Heather's Corner: Oro Valley Rotary Club-Helping The Needy

July 1st marked the beginning of the fiscal year for The Rotary Club of Oro Valley ("OVRC"), a tradition long established since the first meeting held in 1910 Chicago for the Rotary Clubs of America. We are certainly looking forward to what the new year brings from the club who lives it's motto, "service above self," through a variety of community focused programs.

Established in 1992, the OVRC provides community outreach by way of scholarships, book drives, youth service groups, leadership development programs, tuition assistance for working adults, and year round contributions to Catalina Community Services. The Aqua Youth Showcase is a recent example of OVRC community support. This showcase "encouraging fitness and wellness through aquatic activities, and providing an opportunity for all members of the community to interact,"

In addition, the OVRC helps the needy. It participates in the Phoenix Mega-Pack to help pack food for, "Feed My Starving Children," with a total reaching 108,800 meals.

The OVRC also focuses on youth. For example, it sponsors the Pusch Ridge Christian Academy (PRCA) Interact Club for youths 14-18 with the intent of developing local and international service projects.

The OVRC is an impressive organization.  We were pleased to learn the Oro Valley Mayoral Candidate Pat Straney is chairman of the Oro Valley Rotary Foundation.

"I, as well as all of our club members, raise funds to support humanitarian needs in our community and well beyond as a result of our club's membership and active participation in Rotary International activities. I act as the voice and coordinator of Rotary Foundation activities for our club and act as the interface between our club, the District and International Rotary foundation activities. It is also important to note that Rotary is a non-partisan organization."

The OVRC is a wonderful way to get involved and volunteer to provide assistance in supporting your community.  There are always ways to volunteer your time and efforts or you might consider joining the OVRC for a more concrete and highly regarded commitment.

If you have any questions about volunteering or in general, you can contact Pat, Wendy Wise, or Tom Duplain. Their contact information can be found on the OVRC website.
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Heather Nenadovich has lived in Oro Valley a total of five years. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Her husband is Canadian so she is a hockey fan by default and so are her two very clever children. When not being a mommy, she enjoys hiking in Catalina State Park, hand building pottery, and gardening. Her favorite things about living in Oro Valley are the towns recognition of art and culture, their commitment to preserving nature and the Christmas parade. (Also anything from GMG Chinese Bistro.)