For eight days this month — from Saturday, April 15 to Sunday, April 23 — southern Arizonans have the opportunity to join with Rotarians and put “service above self” through volunteerism.
Arizona Rotary Days of Service will offer more than 100 volunteer opportunities through 13 Rotary clubs throughout Tucson, SaddleBrooke, Sierra Vista, Yuma and other Southern Arizona cities. Projects, which are also available statewide, range from roadside cleanup and environmental awareness to a seminar on human trafficking; painting and refurbishing buildings at Triangle Y Ranch Ranch Camp; a Peace Day celebration and more. Fundraising events such as Rincon Rotary Foundation’s Taste of Chocolate to support local teachers are also available.
The program was spearheaded by District 5500 Governor Anita McDonald after feedback from Rotarians indicated that prospective service projects were sometimes limited by member availability.
“We really wanted to increase the visibility of Rotary while highlighting who Rotarians are, the causes that they focus on and the impact they have in the community. We thought this was a way to help clubs have an even greater impact with more volunteers,” McDonald said.
The Days of Service coincide with National Volunteer Month in April and Earth Day on April 22, which Rotarians have supported in the past through plantings of trees citywide, including at Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. This year, Rotary Club of Tucson Verde is seeking volunteers to assist with activities with children at the Earth Day Festival at the Children’s Museum Tucson.
McDonald said she is optimistic that collaborations with volunteers will help to promote awareness about the diversity of modern Rotarians.
Rotary International is comprised of more than 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries worldwide. Projects include local, national and international endeavors including global eradication of polio.
“I think sometimes people picture Rotary as a group of older, white businessmen doing good in the community, but it is a diverse organization and we have been working enthusiastically on inclusion. We want people to see that this is a different Rotary that is flexible, supports many causes and works to include everyone while making a difference in the community,” said McDonald, the first African American district governor for District 5500. The last four out of five district governors in Southern Arizona have also been females.
