Welcome to another issue of our weekly bulletin! Read below for more information about our meeting.
This Week in Rotary
Guests
Member Bob Barrows family - Johnna Beth Barrows, daughter Annika Steck, and grand daughter Lauren Stec.
Member Kimberly Armitage introduced our new exchange student Katy Skov(pictured) from Denmark. Katy...welcome to our club and Colorado.
Foundation Fundraiser @ Top Golf
Member Mike Garcia(pictured) is looking for volunteers to help with the Foundation Fundraiser. It will be held at Top Golf. As members of this committee discussions will surround date, time, and associated details of this event. Please contact Mike if you are interested in participating. rmikegchief2@gmail.com
CASA Red Wagon Ball October 5th - Save the Date
CASA's annual fundraiser is coming up! Cocktails, silent auction, dinner, and dancing at the Hyatt Regency DTC. Contact Andrea Tagtow at 303.328.2357 to RSVP or learn more. You can also go to https://adv4children.org/redwagonball/ to purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or to learn more about this great event.
Reminder - It's A Party - Wolfe's
Member Art Wolfe will be having one last hurrah at his home.
1) Sunday 9/1 @ 5:30pm - Kelly Augustine
Suggested minimum donation of $25, 100% going to performers. Beverages, apps and treats provided @ 4:30pm. Please bring a blanket or chairs. RSVP to cowolfes@comcast.net or call 303.681.4025.
Ice Cream Social
Come join fellow members and a bowl of ice cream with all the fixins'. Member Bob Barrows' Barn @3pm on 9/22. Put on your calendar now.
Lauren Stec(Member Bob Barrows grand daughter) gave us a recap of her experience at RYLA. There were 144 kids and she stayed with 9 other girls in a dorm environment. A few key points she learned:
1) Communication was important in all of the challenges she was involved in. Without it they weren't as successful.
2) Trust - if you don't trust your team you cannot be successful or have as much fun.
3) Take your time - When taking your time you still have fun and your project's details are more complete.
4) Share your ideas and be aware that not all your ideas are the best ideas. Important to work with other and their ideas.
Thanks Lauren for sharing your thoughts and energy concerning RYLA.
Rachels Challenge - Rob Unger, CEO
Rob Unger, CEO from Rachel's Challenge was our speaker this week. Rachel's Challenge is a non-profit organization that supports schools and schoold districts with a program to reduce bullying and increase compassion. Rachel was the first student killed at the Columbine school shooting. But that was only the beginning of the story. After her death, many students that Rachel reached out to shared stories with the Scotts about the profound impact her simple acts of kindness had on their lives; even preventing one young man for taking his own life. They soon realized the transformational effect of Rachel’s story and started the non-profit organization that is Rachel's Challenge today. Rachel wrote an essay that included a motto that she lived by and that the organization bases most of their programs on: " I HAVE THIS THEORY THAT IF ONE PERSON CAN GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO SHOW COMPASSION, THEN IT WILL START A CHAIN REACTION OF THE SAME. PEOPLE WILL NEVER KNOW HOW FAR A LITTLE KINDNESS CAN GO". 160,000 kids skip school every day because of bullying. In the nineteen years since we lost twelve innocent lives, including Rachel, her legacy has touched 25 million people and is the foundation for creating programs that promote a positive climate in K-12 schools. Her vision to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion is the basis for our mission: Making schools safer, more connected places where bullying and violence are replaced with kindness and respect; and where learning and teaching are awakened to their fullest. And it works!
Rachel's Challenge programs provide a sustainable, evidence-based framework for positive climate and culture in our schools. Fully implemented, partner schools achieve statistically significant gains in community engagement, faculty/student relationships, leadership potential, and school climate; along with reductions in bullying, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use.
Every year:
Over 1.5 million people are involved in Rachel’s Challenge programs.
More than 1,200 schools and businesses are reached.
Over 150 suicides are averted.
Bullying and violence decrease.
Community service and acts of kindness increase.
Today, Rachel's Challenge exists to inspire and equip every person to create a permanent positive change not only in themselves, but in their schools, their businesses and communities. We have a comprehensive set of age-appropriate programs for K-12, college and business. The objectives of these programs are all the same; to continue Rachel's legacy of kindness and compassion and to:
Help schools and businesses become safer, more connected places to live and learn.
Stimulate real culture change by actively involving the entire community in the process.
Change lives by providing culturally relevant social/emotional training.
Increase achievement and ensure results by engaging the participants’ heart, head and hands in a continuing improvement process.
Their programs work and they have shown significant results for those schools that have implemented their programs. 98% of schools recommend their programs. Many have seen drops in referrrals for discipline and multitudes of subjective comments associated with reduction in bullying.
To learn more about Rachel's Challenge click on link below.
