Wenatchee Sunrise Rotary Club: February 2023

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

February 21, 2023 Meeting Notes

The meeting was called to order at 7 am by President Elect Craig Reese.

Fat Tuesday - Mardi Gras Beads and Moon Pies

Rotary Guests:

Jill Leonard - President of Wenatchee Rotary Club

Guests:

June Vanderhoff - Author - Today's Program

Francisca Moment (Our current exchange student)

Fran wore a horse costume at the fundraiser movie at Wenatchee high school. The event was a sucess.
She is checking into university options in Portland
She will be going to Merrick in Canada to meet with current and future exchange students

Announcements

Craig Reese

Attended the PETS (President Elect Training Seminar) in Seattle
Brought home a new version of the Rotary Banner for his Rotary year as President starting July 1, 2023.

Kelly Walker - Possible New Membership List

There are a number of new leads made up of names collected at events that may consider being new members
Talk to Kelly to see if you know any of the people on the list so maybe you can follow up with them

Alan Walker - "Apple Century Bike Ride" Update

The Apple Century Bike Ride fund raiser is being dropped after 35 years. The Bike Ride Committee discussed this last month and voted to pass on to the board that the club should discontinue the Bike Ride for various reasons. (Lack of interest from riders, increasing costs to stage the ride, decreasing funds being generated). The Wenatchee Sunrise Board of Directors voted on Feb. 13, 2023, to discontinue the Bike Ride and seek a different fundraiser.
Craig Reese is leading a task force to find a new fundraiser

Kathleen - Signup Sheets

Setup, greeters needed
Road Apple Roulette Ticket Sales Event

KPQ Home Expo (Sponsored by KPQ) - 3/11, 3/12, and 3/13

Ruth - Breakfast

Cost $8.00

Option 1 - Egg, Cheese, and Bacon Breakfast Sandwich
Option 2 - Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
Option 3 - Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
Option 4 - Southwest-style Breakfast Burrito

Deadline each week - Let Ruth know by 12 noon on Monday before a meeting

Jackie - Business After Hours event - Thursday 2/23 - 5 pm to 7 pm

Location - The PAC (Performing Arts Center)
Take a business card to participate in a drawing

Mark - Suite - Wenatchee Wild game - March 18th at 6:05 pm - Suite 214

We still have 9 seats available

Finance Committee Meeting - Thursday 2/23

Where and when being decided - Email will be sent

Brags and Confessions

Jim

Jim and Carol will be traveling again to the Carribean

Dave

He just got back from Palm Springs
He got a hole in one during the trip!

Ruth

One of her students got first place as a Saprano
The same student got third place in a symphony event

Alan

The purchase of C+O is complete
Remodeling will begin and his business will be moving soon

Earl - Round of Applause for Alan Walker for the years of effort that he has contributed to the Bike Race Event.

Mark

He will be visiting the East Wenatchee Rotary Club to sell the remaining 9 hockey tickets
He and his wife will be hosting a Wild player next year

Wayne Massing

He removed his pool cover. He had to drain 2800 gallons to get ready to open his pool in April. Pool party later this year on a non-windy day!

Stacy Gold

She is finishing her first quarter of school
Her daughter got 5th out of 96 people in Volleyball

Robin

She traveled to watch a pro hockey player that she and Richard hosted as a Wenatchee Wild player.
The player scored 3 goals in the game (a hat trick)

Program - June Vanderhoff, Author of "A Home for Gnome"

June is a friend of Jim and Carol Adamson.

June has 3 grandsons from her daughter Paige and her husband.

Eli
Wesley
Jackson

Paige works on inclusion strategies as her profession.

Here is a message from Paige about Eli and the park project he inspired.

The Eli’s Park Project is inspired by my sweet boy, Eli. Eli was born weighing just five pounds. This tiny boy, who just happened to have Down syndrome, opened our minds, stretched our hearts and rocked our world.

Traveling through life everyday with Eli is the greatest honor I’ve ever known. He smiled at everyone, hugged anybody who got within arms’ reach and danced when people’s cell phones rang. He heard music in everything and saw the beauty in everyone. Mostly we were met with kindness, but sometimes exclusion. I felt the devastating impact of wondering if my baby would be misjudged, mistreated or ignored. But maybe even more importantly, I saw, in Eli, the beauty and joy we can miss if we allow even one member of our community to be excluded.

I started talking with Eli’s physical therapist about why so many people were missing from our everyday lives. And what it would take to bring more people together. We talked about the places we found community and felt included and inspired...they were most always outside. Often in a park. From there, the Eli’s Park Project was born.

First, we found the perfect place: The Burke Gilman Playground Park. A mostly empty, uninspired space right across from Seattle Children’s Hospital, beside the Ronald McDonald House, connected to the Burke-Gilman Trail, encircled by low-income and disability housing and adjacent to an inclusive preschool. A place surrounded by diversity that’s currently serving almost no one.

Then, we started talking, listening and building community. The resounding message we heard over and over is: I want to belong. And when we lost Eli, just before his fourth birthday, we knew we had to carry his legacy of love forward.

We received our first grant from the Department of Neighborhoods and partnered with an amazing local artist. We hired Site Workshop...creative, landscape architects...the most authentic and compassionate humans out there. And for the past six years, we’ve grown our community and worked together to design a park for all.

The new park, renamed Pathways Park by our community, combines nature and accessibility throughout the design.

Parallel pathways are the foundation of the design and will provide easy access to the entire park while offering multiple alternate routes with varying degrees of difficulty and challenge. The pathways ensure that 100% of the park is accessible to everyone while also celebrating our different needs. Nature will interweave throughout the park with trees, gardens, natural areas, and a ravine look-out. Sensory experiences will encourage visitors to explore, with a sensory garden, sand and water features, and musical components. Play pockets will be inviting for children and adults, of all abilities. Thoughtful seating options will be diverse and carefully placed to enjoy nature and engage with people. Gender neutral restrooms with adult size changing tables will enable everyone to enjoy the space with dignity and comfort.

This entire project has been dreamed, designed and supported by community. And now, we’re so excited to say that we have raised over $6 million dollars, have hired contractors and will be breaking ground this spring.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Eli was born with Down Syndrome. Unfortunately, he caught the Croup that turned into pneumonia. His lungs were not able to fight off the infection due to side effects of his Down Syndrome. He was almost 4 years old when he passed.

Eli's life was the inspiration for "The Eli's Park Project" at Burke-Gilman Playground Park. The park will be newly named... "Pathways Park".

There are 12 members on the leadership team (including June's daughter Paige), with 7 teens that make up the "Teen Advisory Committee".

The total funds needed for the project to move forward is $6.4 million dollars. The funds are very close. Groundbreaking is planned for this spring, with planned completion in the fall.

If you’d like to follow along with the "Pathways Park" project or make a donation to support this community effort, please visit www.elispark.org.

June wrote her book as a fund raiser for "The Eli's Park Project".

Proceeds from this book, "A Home for Gnome", will go towards The Eli’s Park Project.

The book can be found at: https://www.ahomeforgnome.com

June was inspired by a hollow tree that had a number of small gnome's in the hole. Eli loved the gnomes and would leave Cheerios for them each time.

The main character in the book is named Lampy. June used this name because Eli was a bright light in her life during his time on Earth.

June took on the entire process of writing and publishing her book. She learned all of the complexities and hurdles that are part of getting a book to market.

Finding an independent publisher in the Seattle area was her goal. She found Peanut Butter Publishing and they were great to work with. She found a talented illustrator in Oregon, C.S. Fritz.

Writing the book was a rewarding process and a tribute to Eli. She is not planning a second book at this time.

June was kind enough to spend time at the end of the meeting signing her book for members of the club.

Raffle

Dave did not win the raffle this week. $294 dollars and growing!

Joke of the Week

The toilet seat was mysteriously missing at the police department. There were no clues and that gave them nowhere to go.

--------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Events - Check Sunrise Website Calendar for more events and details

Thursday, February 9, 2023

February 7, 2023 Meeting Notes

The meeting was called to order at 7 am by President Robin DeRock.

Today is National Periodic Table Day

Rotary Guests:

Laurie Flarity-White - Wenatchee (Downtown) Club
Isaiah Banken - Former Sunrise Rotary Exchange student (Thailand) and Rotex Co-President

Guests:

Michelle Sadewasser - Eastmont
Emily Hensley - Project Search Intern
Jody Hensley - Project Search (Parent)
Tina Gorman - Project Search
Terry Brown - Project Search Teacher

Announcements

Jackie Rector - Grace House Valentines Day

Third year in a row
23 women and 12 children
Meet at Hellbent Brewery at Pybus Thursday 5-6pm

Jackie will be picking up final gifts

$20 Gifts - Please bring in gift bag or wrapped

Mom's - Ideas - Toiletries, Lotions, Shampoo, etc
Children - Ages will be available next meeting

Kathleen/Earl - Road Apple Roulette Raffle Tickets Available and Distributed

Home Show February 4th+5th

441 tickets sold!

Allie is handing out tickets for people with names A thru L
Wayne Massing is handing out tickets for people with names M thru Z
Each club member will receive 50 tickets to sell

Reminder - Must be 18 to purchase

Mark - Suite - Wenatchee Wild game - March 18th at 6:05pm - Suite 214

Breakfast

Robin wil be sending an email each Friday with the information needed to order breakfast sandwiches or wraps
If ordered and not in attendance, the charge will be added to your invoice
Business After Hours Meeting at the PAC 2/23/23 5-7pm

Paul Harris Award - Kathleen received the award with 4 sapphires

This award is given to club members that donate $1000 or more to the Rotary Foundation
Each additional $1000 receives an extra jewel

1 - 4 are sapphires
5 is a ruby

Francisca (Our current exchange student)

She is a member of the Interact Club at Wenatchee HS
The club is screening a movie at the Wenatchee HS Auditorium

February 10th at 6:45pm
The movie is "The Breadwinner"
Rasing funds for displaced Afghani families relocating to Wenatchee

Brags and Confessions

Robin

The follies at the PAC was excellent
Woody did a great job and mentioned the Rotary at the event

Ruth

She traveled to Phoenix and Tucson
She went to the Puma Museum
She met a WWII Pilot that made 15 bombing runs before being shot down and becoming a prisoner of war

She got a picture and a book autographed

Kelly

They went to the Follies
She then took their daughter and granddaughters to Lake Roosevelt

Kathleen

Unfortunately Kathleen lost her dog unexpectedly recently
Our thoughts and prayers are with Kathleen

Woody

He explained why he has missed a number of weeks recently
He and his wife celebrated their 10th anniversary
They got a new dog named Rufus
The PAC Follies were attended by 2100 people
The annual report for the PAC runs from 8/1 to 7/31

The past year 71 events (56 at the PAC) put on by a staff of 6 people
This year has already seen 62 events
Ryan Stiles from Whose Line Is It Anyway will be coming to Wenatchee

Program - Michelle Sadewasser, Transition Coordinator, Special Education

Michelle is the leader of the first Project Search program in the Wenatchee Valley.

82% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not have a paid job in their communities.

Project Search was established to help young people with disabilities gain the skills they need to get meaningful jobs. There are 732 sites in 10 countries and 48 US states. They have served 38,641 people since 2010.

The project measures success by making sure that 100% of Project Search Graduates get paying jobs for 16+ hours/week.

Stemilt has established the program in their Wenatchee location. Click here to read about their role in the program.

Here is a flyer to provide an overview of the program at Stemilt.

There are 7 interns in the Stemilt program. (There were 8 but one already has a job.) The interns are treated like employees.

Here is Robin with intern Emily Hemsley. She is currently part of the Stemilt project. She presented her schedule.

They get on Link Transit in the morning to be at Stemilt in time to clock in and begin their day.

7:30-8:30 Eligibility Skills Curriculum
9:00-1:00 Internship (Each in different departments.)
Lunch
1:00-2:00 Review, Reflect, Plan & Journal their day
2:00 Depart via Link Transit or Link Plus

Emily is part of Special Olympics. She loves Basketball, Swimming, Softball, Bowling, and she will be participating in the Wenatchee Polar Plunge on March 3rd.

The Stemilt Project established a Business Advisory Council to oversee the program. Here are the guidelines for anyone interested in establishing a project in their business.

Michelle and the rest of the team is planning for the Stemilt Project to be the first of many in the Wenatchee area.

Raffle

Glenn King did not win the raffle this week. $282 dollars and growing!

Joke of the Week

I had a great childhood. Dad used to roll me downhill in a tire. Those were the good years.

--------------------------------------------------------

Upcoming Events - Check Sunrise Website Calendar for more events and details

Thursday, February 2, 2023

January 31, 2023 Meeting Notes

The meeting was called to order at 7 am by President Robin DeRock.

Today is National Backwards Day

Rotary Guests:

Shanley Crane (Assistant District Governor) - East Wenatchee Rotary
Mike Kintner (Next Assistant District Governor) - Downtown Wenatchee Rotary

Guests:

Victoria (Allie's guest)

Announcements

Jackie Rector - Grace House Valentines Day

February 9th - Gifts Due
February 11th - Gifts Delivered
$20 Gifts - Please bring in gift bag or wrapped

Mom's - Ideas - Toiletries, Lotions, Shampoo, etc
Children - Ages will be available next meeting

Kathleen/Earl - Road Apple Roulette Raffle Tickets available Thursday

First formal sales event - Home Show February 4th+5th

Volunteers Needed! Contact Robin/Kathleen

Tickets will be made available to club members next week
Talk to Earl, Robin, or Kathleen

Mark - Suite - Wenatchee Wild game - March 18th at 6:05pm - Suite 214

9 spots still open - $45 each person

Mark will be shopping the remaining seats to the other Rotary clubs

Alan - Bike Ride meeting tonight - Tuesday Jan 31st

5:30 Pybus Tap House
Alan will be updating our club on the bike race as decisions are made

Shanley Crane

Mike Kintner - He will be taking over the role of Assistant District Governor in 151 days (not that she is counting)
District Conference - May 17th, 18th, and 19th in Leavenworth

Registration Is open! Click Here to register
Big changes planned for this conference

More interactive
More non-Rotarian activities
More events to enjoy

Rotary Citation Award!

Shanley explained that Sunrise Rotary earned this prestigious award in 2022 during Kathleen's Presidency.

This award is earned by meeting at least 13 goals of a possible 25 goals in a single year

Brags and Confessions

Robin

She cleaned out 9 bags of clothes to make room

Chris

Attended Godfather's Funeral
He will be traveling to Napa and Sonoma over the next 2 weeks

Milt

His daughter is painting the walls of the Museum in the Coyote Corner area

Jan Cook Mack was the original artist
Milt's daughter has worked with Jan in the past

Jim

His granddaughter passed her national nursing test, and has a job in a Portland hospital ER.
His grandson has been hired as a Portland Trailblazers Intern

Joel

His kids have been sharing Covid
He is working on an upcoming auction

Alan (and Kelly)

They made a trip to Olympia his mother-in-law's birthday

Kathleen

Kathleen is in Delaware caring for her mother
She will be traveling back and forth sharing the care with her sister who lives in the area

Program - Marriah Thornock, Executive Director, Wenatchee Valley Museum

Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center - Website

Marriah Thornock is a member of the Wenatchee Rotary Club (Downtown).

Marriah has been at the museum for 10 years.

The museum was established in 1939. The museum is two buildings. Each building was the Wenatchee Post Office in the past. The smaller building on the corner of Mission and Yakima was first. When the Post Office moved again, the museum took over the larger building next door.

The museum has over 40,000 square feet.

There are many items in the museum's inventory from the Wenatchee area. Here are a few:

Wenatchee's first Fire Truck
1929 Wenatchee Rotary Float
Baseballs from the Wenatchee Chiefs team from 1937 to 1941
Miss Veedal's last remaining original plane part

A prop was damaged on the trip from Japan to Wenatchee
It was replaced but the plane was later lost on a flight across the Atlantic

There are several events every year. They include:

3,000 sq/ft of traveling exhibits
Regional High School Art Show - (This year 3/23/2023)
Cultural Events including the Day of the Dead
An annual Salmon feed working with the Wenatchee Tribe which has 10,000 or more attendees

Community Education is a priority.

100,000 Adults and children participated before Covid
30,000 participated last year and growing now

Children are a real focus moving forward. The museum invited a cross-section of experts and parents to help identify the needs for the new and improved child targeted experience.