YOU’RE INVITED

Rotary Club of Moses Lake Celebrates 75 Years of Service to the Community Anniversary Event Set for March 14, 2026

Moses Lake, WA — The Rotary Club of Moses Lake will celebrate a major milestone this spring as members, alumni, and community partners gather to honor 75 years of Service Above Self. The anniversary celebration will take place on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 5:30 PM at Pillar Rock Grill, located at 1373 Rd. F.2 NE, Moses Lake, WA.

Founded in 1951, the Rotary Club of Moses Lake has played a vital role in strengthening the local community while contributing to global humanitarian initiatives. Over the decades, the club has supported youth programs, advanced educational opportunities, promoted public health, and championed peace-building efforts around the world.

The evening will feature dinner, special presentations, and reflections on the club’s legacy of service, and special presentations by:

RIP Francesco Arezzo, Director Chris Etenne, Sr. Major Gifts Advisor Carolyn Ferguson , and DG Tracy McCall.

Guests are asked to RSVP by February 29, 2026, to pete.rotary5060@outlook.com. Dinner cost is $55.00 per person.

For those traveling from out of town, a hotel room block is available at the Best Western Plus Lake Front Hotel for **149.99 per night**,the block is listed under “Rotary.”

Canadian currency(CA) will be accepted at par. Dress code for the event is business or cocktail attire.

“Seventy-five years is a remarkable achievement,” said event organizers. “This celebration is not only about honoring our past but also inspiring the next generation of service leaders in Moses Lake.”

Your Club’s Action Plan for Success

New name. Proven results. A clearer path forward.

District 5060 Multi-Year Planning is now ROADMAP TO THE FUTURE: Your Club’s Action Plan—a powerful, focused experience designed to help your club thrive.

In just one dynamic 2½-hour facilitated Zoom session, your club will create a clear, customized action plan for the next three years. Together, your members will set meaningful goals across nine essential club areas, including membership growth, fundraising, leadership development, and more.

 Why ROADMAP TO THE FUTURE works

Stronger clubs start with a plan. Clubs with a clear roadmap engage members more effectively and are far more attractive to prospective members.

From reactive to strategic. Without a long-term plan, clubs can feel pulled in too many directions. A roadmap puts your club back in control of its priorities and impact.

Leadership continuity made easy. A multi-year plan ensures smooth leadership transitions, shared vision, and consistent momentum year after year.

Flexible, but focused. While real-world challenges require adjustments, a long-term roadmap helps your club adapt without losing sight of its bigger goals.

Whether your club is looking to grow, refocus, or re-energize, ROADMAP TO THE FUTURE provides the clarity and confidence to move forward together.

 Ready to get started or want to learn more?

Email Jim Pinnell at Greeley74@gmail.com

Penticton Sunrise Rotary Members have participated in three projects to improve food security in our city. The Salvation Army Food Bank is experiencing an increase in people relying on the food bank for their weekly groceries and also have seen a decrease in both cash and food donations this past year. All donations are greatly appreciated. In late September, members volunteered with the Salvation Army for the annual BC Thanksgiving Food Drive. Members dropped off bags to over 250 homes and returned two days later to collect bags of food. The food drive in Penticton was successful, collecting over 9000 pounds of food. Members also participated in the Salvation Army Annual Kettle Campaign on two weekends before Christmas. The third project was a mini food and cash drive at our last Rotary meeting of 2025. A trunk load of food and almost $900 in cash was collected from the 19 Sunrise members attending on December 16th. Board members then delivered to our local Salvation Army and also delivered our annual club donation of $3000.00

Jean Jacobsen

Penticton Sunrise Rotary

FULLY FUNDED - WOW!
Thanks to the following folks and clubs that jumped on board to fund the building of a Maternal & Child Health Clinic in Liberia Africa for a proposed District Grant which is due before the end of February.
Some of these folks will be involved planning small projects before some of us head to the project site next Fall or Winter 2026.  Some have raised funds, and others are inspired to collect baby items we will bring with us.  
We are so happy to have Grace from Interact and Hana from CWU Rotaract involved along with the District Rotaract Chair Kyle.  Thanks also to Tony of Ellensburg for partnering with Osoyoos on this worthwhile project and contributing personally.
Merry Christmas to these clubs and persons for their financial support: 
Tony Swartz, Kyle Rasmussen, Bob Raap and Ken Beckley For their personal contributions and these clubs; RC of Yakima Sunrise, Quincy, The Rivers, Ellensburg Downtown, Ellensburg Morning, and Ellensburg noon, Osoyoos, Kamloops West, Rotaract CWU and Interact Lake Country.

The Rotary project will be partnering with the cooperating organization titled I CARE FOR MOMS which sustain operations in Liberia.  https://icareformoms.ca/

If anyone is interested in knowing more or having a presentation, please reach out to Tony, Kyle or myself.

Sherry Chamberlain, sherry@adobie.com

WhatsAPP: 250-314-7999

For the members of the Rotary Club of Kelowna Ogopogo, the holiday season isn’t officially underway until the familiar ring of the Salvation Army bells fills the air. This year, our club once again proudly took up our posts for our annual Salvation Army Kettle Collection, continuing a tradition that sits at the very heart of our commitment to the local community.

While the collection is a massive team effort, its enduring success is rooted in the dedication of one of our most esteemed members, Henry Beesley. For many years, Henry has been the driving force behind this initiative. His passion for the cause have ensured that the Ogopogo Rotarians remain a reliable pillar of support for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign. Henry’s leadership serves as a constant reminder of what "Service Above Self" looks like in action, and we are incredibly grateful for his years of stewardship.

We are thrilled to announce that this year’s collection was a resounding success, raising over $12,000 for the Salvation Army. This incredible total was made possible by the overwhelming generosity of our community and a vital corporate partnership. We were incredibly fortunate to be supported by Raymond James, who stepped up in a major way by matching all donations collected during our shifts. This partnership effectively doubled the impact of every dollar dropped into the kettle, ensuring that the Salvation Army has even more resources to support those in need throughout the Okanagan.

This year’s collection saw an incredible turnout. A large team of club members and dedicated volunteers braved the winter chill to man the kettles, greeting shoppers with smiles and holiday cheer. The energy was palpable, and our volunteers felt the spirit of the season through every interaction.

The funds raised through these kettles stay right here in our community to support:
 * Food programs for families facing food insecurity.
 * Emergency shelter services during the coldest months.
 * Practical assistance and holiday hampers for local residents.

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Henry, to Raymond James, and to every volunteer who gave their time to make this our most successful year yet.

Travelers along State Highway 2 in the Wenatchee Valley now have a new way to connect with the agricultural heritage that defines the region. The Wenatchee Confluence Rotary Club has installed crop identification signs in four pear orchards visible from the highway, giving passersby the opportunity to learn exactly what type of fruit trees they are seeing as they move through the valley.

The project is designed to highlight the importance and beauty of local agriculture while offering a simple, educational experience for residents and visitors alike. For many who travel through the area, orchards are a striking and memorable part of the landscape, yet the specific crops and varieties are often a mystery. The new signs help bridge that gap, turning a scenic drive into a learning moment.

Read More

Wild Poliovirus infections in 2025 look to be about half of what was seen globally last year. Cases spiked to 99 in 2024 in the two endemic countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the disease still exists. However, this year, there were 39 reported cases in the two countries. The trend is also good for vaccine-derived cases which continue to fall as global polio eradication efforts administer more of the novel oral polio vaccine, which is less likely to mutate and infect those who are unvaccinated.

As of mid-December, no new cases of wild polio were reported in the nine weeks previous. Rotary International is targeting 2029 for full eradication

The key to continued success and eventual eradication is vaccination, vaccination, vaccination! Keep in mind, vaccine derived polio only strikes those who remain unvaccinated…not the person who receives the vaccine!

District 5060 is an ardent supporter of PolioPlus, which in its 40 years, has decreased polio infection by 99.9%. Former District Governor Edward Cadman was the RI President who ushered in Rotary’s plan to rid the world of this crippling and deadly disease. We continue to honor his efforts with clubs holding regular Polio Awareness events and fundraisers and the District giving generously from it Dedicated District Funds.

You can be part of history by contributing to PolioPlus, joining the District 5060 PolioPlus Society, and donating to the Rotary Foundation (which comes back to the District). There are presently 86 members of the District 5060 PolioPlus Society, and the District will award a Paul Harris Fellow to the 100th member to join! Contact me at pete2@vanwell.net for more information on how you and your club can help.

Here is the lates news from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative:

Last week, a Global Pledging event was held in ABU DHABI, International leaders, philanthropists, and global health partners announced a collective US$ 1.9 billion to advance polio eradication. This includes approximately $1.2 billion in newly pledged funds that will reduce the remaining resource gap for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) 2022-2029 Strategy to $440 million. The funds will accelerate vital efforts to reach 370 million children each year for the next three years with polio vaccines, alongside strengthening health and surveillance systems in affected countries to protect children from other preventable diseases.

”The good news – we are now nine weeks without a reported new case of polio,” said Zone 28 & 32 Polio Coordinator Jackie Hobal. “Presently there are 39 cases – last year at this time – there were 81. So, Rotarians – we are making history – thank you for your continued support.”

D5060 environmental leaders Chantel Morphy (Kamloops Daybreak, BC)  and me (Wenatchee Rotary Club, WA - I recently transferred from the Wenatchee Confluence club to the Wenatchee Rotary Club) will be presenting about efforts to promote zero waste community events on both sides of the border. 

If interested please click the link below:

https://givebutter.com/FWJXcM

We want Rotary leaders like you to be among the first to know that The Rotary Foundation has established a temporary Cyclone Ditwah Response Fund. This fund will support disaster response grants in communities in Sri Lanka, where the cyclone has caused flooding and landslides, killed hundreds of people, and left many without safe places to stay, clean water, and electricity. Rotary members across the region are mobilizing to provide assistance, and your leadership can help make these efforts possible. The Cyclone Ditwah Response Fund will accept contributions, including District Designated Funds (DDF), from now through 31 March 2026. Districts affected by the cyclone can apply for grants until 3 December 2026 or until all funds are spent. These grants can be used to supply people with necessities such as water, food, medicine, shelter, and clothing. To help the communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, you and your members can:   Donate to the Cyclone Ditwah Response Fund  Transfer District Designated Funds to the Cyclone Ditwah Response Fund Fundraise among your colleagues, friends, and family through Raise for Rotary   After 4 December 2026, any unused money in the Cyclone Ditwah Response Fund will be transferred to the Disaster Response Fund to support relief efforts for other disasters. If you have questions about the Cyclone Ditwah Response Fund, write to disaster.responsefund@rotary.org. If you have questions about disaster response grants, write to grants@rotary.org. We are grateful for your commitment to service and the difference it makes for communities in need. Thank you for your continued dedication.

After 100+ years the Rotary Club of Kamloops is no more, but most prior members have joined other clubs and continue to be committed to Rotary. We also continue our relationships with our old club members in various ways. One important continuing connection is through ongoing support for the Starfish Backpacks program at the Kamloops Food Bank. This program was introduced to Kamloops in 2016 by club members Christopher Seguin (passed away 2018) and Devon O’Toole ( Club President 2016-17).  It now provides a backpack of food every week to 275 school aged children to ensure they have enough to eat for the weekend. These bags are filled with easy-to-prepare, nutritious items and delivered to 30 schools in School District 73 every Friday morning. This important club legacy program started with only 10 backpacks and is now supported by dozens of local businesses, clubs and volunteers allowing it to grow to its current level.

Each funding organization has a volunteer day to pack and deliver the food packages to local schools. Our group of prior club members gathered bright and early on the morning of Friday, November 28^th and got our assembly line going. Only 35 minutes to get 275 bags of food packed up, and then we were off to deliver to area schools! We had such a great time working together and reminiscing about other service projects we have done together. We plan to continue this effort going forward - including providing personal funding as an ongoing legacy of our many years together. 

submitted by Geoff & Kathy Collier, Rotary Club of Kamloops West

FROM ALL OF US ON THE DISTRICT WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR. MAY THERE BE PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS!!!

Canada Inbounds at Silver Star

The Canadian inbounds gathered for a winter adventure at Silver Star Resort. The group enjoyed tubing, skiing, and spending quality time together. Between outdoor fun and shared meals, the weekend created space for strong bonds and plenty of memorable moments.

Thank you to the dedicated committee members who supported and made this weekend possible: Martha Kennedy, Kayle Thomas, Richard DeRock, Kathleen McNalty, Cassandra Wilkinson, and Jill Leonard. A huge thank you to the Silver Star Rotary Club for providing dinner on Friday night.

USA Inbounds Make Memories

The US inbounds enjoyed a cozy and creative winter weekend together. Activities included making gingerbread houses, attending a movie, and simply enjoying time as a group. These moments of togetherness are an important part of the exchange experience, helping students feel supported and connected.

A sincere thank you to Joel Banken and Julie Banken for hosting and welcoming the students with such warmth.

Weekends like these remind us that Rotary Youth Exchange is about more than travel. It is about relationships, belonging, and creating a second family across borders

 

But what is RYLA?

RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award conference) is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs and districts, where students develop their skills as a leader while having fun and making connections.

In past years, we have held our own RYLA event within the District.  After a hiatus, Rotary District 5060 wants to bring RYLA back, and our short-term strategy is to take advantage of a terrific opportunity to utilize RYLA Northwest and their program.

 

This year clubs in District 5060 can choose to sponsor a student (16 or 17 years old) for $455 (USD or CAD). Many clubs will provide an additional stipend for gas and connect students so they can carpool.

What is RYLA Northwest?
It is a project of Rotary Districts 5020 & 5030. Each year students (16 & 17 years old), gather to participate in this rewarding 4-day leadership conference. The RYLA program endeavors to help participants learn about leadership through interactive programs and experiences that can provide a positive framework for the rest of their lives.

RYLA Northwest 2026
Date:  June 4^th – 7^th
Location:   YMCA Camp Colman
                  20016 Bar Rd. SW
                  Longbranch, WA  98351

Registration is online through the RYLA Northwest website, starting January 1^st, 2026. Registration closes May 15^th, or when they reach capacity, whichever comes first.

How Can My Club Sponsor a Student?

Step 1  Clubs that intend to sponsor a student need to have a RYLA chair listed in DACdb.

Step 2  Clubs who would like to sponsor a student (16 to 17 years old), to attend RYLA Northwest 2026, would need to solicit and select a student to sponsor before May.

Step 3 Clubs provide their sponsored student with the link to register.

Step 4 Sponsored students need to know the name of the Rotary club that is sponsoring them and register online with RYLA Northwest.

Step 5 Clubs email Kate Matos with RYLA Northwest, ( kate.serve@gmail.com ), informing her who they selected (and total number of students sponsored), Kate will confirm the registrations as they come in (and send confirmations to student + club rep).

Volunteers
RYLA Northwest can always use volunteers. See their website, https://rylanw.org/ , for further volunteer opportunities.

District 5060 RYLA Committee
If you have an interest in serving on the District 5060 RYLA Committee, or have questions, please let me know.

Kind regards,

Jeff Scott
District 5060 RYLA Chair
Scottjeff2010@gmail.com
 

Read More