It is such an honor and privilege to serve as the 2021-22 President of The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke.
Rotary has been the most unexpected passion of my adult life. Thirty plus years ago I joined Rotary for the wrong reason: my boss told me I needed to get involved in the community, I needed to network to develop business lead opportunities. It did start out as a weekly lunch meeting, passing out some business cards…. but then the unexpected happened, the magic began.
I started looking forward to the weekly meetings where I had made friends. Some retired, some up and comers, and some simply good people wanting to do good in the world. Rotary became a place of fellowship, where business and professional people came together to learn, to share, and to make a difference in our community and the world.
Speakers were interesting, I was learning about my community. I began to raise my hand, share a happy dollar, work on a committee. I started to step up and volunteer for service projects, working side by side with community leaders, who were now friends. We cleaned up sections of the highway, stocked shelves at the food bank, giving back because we were so blessed, it felt good.
Soon I discovered this magic and sense of belonging did not just happen in my town, it happens in nearly 35,000 clubs around the world. I learned about wells being drilled in Africa, micro banks in Honduras, shelters in Hatti. By giving through The Rotary Foundation, I could be a part of helping those people. When I retired, one of my first adventures was embarking on a Rotary International service project. I joined 40 fellow Rotarians, from around the world, in Guatemala delivering books and computers donated by clubs in our district.
When the season of my life lead me to downsize and move to a warmer climate, one of the first things I did was find a Rotary club. And what a club I found! The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke is a growing vibrant club that demonstrates what Rotary stands for, “Service Above Self”.
So, if you found this page looking for more information about Rotary, please feel free to call/text/email me! I would love to buy you a cup of coffee and share how you too can discover the magic of Rotary. Or better yet, come join us at a meeting:
Summer Meetings: (We return to HOA1 in the Fall)
Every Thursday—11:30 Lunch --12:00 meeting
Ranch House Grill – SaddleBrooke Ranch, Oracle AZ.
We are also doing hybrid meetings; I will be happy to send you the link.
I look forward to meeting you!
Liese Razzeto
President 2021-22
The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke
(208) 660-6321
lrazzeto@gmail.com
Capt Jacob Adams who is an A-10 pilot and flight lead. He has served in Korea and Afghanistan and has been on active duty since 2009. His duties have him involved in giving simulator training in addition to his flying. He has an interesting Air Force career path in that he was a crew chief for the F-16 and then received pilot training.
The 355th Training Squadron conducts and maintains academic, flying, specialized, and electronic interactive training for A-10C aircraft, meeting Air Force training requirements for over 100 students annually. The squadron manages and assists development and approval of all aspects of Air Combat Command A-10C syllabi and operates more than $5 million of advanced fighter aircraft simulators. It also provides quality assurance for aircrew training contracts valued at more than $5.7 million.
The SaddleBrooke Rotary Club Foundation awards grants to youth-oriented groups operating in our immediate area. The grants are funded by the annual Fore For Kids Golf Tournament. If you are aware of youth-oriented organization that could use our help, please provide them with our grant application or direct them to the Club’s website, or to grants chair fredlowy@wbhsi.net (360-907-5778). Applications that were received for the 2020 grant process are on file. Those organizations are being contacted for any necessary updates.
FORE FOR KIDS ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT TO PICK UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF
In January 2020 members of The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke were hard at work preparing for the annual Fore For Kids Annual Charity Golf Event to be held in April of that year. This critical fundraiser had been held every year since 1998. Yes critical, because in the 21 years this important Rotary event raised over $1/2 million for local community charities serving youth. As we now know this was not to be.
COVID19 became so severe that the tournament was postponed until the Fall of 2020, thanks in a great part to the on-going support of tournament sponsors. By the Fall of 2020 it became clear that once again the tournament needed to be postponed again as the pandemic continued to rage. Tournament Chairman, Gordon Wainwright appealed to sponsors and once again they reiterated their commitments to support the new tournament date. After much discussion another postponement was felt necessary and a new date, November 22, 2021 was chosen. And here we are, on the way to another exciting charity tournament. This year it will be held at the beautiful Oro Valley Golf Club.
1998 was the beginning of 23 years of successful tournaments. Support from community businesses and individual has been outstanding. Tournaments such asFore For Kids cannot be successful without sponsor support. We have also been blessed with celebrity support. For several years Hall of Fame U of A basketball coach, Lute Olson was the tournament’s Celebrity player. Lute’s support was unending. Lute will be greatly missed.
The Fore for Kids Annual Charity Golf Tournament has become an important event in the community and is also fun for all, Rotarians, golfers, and guests.
Details include:
Tournament Format
The tournament will be a four-person best ball scramble. Registration includes golf, driving range, prizes, an on-course lunch, and an after-play barbeque buffet. There will be special hole-in-one awards on all par 3's. There will be a shotgun start at 1:00pm.
About the Tournament and Rotary
November 22, 2021 is the date. Checks will be made out to the SaddleBrooke Rotary Club Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization. All proceeds from the event will be used to support numerous youth charities serving our community. The balance of your contributions will be used to fund scholarships for local students or distributed to youth-centered organizations in northern Pima/southern Pinal counties.
The registration fee is $150.00 for a single golfer. Register as a foursome ($560.00) and receive a discount of $40.00 per foursome. Registration will be held beginning at 11:00 am on the day of the tournament.
Contact Rotarian Gordon Wainwright for more information; phone: 520-908-6110 or email gwainwright6@aol.com.
If you would like information on how Rotary may fit into your life and schedule please contact: Wendy Guyton, Membership Chair, 520-404-5712 or by email wguyton17@gmail.com
Little Hooves & Big Hearts is a nonprofit organization founded by horse lovers who want to give something back to the people of Arizona. LHBH’s mission is to help children with special needs and seniors improve their physical and emotional well-being through interaction with specially trained miniature horses. Among the many benefits received by our clients from our equine-assisted therapeutic programs are the following:
Increased muscle strength, joint mobility, balance and coordination
Improved communication and perceptual skills
Greater self-confidence and trust
Stronger connections to the physical world and to other people
From Community Services Chairperson, Bre Zientarski
Golder Ranch Road
It’s National Road Clean Up Day September 18th!!
In honor of that day, we will be doing our part to clean up our sponsored portion of the road! Looking for 8-10 volunteers!
This is a great opportunity to invite friends and/or possible future SaddleBrooke Rotarians! This is a chance to rub shoulders with one another, get to know each other and make our area a better place!
We are meeting on September 18th, at 9:00AM, at Golder Ranch Rd. & Twin Lakes Rd in Catalina. There’s lots of free parking and it’s almost a mid way point.
BEFORE the work begins we will provide donuts and a pre-work pow-ow at 9am.
We will likely be splitting up into 2-3 groups and be able to get the job done in around an hour or so!
PLEASE WEAR BRIGHT CLOTHING! Everyone should wear proper protective head covering, proper closed toe shoes and gloves. Please bring your mask as well for when we are within 6 feet of one another.
If you have a pole or grabber, please bring it with you so everyone has one! Chris will provide some orange safety vests as well as poles with nails in the end for picking up paper etc and plastic bags to hand out. Chris will also bring an ice bucket with water and a First Aid kit.
I am providing you with the information regarding the Youth Service Committee's decision at our August 25, 2021 Youth Services Committee Meeting to fully support the request for our participation in this Event. The following are some details regarding the Event:
What is National Night Out? - Nationwide it is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. "National Night Out" will be held at the Oracle Community Center in Oracle and is sponsored by the Pinal Sheriff's Department and the town of Oracle. It is designed to build stronger relationships between the Community and residence in town.
What will take place at the "National Night Out" in Oracle? -The Event will consist of a parade on Main Street; a Community cookout at the Oracle Community Center; participation by both the police and fire department in providing demonstrations and play games with the community youth.
What is the role of the Rotary Club of Saddlebrooke? - We have been asked, and agreed to distribute books to the youth in Oracle and any attendees. We have also offered to assist in any other activities that will be a part of this Event. (To be determined.) The Youth Services Committee felt as a group that this is a positive way to reach out to the youth in Oracle and build/enhance relationships within the Community of Oracle.
Date and Time: "National Night Out' will be held at the Oracle Community Center on October 5, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
We will be looking for volunteers to assist with this project as more details come available. Thank you!!
Working together we can continue to make a positive difference in the lives of our youth and build relationships in surrounding Communities!e
On Saturday, August 28th, Saddlebrooke Rotary members worked side by side with Oracle Community Center board members at the Oracle Community Center Toy Drive. Our mission was to assist the OCC with this worthwhile event by unloading trucks of donated (by Dollar General) toys at OCC in Oracle. 685 E American Ave, Oracle, AZ 85623. Members of Saddlebrooke Rotary also made cash donations totalling $650.00.
Members of our International Service Committee attended a paella fundraiser of The Rotary Club Nogales Industrial. Fun for all. Those participating were President, Liese Razzeto, Committee Chairman, Bill Demeroutis, and Committee Member Mark Miller.
Five members of the Rotary Club of Saddlebrooke were honored by District Governor, Hank Huisking, with Paul Harris Fellowships. Also present were Club President, Liese Razzeto and Assistant District Governor Marc Snow. Paul Harris Fellows are recognized by Rotary International for outstanding service and financial support for the Rotary Foundation. Those receiving awards were John Ruland, Paul Herr, Chris Millar, Dan Watson, and Mark Miller. Congratulations !!
District 5500 Governor, Hank Huisking, paid a visit to The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke at the regular meeting on Thursday, August 19.
Longtime Sierra Vista resident, Army wife and retired three-term city councilwoman Henrietta “Hank” Huisking has taken office as the district governor of Rotary International District 5500. Hank will be in SaddleBrooke on Wendesday and Thursday, August 18th and August 19th. On Wednesday she will meet with our Board of Directors and on Thursday she will visit our regular club meeting.
Huisking’s area of responsibility and service as DG spans 50 Rotary Clubs totaling more than 1,300 members. Included are clubs in the Tucson metropolitan area, Sierra Vista and Yuma plus Graham and Cochise counties. This area encompasses 50,000 square miles and serves a population of 1.1 million.
Huisking has been a Rotarian for 15 years and her home club is the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista West. She has been an active and action-oriented Rotarian, as evidenced by her participation and support of the District 5500 Rotary Leadership Institute, the Rotary Leadership Academy, and the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy programs. She has served at the district level as the district secretary. She also supports The Rotary Foundation and is a member of the Paul Harris Society.
Hank is married to Peter Huisking, who also is active with the Rotary Club of Sierra Vista Sunrise. Together they have hosted Rotary Youth Exchange students from Germany, Brazil and Peru plus young businesspeople and professionals from Thailand, South Africa, Brazil, Japan, Turkey and Australia who were members of the Rotary Group Study Exchange program.
Huisking has a bachelor of science degree in education from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. She most recently taught water conservation in Cochise County schools for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension WaterWise program.
The Huiskings have three children and six grandchildren living in California. Their favorite pastimes include reading, hiking, cycling, gardening and planning travel adventures with family and friends.
