Rotary Club of Sedona is elated to report the Rotary Navajo Water Project Auction held Sept. 12 raised $10,255 to bring water for the first time to Navajo families in Dilkon. With matching funds from Rotary District 5495 and The Rotary Foundation, funds total $20,510. This means 4.5 homes can receive water systems. Past District 5495 Governor David Simmer, who coordinated the auction, said donations given directly to the three other clubs could make the difference and help fund five homes. David thanks members of Rotary Clubs of Flagstaff, Sedona Village, and Verde Valley for purchasing gift cards/certificates from their local businesses. David and the clubs thank all of you who bid on auctions items and the businesses that donated items. Your efforts made the auction a huge success for families who will receive hot and cold running water, giving them a chance to live a normal American life. If you would like to donate to this project please go to https://sedonarotary.org/ and click on the donate button.
Rotary water project in Kenya impacting women's lives
In Kenya, hauling water is women's work. Many have to walk miles to fill and haul back a 40-pound water can on their heads or backs. The exhausting effort takes its toll. It also takes them most of their day to get the water, pushing other duties into the night. Rotary International has been impacting this issue. Mary Poole of Prescott College, gave an update on Rotary's Kenya Water Project during the club's Sept. 8 meeting. Mary's been working with Rotary's water projects the past 12 years and says "water is hope" for the Kenyan people. Rotary International and specific Rotary clubs sponsor various water projects each year. Rotary Club of Sedona co-sponsored the Mosiro project in 2012. Membership Director Catherine Moore and her husband Ed Southwell had a chance to visit. The project has resulted in a water tower and tank that now serves 8,000 people. Mary said they have five distribution points no more than one mile from villages. While the men take their cattle out to find grass each day, the women still haul the water, but not as far and haul the cans mostly on their backs. But Mary, who tried to put a can on her back, said they are very heavy. She adds that communities with water can withstand the pandemic, but are now facing hunger as the food supply chains have broken down. For more information on RI's water projects go to https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/providing-clean-water
Paul Harris Fellow Awards
The club congratulates the following members for their contributions to the Rotary Foundation to support the works of Rotary International throughout the world. Rotarians achieve Paul Harris Fellow awards for each $1,000 they donate to the Rotary Foundation. The first award is a PHF medallion pictured left. Awards after that consist of pins with precious stones. The awardees are: Club President Al Barton, upon his first Paul Harris Fellow Award; Past President Paul Tibbs, PHF Plus 1; Jamiss Sebert, PHF Plus 3; Dick Youngberg, PHF Plus 3; Penny Blazej, PHF Plus 4; DaveYoung, PHF Plus 4; and Jean Barton, PHF Plus 6. Congratulations for the work you are doing!
Save the Date
Documentary: "The Library That Dolly Built" --Dec. 9 on facebook
After postponing the April launch of the Imagination Library documentary ‘The Library That Dolly Built: Celebrating the People Who Made Dolly’s Dream Come True’, we are excited to announce that we will now premiere the documentary on December 9th at 7 p.m. EST in a highly produced North American premiere featuring a live Q&A and song from Dolly herself! We are planning for a Facebook exclusive event. Stay tuned for upcoming details.
Dates to Remember
Sept. 21--Bonus Human Library Feature during International City of Peace Day, 10 to 1 p.m. online.
Sept. 21--Club & Charitable Fund Board meetings, 4:30 p.m. on Zoom.
Sept. 22--Speaker: Kalai Kollus, Oak Creek Watershed Council.
Sept. 28--St. Andrews Community Supper, 2 to 7 p.m. St. Andrews Church.
October 13--Speaker: Nancy Steele & Kegn Moorcroft, Friends of the Verde River.
Dec. 9--"The Library That Dolly Built" Save the Date, Documentary to be held on facebook.
