Email to the Editor: Enumclaw Rotary Report for May 2012

As the new Public Relations Chair for the Enumclaw Rotary Club, I’ll be coming to you once a month in The Enumclaw Patch to report on all the goings-on in our club and our community.  No matter how long you’ve been in Enumclaw, I’ll bet you’ve met a Rotarian or experienced at some level the outreach of our local Rotary Club. We’re a group of business people who believe deeply in giving back and demonstrate that belief with active involvement and investment in the community.

Rotary is an organization whose club membership represents a cross-section of Enumclaw’s business and professional men and women, along with community volunteers. We actually now have an Enumclaw Rotary classification of "Community Volunteer" to account for people who are not in business professions. Our club meets weekly for lunch at the Hope Lutheran Church and is nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds.

Since our main objective is service—in the community, workplace, and throughout the world—we develop community service projects that address many of today’s most critical issues. Some of our top concerns are children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, illiteracy, and violence. We also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development. Our motto in Rotary is Service Above Self.

Five years ago when the Annual Sidewalk Sale lost its sponsor, we took over the event and rebranded it as what is now known as the highly successful Enumclaw Streetfair. For the last two years we’ve staged the Annual Father-Daughter Dance, delighting over 700 fathers and daughters each year. We also work closely with the Senior Center serving holiday meals and helping out with small chores in senior homes throughout the community. We've had a long-standing commitment to Plateau Outreach Ministries and donate a significant amount to their capital projects campaign. We are committed to supporting our local food banks as well.

Valuing the next generation and supporting their educational efforts is an area we spotlight consistently throughout the year. From recognizing a student of the month from all 3 high schools in the area (Enumclaw, White River, and Collins), to supporting graduating seniors with scholarships, to founding and continuing to support the Enumclaw-Black Diamond Tutoring work which operates out of the Enumclaw Youth Center. Encouraging our community’s students to excel in their education and make a difference in their lives is important to us as a club.

International projects are a big thing with our club as well and one of our more creative fundraisers has made its way around the area over the last few months. Perhaps you’ve been given a gift of a herd of Holstein cows on your front lawn, or seen someone else who has. It’s been a fun way to support our international project providing water, sanitation and education for orphans in Zambia.

And last but not least, our newest community activity launch is our Rotary Miniature Golf Course housed at the Enumclaw Expo Center’s Rabbit Barn. In fact, our next event is coming up on May 19. From 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM, families are invited for a rousing time of Open Play. Bring the whole family and enjoy some wholesome fun!

To learn more about Rotary or to inquire about becoming a member, feel free to give me a call at 425.241.0265 or shoot me an email at athenadean@gmail.com. We’d love to have you join us for lunch some Thursday in the near future.