the Mountains and recently gave her senior recital at the Chief Theatre. She also is involved in Heartsong and has performed in many musicals and concerts.

Through Steamboat Mountain School’s global immersion program, Paige has traveled to Vietnam, Cambodia and India. And with her church and family, she has spent time in Spain, Uganda, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, China and the Caribbean.

Paige is involved with First Baptist and Euzoa Baptist churches in Steamboat Springs, and she volunteers at LIFT-UP of Routt County.

Rotary recognizes students of the Month

Rotary_112014.indd 7 11/18/14 10:27 AM



On Nov. 7, 2014, Michael Roberts left this world peacefully, surrounded by the love of his fam-ily, according to a final journal post on his

CaringBridge site. The longtime Rotarian and Steamboat Springs resi-

dent will be greatly missed by hundreds of friends and colleagues who all have “Mikey” stories to tell that reveal a fun-loving, generous man who lived life to the fullest.

After three weeks at St. Anthony Hospital in Denver, Roberts succumbed to the injuries he suffered in an Oct. 19 hiking accident on Mount Royal in Summit County.

“All of us who were so incredibly blessed to share this once in a lifetime golden ticket on the Michael Roberts’ express, know that Mikey lived large,” a close friend of the Roberts family wrote on CaringBridge. “He drew joy from life's littlest details and its biggest adventures. He did not simply live life - he consumed it, he gobbled it up and always came back for more.

“He had an insatiable hunger for all this world had to offer and made the most of each and every minute he spent on this earth,” they continued. “Each of these moments was made even sweeter and richer when shared

with his dear friends and family. We always knew that when it was his time, he was going to do it his way, and that he was going to go out big.”

One of Roberts’ final legacies is the Rotary Peace Pavilion overlooking the Rotary Boardwalk along the Core Trail. This was a project that Roberts, a builder by profession, championed on behalf of the two local Rotary clubs, and it’s a special place where he spent many days overseeing construction of the new Steamboat landmark.

For Roberts, the project was all about creating a sense of peace for anyone who stopped at the pavilion, and he would share his vision for the project with anyone who had a couple of minutes to listen. He stood up almost weekly during “Good News” at the noon Rotary meeting to share the project’s latest developments, and those updates, and his endless enthusiasm and joy, will be greatly missed.

On Nov. 11, the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs held a tribute for Roberts with club members telling Mike Roberts stories that revealed a compassionate and caring man who lived life to the fullest and shared his spirit of adventure with friends and family.

The remembrance ended with a champagne toast.

In memory ofMichael Roberts

Rotary_112014.indd 8 11/18/14 10:27 AM



There is no better way to spend a Saturday night than getting back to Steamboat Springs’ western roots with

a good old fashioned barn dance. This espe-cially rings true when that barn dance is fully loaded with gourmet barbecue from Rex’s Catering, two-stepping to Loose Change, bouncy houses and games for kids and the chance to win 10 awesome raff le prize pack-ages.

On Sept. 13, the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs hosted its seventh annual Community Barbecue and Barn Dance at Wandering Creek Ranch. This event has proven to be a fall favorite, and it’s one the whole family can enjoy. And on top of the fun, every dollar raised goes to a great cause.

For the fifth year in a row, proceeds from this event have primarily benefited the Boys & Girls Club of Steamboat Springs. This year, with the help of the event’s generous sponsors and attendees, the event raised over $20,000 for the Boys & Girls Club.

“Knowing how much money was raised this year really shows us that the commu-nity wants the club, and that the club has a home here in Steamboat,” said Dana Duran, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Colorado. “We are undoubtedly grateful for events like these.”

This year marked a fundraising record for the event, and the money donated to the local nonprofit organization will no doubt make a remarkable impact on the 750 kids the club serves annually, allowing the Boys & Girls Club to continue to help advance life skills and leadership abilities in local youth. Barn Dance fundraising efforts also benefit charities of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs as well as the ShelterBox organization.

Not only was there growth in fundraising this year, but there also was a large increase in the number of raff le tickets sold. All 2,000

tickets were sold, and the most popular prize was a six-day vacation to Sanibel Island, which included beach lodging, dinners, a wildlife kayak tour, a fishing expedition, golf and $1,000 toward airfare.

This trip was put together and donated by the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club, and

in exchange, the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs creates a trip to Steamboat through donations and then gives it to that Rotary club as a prize package.

“This swap not only allows us to send a family on a fantastic vacation, it also gives us the opportunity to showcase Steamboat

to another part of the country,” said Ellen Kendall, long-time Rotarian and Barn Dance Committee member.

In past years, Rotary has done trip swaps with clubs in Alaska, San Diego, Orlando and Sanibel Island.

Community Barn Dance sets fundraising record

Eric Rabesa enjoyed the Barn Dance with his daughter, Isabela.

Dan and Kim Bonner cut lose and took a turn on the dance floor.

The Rotary Barn Dance was a big hit with Amanda Brotman and Maddie Loyd.

Members of the Loose Change band entertained the crowd, and their music packed the dance floor.

Rotary_112014.indd 9 11/18/14 10:27 AM



Clean Water is one of the most essential human needs.

Clean water and sanitation improve-ments in the United States and other developed countries eliminated many diseases, and now, these conveniences are taken for granted here in the U.S. However, about one billion people around the world do not have access to clean water and about 2.5 billion do not have a means for sanitary disposal of waste.

Dr. Paul Hebert, a member of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs, and his spouse, Dr. Mayling Simpson, were directly involved in developing a new water and sanitation strategy as members of an eight-person Rotary Vocational Training Team (VTT) in the sum-mer of 2013.

The local Rotary club has developed with Kenyan colleagues the first model project that implements key elements of the strat-egy to serve the Rotary district in Africa that includes Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Eritrea.

How did this new strategy come into being?The VTT for East Africa was conceived

in 2012 by Rotary Districts 5440, 5450 and 9212 and approved by Rotary International in June 2013. Five U.S. team members, includ-ing Hebert and Simpson, visited Kenya in July 2013, where they met up with the three Kenyan members of the team. They spent one month studying how Rotary could make a more profound impact to improve water and sanitation services and help create youth employment opportunities in that sector.

The VTT concluded that Rotary should focus on improving WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in schools to maximize impact and that Rotary should start by establishing a model school in each county in Kenya as a first step.

The strategy also emphasized that WASH projects should take a “holistic approach” whereby water and sanitation service improve-ments not only improve health but also are used to recycle water and waste to produce bio-gas, fertilizer and irrigate domestic plots, thereby demonstrating how domestic water and sanitation improvements can also con-tribute to small-scale agriculture. The projects also are used to prepare youth for employment in the water and sanitation sector.

During the visit to Kenya, the VTT visited several schools. Some were already using the WASH concept while others were struggling to provide enough water to satisfy the most basic needs for drinking, bathing and cooking and had only the most rudimentary pit toilets.

The Kirkau Primary School near Nairobi was one of the schools the VTT visited that was desperately in need of a reliable water supply and improvements in sanitation and hygiene practices. The school has a rainwater catchment system that provides water for only a few weeks of the year. Children are expected to bring a bottle of water from their homes to

school for drinking, and sanitation facilities are very basic with children and even faculty lacking knowledge of good hygiene practices.

The school, which opened in 2010 and is currently run by the local Adventist Church, has 170 preschool through eighth grade stu-dents, but it is expected to surpass 300 stu-dents in the next three years. The community surrounding the school is very poor, and chil-dren have no access to public school.

The Kirkau School project was conceived by Isaack Oenga, one of the Kenyan members of the VTT, who personally donated the land for the school and has supported the school since its inception.

The school administration and local com-munity leaders were consulted and expressed their overwhelming desire to see improve-ments for the school. The Madaraka Rotary Club of Nairobi expressed keen interest in hosting a project.

Funding was pursued by Hebert, and three other clubs in District 5440, Cheyenne, Sterling and Cody Rotary clubs, have joined with the Steamboat Rotary Club to contribute $15,000 to the project.

Steamboat Rotarians assist with water project in Nairobi, Kenya

A teacher interacts with students at the Kirkau Primary School.

The Kirkau Primary School building with a water tank for rainwater catchment. > See Water on Page 14

Rotary_112014.indd 10 11/18/14 10:27 AM



Ski Town USA Rotary Club member JOHN KERST, vice president of Yampa Valley Bank, received the 2014 Heritage Award from the city of Steamboat Springs.

The award recognizes a person’s or orga-nization’s gift of volunteer time, effort and service throughout a number of years to the Steamboat Springs community. The award, a six-point bronze elk statue entitled “Meeting the Challenge,” was sculpted specifically for the Heritage Award by local rancher Curtis Zabel.

“I am humbled and honored to receive an award such as this,” Kerst said. “This award belongs to many individuals who have worked with the Legacy Committee and the other boards I’ve served on. I love this community, and the people are what make it special.”

The Steamboat Springs School District received preliminary results that it will be Accredited with Distinction for the fifth consecutive year, according to superintendent BRAD MEEKS, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs. The district received its highest score ever on District Performance Frameworks with 90.1 percent of all points available.

Rotarian JACKiE BROWN was selected to participate in the Yampa Valley Community Foundation Shell Sustainability training this year, and her fundraising plan won second place. For her efforts, she received a $5,000 grant for Routt County Council on Aging where she serves as executive director.

JEREMy BEHLiNG and his wife, Sarah Fox, purchased Yampa Valley Tire Pros & Express Lube from longtime owners Bob and Bert Rundell. The purchase of the business is an opportunity for Jeremy and Sarah to ensure that they stay in Steamboat Springs for the next 30 years and allows them another avenue to further give back and support the community. Behling, who previously worked at Alpine Bank, is a member of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs.

According to KRiSTAL ECKLEy, the Sheraton’s director of sales and marketing and a Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs member, Sheraton Steamboat Resort has recently completed a $26 million update to its property. Renovations were made to their mountain suites, studios and one-bedroom suites as well as 21 luxury villas. The pool area also was redesigned to make it more appealing to guests. This area now has snowmelt, a hot tub in the pool, a double-sided stone fireplace, massage cabana and beautiful new pool furniture.

Rotarian ALyCiA S. COLE, associate attorney at Sharp, Steinke, Sherman & Engle LLC, was hired last February as the designated family law attorney and works with domestic cases.

Ski Town USA Rotary Club member ED MACARTHuR, owner of Native Excavating with his wife, June, was named Business Person of the Year at the 2014 Navigator Awards, presented by the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association and the Steamboat Pilot & Today.

MacArthur has been active with numerous nonprofits for the 35 years he’s lived in the Yampa Valley, donating equipment and time for everything from building jumps for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and hosting special events for people with disabilities at Bald Eagle Lake to donating to local schools and such nonprofits as the United Way and the Strings Music Pavilion.

“The community has been great to us, so there’s good reason to give back,” he said.

Adds SSWSC parent Jeanne Whiddon, “They’ve very quietly and effectively assisted our youth and com-munity in many ways. They see needs and then step up to the plate with no fanfare or need to draw attention to themselves.”

Ski Town USA Rotary Club member LAuRA CuSENBARy and her husband, Brad, wel-come their new daughter Austin to the Steamboat community.

DEBBiE WRiGHT, a commercial banker for Yampa Valley Bank and member of the Ski Town USA Rotary Club, was named the Routt County United Way Volunteer of the Year for 2014.

Wright is a member of the United Way board, serves on the steering committee for the Routt County Bridges Initiative, which helps individuals struggling with poverty to develop plans and resources to achieve self-sufficiency, and is a former senior partner for Partners in Routt County. The award annually honors residents who give back to the community.

“It was an honor to receive United Way’s Volunteer of the Year award at this year’s Day of Caring event,” Wright said. “I love giving back to this amazing community any way I can.”

Ski Town USA Rotary Club member and Yampa Valley Medical Center Chief Executive Officer FRANK MAy accepted this year’s Business of the Year award on behalf of the hospital at the 2014 Navigator Awards. The medical center celebrates its 100th anniversary this year with the opening of the new Gloria Gossard Breast Health Center and a partnership with the Mayo Clinic.

Rotarians in the news

Rotary_112014.indd 11 11/18/14 10:27 AM



Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs new members

Joan Ihrig As vice presi-

dent and relation-ship manager at Centennial Bank, Joan Ihrig’s passion is to work closely with clients to serve their lending and deposit needs. With over 30 years of local bank-ing experience, she specializes in building strong relationships.

Joan moved to Steamboat Springs with her husband, Tom, in 1980. They fell in love with the area and decided to raise their family here. Their two girls, Kristina and Katelyn, now live in Fort Collins, and although Joan and Tom are now official “empty-nesters,” they still see the girls often. They also own a small business and are both committed to giving back to the community.

Joan is a long-time member of several ser-vice groups including MainStreet Steamboat and Routt County Foundation for Senior Citizens. She is a past member of Chamber Ambassadors and the Steamboat Springs High School PIC. Joan and Tom love to golf, hike and snowshoe.

“We love being in Steamboat Springs and find the challenge of small business and banking keeps us both as busy as we can imagine,” Joan said. “Our retirement years are still a long ways off but are surely fun to think about. Until then, we are enjoying life in Steamboat Springs.”

Melissa GibsonMelissa Gibson grew up in Overland Park,

Kansas, and graduated from the University of Kansas. She moved to Denver in 1997 and then to Steamboat in the fall of 2001 where she met her husband, Jed. She began working at Land Title as a closer in 2005 and accepted the position of branch manager in 2013.

Melissa has served as president of the Affiliate P a r t n e r s h i p Council and on the Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors C o m m u n i t y Scholarship Fund board. She and Jed also are busy rais-ing their two young daughters, Kendall and Morgan, and three yellow labs.

"I have enjoyed my career at Land Title and felt it was a good time for me to give back to the community,” Melissa said. “Rotary was a perfect fit for me because it supports our com-munity in a variety of different ways."

When she does have spare time, Melissa enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing and spending time with her family.

Alycia ColeAttorney Alycia

Cole is an associate at the Law Office of Sharp, Steinke, Sherman & Engle, LLC. Although the firm has a long-standing reputation in property, business law and water rights, Alycia is expanding the practice into the areas of family law and minor criminal matters. With her experience in criminal law and public service, she hopes to develop a reputation in the community as a prudent advocate for justice.

In addition to her position at the firm, Alycia is the Steamboat Springs High School’s assis-tant girls lacrosse coach and recently joined the Steamboat Women’s Rugby League. Born and raised in Colorado, Alycia studied and trav-eled in various states and countries but always maintained a desire to return to the mountains

of Colorado. Her prayers were answered when her fiancé, Christopher Cole, was hired as air-port manager for the Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams Field Airport, and the couple moved to Steamboat in December of 2013. Chris and Alycia were married in May and have since enjoyed exploring the city’s many restaurants and beautiful hiking trails with their two dogs.

Cheryl Krumrie

Cheryl Krumrie is the sales associate at Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club. A Wisconsin native, Cheryl was lured to the Yampa Valley for the summer outdoor activities in 2005. She has a master’s degree in sports marketing and is a board member, county coordinator, race sponsorship sales director and coach for Girls on the Run of Western Colorado. She also serves as a board member for The Friends of the Chief Foundation and volunteers for many sporting events commit-tees.

As an outdoor enthusiast, Cheryl enjoys road cycling, distance running, tennis and ski-ing. She bravely fast-packed the Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim for the first time in September 2013. Cheryl and her husband, Tim, have two children, Kelly, 30, who lives in Boulder, and Dexter, 26, who lives in Kansas City.

Ski Town USA Rotary Club new members

Kara StollerSteamboat Springs Chamber Resort

Association marketing director Kara Stoller joined the Ski Town USA Rotary Club in the spring and is already helping its marketing and outreach efforts immensely.

Stoller, who has worked for the Chamber

for seven years and is married to husband, Andrew Stoller, moved to Steamboat in 2007 from Philadelphia, where she worked in spe-cial event production after receiving her degree from West Virginia University.

“I like Rotary’s camaraderie and dedication to improving the community,” said Stoller, who, when not spearheading the Chamber’s marketing efforts, can be found mountain biking, skiing, golfing, hiking and more.

Loryn KastenSteamboat Ski &

Resort Corp. public relations manager Loryn Kasten has re-joined the Ski Town USA Rotary Club, effective this fall, after a brief hiatus when she left town in 2013.

“The Yampa Val ley Curse brought me back,” said Kasten, who moved to Steamboat in 2008 from Durango, where she worked in the Purgatory Ski Resort’s public relations department. “It didn’t take long to realize Steamboat is the best place to call home.”

Kasten, who joined Durango’s Rotary Club in 2006, first joined the Ski Town USA Rotary Club in 2010. As well as her similar position at Purgatory, her public relations role for Steamboat follows a public relations and marketing stint at West Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort, where she moved after receiving her degree from the University of Colorado.

ing their school’s infrastructure. Annually, club members and our local Interact Club at the Steamboat Springs High School travel to Agua Prieta to deliver holiday gifts to under-privileged children.

For our second international project, we are teaming up with the Rotary club in Nairobi, Kenya, to develop the Kirkau School water and sanitation project. A number of club members will be traveling to Nairobi for “hands-on” work for this $50,000-plus project with funds raised through donations and grants.

In addition, we participate in the “Crutches for Africa” program.

Our clubs are active in the Rotary dis-trict as well. Last year, a delegation of club members traveled to Estes Park to work with

local Rotary clubs there to clean up following the devastating f loods that ravaged the Big Thompson Canyon area.

Locally, our clubs are involved in vari-ous aspects of life in Steamboat Springs. On the community level, we provide funding and grants to United Way, the Boys & Girls Club and other local nonprofit organizations. Rotarians also are highly visible in United Way’s “Day of Caring” and highway clean-up efforts.

In terms of service to our local educational institutions, Rotary provides many thousands of dollars of scholarships to graduating Routt County high school seniors to assist in their ability to attend the college or university of their choice. We sponsor a foreign exchange program for high school students and annu-

ally host at least one foreign exchange stu-dent and send at least one of our students to another country.

Each year, members of our club visit local middle schools to sponsor a program on Rotary’s Four-Way Test, which focuses on how to conduct ourselves as ethical members of our community. Each year, we deliver free dictionaries to all third graders in Routt County.

Our annual f lower barrel program helps beautify our city, with colorful f lower barrels outside many business establishments, stores and offices. We also partner with the city of Steamboat Springs to sponsor the annual Holiday Wishes party at Howelsen Hill.

And, we do all this by having a lot of fun with our annual fundraising activities – the

Ski Town Golf Classic and Benefit Auction and the Community Barn Dance. These two events raise tens of thousands of dollars that are distributed back into projects that enhance the Steamboat Springs community.

Local Rotarians also are known for hold-ing a social gathering now and then, and those parties are “worth the price of admission.”

If all or any of the above interests you, please contact a Rotarian and we would love to have you “check us out” by attending a meeting or an event as our guest. The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs meets at noon on Tuesdays at the Steamboat Grand and the Ski Town USA Rotary Club meets at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays at the Catamount Ranch and Club. For more information, visit steamboatrotary.com or steamboatmorningrotary.com.

> Presidents continued from Page 1

Local club members are active in local community and at district level

Clubs welcome new members

Rotary_112014.indd 12 11/18/14 10:27 AM



Every spring, volunteers from the Ski Town USA Rotary Club head to the Hospice House for an annual spring cleaning involving everything from spreading mulch to moving rocks and raking leaves. This year, marked the fourth time the club has offered assistance sprucing up the facility's yard. "After the snow melts, the yard clean up begins with raking, trimming, pruning and mulching," said club member Jan Fritz. "The preparation of the yard helps the summer growth and beautifies the corner for the hospice staff." Pictured are Ski Town USA Rotary Club members Laura Cusenbary and Kara Stoller as they use a wheelbarrow to clean up the yard.

Rotarian RANDy RuDASiCS has been named president of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association board of directors at the Oct. 9 board meeting. A member of the board since 2009 and the executive committee since 2012, Rudasics takes over this role from fellow Rotarian Kerry Shea, who will continue on the executive committee as past president.

Employed at Colorado Mountain College as the manager of the Yampa Valley Entrepreneurship Center, Rudasics has been actively involved in chamber activities including serving as chair of the Economic Development Council from 2009 to 2011, serving on past nominating committees, partnering with the chamber on the Leadership Steamboat program and volunteering on the Economic Summit planning committee for several years. Rudasics also serves as treasurer of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs.

He is a native of South Bend, Indiana, having relocated to Steamboat in 2006 with his wife, Kathie.

CHERyL KRuMRiE has played a large part in the growth of the Girls on the Run pro-gram in Routt County. As a three-year board member of the Western Colorado Council, county coordinator, coach and fundraiser, Krumrie oversees 130 third through eighth grade girls and 25 volunteer coaches in six area schools. The Girls on the Run 5K, held annually in November, has attracted over 1,000 runners in each of the past three years including 550 girls. The Girls on the Run program teaches life skills through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running games. Krumrie was previously a board member and race director of the Johnson County Girls on the Run council in suburban Kansas City.

Rotary member SHARON MENSiNG, head of school at Emerald Mountain School, was recently appointed to three local boards — the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Mountain School and the Governance Committee of Association of Colorado Independent Schools.

SCOTT MARR, past president of the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs and owner/opera-tor of the Holiday Inn, was recently appointed to a three-year term on the Yampa Valley Medical Center board of trustees. Marr joins Ski Town USA Rotarian and YVMC CEO Frank May as a trustee. Previously, Marr served on the hospital board from 2006 to 2010.

Rotarians in action

Hosting is a family affairSteamboat Rotarians Sharon and Gareth Mensing, Eric

Rabesa and Tara Weaver, along with their families, served as gracious host families for Sam Dossogne, an

18-year-old Rotary Exchange student from Belgium, who lived in Steamboat Springs during the 2013-14 school year. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs, Sam attended Steamboat Springs High School as a senior.

Sharon Mensing shares her thoughts on serving as a Rotary Exchange host family:

“Our experience as host parents for Sam Dossogne last year was an unexpected pleasure. It had been many years since we had a child living at home, and then it was our daughter. We weren’t sure how a son would integrate into our small family of two adults and three dogs. However, nearly immediately after Sam arrived, we knew we’d made the right choice. Sam shared a love of life and exploring new things with us, bringing a happy youthful enthusiasm to bear on nearly every new experience.

“Sam is very outgoing, so it was a simple matter to inte-grate him into my second family, Emerald Mountain School. The younger students here looked forward to the time when he arrived at school to join me for the ride back home from town. With Sam, we enjoyed exploring areas that were new to us, but we also enjoyed seeing places we’d been and familiar activities through new eyes.

“For the time that he was with us, we actually spent more time together as a couple, since we reverted back to sitting down to dinner with him every day. For those three months, we became a little more playful, playing darts, cards, horseshoes and other games we don’t play, just the two of us.

Having another person in the house brought more noise and activity, although Sam was respectful of our routines and quiet, alone time.

“The fact that we will be welcoming Seba (the newest Rotary Exchange student to arrive in Steamboat) to our home for the last three months of his stay is a testament to our enjoyment of having Sam with us.”

And in the words of Rotary host Eric Rabesa:“Sam is very smart, gregarious and outgoing. He was

immediately involved in school activities and was always up for whatever opportunity presented itself, so he was a great fit for our active and hectic family.

“Our family consists of my wife, Samantha, me, two young children, a couple of pets, and we’re fortunate enough to have some very involved grandparents who call Steamboat

home. This was our first time hosting an exchange student, and when we first considered the idea of taking a teen-ager into our already hectic lives, the prospect was daunting. However, when I joined Rotary we decided as a family that we would commit to all that Rotary has to offer us as a family, so we were all in.

“Samantha and I agreed that we wanted our children to experience the benefits of community service, fellowship and the opportunities to see the world through a wider lens. We thought hosting an exchange student might be one of those unique opportunities to broaden all of our perspectives. And it was.

“Sam is the youngest in his family and had little experi-ence with young children, and Samantha and I feel like teen-agers ourselves some days; yet any fears of our compatibility evaporated immediately. Our 2-year-old daughter and Sam formed a lifelong bond, and our 7-year-old son soon began referring to Sam as his big brother. We opened our family up to him, and he offered a window into another world for us — this dynamic young man with his love of strange European music and multi-language video conferences was now part of our family. Even the normal teenager stuff was a refreshing change of pace — singing, goofing off and discussing his unique world view with us over dinner became part of our daily routine.

“Over the four months we spent with Sam, we celebrated the holidays with him, took him camping, skiing, hiking, and even to Disney World. It was a terrific experience for all of us, and we know there will never be another Sam, but we look forward seeing what the next exchange student has in store for us.”

Rotary_112014.indd 13 11/18/14 10:27 AM



District 5440 has matched this amount, and the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International has provided a global grant of $22,500.

The total amount of $52,500 will be used to drill a deep well and provide necessary pumping equipment, pipelines, water storage, greenhouse construction, hygiene training and ecological toilets. Excess water will be sold to the local community. Crops produced in the greenhouse will be used to feed students and also will be sold to help support the school.

The system is designed to be sustainable

without further outside assistance. A key aspect of the model school project is

to share experience with other schools in the area and with the local community.

The Steamboat Rotary Club will provide management oversight, while the Madaraka Rotary Club in Nairobi will provide direct management and reporting on the project’s progress.

The project is expected to be completed by March 2015. The Kirkau Primary School principal visits

with a teacher and student.

> Water continued from Page 10

Project supported by Rotary International

For many, the mental image of a Rotary club brings to mind a famous acronym, ROMEO — Rich Old Men Eating Out. Yes, Rotary International has been unfairly labeled for years as the club you join when you’ve retired from the workforce and can’t find anything else to do with your free time.

But that’s not really the case, especially in Steamboat Springs. The younger popula-tion in Steamboat is already finding a deeper sense of belonging through volunteerism and active participation in community projects. What Rotary provides these spirited indi-viduals is an organized mechanism to tackle larger projects both locally and worldwide.

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs has consistently won the “Future of Rotary” award for having the largest percentage of members under age 40. Nearly 20 percent of our members are under 40 and over a third of those are women. We’ve always been a diverse community of young professionals and young families so it’s understandable that many are attracted to Rotary as their rooted connection to the community.

Just ask Alycia Cole, a 29-year-old attorney who joined Rotary to meet like-minded people in our town. Alycia says she was attracted to Rotary because “I’m passionate about helping others and being a positive role model.”

Glen Traylor, a 34-year-old business owner, joined because he “saw what a mas-sive impact Rotary has on the community” and wanted to be part of “something larger than myself.” And when I asked Gillian Morris, a young entrepreneur and consul-tant, she said, “I saw a photo of the Rotary Boardwalk and wanted to be a part of the group that gets things like that done.”

For me personally, when I joined Rotary four years ago, the club was finish-ing up a two-year trail building project on the back side of Emerald Mountain. Now, I ride Rotary Trail at least twice a month in the summer, and it’s one of the premier biking loops along Cow Creek.

There’s no better feeling of accomplish-ment than when I’m talking to my friends about this and the other local projects I’ve been a part of so far. When I take a men-tal tally of the diverse number of positive improvements the Rotary Club has com-pleted for the Yampa Valley, I’m extremely proud to be a young Rotarian.

Y O U N G R O T A R I A N S

Column by David Wittlinger

Enthusiastic and proud

District Governor Phil Murphy visited Steamboat Springs in October. Murphy is pictured with several Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs officers and board members. From left, are: David Wittlinger, Jackie Brown, Gillian Morris, Ellen Kendall, Kristal Eckley, Sharon Mensing, Jim Moylan, Murphy, Steve Sehnert, Eric Griepentrog, Randy Rudasics and Scott Marr.

ActionRotary ActionRotaryRotary Action is published two

times annually by the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs and the Ski Town

USA Rotary ClubP.O. Box 771336

Steamboat Springs, CO 80477

For questions, comments or more information, contact Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Public Relations

Chairman Lynna Broyles at 970-871-3162.

Lynna BroylesEugene Buchanan Ian EngleMike ForneyPaul HebertEllen KendallCheryl KrumrieRay Martinez

Jim MoylanBrad PriceRandy RudasicsLisa SchlichtmanSteve SehnertTara WeaverDavid Whittlinger

Contributors

Rotary_112014.indd 14 11/18/14 10:27 AM



Dave Garner, pictured above, was one of many who helped Rotarians delivered 210 flower barrels this summer. The club fundraiser not only generated proceeds for scholarships and grant programs, but it also beautifies the Steamboat Springs community.

Ellen Kendall was honored as Rotarian of the Year by Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Past-President Scott Marr for

the significant contributions she made to the club during the two years Marr served as president-elect and president.

Marr noted Kendall’s role in planning the Rotary District Conference held in Steamboat Springs in 2013 when she served as chair of the conference’s program committee.

“Her claim to fame was implementing a ‘World Cafe’ session where projects from our club and others were put on display for attend-ees to see,” Marr said.

Kendall also served as the club’s member-ship chair. Under her leadership, the club grew

from 82 to 98 members at a time when most clubs in the district were reporting significant membership losses.

In addition, Kendall served as chair of the annual Rotary Community Barbecue and Barn Dance and has been involved from the event’s beginning.

“She is passionate about our club, our mem-bers and about women in Rotary,” Marr said. “I am looking forward to her presidential term, which will begin July 1, 2015.”

In response to receiving the award, Kendall was characteristically humble, stating, “We have so many members who are active and who exemplify our ‘service above self ’ motto. It really is an honor to be recognized in this way.”

Rotarians of the Month• May: Jim Moylan for spearheading the

Friends of Sam Haslem event.• June: David Garner for leading the f lower

barrel renovation project.• July: Kristal Eckley for chairing the Ski

Town Golf Classic and Benefit Auction.• August: Mike Roberts for overseeing con-

struction of the Rotary Peace Pavilion.• September: John Kuhn for leading devel-

opment and fundraising for the Rotary Peace Pavilion project.

• October: Carol Parish and Steve Sehnert for chairing the Rotary Community Barbecue and Barn Dance Committee.

Kendall named Rotarian of the Year for Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs

In October, one of Steamboat’s own was awarded one of Rotary International’s most prestigious honors.

At the annual Rotary Foundation dinner in Fort Collins, past Rotary International President and Rotary Foundation board chairman John Kenny announced that the Foundation has awarded Steamboat native Cornelia Weiss this year’s Rotary Foundation Peace Scholarship.

Weiss, a military lawyer for the Judge Advocate General ( JAG) reserves who now

lives in Europe, grew up in Steamboat Springs. She is one of only 10 North Americans to receive the graduate level scholarship.

Weiss was nominated for the award by the Ski Town USA Rotary Club.

“Cornelia had a desire to apply for the fellowship and talked with us about it,” club assistant secretary John Kerst said. “She came and spoke to the club, and after the meeting, the club decided to support her application to the district. It’s a great honor.”

Weiss recently finished a two-year stint in Colombia working with the Colombian Ministry of Defense to help its mili-tary develop legal resources for f ighting narco-terrorism. She now is stationed in Europe working with 15 NATO and two Partnership-for-Peace nations to establish an international airlift consortium for humani-tarian and disaster relief needs.

Rotary Peace Fellowships are offered on a worldwide competitive basis, with each Rotary district nominating potential can-

didates.Up to 50 fellowships for master’s level

studies are offered annually at one of five Rotary Peace Centers, and Fellows can only be assigned to a center outside of their home country. The fellowship includes funding for tuition and other university fees, a monthly room and board stipend, a contingency fund, funding for conferences and research, summer internship support and transporta-tion between the fellow’s home and study destination.

Steamboat native Cornelia Weiss wins Rotary International Peace Scholarship

Anne Poirot, a 2012 graduate of Steamboat Springs High School, got a glimpse of life outside the

United States after being selected as a Rotary exchange student in 2011, sup-ported by the Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs.

Her exchange experience was in Norway, and after graduating from Steamboat, she went on to study at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she is now a junior. Poirot is currently on a study abroad program at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where, with other students, she has been volunteering at a nearby orphanage in the township of Khayelitsha.

Orphanage founder Evelyn Makasi never refuses a child, and currently takes care of 30 kids who are HIV infected, sexually or physically abused, neglected or homeless. She founded the orphanage in 2003 out of her own home where she also raises six foster children of her own. Although this is supposed to be a tempo-rary home, many of the children end up living there until they turn 19.

The "home of safety" needs donations to purchase transportation and property in order to provide more space for the chil-dren, and Poirot has joined with a fellow American student, Caitlin Martin, in a fundraiser to help support this orphanage.

The Steamboat Rotary Club’s International Service Committee has agreed to contribute $500 in solidarity with Poirot in this fundraiser. The club is always excited to learn about the experiences and passions of former exchange students, and, when possible, to encourage them with the Rotary spirit as they grow, mature and begin their life journeys that include com-munity service to others in need.

For more information about this fundraiser, visit https://www.crowdrise.com /or phanagedonat ions /f undra iser/caitlinmartin.

Former Rotary exchange student organizes fundraiser

for Cape Town orphanage

Joan Lazerus and Ellen Kendall at the 2014 Barn Dance.

Rotary_112014.indd 15 11/18/14 10:27 AM



36th Annual

Community Holiday Party

Sunday, December 14th • 4:30 - 7:30 PMOlympian Hall at Howelsen Hill

Come one, come all, and bring the kids!FREE COMMUNITY EVENT

The community is invited to join us for this time honored tradition and to celebrate the season with fellow community members in a festive atmosphere.

Highlights include:A visit with Santa to ensure that the Wish List makes it to the North Pole

Free Tubing • Cookies & Hot Chocolate • Caroling

Rotary_112014.indd 16 11/18/14 10:27 AM

Date post:	06-Apr-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	steamboat-pilot-today
View:	214 times
Download:	1 times

Rotary Action

Documents