WELCOME TO ROTARY DISTRICT 5500 IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA
Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.
We direct our efforts in seven (7) areas to enhance our local and global impact. Our most successful and sustainable projects and activities tend to fall within the following areas: Promoting Peace, Supporting the environment, Fighting disease, Providing clean water, Saving mothers and children, Supporting education, Growing local economies
Learn more about our structure and our foundation and our strategic vision.  Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues. Our 35,000+ clubs work together to: Promote peace, Fight disease, Provide clean water, Sanitation and hygiene Save mothers and children, Support education, and  Grow local economies.
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2020-21 Governor Installed
DISTRICT 5500

2020-21 District Governor Installed

 
In its first-ever virtual installation, Diane Ventura-Goodyear of the Rotary Club of Old Pueblo became governor of District 5500. Julianne Repenhagen of the Rotary Club of Green Valley administered the oath of office. Some 85 district Rotarians attended via zoom and offered a toast to the new governor. She also installed the assistant governors.Diane, Old Pueblo Rotary club, is a Past-president 2014-15 During her Presidency, she presided over the merger of two of the oldest Tucson Rotary Clubs; Old Pueblo and Saguaro and the club earned a Presidential Citation that year. Originally inducted into Saguaro Rotary Club of Tucson in 2008, she is an active member of her club, serving on the board for over 5 years working on the annual Poker Tournament, maintaining the club website, PI committee, membership committee, and International Chair.
 
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RI Theme 2020-21
Rotary International President-elect Holger Knaack is encouraging Rotarians to seize the many opportunitiesRotary offers to enrich their lives and the communities they serve.
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Call for Nominations

Candidates Sought for District Governor 2023-24

Please open the two attachments and consider who in our Rotary district would be an excellent candidate for the district governor in 2023-2024. Nominations must be submitted on or before July 31, 2020. If Rotarians are unsure about whether they would like to be considered for leadership as district governor, any of the past, present, future governors in our district would be very pleased to answer questions. Note that all candidates who are nominated will be interviewed during the month of August 2020.  
District Governor Nomination Packet

Rotary Citation 2019-20
Earning the Rotary Citation is an honor that RI President Mark D. Maloney hopes clubs strive to achieve. To earn the citation, please complete activities and report your accomplishments to Rotary by 30 June.
What if social distancing makes it hard to achieve some goals? We recognize that social distancing and hardships may limit
 
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District Calendar
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Upcoming Events
Our Relationship Begins
Site Pages
 Zoom Meetings  📌
Does your club have an interesting speaker or video scheduled for a Zoom meeting? If so and if you are willing to share, send the meeting information and email contact for the meeting link to Teree Bergman and we will list it here. Click on the program title to send an email to the organizer who will then send you a meeting link.
 
 
Speakers Available on Zoom
The speakers listed below are available to do Zoom presentations to your club.
Dennis Bergquist  -- Grant project: Neonatal Clinic in Kenya
Don Jorgensen -- Shelter Box Responds to Corona Virus 2020
Serenity, Success and One Heck of a Life, Ryn Gargulinski, certified professional coach, Reiki master
Upcoming Zoom Meetings
Send your meeting info to Teree to be posted here.

COVID-19 Projects

COVID-19 Grants Changing and Saving Lives in Southern AZ
           
Submitted by Kirk Reed, PDG
On April 3, 2020, Rotary District 5500 issued a challenge to local Rotary clubs in Southern Arizona: "You can receive a gift of $500 today from District 5500 if you want to help your communities and neighbors in times of crisis."

Well, the clubs immediately responded AND at a rapid pace. The Rotary Clubs of District 5500 are truly PEOPLE OF ACTION and demonstrated compassion, caring, and kindness as they moved quickly to extend help in their communities. Look what they did.
Ten Rotary clubs decided to invest in their local food banks and pantries coming from Benson, Coolidge, Globe, Green Valley, Oro Valley, SaddleBrooke Sunrise, Sierra Vista, Superior, and Valle Verde. Each of these food banks, when adequately supplied, provides daily life support for families. Rotarians said, "We can help."

Eleven Rotary clubs remembered their most vulnerable neighbors and donated to local missions, foundations, community centers,  schools, and youth programs coming from the Rotary clubs of Bisbee, Casas Adobes,  Dove Mountain, Fort Yuma, Marana, Mountain Empire (Sonoita-Patagonia), Pantano, Rincon, SaddleBrooke, Sierra Vista Sunrise, and Yuma.  These investments by local Rotary clubs will impact thousands of lives.

Eleven Rotary clubs filled a need of providing urgently needed supplies by making or purchasing supplies: face masks, latex gloves, sanitizer, wipes, toilet paper, disposable surgical robes, and more. These supplies came from Casa Grande Daybreak, Douglas, Nogales, Rio Rico, San Luis Frontera, Sierra Vista West, Somerton, Tucson, Tucson Presidio, Vail, Yuma Crossing.

The Kino Rotary club said thank you to first responders and emergency room staff by delivering lunches and dinners to hospitals, police, and firefighters.

Two Rotary clubs connected kids and families to online learning by purchasing hot spots and data plans. These actions came from Tubac and Old Pueblo clubs.
Wilcox Rotary made sure cultural activities continue by empowering the Willcox Historic Theatre to offer art lessons, concerts, and STEM program online.

Two Rotary clubs helped keep shelters open by responding to a sewer system crisis at a local shelter that caused 99 women and children to be evacuated and by providing support for overstressed staff at a domestic violence shelter for women and children. These clubs were Sierra Vista South and Yuma Foothills.

Two clubs recognized the need to care for homeless and unaccompanied youth making it possible for them to graduate. These clubs were Catalina (Tucson) and Tucson Sunrise.
District Info
Members Only 📌
Links
District 5500 Newsletter
RTEP
RTEP Early Bird Reg & Jersey Order
May 15, 2020
Diane's
The Clubs Showcase
Jul 10, 2020
Subscribe To The District 5500 Newsletter
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News
Zoom for Meetings
Zoom Is Available
Zoom is alive and working for our District.
10 Rotary Members have been designated as Zoom Administrators, two for each area.
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PolioPlus Responding to
    Covid-19 Challenge
A Program begun by Rotary is employing thousands of health workers to address the Covid-19 pandemic.  The program is the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) which includes Rotary's PolioPlus program. From the earliest days of polio eradication in the Philippines, the generosity and advocacy of Rotarians and our partners have nearly stopped polio, stopped Ebola from becoming an epidemic in Nigeria, and now responds to Covid-19.
 
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Peace Pole Project
 
As Rotarians, we refuse to accept conflict as a way of life.  Through our service projects and community outreach, we are taking action to address the underlying causes of conflict.  Sometimes, it’s just a matter of using the right words. 
A Peace Pole is a monument declaring the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in the language of the country in which it is planted and usually several other languages.  Peace Poles were created in 1955 in Japan by Masahisa Goi, in wake of the destruction wrought by World War II and the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Devastated by the repercussions of war, Goi wished to spread a message of peace worldwide.

 
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RSS
3D printers to the rescue

Rotary members join 3D print enthusiasts to make personal protective equipment in short supply due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Better together

A need to connect with different age groups is woven into our genes

The Rotarian Conversation: Marc Freedman

The Rotarian Conversation:Marc FreedmanThis longevity expert has found that both younger and older people thrive when they work together with a common purpose — something

Rotary’s first virtual convention inspires members to innovate and stay connected

Rotary’s first-ever virtual convention attracted more than 60,000 registrants and 175,000 viewers during its weeklong program.

Young at heart

Holger Knaack has a fresh vision for the Rotary of the future. With a little help from his friends, things should go swimmingly.

Supporting the environment becomes a new area of focus

The Rotary Foundation Trustees and RI Board of Directors have added a new area of focus: supporting the environment.

Watch: Italian clubs aim to protect hospital workers responding to COVID-19

Rotary clubs in districts across Italy worked together to procure state-of-the-art equipment needed to combat the deadly coronavirus disease for 26 hospitals around the country.

Kenyan Rotarians take action to prevent spread of COVID-19 

Rotary clubs in East Africa are forging partnerships to provide hand washing stations and food in areas where social distancing is a luxury that few can afford.

Italian club uses expertise to aid in coronavirus fight

Members help launch site so merchants can sell goods, organize supplies to make sanitizer, and provide food to health care workers.

Clem Renouf, the RI president who inspired Rotary’s polio eradication efforts, dies

Clem Renouf, the RI president who inspired Rotary’s polio eradication efforts,

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