Desireé Reed- Francois was named Vice President and Director of Athletics at the University of Arizona in 2024. She is the first female Athletic Director not only at the University of Arizona, but at a public institution in the Southeastern Conference and in the history of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to Arizona, Reed- Francois served as the Director of Athletics at the University of Missouri and at UNLV.
Reed- Francois has consistently prioritized student-athlete experience, has a tremendous track record in hiring head coaches, many of whom would become conference Coach of the Year, and is a prolific fundraiser. She was named 2023-2024 NACDA Athletic Director of the Year for her record setting fundraising, marketing, and football success.
Desiree and her husband Josh are proud parents of Arizona Men’s Basketball student-athlete Jackson Francois. She completed her bachelor’s degree as a rower at UCLA and her juris doctorate at the University of Arizona. Desiree is also a member of the California Bar.
PRESIDENT KURTIS called the meeting to order and welcomed BRUCE MARION to the stage for the pledge and song, “You’re a Grand Ole Flag.”
MIKE ANDERSON offered the Inspiration. He’s carried this “prayer” in his wallet for the past 45 years. It reminded us to be extra considerate of young people and children and he thanked God for our bountiful lives.
KHRIS DODGE introduced our two guests. One of who will be a guest for the last time as he is going to become a member. As it turned out, we had three guests but one was not mentioned.
CHARLOTTE HARRIS introduced her favorite Son-in-Law and our speaker, CLIFF BOWMAN, who is not only an A-10 pilot but also the Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation’s (RCOTF) President. CLIFF noted that we are all members of the RCOTF. The Foundation’s Mission is to be the vehicle to donate money to charities and has roughly $2 million in financial assets….as of the end of February. Merrill Lynch manages the RCOTF’s money based on the Foundation’s guidance. Most of the expenses are to pay administrative fees. The Foundation has given out $889,000 in scholarships in the past 25 years. After some riveting question and answers, CLIFF pulled away from the podium and was given “The Lemonade Ripple” book to sign for the Make Way for Books Library.
We celebrated two birthdays. CHRIS EDWARDS was celebrating his birthday. Did you know that he failed “Spanish 1” in high school three times? MIKE ANDERSON was celebrating his birthday as well. Did you know that he won the first ever “Great Race” that was a car race across the country in a vintage vehicle and won $100,000?
VIC JACOBS presented CAROL SAYLER with her blue badge. LEE OLITZKY presented DAN ASIA with his blue badge. And CHUCK SAWYER presented BRUCE MARION with his blue badge. Nice work Blue Badgers and congratulations!
JOE “D” DANISZEWSKI presented JIM ENGEL and LEW RIGGS with their second Paul Harris. Did you know that JIM’s Father-in-Law was SWEDE JOHNSON who was our Rotary Club’s past President in 1957-1958?
KHRIS DODGE held a 25/50/25 Raffle and DAN GUARE took home $45 (given to scholarships) but not the pot which is worth just about $1,000.
PRESIDENT KURTIS offered a few announcements:
Reminder to check the printed sheets on each table that have the Events/Projects coming up. You may also go to our website: https://tucsonrotary.org/
There were no Red Badge selfies and Wilbur is currently traveling for his next Photo Op.
Please donate to Rotary International, Every Rotarian Every Year.
Triangle Y Ranch Camp event is on April 12th.
You need to sign up to attend next week’s lunch to hear the U of A Athletic Director speak.
Home Hospitality is the week of 4/21. We are still looking for hosts. It’s a blast!
There will be a Happy Hour at Hotel Congress on April 23rd, 4 to 5:30pm to review the Time Capsule that is buried there.
“The Event” is one not to miss! April 30th at the Mountain Oyster Club. Tickets are $100 each and you need to sign up online. This is the don’t miss event this year!
DIANA MADARAS announced the Service Points Winner for March. It was CHARLOTTE HARRIS.
Happy Jackson, DAN KALM and JASON FLAX attended the Phoenix Bike Week and shared photos of them taking PRESIDENT KURTIS along. Of course, they were just head shots of KURTIS. Looks like fun.
PRESIDENT KURTIS ended the meeting and MIKE ANDERSON offered the toast to the Rotary Club of Tucson’s Foundation.
Inviting prospective members to Rotary events is a great way to showcase the club's values and service. The Club covering the cost of lunch for first-time attendees is a generous touch that can make newcomers feel welcome and appreciated. It's all about building connections and strengthening our impact in the community. We encourage you to bring your prospective members to a club meeting. They won’t be disappointed.
Charlotte Harris shares her reasons for being a member of theRotary Club of Tucson Legacy Society.
My firsthand awareness of the good work that Rotary does came through my husband, Mike's, involvement in the mid-1980s when the Rotary Club one joined had to do with the geographic location of one's employment. He was first employed by a hospital on Tucson's east side, and then a mid-town hospital. He was a charter member first of The Rincon Rotary Club and then a charter member of The Casas Adobes Rotary Club.
To financially support Rotary programs, endowments, in my mind, are the key to the future success of our Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation. Endowments allow our Club's Foundation to continue their mission to make the world a better place for all. With a successful history of over 100 years of community service, our Rotary Club of Tucson has supported programs in our local community and our world community with both continuing to be our primary focus. With an endowment that has a permanent corpus, only the interest earned is spent, and every year the endowment earns the income to be spent on programs with the corpus staying intact. It is also a way for each of us to continue to support the important programs vital to improving lives after we have left this world.
That is why I support our Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation through our Legacy Society which provides the opportunity to invest in one of our three Endowments: Scholarship, Community, and International. Each of these Endowments provides a focus area for us to designate our donation(s). Distribution decisions are made by our fellow Rotarians who, like us, want to do the greatest good.
I hope each of you will join this effort supporting either through a direct donation of $10,000 or more or through your estate plan of $10,000 or more. Thank you for this consideration.
Thanks for sharing your reasons for being a part of the Legacy Society, Charlotte.
Legacy Society Committee:
Jo DeChatelet, Chair, Charlotte Harris, Marcia Krumwiede, Lee Olitzky, Darrell Stewart
What a fun day we had at Dell Urich yesterday! 20 of us filled five groups for our quarterly 4-person scramble (pictures attached). And thankfully, with the breeze, it didn't feel as hot as I think we all expected. We each kicked in $10 for a $200 prize fund. The payouts were $100 for first, $60 for second and $40 for third. And the winners are...
- First Place- Two teams tied with 6 under par 64's. Each carded 7 birdies and a bogey: Kevin Barker, Bruce Jacobs Roger Harwell and Joe Daniszewski were briefly the leaders in the clubhouse, until Bobby Larson, Thomas Robertson, Nancy Stockton and Bruce Tunze came in minutes later with the same score. (First and second place money was added and split between the teams.) Third place, just one stroke back with a 65 went to Jim Lubinski, Guy Blumenthal, Chuck Sawyer and Roger Lafaye.
Congrats to the winners! Regardless of results there was a lot of smiles and laughter in the clubhouse so I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed themselves! We'll do it again in July but now it's time for the Match Play tournament. If you're one of our 16 competitors, let's get that first match scheduled asap!!!
We had a great turnout at Tri-Y on Saturday. In total there were 33 who attended with 15 RCOT Club Members, 10 from Saddlebrooke Sunrise, 5 from Saddlebrooke, 1 from Dove Mountain, 1 Dave Gallaher, 2 others and our DG, Sue Archibald. It was a great day to get some work completed at the Ranch. A huge thank you to all who gave up their Saturday to work and get the Ranch ready for the kids.
Get ready for takeoff! The recent Tucson Classics Car Show wasn't just about stunning rides; it was a launchpad for dreams! Thanks to the roaring success of the event, proceeds are skyrocketing to support the amazing kids of Wright Flight. Imagine the thrill as these young achievers get their chance to take to the skies! A massive shout-out to the dedicated members of the Rotary Club of Tucson and the fantastic folks behind the Tucson Classics Car Show for their incredible work in helping these children work hard and reach for their dreams. You're all truly helping them fly high!
Our next scheduled hike will find us at the mid-way point to the top of Mount Lemmon. The Bug Springs Trail offers sweeping views beginning in rugged desert terrain and ascending into the pine forests to the Bear Canyon Picnic area. This hike also presents two options in distance and can be completed as a point to point of 4.4 miles or an out and back covering 8.8 miles. The total vertical elevation gain is 1,961 feet reaching a maximum elevation of near 6,300 feet.
This hike is considered to be difficult and much of the trail is not shaded. As the days are getting longer and temperatures warming up a bit, we will meet at our favorite spot for all hikes in the Santa Catalinas, LeBuzz, located in the mall at Tanque Verde and Catalina Highway. We can certainly carpool up and leave vehicles at each end to accommodate both hike distances. Meeting time at LeBuzz will be 6:45AM for departure at 7AM and hike start at 7:45-8AM. Anticipated hike time will vary depending on distance chosen but plan for 2.5-5 hours and with April temperatures warming up a bit, it is important to bring plenty of water, snacks and sun protection.
We’re excited to announce our upcoming Home Hospitality Week, which will take place from April 21st through April 27th, 2025! This special week is designed to make connections and build community among our Rotary members.
During this week, we are inviting members to host social events, replacing our regular Wednesday, April 23rd lunch meeting. We are still looking for hosts so if you are interested please reach out to the Rotary office. Those members who signed up to host an event are listed on the Website www.tucsonrotary.org under Upcoming Events. Make some time now to register yourself and your guests as the events fill up quickly. The Guest fee is $30 billed to your account. If you have any trouble registering, please call or email the Rotary office.
This is a fantastic way to interact with others and experience the fellowship that Rotary is all about. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be part of something special!
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 22nd at noon, held at Risky Business is at 6866 E Sunrise Dr, Tucson, AZ 85750, (520) 577-0021. The book we will be reviewing is Framed by John Grisham.
All are welcome, members and guests, there is no cost, other than food you may choose to purchase at Risky Business. Please confirm your desire to attend via email to nxstockton@gmail.com
Join us for a special happy hour at Hotel Congress as we celebrate our annual trip and countdown the days until we unearth the Rotary Centennial Time Capsule on April 1, 2121! Mark your calendars for April 23rd from 4 PM to 5:30 PM and swing by for some fantastic Rotary fellowship. The time capsule, buried on April 21, 2022, to honor our club’s 100th anniversary, holds treasures Rotary Club of Tucson will rediscover in the distant future. No reservations needed—just drop in, bring a friend, and let’s toast to a century of impact and the exciting moment still to come!
Join us for an unforgettable evening of fun, fantastic food, and heartfelt celebration at The Event!This special night is dedicated to honoring the incredible achievements and dedication of our Rotarians over the past year.Expect a lively atmosphere with laughter, camaraderie, and delicious cuisine as we reflect on the impact we’ve made together in our community and beyond.It’s the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow Rotarians, share stories, and toast to a year of service and success.
Don’t miss this chance to celebrate the spirit of Rotary and the difference we make as a club.Bring your enthusiasm and appetite - - we can’t wait to raise a glass to our shared accomplishments!For more details or to RSVP, please go to www.tucsonrotary.org and register under “Upcoming Events”.
Camp Lawton Service Day on Saturday, May 3rd for next spring’s RCOT Camp Lawton Service Day.
We’ll plan on gathering at Camp at 8.30 a.m. for registration, coffee, and light snacks. Lunch will be served at mid-day and we expect all the projects to be wrapped up by 3.00 pm.
We’ll coordinate registration with the club and staff.
Any questions can be addressed to Jon Harned or myself.
The RCOT road crew was out at 8:15 AM on 3/22/25 to clean up trash and debris on our section of Oracle Road. It was a bright and sunny morning.
Thank you to the members who participated in this community service project. The area we are responsible for looks much cleaner.
The next cleanup event is scheduled for Saturday, May 10th, at 8:15 AM. Tucson Clean and Beautiful staff will join us on May 10th. A strong turnout would be excellent.
Southern AZ Community Food Bank: Saturday, May 17 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join Us for a Morning of Giving & Fun! 🗓 Saturday, May 17 | 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 📍 3003 S. Country Club
Calling all Rotarians – it’s time to roll up those sleeves and make a difference! We need 40 energetic, fun-loving volunteers to help pack food for those in need. Get ready for some hard work, a ton of laughs, and the satisfaction of giving back to the community. Great service in January where we packed over 250,000 lbs. of food for our "neighbors". Rotary Rocks!
At the Rotary Club of Tucson, we believe in giving back to our community and supporting causes that make a real difference. And now, it’s easier than ever to contribute to our efforts!
We’re excited to highlight a new way for you to make your donations directly to the Rotary Club of Tucson Foundation – all from the comfort of your own home! Simply head to our website, where you’ll find the gold Donation button at the top right of the menu bar. Whether you're contributing to our Scholarships, making a General Donation, or supporting our Local Charities, your generosity will help fund important initiatives that uplift our community.
But wait, there’s more! If you're joining us for lunch at the next meeting, don’t forget to look for the blue scholarship cups on the tables. These cups now feature a QR code that will take you straight to the Donation Page with just a quick scan. No need for cash or checks – donate right from your phone!
We can’t thank you enough for your ongoing support of our Foundation. Your donations directly benefit our community and empower us to continue making a meaningful impact. If you have any questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Rotary office.
Let’s continue to do good in our community – with a click, a scan, and your generous heart!
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Inviting prospective members to Rotary events is a great way to showcase the club's values and service. The Club covering the cost of lunch for first-time attendees is a generous touch that can make newcomers feel welcome and appreciated. It's all about building connections and strengthening our impact in the community. We encourage you to bring your prospective members to a club meeting. They won’t be disappointed.
Get ready for takeoff! The recent Tucson Classics Car Show wasn't just about stunning rides; it was a launchpad for dreams! Thanks to the roaring success of the event, proceeds are skyrocketing to support the amazing kids of Wright Flight. Imagine the thrill as these young achievers get their chance to take to the skies! A massive shout-out to the dedicated members of the Rotary Club of Tucson and the fantastic folks behind the Tucson Classics Car Show for their incredible work in helping these children work hard and reach for their dreams. You're all truly helping them fly high!
We’re excited to announce our upcoming Home Hospitality Week, which will take place from April 21st through April 27th, 2025! This special week is designed to make connections and build community among our Rotary members.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 22nd at noon, held at Risky Business is at 6866 E Sunrise Dr, Tucson, AZ 85750, 
The RCOT road crew was out at 8:15 AM on 3/22/25 to clean up trash and debris on our section of Oracle Road. It was a bright and sunny morning.
At the Rotary Club of Tucson, we believe in giving back to our community and supporting causes that make a real difference. And now, it’s easier than ever to contribute to our efforts!
