Local Rotarians celebrate centennial

Local Rotarians are in Casa Grande today attending a Centennial Celebration to mark Rotary International’s 100th anniversary. Members from Coolidge, Florence, Casa Grande and Maricopa clubs will gather at the Francisco Grande to highlight local projects as well as the service support they provide on both national and international levels.

Centennial Rotarians in each club will also be honored today. These individuals have promoted the concept of “Service above Self” and have been mainstays in their clubs. Longtime Maricopa Rotarians Don Pearce, William “Sonny” Dunn and Oliver Anderson received the award based on their high level of assistance and support for their club.

Rotary was founded on February 23, 1905, in Chicago. The first meeting, initiated by attorney Paul Harris, included three of his friends. Their determination to serve their community became the catalyst for what is today a worldwide organization. Rotarians in 166 countries across the globe provide the manpower for 32,000 clubs, according to Rotary International. Women have been members since 1989.

In Arizona, there are 5,000 Rotarians. Maricopa’s club has 35 members and is growing, according to its president, Richard Fleming. “With the energy level that these new members exhibit, the future of the Rotary Club of Maricopa looks bright.”

In addition to Fleming, the officers of the local club are: Vice President Scott Ries, Secretary Kelly Anderson, Treasurer Brent Murphree, and Sergeant at Arms Will Dunn.

Fleming added, ” I grew up in Maricopa, and I remember that if something needed to be done or addressed on a community wide level, you requested the assistance of the Rotary Club. There was no city government then, just a group of civic-minded leaders who provided support to the community.”

One of the best examples of Rotary’s support is Maricopa’s community swimming pool and park that opened in 1958. According to Fleming, the project grew in response to the number of children who drowned or were injured swimming in farm ditches or canals in the area. Each year local children can take free swimming lessons provided by Rotary.

The annual Maricopa Stage Coach Days’ activities hosted by the club, as well as contributions from local residents, was the initial source of funding for the construction of the pool. This annual fundraiser is still utilized to maintain the pool and to pay its operating expenses.

“Though the Rotary Club has been able to open the pool each summer, it is a task that becomes more and more difficult with each passing year,” explained Fleming. “The pool is over 45 years old and currently in need of significant repairs and remodeling. Each year the club members paint, patch and repair the facility with a budget that is really not sufficient for a project of this scope, but, thanks to Don Pearce, Sonny Dunn, and Oliver Anderson, the pool has opened each year.”

Maricopa’s Rotary Club will continue to support the community pool and the Rotary Scholarship Program through its annual Cotton Picking Barn Dance and auction as well as with the proceeds from Stage Coach Days. This year’s events will feature a carnival, raffle, rodeo and barn dance during the weekend of April 16. A golf tournament and arts and crafts fair are scheduled for the following weekend. For information on these events, contact Richard Fleming, Rotary Club President.